Top 5 Players of the 1945 Stanley Cup Finals

Originally published on Sept. 22, 2019

By Zane Miller

On Sunday, April 22nd, 1945, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings at the Detroit Olympia in Detroit to win the 32nd Stanley Cup Finals four games to three. It was the fifth Stanley Cup championship for the Maple Leafs franchise, and the third that was won in Michigan. These are the top five players that I felt most stood out during the series.

5. #10 Ted Kennedy (Maple Leafs)- F

Kennedy led the Maple Leafs in scoring over the course of the series, as he got a total of four goals and an assist.

4. #15 Eddie Bruneteau (Red Wings)- F

Bruneteau claimed partial player of the game in game four, getting one goal and one assist as the Red Wings took the 5-3 victory.

3. #5 Flash Hollett (Red Wings)- D

Hollett picked up partial player of the game as well, adding a goal and an assist on the way to the Red Wings’ 5-3 win.

2. #1 Harry Lumley (Red Wings)- G

Lumley earned player of the game honors in games five and six, earning a shutout as the Red Wings won game five 2-0, while game six saw him get a shutout once again in the Red Wings’ 1-0 victory to tie up the series.

1. #1 Frank McCool (Maple Leafs)- G

McCool was player of the game in games one, two, three, and seven, getting a shutout in each of the first three games as the Maple Leafs won 1-0, 2-0, and 1-0 again respectively, while game seven saw him allow just one goal in the Maple Leafs’ 2-1 victory to take home the series title.

Players of the Game Breakdown:

 

Link to stats database: https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1945-detroit-red-wings-vs-toronto-maple-leafs-stanley-cup-final.html