2000 Stanley Cup Finals

The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the 2000 NHL playoffs, contested between the New Jersey Devils of the Eastern Conference and the Dallas Stars of the Western Conference. The Devils won the series four games to two, clinching their second Stanley Cup championship with a 2–1 double-overtime victory in Game 6 at Reunion Arena in Dallas on June 10, 2000. The series-winning goal was scored by Jason Arnott at 8:20 of the second overtime period, assisted by Patrik Elias, in one of the most celebrated moments in Devils franchise history. Scott Stevens was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player, recognizing his dominant defensive performance throughout the postseason.

The series victory represented the Devils' second Stanley Cup title, following their first championship in 1995. Dallas entered the series as the defending Stanley Cup champions, having defeated the Buffalo Sabres in 1999. The 2000 Finals were notable for their defensive intensity, low-scoring games, and the exceptional goaltending of New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, who anchored a team built around disciplined positional play and physical defense. The Devils' triumph confirmed their status as one of the premier franchises of the NHL's modern era and reinforced the team's deep roots in New Jersey sports culture.

Background and Context

The New Jersey Devils were founded in 1982, relocating to the Meadowlands from Colorado, where they had operated as the Colorado Rockies. Through much of the 1980s the franchise struggled to establish itself, but the organization undertook a significant rebuild that began producing results in the early 1990s. Under the defensive system implemented by coach Jacques Lemaire and later refined by his successors, the Devils became one of the Eastern Conference's most consistent teams. Their first Stanley Cup championship, won in 1995 over the Detroit Red Wings, established the franchise's identity as a defensively disciplined, goaltending-driven team built on depth and structure rather than individual star power.

By the 1999–2000 season, the Devils had reloaded around a core group of veteran players. Martin Brodeur had developed into one of the premier goaltenders in the league. Scott Stevens, the team's captain, was regarded as one of the most physically imposing and technically sound defensemen in the NHL. Forward contributors included Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott, acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, and Scott Gomez, who had emerged as a dynamic young player during the regular season. Claude Lemieux, a veteran forward with a well-documented reputation as one of the Devils' most tenacious playoff performers, also contributed to the team's postseason run.

Dallas, meanwhile, arrived at the Finals as the defending champions. The Stars were built around Mike Modano, Brett Hull, and goaltender Ed Belfour, and had benefited from the same sort of structured defensive approach that defined the Devils. The matchup between two defensively oriented, goaltending-driven teams produced a series characterized by tight margins and physical play rather than high-scoring exchanges.

The Series

The Devils and Stars split the first four games of the series, each team winning on home ice. New Jersey took Games 1 and 3 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, while Dallas won Games 2 and 4 at Reunion Arena. The games were consistently close, reflecting the defensive capabilities of both rosters and the quality of goaltending on each side. Brodeur and Belfour each made significant saves throughout the series, limiting scoring chances and prolonging possessions.

New Jersey reasserted control with a victory in Game 5, returning to Dallas for a potential series-clinching Game 6. That game, played on June 10, 2000, remained scoreless through regulation and a full overtime period before Arnott ended it in double overtime. Elias carried the puck into the Dallas zone and found Arnott in the slot, who beat Belfour to give the Devils the championship. The goal set off an immediate celebration among the traveling contingent of Devils fans inside Reunion Arena and touched off extended celebrations across New Jersey.

The full series results were as follows:

2000 Stanley Cup Finals Results

Game	Date	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Venue
1	May 30	Dallas Stars	7–3	New Jersey Devils	Reunion Arena
2	June 1	New Jersey Devils	2–1	Dallas Stars	Continental Airlines Arena
3	June 3	Dallas Stars	2–1	New Jersey Devils	Reunion Arena
4	June 5	New Jersey Devils	3–1	Dallas Stars	Continental Airlines Arena
5	June 8	Dallas Stars	1–0	New Jersey Devils	Reunion Arena
6	June 10	New Jersey Devils	2–1 (2OT)	Dallas Stars	Reunion Arena

Key Players

Scott Stevens anchored the Devils' defensive corps throughout the 2000 playoffs and was the central reason for his Conn Smythe Trophy selection. Stevens was known for delivering punishing open-ice hits that altered the physical and psychological dynamics of games, and his ability to neutralize opposing forwards proved especially consequential against Dallas's skilled offensive players. His leadership as team captain unified the roster during high-pressure moments.

Martin Brodeur was equally essential. His goaltending through the playoffs reflected the consistency and composure that had made him one of the league's most respected players since the mid-1990s. In the Finals specifically, Brodeur's performance in tight-score situations gave the Devils the margin they needed to withstand Dallas's offensive pushes.

Jason Arnott, acquired by New Jersey from Edmonton during the 1999–2000 season, proved to be a defining acquisition. His series-winning goal in Game 6 double overtime was the culmination of a strong playoff run and cemented his place in Devils history. Patrik Elias, whose assist on that goal demonstrated his playmaking ability, was one of the team's most productive forwards throughout the postseason. Scott Gomez contributed offensive energy and was recognized as one of the team's young cornerstones.

Claude Lemieux brought veteran playoff experience to the lineup. Known throughout his career as a player who elevated his performance in the postseason, Lemieux's role with the 2000 Devils represented the continuation of a tenure during which he had become closely associated with the franchise's championship identity.

Head coach Larry Robinson, a Hall of Fame defenseman who took over from Robbie Ftorek late in the regular season, guided the team through the playoffs with a veteran's understanding of the structural demands of playoff hockey. His arrival stabilized the team at a critical juncture and his management of the roster through the Finals contributed directly to the championship outcome.

Venues

The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals unfolded across two arenas in geographically and architecturally distinct settings. The Continental Airlines Arena, located within the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, served as the Devils' home venue throughout the 1999–2000 season and during home games of the Finals. The arena had opened in 1981 as the Brendan Byrne Arena and underwent a naming rights arrangement with Continental Airlines during the 1990s. It was later renamed the Izod Center and subsequently closed in 2015, with the Devils relocating to the Prudential Center in Newark, which opened in 2007. The two arenas are distinct facilities; the Continental Airlines Arena and the Prudential Center are separate venues and should not be conflated.

Reunion Arena in Dallas, which served as the Stars' home for Games 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, was an older, smaller facility with a more intimate configuration. It hosted the series-clinching Game 6 on June 10, 2000. Reunion Arena was subsequently demolished in 2009 after the Stars relocated to what is now the American Airlines Center.

The distance between East Rutherford and Dallas required both teams to manage travel logistics across an extended series, and home-ice dynamics played a meaningful role in early games before New Jersey ultimately clinched on the road.

Cultural and Economic Impact

The Devils' 2000 championship generated significant celebration across New Jersey, including public parades and events that drew substantial crowds. The victory marked the second time in five years the franchise had won the Stanley Cup, reinforcing the Devils' standing as one of the sport's dominant franchises of that era and deepening the relationship between the team and its regional fan base.

The broader Meadowlands area, which had developed through the 1980s and 1990s into a major regional sports and entertainment hub, benefited from the visibility the Finals provided. Hotels, restaurants, and retail establishments near the arena reported elevated activity during home game dates, and merchandise sales associated with the championship generated additional revenue for local businesses. The Devils' success during this period contributed to increased youth hockey participation in New Jersey, as the team's championship profile attracted new interest in the sport throughout the state.

The 2000 championship is frequently referenced in discussions of the Devils' broader dynasty period, which encompasses the 1995, 2000, and 2003 Stanley Cup titles. That three-championship window established the franchise as one of the most successful organizations in the NHL over a roughly decade-long span and remains the primary lens through which the team's historical identity is understood.

Transportation and Accessibility

Fans attending home games at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford had access to the venue through several transportation corridors. The arena was served by major highway routes including the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, and the Meadowlands Sports Complex provided substantial parking capacity for those arriving by car. New Jersey Transit operated rail and bus services that connected the complex to communities across the state, providing a viable alternative to driving for fans traveling from Newark, New York City, and other population centers. The accessibility of the venue, combined with its location within the densely populated metropolitan area, contributed to strong home attendance throughout the series.

Neighborhoods

The neighborhoods surrounding the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford experienced a pronounced surge in activity during the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals. Local residents, many of them longtime Devils supporters, participated in the broader celebrations that followed the championship. The sense of community investment in the team's success was a consistent feature of the Devils' relationship with the Meadowlands region, and the 2000 championship deepened that connection in ways that persisted well beyond the conclusion of the series.