It was on this day in 1997 that the Detroit Red Wings beat the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 to win the Stanley Cup.  The Red Wings won the game 2-1 to sweep the Flyers and win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years.

The 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings team was loaded with talent and future hall-of-famers.  Most of them were in the prime of their career, such as Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov and Larry Murphy.  Detroit had a very balanced squad that season, with a number of role players playing a key role in the playoffs, including Tomas Holmstrom, Martin Lapointe and Darren McCarty.  Wings goaltender Chris Osgood, one of the most underrated goalies in league history, was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff’s Most Valuable Player.

The Red Wings ended their 42-year Stanley Cup drought that year.  Two years ago it was the Blackhawks ending their 49-year drought, and last year it was the Bruins who ended their 38-year drought by beating the Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.  Can the Kings follow suit by ending their 45-year drought and winning their first Cup in franchise history?  We’ll have to wait and see.

Here are some highlights from the 1997 Stanley Cup final.

Notable Birthdays

Mike Modano, NHL – Born June 7th 1970 (age 42) in Livonia, Michigan

Allen Iverson, NBA – Born June 7th 1975 (age 37) in Hampton, Virginia

Milan Lucic, NHL – Born June 7th 1988 (age 24) in Vancouver, British Columbia