1992 Lewis Cup Finals

The 1992 Lewis Cup Finals would pit the Milwaukee Choppers, in search of their third championship in five seasons, against the Montreal Royale, a team in search of their first since 1968. Game one in Montreal was dominated by the home team, as Vincent Ducharme’s three-point night helped the Royale to a 6-3 victory. Game two would be much closer, as the lead went back-and-forth until the game went into overtime. 20 seconds into the extra frame, Travis Curry nearly ended it for the Choppers but Victor Malmsten made a brilliant save to preserve the tie. Near the end of the first overtime, Evan Flowers hit Trevor Ramsey with a long pass, springing Ramsey on a breakaway. Ramsey beat Scott Daffney top shelf to win the game for Montreal and give them a 2-0 series lead.

Heading home for games three and four, the Choppers were full of confidence. The front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal the morning of game three featured a quote from Pete Holloway, guaranteeing a series win. Game three would be another overtime epic, as the teams skated to a 2-2 deadlock after regulation. Veteran goalies Malmsten and Daffney both played spectacular in net as one overtime turned into two. Midway through the second overtime, Holloway would put his bold words into action, beating Malmsten for the game winner to bring the series to 2-1. Game four would be a huge game for both teams. Milwaukee knew a Montreal victory would mean a chance for them to win the Cup on home ice two nights later. Bruce Gratton opened the scoring before Joe Pickard increased the lead to 2-0. It appeared the Choppers were in command. Suddenly JC Girard scored just seconds after Pickard to bring the score within one. Early in the second period, Terry Hawkins was called for tripping, giving the Royale a powerplay. Just 23 seconds into the man advantage Sylvain Landry tied the score. Milwaukee regained the lead late in the second period when Olivier Meloche’s blast from the point found its way past Malmsten. The Royale pressed hard for the tying goal throughout the third period but simply could not solve Scott Daffney. Finally, their persistence paid off when Ducharme found Trevor Ramsey in the slot, who scored to tie the game at 3-3. As the clock wound down, Milwaukee made a last-minute push to win in regulation. With only 34 seconds left, defenseman Ray Decker’s point shot was blocked by Hannes Rhenquist. The puck deflected out to Sergei Vetrov, who found himself on a breakaway. Vetrov beat Daffney five-hole and Montreal had the lead with 25 seconds remaining. The Royale would hang on and return home just one win away from the Lewis Cup.

Back in Montreal, the entire city was ready to explode. Montreal had long been one of the most passionate and faithful fan basses in the league and had waited 24 long years to see their beloved Royale take home a championship. Game five was all Montreal from the get-go. Ramsey scored early, followed by Ducharme before Vetrov made it 3-0 home team. Milwaukee knew they were in trouble. After the third Royale goal, The Choppers adjusted their lines, which seemed to work as Travis Curry scored early in the second period on a beautiful pass from Joe Pickard. Only two minutes later, however, Ducharme scored what would be the eventual winner as the Royale ultimately won 5-3 to claim the third Lewis Cup in franchise history and the first in the Vincent Ducharme/Don Shelburne era. When asked if he regretted “the guarantee” back in game three, Pete Holloway said he did not. “I made a statement to try to spark our team” said Holloway. “I thought we responded well initially, we just couldn’t finish the job.” For Montreal native Ducharme, the win was a dream come true. “This is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had playing the game, especially to do it here in front of my family, with the team I grew up watching, I can’t even begin to describe it.”