What if Wayne Gretzky had got the high-sticking call back in 1993..?

Question

Gah! Yahoo is really pissing me off! It keeps telling me "coffee break"..I hate that stupid thing. Anyways, on to the question...

I am sure most of you people who know any hockey history know the playoff battle in the Cambell Conference finals(aka conference finals) between the Toronto Maple Leafs vs the Los Angeles Kings in 1993:

The Leafs were leading the series 3-2 and the game went into overtime.

While in overtime, Gretzky clipped Gilmour in the face with his stick, but referee Kerry Fraser did not call a penalty - which led to controversy- and Gretzky scored the winning goal moments later, therefore tying the series 3-3, and then Los Angeles eventually won the series and advanced to the finals, losing to the Montreal Canadiens.

What if Wayne Gretzky had got that penalty? Do you think the Leafs would of won that game and advanced to the finals? If they advanced to the finals, do you think they would of won the Cup(I know a long shot question, but this is a question of "what if..")? If Toronto did win the Cup, what would all the people who go "41 years" say now? lol

How would the Leafs franchise be different if they won the Cup?

I love "what if" questions.

Please discuss what you think.

Answer 1

Toronto probably would have won, but that's Wayne for ya.  You weren't allowed to go near him.  Toronto needed Scott Stevens to put him through the boards but instead everyone gave him over 30 seconds behind the net to do whatever he wants and he scores the goal.  Even when Mario scored 199 points he was robbed of the Hart Trophy.  They don't call it a garage league for nothing!!

Answer 2

If Wayne got the penalty  it definatly would have changed the outcome of that series.

But it happened, and it was THE GREATEST PLAY OF ALL TIME, so did his hat trick in game 7.

Leafs suck and will always suck becasue that is the will of the  hockey gods.  

L oser

E ven

A fter

F orty-1  

S easons

But in the end the  "great one" wasn't  great enough to beat St. Patrick.

Answer 3

It was 15 years ago.  Let it go.

Answer 4

With LA down a skater in overtime Killer would have scored the winning Goal and Toronto would have won the series.

Then as always Toronto held Montreal's number, and would have a good chance to win the finals. So the 40 and counting crew would have to find another cry.

Answer 5

idk, maybe it cost the game, but it doesnt excuse the leafs from the game 7 loss, however, i think that gretzky could have scored the goal with out the high stick, but the refs missed the call which forced the game 7.  

Answer 6

Thanks for making me relive the worst night of watching hockey ever.

I still remember sitting in a sports bar in Orange County, California, a lone Leafs fan in a sea of bandwagon Kings fans, and being taunted by people who had no idea of what they were watching.

If the penalty gets called...yes, Toronto probably wins (I had a great record of lighting up a cigarette when they were on the powerplay, and was actually starting to grab one).  With that being said, lest we forget, Montreal was a buzz saw that year, and Roy was playing out of his skin.  Still, it would have been nice to at least go to a bloody final.

Answer 7

I told you hosers not to tell the people at answers about Tim Horton's !! (that is my explanation for all the coffee breaks)

There is no doubt Gretz got breaks, whether if the Leafs score on that pp or not is up for debate. As stated, if Gilmour were unable to lead it, maybe they don't, and perhaps Gretz gets a gwg after the kill is over. Or it could have been Robitaille, Granato, Blake, Kurri or Sandstrom, the Kings had some pretty good offencive output that year.

Assuming the Kings win game 6 (which they ended up doing) the Leafs had a chance to win the series with game 7 on home ice. They didn't.

As a Canadiens fan ever since I got into hockey over 20 years ago I too would have loved to see a Montreal vs Toronto final. Don't you think the league would have liked that too?

Would the Leafs franchise be different if they'd won the cup? Perhaps but we know where they are because they still haven't since 1967.

Their fans have put up with too much (how do you say *maudite tabarnak* in english?) for too long. I am not a fan, but I respect your loyalty.

Answer 8

The Leafs PP in 93 was bove the lekague average and LA's below. Still I think that LA would've withstood the pp (especially if Gilmour left the gm) and could've won. Still who knows.

Hrudly had given up 4goals in the gm and was far from stellar.

In the end Montreal would've beaten either team I think. Montreal was better than LA or Toronto and had Roy in his prime between thepipes

Good question though