The Stanley Cup is the annual trophy that the winning team of the National Hockey League (NHL) takes home every year. In pursuit of this trophy, teams give their absolute all and as a result, there have been many upsets throughout the years that the sport has been played. In honour of all of these different occasions, below is a list of the top three Stanley Cup upsets in NHL History.

In 1982, fans of hockey were blessed with a series that seemed to have it all. Towards the end, its 1982 Division Semi-finals has gone down in history as the Miracle on Manchester. This game was arguably the turning point for the series for both teams involved, as the Edmonton Oilers, who sported such names as Wayne Gretzky, Grant Furr and Mark Messier, were overturned by the Los Angeles Kings. 

In game number three with the Oilers looking ready to take the semi-finals, they led 5-3 with only a couple of minutes remaining. Then, thanks to an extended powerplay by the Kings, they managed to tie the game and force overtime. After that, it was only a matter of minutes before Daryl Evans scored the winning goal and claimed his spot in the sudden death hall of fame. 

As complete underdogs, the NHL was shaken by the Kings’ victory as the odds were stacked against them. Future games promise to be no different as hockey David’s take down Goliaths constantly. For a better understanding of the odds that these teams face, you may want to consider having a look at the online sports betting guide prepared by gamble online. 

In the 2010 Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Philadelphia Flyers became the most recent NHL team to come back after going down 3 – 0. Even though the team seemed too far behind to return, Philadelphia turned to Michael Leighton for help, which paid off as they turned around a monumental comeback. 

It was an ironic win as the Bruins had suffered a very similar fate during their 1979 semi-finals when Don Cherry’s team were called because they had too many men on the ice. The team called for the same penalty in their game against Philadelphia Flyers, which inevitably led to their defeat. 

In the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals, defensive titans Minnesota came up against attacking powerhouse Colorado. After dropping three straight, the odds were stacked up against Colorado, but they managed to bring it back and pull out three victories afterwards. After losing so many games consistently, many thought Colorado stood a chance but they managed to prove all of them wrong and advance to the Conference semi-finals as a result. This was thanks to their stellar lineup of veterans including the likes of Milan Hejduk, Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Adam Foote, Patrick Roy and Alex Tanguay.

These quarterfinals will forever be known as one of the most notable upsets in NHL history. 

Last week, both The Guardian and The Telegraph published a series of articles shining a light on the fact that professional footballers are “three and a half times more likely to suffer from dementia and other serious neurological diseases.” Multiple concussions and repeatedly performing headers on leather footballs are stated to be the main causes of brain disease. But football has been around since the 19th century, and the Alzheimer’s Society has highlighted that 1 in 4 of us will get dementia, so the real question is what is the link between the two, and, if there is one, is anything being done to prevent or cure dementia?

First, let’s make things clear—dementia and Alzheimer’s are not the same thing. Dementia is best described as an umbrella term for a range of progressive neurological disorders, in other words, conditions affecting the brain. There is a wide range of different types of dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common as it accounts for two-thirds of instances. The other three most common types are vascular dementia, frontotemporal (FTD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Unfortunately, it is not unusual to also have a combination of different types of dementia.

As some may know, the biggest risk factor with Alzheimer’s is age, as it is a progressive disease that contains three stages. However, it is important to consider that each person will experience dementia in their own way, regardless of what type they may have. Scientists have declared that most forms of dementia are not hereditary, but that in rarer types of it there may be a genetic link, although that only accounts for a small proportion of cases.

In 2017, the Alzheimer’s Society published a study examining the possible link between dementia and head injuries sustained by playing football. Studies published within the article detailed that “the brains of sportspeople after they have died have identified that a condition called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) could be linked to high-collision sports.” The study was revealed to be particularly complicated as a vast amount of the brains that were examined showed signs of more than one form of dementia. Researchers concluded the study by stating that “based on current evidence, the risk arising from contact sports in the development of dementia remains uncertain. If such a link does exist, the contribution of concussion and milder forms of head injury to overall risk is likely to be small.”

Fast-forward two years later, a new 22-month long research study proving otherwise has sparked wide debate among the media. The statement made by the Telegraph proclaimed that for footballers, “there was a five-fold increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s, a four-fold increase in Motor Neurone disease and a two-fold increase in Parkinson’s.” The research also mentions that, “former footballers were almost five times more likely to have been prescribed dementia drugs.” Additionally, it declares that they are unable to confirm if the causes of brain disease have occurred because of concussions or constant heading of footballs. After these results, the Football Association decided to financially back the research and encourage examinations to continue.

The statistics of people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s are rapidly increasing, so many are turning to science for clarification. Progression towards curing cancer looks promising, but for dementia, it is starting to look more than plausible. Scientists have conducted a sequence of tests that have proved successful for delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Social interaction is the most advised by doctors and nurses, as regular engagement has shown to spark brain connections, which can stimulate activity. Mental and physical exercise have also been tested to see if mental encouragement can slow down the Alzheimer’s, as well as slowing down cognitive declination. Both have been proven to be effective. Encouraging a person living with dementia or Alzheimer’s to keep a well-balanced diet is vital to improve their energy, as well as their memory.

Although it is not yet finalised, medical experts are on the verge of a scientific breakthrough. A mere three years ago, Alzheimer’s Research UK announced that plans for a vaccination that would delay the onset effects of Alzheimer’s were entering an early stage of clinical trials. The vaccine aims to halt, slow or reverse the disease in its tracks, and could possibly be life-changing for those who show symptoms of dementia in its early stages.

Dementia Awareness Month may have just passed by, but for families with people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, awareness should be a daily occurrence, even though the future remains hopeful with a vaccine in sight. For anyone who wishes to improve their knowledge or understanding of dementia, inquiring at your local care home and spending some time with those living with the disorder is a good start.