The year 2006 consisted of Sports Championship winners Carolina Hurricanes (NHL), Houston Dynamo (MLS), Miami Heat (NBA), Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), St Louis Cardinals (MLB)
HIGHLIGHTS
The
2006 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the
Carolina Hurricanes and the
Edmonton Oilers. The Hurricanes, who were making their first ever Stanley Cup Final appearance, won the series in seven games, becoming the first team in
NHL history to win the Stanley Cup after having the worst record in the league the previous season. The Oilers, who were making their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since
1990, were led by Conn Smythe Trophy winner Dwayne Roloson. The Hurricanes were led by Conn Smythe Trophy winner Cam Ward, who was the first rookie goaltender to win the Stanley Cup in more than 70 years. The Hurricanes won the series 4-3, with all seven games being decided by one goal. The Hurricanes won the decisive Game 7 in
Edmonton, 3-1, to become the
2006 Stanley Cup Champions.
The
2006 MLB World Series was an exciting matchup between the
St Louis Cardinals and the
Detroit Tigers. The Cardinals won the series in five games, becoming the National League's first team to win 10 World Series titles. The Cardinals' pitching was superb, with Chris Carpenter winning two games and Jeff Suppan winning the deciding game. The Tigers were led by their strong offense, with Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco, and Sean Casey all hitting home runs. However, the Cardinals' pitching was too much for the Tigers, and they were unable to overcome the Cardinals' strong bullpen. In the end, the Cardinals were crowned the
2006 World Series Champions.
The
2006 NBA Championship Final series between the
Miami Heat and the
Dallas Mavericks was a hard fought seven game series. The Mavericks had the upper hand for the majority of the series, taking a 2-0 lead. However, the Heat fought back, taking the next two games to even the series. The Mavericks would then win the next two games, putting them one game away from a championship. The Heat would not give up, and they would win the next two games to force a game seven. In the end, the
Miami Heat would come out on top, winning the series 4-3 and claiming their first ever
NBA Championship.
The
2006 NFL Super Bowl was a matchup between the
Pittsburgh Steelers and the
Seattle Seahawks. The Steelers were the reigning champions and were looking to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the
New England Patriots in
2004 and
2005. The Seahawks were making their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. The Steelers defense was the difference as they dominated the Seahawks offense and held them to just 10 points.
Pittsburgh's quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to help the Steelers to a 21-10 victory. The Steelers became the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls since the Patriots in
2003 and
2004.
The
2006 MLB World Series was an exciting matchup between the
St Louis Cardinals and the
Detroit Tigers. The Cardinals won the series in five games, becoming the National League's first team to win 10 World Series titles. The Cardinals' pitching was superb, with Chris Carpenter winning two games and Jeff Suppan winning the deciding game. The Tigers were led by their strong offense, with Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco, and Sean Casey all hitting home runs. However, the Cardinals' pitching was too much for the Tigers, and they were unable to overcome the Cardinals' strong bullpen. In the end, the Cardinals were crowned the
2006 World Series Champions.