Deciding game of Stanley Cup draws more than 3.5 million viewers to CBC

TORONTO - The deciding game of the Stanley Cup was a ratings hit on both sides of the border.

CBC said Monday that Friday's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins drew an average of 3.529 million viewers, making it the most watched game of the series. NBC's Game 7 broadcast drew historic numbers. An average of eight million viewers tuned in for the game, the most since Game 6 of the 1973 Stanley Cup final between Montreal and Chicago.

Game 7 earned a 4.3 rating and 8 share in the U.S. The rating is the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program, while the share is the percentage of all TVs in use at the time.

Despite a strong finish, the CBC broadcast of the series failed to duplicate last year's numbers. CBC averaged 2.154 million viewers for the seven-game rematch, down seven per cent from last year's six-game final.

Pittsburgh won Friday's game 2-1 to capture its third Stanley Cup title.

Game 7 of the 1994 final between Vancouver and the New York Rangers drew the highest average Canadian audience for a Stanley Cup final with 4.957 million viewers tuning in.

-With files from The Associated Press