List of NHL franchise post-season droughts

Last updated

Active and all-time National Hockey League (NHL) franchise post-season appearance, post-season series win, Stanley Cup Finals and Stanley Cup droughts up to and including the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, are listed below. Those teams which have never made it in franchise history are listed by the season that they entered the league, either as a new franchise or when they merged into the NHL from the disbanded World Hockey Association (WHA) league. These lists do not include the cancelled 2004–05 NHL season when calculating "number of seasons".

Contents

Among the current 32 NHL teams, ten have never won the Stanley Cup, with the oldest of them being the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres (53 seasons). The longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs (56 seasons). Toronto's drought is still active, and they have not made the Finals since winning the last Stanley Cup in 1967, before the expansion era. Five teams have never reached the Stanley Cup Finals, with the oldest of them being the Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes franchise (43 seasons). Toronto's active 56-season drought from the Finals is the longest in NHL history. In 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks ended what was the second-longest Stanley Cup championship drought at 49 seasons (now the sixth-longest). The end of that drought was the first of three consecutive years in which one of the eleven longest such droughts was broken (Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, Boston Bruins in 2011, and Los Angeles Kings in 2012).

The Buffalo Sabres have the longest active playoff series win drought at 17 seasons and also have the longest active post-season appearance drought at 13 seasons, a league record. The Florida Panthers have the longest playoff series win drought in league history at 24 seasons.

Longest active droughts

Post-season appearance droughts

A postseason appearance drought is continued by not making the NHL playoffs after the regular season. Since the first round of the playoffs normally consists of eight series (sixteen teams) and there were thirty-two active teams in the NHL during the 2023–24 season, there are sixteen teams that did not make the most recent playoffs on this list.

TeamLast appearance in post-seasonPost-season drought
Buffalo Sabres 2010–11 13 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 2015–16 8 seasons
Ottawa Senators 2016–17 7 seasons
Anaheim Ducks 2017–18 6 seasons
San Jose Sharks 2018–19 5 seasons
Arizona Coyotes 2019–20 4 seasons
Chicago Blackhawks 2019–20 4 seasons
Columbus Blue Jackets 2019–20 4 seasons
Philadelphia Flyers 2019–20 4 seasons
Montreal Canadiens 2020–21 3 seasons
Calgary Flames 2021–22 2 seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins 2021–22 2 seasons
St. Louis Blues 2021–22 2 seasons
Minnesota Wild 2022–23 1 season
New Jersey Devils 2022–23 1 season
Seattle Kraken 2022–23 1 season

Division championship droughts

This is a list of the teams and the number of seasons since they have won the Division championship. This list does not include the division champions in the 2023–24 NHL season: the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks.

TeamLast Division
championship win
Division
championship drought
Edmonton Oilers 1986–87 36 seasons
New York Islanders 1987–88 35 seasons
Los Angeles Kings 1990–91 32 seasons
Columbus Blue Jackets never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)23 seasons
Ottawa Senators 2005–06 18 seasons
Winnipeg Jets 2006–07 17 seasons1
Minnesota Wild 2007–08 16 seasons
Buffalo Sabres 2009–10 14 seasons
New Jersey Devils 2009–10 14 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 2010–11 13 seasons
Philadelphia Flyers 2010–11 13 seasons
San Jose Sharks 2010–11 13 seasons
Arizona Coyotes 2011–12 12 seasons2
Anaheim Ducks 2016–17 7 seasons
Chicago Blackhawks 2016–17 7 seasons
Montreal Canadiens 2016–17 7 seasons
Nashville Predators 2018–19 5 seasons
Tampa Bay Lightning 2018–19 5 seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins 2019–20 4 seasons
St. Louis Blues 2019–20 4 seasons
Washington Capitals 2019–20 4 seasons
Toronto Maple Leafs 2020–21 3 seasons
Seattle Kraken never (inception of franchise in 2021–22)3 seasons
Calgary Flames 2021–22 2 seasons
Boston Bruins 2022–23 1 season
Carolina Hurricanes 2022–23 1 season
Colorado Avalanche 2022–23 1 season
Vegas Golden Knights 2022–23 1 season
1 includes 4 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (2007–08 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)
2 franchise changed its name in 2014 from Phoenix to Arizona Coyotes

Presidents' Trophy droughts

This is a list of the teams and the number of seasons since they have won the Presidents' Trophy as the regular season champions. This list does not include the most recent Presidents' Trophy champions: the New York Rangers.

TeamLast Presidents' Trophy1Subsequent Presidents'
Trophy finalists
Presidents' Trophy drought
Toronto Maple Leafs 1962–63 60 seasons1
Los Angeles Kings never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)56 seasons1
New Jersey Devils never (inception of franchise in 1974–75)3 : 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99 49 seasons1,2
Montreal Canadiens 1977–78 4 : 1978–79, 1987–88, 1988–89, 2014–15 45 seasons1
Carolina Hurricanes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)1 : 2022–23 44 seasons1,3
Arizona Coyotes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)44 seasons1,4
New York Islanders 1981–82 1 : 1983–84 41 seasons1
Philadelphia Flyers 1984–85 2 : 1985–86, 1986–87 38 seasons1
Edmonton Oilers 1986–87 36 seasons
Calgary Flames 1988–89 2 : 1989–90, 2018–19 34 seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins 1992–93 2 : 2012–13, 2016–17 30 seasons
Anaheim Ducks never (inception of franchise in 1993–94)1 : 2013–14 30 seasons
Dallas Stars 1998–99 3 : 2002–03, 2015–16, 2023–24 24 seasons
Winnipeg Jets never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)1 : 2017–18 24 seasons5
St. Louis Blues 1999–2000 1 : 2019–20 23 seasons
Columbus Blue Jackets never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)23 seasons
Minnesota Wild never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)23 seasons
Ottawa Senators 2002–03 1 : 2005–06 20 seasons
Buffalo Sabres 2006–07 17 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 2007–08 16 seasons
San Jose Sharks 2008–09 1 : 2009–10 15 seasons
Vancouver Canucks 2011–12 12 seasons
Chicago Blackhawks 2012–13 11 seasons
Washington Capitals 2016–17 7 seasons
Vegas Golden Knights never (inception of franchise in 2017–18)1 : 2020–21 7 seasons
Nashville Predators 2017–18 6 seasons
Tampa Bay Lightning 2018–19 5 seasons
Colorado Avalanche 2020–21 1 : 2021–22 3 seasons
Seattle Kraken never (inception of franchise in 2021–22)3 seasons
Florida Panthers 2021–22 2 seasons
Boston Bruins 2022–23 1 season
1 The trophy was introduced at the start of the 1985–86 NHL season.
2 includes 2 seasons of the Kansas City Scouts (1974–75 through to 1975–76) + 6 seasons of the Colorado Rockies (1976–77 through to 1981–82) + 41 season of the New Jersey Devils (1982–83 through to 2023–24)
3 includes 18 seasons of the Hartford Whalers (1979–80 through to 1996–97) + 26 seasons of the Carolina Hurricanes (1997–98 through to 2023–24)
4 includes 17 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons of the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)
5 includes 11 seasons of the Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

Post-season series win droughts

A post-season series win drought is continued either by not making the playoffs in a season or by making the playoffs in a season and subsequently losing the first-round series. Since the first round of the NHL playoffs consists of eight series (sixteen teams), there will be twenty-four teams in this list – the sixteen teams that do not qualify for the post-season, plus the eight teams that lose their first-round series.

The other eight teams – the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks – all won a post-season series in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

TeamLast post-season
series win
Subsequent post-season
series losses
Postseason
series win drought
Buffalo Sabres 2006–07 2 : 2009–10, 2010–11 17 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 2012–13 3 : 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16 11 seasons
Los Angeles Kings 2013–14 5 : 2015–16, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 10 seasons
Minnesota Wild 2014–15 7 : 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23 9 seasons
Anaheim Ducks 2016–17 1 : 2017–18 7 seasons
Ottawa Senators 2016–17 7 seasons
Nashville Predators 2017–18 5 : 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2023–24 6 seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins 2017–18 4 : 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22 6 seasons
Washington Capitals 2017–18 5 : 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2023–24 6 seasons
San Jose Sharks 2018–19 5 seasons
Arizona Coyotes 2019–20 4 seasons
Chicago Blackhawks 2019–20 4 seasons
Columbus Blue Jackets 2019–20 4 seasons
Philadelphia Flyers 2019–20 4 seasons
Montreal Canadiens 2020–21 3 seasons
New York Islanders 2020–21 2 : 2022–23, 2023–24 3 seasons
Winnipeg Jets 2020–21 2 : 2022–23, 2023–24 3 seasons
Calgary Flames 2021–22 2 seasons
St. Louis Blues 2021–22 2 seasons
Tampa Bay Lightning 2021–22 2 : 2022–23, 2023–24 2 seasons
New Jersey Devils 2022–23 1 season
Seattle Kraken 2022–23 1 season
Toronto Maple Leafs 2022–23 1 : 2023–24 1 season
Vegas Golden Knights 2022–23 1 : 2023–24 1 season

Stanley Cup Finals droughts

This lists the teams and the number of seasons since reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. This list does not include a team that made the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals: the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.

TeamLast appearance
in Stanley Cup Finals
Subsequent Conference
Finals losses1
Stanley Cup
Finals drought
Toronto Maple Leafs 1966–67 5: 1977–78, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1998–99, 2001–02 56 seasons
Arizona Coyotes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)1: 2011–12 44 seasons2
New York Islanders 1983–84 3: 1992–93, 2019–20, 2020–21 39 seasons
Buffalo Sabres 1998–99 2: 2005–06, 2006–07 24 seasons
Winnipeg Jets never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)1: 2017–18 24 seasons3
Columbus Blue Jackets never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)23 seasons
Minnesota Wild never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)1: 2002–03 23 seasons
Calgary Flames 2003–04 19 seasons
Carolina Hurricanes 2005–06 3: 2008–09, 2018–19, 2022–23 18 seasons
Anaheim Ducks 2006–07 2: 2014–15, 2016–17 17 seasons
Ottawa Senators 2006–07 1: 2016–17 17 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 2008–09 15 seasons
Philadelphia Flyers 2009–10 14 seasons
Vancouver Canucks 2010–11 13 seasons
New Jersey Devils 2011–12 12 seasons
Los Angeles Kings 2013–14 10 seasons
New York Rangers 2013–14 3: 2014–15, 2021–22, 2023–24 10 seasons
Chicago Blackhawks 2014–15 9 seasons
San Jose Sharks 2015–16 1: 2018–19 8 seasons
Nashville Predators 2016–17 7 seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins 2016–17 7 seasons
Washington Capitals 2017–18 6 seasons
Boston Bruins 2018–19 5 seasons
St. Louis Blues 2018–19 5 seasons
Dallas Stars 2019–20 2: 2022–23, 2023–24 4 seasons
Montreal Canadiens 2020–21 3 seasons
Seattle Kraken never (inception of franchise in 2021–22)3 seasons
Colorado Avalanche 2021–22 2 seasons
Tampa Bay Lightning 2021–22 2 seasons
Vegas Golden Knights 2022–23 1 season
1 includes Semifinals up to and including 1980–81 and Stanley Cup Semifinals in 2020–21
2 includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)
3 includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

Stanley Cup droughts

This is a list of the teams and the number of seasons since they have won the Stanley Cup. This list does not include the most recent Stanley Cup champions: the Florida Panthers.

  Teams competing for the 2025 Stanley Cup are highlighted
TeamLast Stanley CupSubsequent Stanley Cup
Finals losses
Stanley Cup
drought
Toronto Maple Leafs 1966–67 56 seasons
Buffalo Sabres never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)2 : 1974–75, 1998–99 53 seasons
Vancouver Canucks never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)3 : 1981–82, 1993–94, 2010–11 53 seasons
Philadelphia Flyers 1974–75 6 : 1975–76, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1996–97, 2009–10 48 seasons
Arizona Coyotes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)44 seasons1
New York Islanders 1982–83 1 : 1983–84 40 seasons
Calgary Flames 1988–89 1 : 2003–04 34 seasons
Edmonton Oilers 1989–90 2 : 2005–06, 2023–24 33 seasons
San Jose Sharks never (inception of franchise in 1991–92)1 : 2015–16 32 seasons
Ottawa Senators never (inception of franchise in 1992–93)1 : 2006–07 31 seasons
Montreal Canadiens 1992–93 1 : 2020–21 30 seasons
New York Rangers 1993–94 1 : 2013–14 29 seasons
Nashville Predators never (inception of franchise in 1998–99)1 : 2016–17 25 seasons
Winnipeg Jets never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)24 seasons2
Dallas Stars 1998–99 2 : 1999–2000, 2019–20 24 seasons
Columbus Blue Jackets never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)23 seasons
Minnesota Wild never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)23 seasons
New Jersey Devils 2002–03 1 : 2011–12 20 seasons
Carolina Hurricanes 2005–06 18 seasons
Anaheim Ducks 2006–07 17 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 2007–08 1 : 2008–09 16 seasons
Boston Bruins 2010–11 2 : 2012–13, 2018–19 13 seasons
Los Angeles Kings 2013–14 10 seasons
Chicago Blackhawks 2014–15 9 seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins 2016–17 7 seasons
Washington Capitals 2017–18 6 seasons
St. Louis Blues 2018–19 5 seasons
Seattle Kraken never (inception of franchise in 2021–22)3 seasons
Tampa Bay Lightning 2020–21 1: 2021–22 3 seasons
Colorado Avalanche 2021–22 2 seasons
Vegas Golden Knights 2022–23 1 season
1 includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)
2 includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

Closest approaches without winning

  Teams competing for the 2025 Stanley Cup are highlighted
TeamFirst NHL seasonFirst Round
Appearances1
Second Round
Appearances2
Conference Finals
Appearances3
Stanley Cup Finals
Appearances
Fewest wins short of Stanley Cup
Vancouver Canucks 1970–71 2813331 win short : 1993–94, 2010–11
Buffalo Sabres 1970–71 2715622 wins short : 1974–75, 1998–99
San Jose Sharks 1991–92 2115512 wins short : 2015–16
Nashville Predators 1998–99 155112 wins short : 2016–17
Ottawa Senators 1992–93 167313 wins short : 2006–07
Arizona Coyotes 4 1979–80 20317 wins short : 2011–12
Winnipeg Jets 5 1999–2000 7217 wins short : 2017–18
Minnesota Wild 2000–01 12318 wins short : 2002–03
Seattle Kraken 2021–22 119 wins short : 2022–23
Columbus Blue Jackets 2000–01 6110 wins short : 2018–19
1 includes Preliminary Rounds from 1974–75 through to 1980–81, Division Semifinals from 1981–82 through to 1992–93 and Conference Quarterfinals from 1993–94 through to 2012–13.
2 includes Quarterfinals from 1967–68 through to 1980–81, Division Finals from 1981–82 through to 1992–93 and Conference Semifinals from 1993–94 through to 2012–13.
3 includes Semifinals up to and including 1980–81 and Stanley Cup Semifinals in 2020–21.
4 includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Arizona Coyotes/Phoenix Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24).
5 includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24).

Longest all-time droughts

Post-season appearance droughts

  Active franchise streak is highlighted
TeamPrevious post-season appearanceNext post-season appearancePost-season drought
Buffalo Sabres 2010–11 13 seasons
Florida Panthers 1999–2000 2011–12 10 seasons1
Edmonton Oilers 2005–06 2016–17 10 seasons
Colorado Rockies / New Jersey Devils 1977–78 1987–88 9 seasons2
Carolina Hurricanes 2008–09 2018–19 9 seasons
California Golden Seals / Cleveland Barons 3 1969–70 never (merger of franchise after 1977–78)8 seasons4
Boston Bruins 1958–59 1967–68 8 seasons
Washington Capitals never (inception of franchise in 1974–75) 1982–83 8 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 2015–16 8 seasons
1 no post-season occurred in 2005, due to the 2004–05 NHL Lockout
2 includes 4 seasons for Colorado Rockies (1978–79 through to 1981–82) + 5 seasons for New Jersey Devils (1982–83 through to 1986–87)
3 franchise dissolved in 1978 in a merger with the Minnesota North Stars (current Dallas Stars)
4 includes 6 seasons for California Golden Seals (1970–71 through to 1975–76) + 2 seasons for Cleveland Barons (1976–77, 1977–78)

Division championship droughts

  Active franchise streak is highlighted
TeamLast Division
championship win
Next Division
championship win
Division
championship drought
Edmonton Oilers 1986–87 36 seasons1
New York Islanders 1987–88 35 seasons1
Toronto Maple Leafs 1937–38 2 1999–00 32 seasons
Los Angeles Kings 1990–91 32 seasons1
Winnipeg Jets / Phoenix Coyotes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80) 2011–12 31 seasons1,3
New York Rangers 1931–32 2 1989–90 28 seasons
Los Angeles Kings never (inception of franchise in 1967–68) 1990–91 23 seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins never (inception of franchise in 1967–68) 1990–91 423 seasons
Columbus Blue Jackets never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)23 seasons1
Kansas City Scouts / Colorado Rockies / New Jersey Devils never (inception of franchise in 1974–75) 1996–97 22 seasons5
1 no post-season occurred in 2005, due to the 2004–05 NHL Lockout
2 from 1938–1967 the NHL did not have any divisions.
3 includes 17 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 14 seasons of the Phoenix Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2010–11)
4 won the Stanley Cup in the same year.
5 includes 2 seasons of the Kansas City Scouts (1974–75 through to 1975–76) + 6 seasons of the Colorado Rockies (1976–77 through to 1981–82) + 14 seasons of the New Jersey Devils (1982–83 through to 1995–96)

Presidents' Trophy droughts

  Active franchise streak is highlighted
TeamLast Presidents' Trophy1Subsequent Presidents'
Trophy finalists
Next Presidents' TrophyPresidents' Trophy drought
Toronto Maple Leafs 1962–63 59 seasons
Los Angeles Kings never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)55 seasons
New York Rangers 1941–42 4 : 1957–58, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1971–72 1991–92 49 seasons
Kansas City Scouts / Colorado Rockies / New Jersey Devils never (inception of franchise in 1974–75)3 : 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99 48 seasons2
Montreal Canadiens 1977–78 4 : 1978–79, 1987–88, 1988–89, 2014–15 44 seasons
Hartford Whalers / Carolina Hurricanes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)1 : 2022–23 43 seasons3
Winnipeg Jets / Arizona Coyotes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)43 seasons4
Chicago Black Hawks never (inception of franchise in 1926–27)3 : 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66 1966–67 40 seasons
New York Islanders 1981–82 1 : 1983–84 40 seasons
Vancouver Canucks never (inception of franchise in 1970–71) 2010–11 39 seasons
1 trophy was introduced at the start of the 1985–86
2 includes 2 seasons of the Kansas City Scouts (1974–75 through to 1975–76) + 6 seasons of the Colorado Rockies (1976–77 through to 1981–82) + 40 season of the New Jersey Devils (1982–83 through to 2022–23)
3 includes 18 seasons of the Hartford Whalers (1979–80 through to 1996–97) + 25 seasons of the Carolina Hurricanes (1997–98 through to 2022–23)
4 includes 17 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 26 seasons of the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2022–23)

Post-season series win droughts

  Active franchise streak is highlighted
TeamPrevious post-season
series win
Intervening post-season
series losses
Next post-season
series win
Post-season
series win drought
Florida Panthers 1995–96 6 : 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2011–12, 2015–16, 2019–20, 2020–21 2021–22 24 seasons
Winnipeg Jets / Phoenix Coyotes 1 1986–87 12 : 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2009–10, 2010–11 2011–12 23 seasons2
New York Islanders 1992–93 7 : 1993–94, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2012–13, 2014–15 2015–16 21 seasons
New York Rangers 1949–50 8 : 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70 1970–71 20 seasons
Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)2 : 2006–07, 2014–15 2017–18 17 seasons3
Columbus Blue Jackets never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)4 : 2008–09, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18 2018–19 17 seasons
Toronto Maple Leafs 2003–04 7 : 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22 2022–23 17 seasons
Buffalo Sabres 2006–07 2 : 2009–10, 2010–11 17 seasons
Chicago Black Hawks 1943–44 4 : 1945–46, 1952–53, 1958–59, 1959–60 1960–61 416 seasons
Hartford Whalers / Carolina Hurricanes 1985–86 8 : 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2000–01 2001–02 15 seasons5
1 franchise renamed in 2014 as Arizona Coyotes
2 includes 9 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (1987–88 through to 1995–96) + 14 seasons of the Phoenix Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2010–11)
3 includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 6 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2016–17)
4 won the Stanley Cup in the same year.
5 includes 11 seasons of the Hartford Whalers (1986–87 through to 1996–97) + 4 season of the Carolina Hurricanes (1997–98 through to 2000–01)

Stanley Cup Finals droughts

  Active franchise streak is highlighted
TeamPrevious Stanley Cup FinalsIntervening Conference
Finals losses
Next Stanley Cup FinalsStanley Cup Finals drought
Toronto Maple Leafs 1966–67 5: 1977–78, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1998–99, 2001–02 56 seasons
St. Louis Blues 1969–70 4: 1971–72, 1985–86, 2000–01, 2015–16 2018–19 147 seasons
Winnipeg Jets / Arizona Coyotes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)1: 2011–12 44 seasons2
New York Islanders 1983–84 3: 1992–93, 2019–20, 2020-21 39 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 1965–66 2: 1986–87, 1987–88 1994–95 28 seasons
Montreal Canadiens 1992–93 2: 2009–10, 2013–14 2020–21 26 seasons
Los Angeles Kings never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)1: 1968–69 1992–93 25 seasons
Florida Panthers 1995–96 2022–23 25 seasons
Buffalo Sabres 1998–99 2: 2005–06, 2006–07 24 seasons
Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)1: 2017–18 24 seasons3
1 won the Stanley Cup in the same year.
2 includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)
3 includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

Stanley Cup droughts

  Active franchise streak is highlighted
TeamPrevious Stanley CupIntervening Stanley Cup
Finals losses
Next Stanley CupStanley Cup drought
Toronto Maple Leafs 1966–67 56 seasons
Buffalo Sabres never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)2 : 1974–75, 1998–99 53 seasons
New York Rangers 1939–40 3 : 1949–50, 1971–72, 1978–79 1993–94 53 seasons1
Vancouver Canucks never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)3 : 1981–82, 1993–94, 2010–11 53 seasons
St. Louis Blues never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)3 : 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70 2018–19 50 seasons
Philadelphia Flyers 1974–75 6 : 1975–76, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1996–97, 2009–10 48 seasons
Chicago Black Hawks 2 1960–61 5 : 1961–62, 1964–65, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1991–92 2009–10 47 seasons
Winnipeg Jets / Arizona Coyotes never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)44 seasons3
Los Angeles Kings never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)1 : 1992–93 2011–12 43 seasons
Washington Capitals never (inception of franchise in 1974–75)1 : 1997–98 2017–18 42 seasons
Detroit Red Wings 1954–55 6 : 1955–56, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1994–95 1996–97 41 seasons
1 it is common to refer to the duration of the New York Rangers' record Stanley Cup drought as 54 "years" (1940 to 1994), but that only encompasses 53 seasons (1940–41 to 1992–93).
2 the name of the team was Black Hawks for a majority of the drought (25 of the 47 seasons) before being renamed to Blackhawks in 1986.
3 includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)

Cities/regions awaiting first Stanley Cup

This list only includes cities/regions currently hosting an NHL franchise.

  Teams competing for the 2025 Stanley Cup are highlighted
City/RegionSeasons waitingStanley Cup
Finals appearances
Current NHL team
Buffalo 53 1974–75, 1998–99 Buffalo Sabres
Minneapolis–Saint Paul 491 1980–81 2, 1990–91 2 Minnesota Wild
San Francisco Bay 413 2015–16 San Jose Sharks
Nashville 25 2016–17 Nashville Predators
Columbus 23Never Columbus Blue Jackets
Salt Lake City 0Never Utah Hockey Club
1 includes 26 seasons of the Minnesota North Stars (1967–68 through to 1992–93) and all seasons of the Minnesota Wild which has been competing since 2000–01.
2 both Stanley Cup Finals appearances by the Minnesota North Stars.
3 includes 9 seasons of the California Seals, Oakland Seals, California Golden Seals franchise (1967–68 through to 1975–76) and all seasons of the San Jose Sharks which has been competing since 1991–92.

Canadian droughts

Despite having fewer Canadian-based teams than U.S.-based ones throughout much of the NHL's existence (dating back to the Original Six era when it was two Canadian clubs to four American ones, and now seven to twenty-five since 2021), there have been only two times in league history where none of the Canadian teams qualified for the postseason: 1969–70 and 2015–16. [1] The 1992–93 Montreal Canadiens remain the most recent Canadian club to win the Stanley Cup. [2]

See also

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Shane Albert Doan is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player currently serving as an assistant to Brad Treliving for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Doan spent the entirety of his 21-season NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes franchise, beginning with the original Winnipeg Jets in 1995 before playing in Arizona for two decades. He was the last remaining player active in the NHL from the original Winnipeg Jets franchise before he announced his retirement in the summer of 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Tkachuk</span> American ice hockey player (born 1972)

Keith Matthew Tkachuk is an American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in a 18-year career with the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers, retiring in 2010. He is one of five American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points. Tkachuk is considered to be among the elite power forwards of his era, and is considered one of the best American-born players to play in the NHL. One of 47 NHL players to have scored 500 goals, Tkachuk remains one of only four eligible players to not be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Bowness</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Richard Gary Bowness is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and player. He was selected in the second round, 26th overall, by the Atlanta Flames in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft. Bowness has also played for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and the original Winnipeg Jets. As a coach, Bowness has also served as head coach for Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, the original Winnipeg Jets, and the current Winnipeg Jets. He likewise held the position of associate coach with the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, becoming the Phoenix Coyotes. The Stanley Cup winners were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years.

The 1995–96 NHL season was the 79th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Quebec Nordiques relocated to Denver, Colorado, becoming the Colorado Avalanche. The Stanley Cup winners were the Avalanche, who swept the Florida Panthers in the finals, in four games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Ladd</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1985)

Andrew Joseph Ladd is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played for the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The National Hockey League's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment. Its predecessor was the Norris Division and its also one of two successors to the Northwest Division. The Chicago Blackhawks have been a member of the Central Division in all of its seasons since the original 1993 realignment. The Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues were also original members of the division, but were realigned to a different division for a while before returning; both the Coyotes and Stars were moved to the Pacific Division in 1998, while the Blues were moved to the West Division during the temporary 2021 realignment. Three of its teams—the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets —joined the NHL during a league expansion phase between 1998 and 2000. The fourth team in that three-year expansion period, the Columbus Blue Jackets, was once a member of the Central Division, but moved to the Metropolitan Division after the 2013 realignment.

The 1995–96 Winnipeg Jets season was the team's 24th and their final season in Winnipeg before the franchise was moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and renamed the Phoenix Coyotes then the Arizona Coyotes. The NHL returned to Winnipeg following the 2010–11 season, when the Atlanta Thrashers became the "new" Winnipeg Jets.

The 1996–97 Phoenix Coyotes' season was the team's first of 28 seasons in Arizona in the National Hockey League (NHL) since relocating from Winnipeg the season prior. The franchise's 25th season since its founding in 1972, and 18th season in the National Hockey League since 1979.

The 1979 NHL expansion, popularly referred to as the NHL-WHA merger, was the culmination of several years of negotiations between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the World Hockey Association (WHA). The result of the negotiations was that the WHA folded, and four of its six surviving teams - the Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets – entered the NHL as expansion teams who commenced play in the NHL in the 1979–80 season. The agreement officially took effect on June 22; it ended the seven-year existence of the WHA and re-established the NHL as the sole major league in North American professional ice hockey.

The following is a complete history of organizational changes in the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHL was founded in 1917 as a successor to the National Hockey Association (NHA), starting out with four teams from the predecessor league, and eventually grew to thirty-two in its current state. The NHL has expanded and contracted numerous times throughout its history, including in 1979 when four teams came over from the World Hockey Association (WHA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnipeg Jets</span> National Hockey League team in Manitoba, Canada

The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The team is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, playing its home games at Canada Life Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True North Sports & Entertainment</span> Canadian sports management company

True North Sports and Entertainment Limited is a Canadian company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that owns and operates Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. The company also owns the Jets' minor league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. Aside from hockey, TNSE is also involved in real estate with True North Square, and are active in bringing concerts and other acts to Winnipeg.

References

  1. Stubbs, Dave (March 31, 2016). "Woe Canada. No playoffs this year north of border". NHL.com . NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  2. Tim Warnsby (June 15, 2011). "Bruins win Stanley Cup". CBC Sports. Retrieved Feb 5, 2012. The Canucks weren't going to become the first Canadian-based team since the 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup with such little production.