It’s usually mentioned that the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in skilled sports activities. Of the league’s 32 groups, solely 22 have received the Stanley Cup and simply 14 have received a number of championships. Within the fashionable period, it’s grow to be harder to win championships and construct dynasties which begs the query: what are the longest energetic Stanley Cup droughts?
Relationship again to the unique enlargement yr of the NHL, there are 10 energetic groups that haven’t received a Stanley Cup since their inception. The file for the longest drought ever goes to the Toronto Maple Leafs, presently sitting at 57 years since their Cup win in 1967.
Associated: 10 NHL Groups With out a Stanley Cup
Quite a few groups in latest reminiscence have ended their Cup drought. The Chicago Blackhawks went 47 years earlier than profitable the Cup in 2010, and the Los Angeles Kings went 43 seasons previous to their 2012 win. The Washington Capitals have been on this listing earlier than Alex Ovechkin and the staff received their first championship within the staff’s historical past in 2018. They went 43 years with out profitable the last word trophy earlier than that. In 2019, the St. Louis Blues acquired to take their title off of this listing after 51 years of by no means profitable a Cup.
Here’s a listing of the longest Cup droughts, with a number of notable groups and some which have come agonizingly shut on a number of events.
High 5 Longest Stanley Cup Droughts
5. Utah Hockey Membership
Size of Drought: 45 Years
Initially coming into the league because the Winnipeg Jets in 1979, the Utah Hockey Membership is a type of 11 groups to by no means win the Stanley Cup. They relocated to Phoenix because the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996, after which in 2014 modified the title to the Arizona Coyotes earlier than relocating once more to Utah for the 2024-25 season. Regardless of their location or title, although, the staff has by no means even reached the Stanley Cup Closing.
Their closest encounter got here within the 2011-12 season, the one journey in franchise historical past to the convention last. They’d simply received the franchise’s first-ever division title and have been heading into the playoffs with residence ice. In Spherical 1, they defeated the robust Blackhawks in six video games, their first sequence win since 1987. They then defeated the Nashville Predators in 5 video games to succeed in the third spherical and the Kings.
Whereas they’d an incredible run, the staff fell in 5 video games to the eventual Cup champions (who ended their 43-year drought within the course of). Goaltender Mike Smith was the primary motive the staff went so far as they did, posting a 1.99 goals-against common and a .944 save proportion.
Regardless of having some wonderful gamers by way of the years like Teemu Selanne, Bobby Hull, Phil Housley, Keith Tkachuk, Shane Doan and Jeremy Roenick, the staff has but to essentially contend for the Cup.
4. Philadephia Flyers
Size of Drought: 49 Years
The Philadelphia Flyers joined the league in 1967 and took simply seven years to win their first Stanley Cup. That was in 1973-74 and so they didn’t waste any time with their second, profitable it once more the next season. This was essentially the most well-known period in Flyers historical past, with the Bobby Clarke-led Broad Road Bullies terrorizing the league. Having Bernie Mother or father in internet didn’t damage both who, together with the Cup, received the Vezina Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy in each seasons.
Since their back-to-back Cup wins, the Flyers have had their possibilities. The season after their second title they have been again within the Closing after they have been swept by the Montreal Canadiens. Since then, they’ve been to the Cup Closing six instances, most just lately in 2009-10 after they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks, dropping in time beyond regulation of Recreation 6. In that run, they joined a legendary listing of sports activities groups to beat a 3-0 playoff deficit and win the sequence within the Convention Semifinals versus the Boston Bruins.
The Flyers have had great expertise since their back-to-back Stanley Cups, from Eric Lindros to Marc Recchi to Mark Howe. Even now they’ve a few of the greatest gamers within the league, together with Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier, however haven’t been in a position to get previous the primary spherical since 2011-12, not even making the playoffs each different season since.
T-2. Vancouver Canucks
Size of Drought: 53 Years
The Vancouver Canucks have come awfully shut on just a few events. There have been two Cinderella runs in 1982 and 1994, each towards New York groups. They misplaced the primary towards the Islanders throughout their dynasty years regardless of the goaltending heroics of “King” Richard Brodeur. They then got here agonizingly shut in a heartbreaking Recreation 7 defeat towards the Rangers in 1994.
That 1994 Canucks staff led by Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure, and Kirk McLean may’ve been essentially the most beloved staff in franchise historical past, but it surely was the 2011 staff that arguably damage essentially the most. Led by the Sedin Twins, Ryan Kesler, and Roberto Luongo, the Canucks exorcised their playoff demons towards the Chicago Blackhawks earlier than working right into a wall towards the massive dangerous Bruins.
There was the notorious riot that ensued and shut down the downtown core of town, and the Canucks haven’t come shut since. After going by way of some turmoil and roster turnover, the Canucks have rebuilt and are again into rivalry. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Quinn Hughes shall be very a lot part of that.
T-2. Buffalo Sabres
Size of Drought: 53 Years
After becoming a member of the league in 1970-71 alongside the Canucks, the Buffalo Sabres took simply 4 seasons to make it to the Stanley Cup Closing. They did that in 1975 towards the Flyers throughout their Broad Road Bullies period. The Sabres weren’t to be outdone with their French Connection trio of Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin, however the Flyers have been simply too deep for the Cinderella Sabres who misplaced in six video games.
The Sabres made one other miraculous run to the 1999 Cup Closing on the again of Dominik Hasek through the top of his league dominance. Regardless of all of the magical tales from that spring, the one factor individuals nonetheless speak about is Brett Hull’s controversial foot within the crease purpose that received the sequence in time beyond regulation.
After the 2005-06 lockout, the Sabres took off and regarded poised to win their first Stanley Cup with an offensively gifted and deep roster led by Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Ryan Miller in purpose. They misplaced in back-to-back Convention Finals in 2006 and 2007, with the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 going seven video games.
The longer term is brilliant in Buffalo. In the event that they contend quickly, it’ll be Rasmus Dahlin who will hopefully carry the franchise their first Stanley Cup.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
Size of Drought: 57 Years
The Leafs are one of the storied franchises within the NHL since becoming a member of the league in 1917. The Leafs have the second most Stanley Cup championships in league historical past behind the Canadiens (24) with 13 titles. The final got here in 1966-67 when Toronto confronted off towards their arch-rivals from Montreal in an exciting six-game sequence. Dave Keon was named simply the third Conn Smythe Trophy winner in league historical past, and it capped off a outstanding 4 Stanley Cups in six years.
Since then the Leafs have gone by way of an agonizing stretch from buying and selling Frank Mahovolich a yr after profitable the Cup, or the Harold Ballard years to that controversial Gretzky excessive stick on Doug Gilmour through the 1993 Playoffs. The Leafs have come shut just a few instances however haven’t made it previous the Convention Closing since their 2002 loss to the Hurricanes.
Fortunately for Toronto followers, with a core of Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner, the staff has an actual shot to finish the drought within the close to future.
Full Checklist of Stanley Cup Droughts
Right here’s the entire 31-team listing of Stanley Cup droughts in alphabetical order:
| Workforce | Final Stanley Cup Win | Present Size of Drought |
| Anaheim Geese | 2007 | 17 years |
| Boston Bruins | 2011 | 13 years |
| Buffalo Sabres | By no means | 53 years |
| Calgary Flames | 1989 | 34 years |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2006 | 18 years |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2015 | 9 years |
| Colorado Avalanche | 2022 | 2 years |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | By no means | 24 years |
| Dallas Stars | 1999 | 25 years |
| Detroit Crimson Wings | 2008 | 16 years |
| Edmonton Oilers | 1990 | 34 years |
| Florida Panthers | 2024 | 0 years |
| Los Angeles Kings | 2014 | 10 years |
| Minnesota Wild** | By no means | 24 years |
| Montreal Canadiens | 1993 | 31 years |
| Nashville Predators | By no means | 26 years |
| New Jersey Devils | 2003 | 21 years |
| New York Islanders | 1983 | 41 years |
| New York Rangers | 1994 | 30 years |
| Ottawa Senators | By no means | 32 years |
| Philadephia Flyers | 1975 | 49 years |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2017 | 7 years |
| San Jose Sharks | By no means | 32 years |
| St. Louis Blues | 2019 | 5 years |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2021 | 3 years |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1967 | 57 years |
| Utah Hockey Membership* | By no means | 46 years |
| Vancouver Canucks | By no means | 54 years |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 2023 | 1 yr |
| Washington Capitals | 2018 | 6 years |
| Winnipeg Jets*** | By no means | 24 years |
NOTES
Workforce Notes:
* The Utah Hockey Membership was previously the unique Winnipeg Jets and have become the Coyotes in 1995-96, so their streak is from when the Jets joined the NHL in 1979.
** The Minnesota Wild are a separate franchise than the previous Minnesota North Stars. The North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993-94, profitable the Stanley Cup in 1999.
*** Then there are the new Winnipeg Jets who have been previously the Atlanta Thrashers. The Thrashers joined the NHL in 1999-2000 and that franchise relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season.
