List of NHL franchise post-season droughts - wikipedia List of NHL franchise post-season droughts For an explanation of the NHL season and post-season, see Season structure of the NHL. This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2017 ) This article is a list of the 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 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. 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 defunct World Hockey Association ( WHA ) league. Note : These lists do not include the cancelled 2004 -- 05 NHL season. Among the current 31 NHL teams, 12 have never won the Stanley Cup, including one ( the St. Louis Blues ) that is among the five oldest expansion teams. Additionally, one of the Original Six franchises -- the Toronto Maple Leafs -- has a Stanley Cup drought that includes the entire expansion era ( 50 seasons and counting ). With the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Western Conference in 2018, there are only four franchises that have never reached the Stanley Cup Finals. Of those four, the oldest is the Arizona Coyotes ( previously the Winnipeg Jets ) ( 35 seasons ), while the Maple Leafs and the Blues have even longer droughts ( 50 and 47 seasons, respectively ). The longest Stanley Cup championship drought in history was that of the New York Rangers, broken in 1994 after 53 seasons. The Maple Leafs have the current longest active Stanley Cup championship drought ( and second - longest ) at 50 seasons and counting. The Chicago Blackhawks had the third - longest ever Stanley Cup championship drought at 47 seasons, which was broken in 2010. 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 Columbus Blue Jackets are the only team that have never won a playoff series, though they are just 17 seasons old ; one other franchise ( the Florida Panthers ) has a longer win drought ( 21 seasons ). The longest playoff droughts in history were by the Panthers and Edmonton Oilers at 10 seasons, which ended in 2012 and 2017 respectively. Contents 1 Longest active droughts 1.1 Post-season appearance droughts 1.2 Post-season series win droughts 1.3 Stanley Cup Finals droughts 1.4 Stanley Cup droughts 1.5 Closest approaches without winning 2 Longest all - time droughts 2.1 Post-season appearance droughts 2.2 Post-season series win droughts 2.3 Stanley Cup Finals droughts 2.4 Stanley Cup droughts 3 Cities / regions awaiting first Stanley Cup 4 See also Longest active droughts Post-season appearance droughts A post-season appearance drought is continued by not making the NHL playoffs after the regular season. Since the first round of the playoffs consists of 8 series ( 16 teams ) and there are 31 teams in the NHL, there will always be 15 teams that did not make the most recent playoffs on this list. The other 16 teams -- the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets -- all qualified for the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. Further information : List of NHL franchise post-season appearance streaks Team Last appearance in post-season Post-season drought Carolina Hurricanes 2008 -- 09 9 seasons Buffalo Sabres 2010 -- 11 7 seasons Arizona Coyotes 2011 -- 12 6 seasons Vancouver Canucks 2014 -- 15 3 seasons Dallas Stars 2015 -- 16 2 seasons Detroit Red Wings 2015 -- 16 2 seasons Florida Panthers 2015 -- 16 2 seasons New York Islanders 2015 -- 16 2 seasons Calgary Flames 2016 -- 17 1 season Chicago Blackhawks 2016 -- 17 1 season Edmonton Oilers 2016 -- 17 1 season Montreal Canadiens 2016 -- 17 1 season New York Rangers 2016 -- 17 1 season Ottawa Senators 2016 -- 17 1 season St. Louis Blues 2016 -- 17 1 season the Arizona Coyotes last qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2012 as the Phoenix Coyotes 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 but subsequently losing the first round series. Since the first round of the NHL playoffs consist of 8 series ( 16 teams ), there will always be 23 teams in this list -- the 15 teams that do not qualify for the post-season, plus the 8 teams that lose their first round series. The other 8 teams -- the Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets -- all won a post-season series in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. Team Last post-season series win Subsequent post-season series losses Post-season series win drought Florida Panthers 1995 -- 96 4 : 1996 -- 97, 1999 -- 2000, 2011 -- 12, 2015 -- 16 21 seasons Columbus Blue Jackets never ( inception of franchise in 2000 -- 01 ) 4 : 2008 -- 09, 2013 -- 14, 2016 -- 17, 2017 -- 18 17 seasons Toronto Maple Leafs 2003 -- 04 3 : 2012 -- 13, 2016 -- 17, 2017 -- 18 13 seasons Buffalo Sabres 2006 -- 07 2 : 2009 -- 10, 2010 -- 11 011 seasons Colorado Avalanche 2007 -- 08 3 : 2009 -- 10, 2013 -- 14, 2017 -- 18 010 seasons Carolina Hurricanes 2008 -- 09 09 seasons Vancouver Canucks 2010 -- 11 3 : 2011 -- 12, 2012 -- 13, 2014 -- 15 07 seasons Arizona Coyotes 2011 -- 12 06 seasons New Jersey Devils 2011 -- 12 1 : 2017 -- 18 06 seasons Philadelphia Flyers 2011 -- 12 3 : 2013 -- 14, 2015 -- 16, 2017 -- 18 06 seasons Detroit Red Wings 2012 -- 13 3 : 2013 -- 14, 2014 -- 15, 2015 -- 16 05 seasons Los Angeles Kings 2013 -- 14 2 : 2015 -- 16, 2017 -- 18 04 seasons Calgary Flames 2014 -- 15 1 : 2016 -- 17 03 seasons Chicago Blackhawks 2014 -- 15 2 : 2015 -- 16, 2016 -- 17 03 seasons Minnesota Wild 2014 -- 15 3 : 2015 -- 16, 2016 -- 17, 2017 -- 18 03 seasons Montreal Canadiens 2014 -- 15 1 : 2016 -- 17 03 seasons Dallas Stars 2015 -- 16 02 seasons New York Islanders 2015 -- 16 02 seasons Anaheim Ducks 2016 -- 17 1 : 2017 -- 18 01 season Edmonton Oilers 2016 -- 17 01 season New York Rangers 2016 -- 17 01 season Ottawa Senators 2016 -- 17 01 season St. Louis Blues 2016 -- 17 01 season the Arizona Coyotes last won a post-season series in 2012 as the Phoenix Coyotes Stanley Cup Finals droughts This is a list of the teams and the number of seasons since they have reached the Stanley Cup Finals. This list does not include the two teams that made the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals : the Vegas Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals. Team Last appearance in Stanley Cup Finals Subsequent Conference Finals losses Stanley Cup Finals drought Toronto Maple Leafs 1966 -- 67 5 : 1977 -- 78, 1992 -- 93, 1993 -- 94, 1998 -- 99, 2001 -- 02 50 seasons St. Louis Blues 1969 -- 70 4 : 1971 -- 72, 1985 -- 86, 2000 -- 01, 2015 -- 16 47 seasons Arizona Coyotes never ( franchise entered the NHL in 1979 -- 80 ) 1 : 2011 -- 12 38 seasons New York Islanders 1983 -- 84 1 : 1992 -- 93 33 seasons Montreal Canadiens 1992 -- 93 2 : 2009 -- 10, 2013 -- 14 24 seasons Florida Panthers 1995 -- 96 21 seasons Buffalo Sabres 1998 -- 99 2 : 2005 -- 06, 2006 -- 07 18 seasons Winnipeg Jets never ( inception of franchise in 1999 -- 2000 ) 1 : 2017 -- 18 18 seasons Dallas Stars 1999 -- 2000 1 : 2007 -- 08 17 seasons Columbus Blue Jackets never ( inception of franchise in 2000 -- 01 ) 17 seasons Minnesota Wild never ( inception of franchise in 2000 -- 01 ) 1 : 2002 -- 03 17 seasons Colorado Avalanche 2000 -- 01 1 : 2001 -- 02 16 seasons Calgary Flames 2003 -- 04 13 seasons Carolina Hurricanes 2005 -- 06 1 : 2008 -- 09 012 seasons Edmonton Oilers 2005 -- 06 012 seasons Anaheim Ducks 2006 -- 07 2 : 2014 -- 15, 2016 -- 17 011 seasons Ottawa Senators 2006 -- 07 1 : 2016 -- 17 011 seasons Detroit Red Wings 2008 -- 09 09 seasons Philadelphia Flyers 2009 -- 10 08 seasons Vancouver Canucks 2010 -- 11 07 seasons New Jersey Devils 2011 -- 12 06 seasons Boston Bruins 2012 -- 13 05 seasons Los Angeles Kings 2013 -- 14 04 seasons New York Rangers 2013 -- 14 1 : 2014 -- 15 04 seasons Chicago Blackhawks 2014 -- 15 03 seasons Tampa Bay Lightning 2014 -- 15 2 : 2015 -- 16, 2017 -- 18 03 seasons San Jose Sharks 2015 -- 16 02 seasons Nashville Predators 2016 -- 17 01 season Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 -- 17 01 season includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 1979 -- 80 through to 1995 -- 96 ) + 21 seasons for Arizona / Phoenix Coyotes ( 1996 -- 97 through to 2017 -- 18 ) includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers ( 1999 -- 2000 through to 2010 -- 11 ) + 7 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 2011 -- 12 through to 2017 -- 18 ) 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 Washington Capitals. Team Last Stanley Cup Subsequent Stanley Cup Finals losses Stanley Cup drought Toronto Maple Leafs 1966 -- 67 50 seasons St. Louis Blues never ( inception of franchise in 1967 -- 68 ) 3 : 1967 -- 68, 1968 -- 69, 1969 -- 70 50 seasons Buffalo Sabres never ( inception of franchise in 1970 -- 71 ) 2 : 1974 -- 75, 1998 -- 99 47 seasons Vancouver Canucks never ( inception of franchise in 1970 -- 71 ) 3 : 1981 -- 82, 1993 -- 94, 2010 -- 11 47 seasons Philadelphia Flyers 1974 -- 75 6 : 1975 -- 76, 1979 -- 80, 1984 -- 85, 1986 -- 87, 1996 -- 97, 2009 -- 10 42 seasons Arizona Coyotes never ( franchise entered the NHL in 1979 -- 80 ) 38 seasons New York Islanders 1982 -- 83 1 : 1983 -- 84 34 seasons Calgary Flames 1988 -- 89 1 : 2003 -- 04 28 seasons Edmonton Oilers 1989 -- 90 1 : 2005 -- 06 27 seasons San Jose Sharks never ( inception of franchise in 1991 -- 92 ) 1 : 2015 -- 16 26 seasons Ottawa Senators never ( inception of franchise in 1992 -- 93 ) 1 : 2006 -- 07 25 seasons Montreal Canadiens 1992 -- 93 24 seasons Florida Panthers never ( inception of franchise in 1993 -- 94 ) 1 : 1995 -- 96 24 seasons New York Rangers 1993 -- 94 1 : 2013 -- 14 23 seasons Nashville Predators never ( inception of franchise in 1998 -- 99 ) 1 : 2016 -- 17 19 seasons Dallas Stars 1998 -- 99 1 : 1999 -- 2000 18 seasons Winnipeg Jets never ( inception of franchise in 1999 -- 2000 ) 18 seasons Columbus Blue Jackets never ( inception of franchise in 2000 -- 01 ) 17 seasons Minnesota Wild never ( inception of franchise in 2000 -- 01 ) 17 seasons Colorado Avalanche 2000 -- 01 16 seasons New Jersey Devils 2002 -- 03 1 : 2011 -- 12 14 seasons Tampa Bay Lightning 2003 -- 04 1 : 2014 -- 15 13 seasons Carolina Hurricanes 2005 -- 06 012 seasons Anaheim Ducks 2006 -- 07 011 seasons Detroit Red Wings 2007 -- 08 1 : 2008 -- 09 010 seasons Boston Bruins 2010 -- 11 1 : 2012 -- 13 07 seasons Los Angeles Kings 2013 -- 14 04 seasons Chicago Blackhawks 2014 -- 15 03 seasons Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 -- 17 01 season Vegas Golden Knights never ( inception of franchise in 2017 -- 18 ) 1 : 2017 -- 18 01 season includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 1979 -- 80 through to 1995 -- 96 ) + 21 seasons for Arizona / Phoenix Coyotes ( 1996 -- 97 through to 2017 -- 18 ) includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers ( 1999 -- 2000 through to 2010 -- 11 ) + 7 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 2011 -- 12 through to 2017 -- 18 ) Closest approaches without winning Team First Round Appearances Second Round Appearances Conference Finals Appearances Stanley Cup Finals Appearances Fewest Wins Short of Stanley Cup Vancouver Canucks 26 11 01 win short : 1993 -- 94, 2010 -- 11 Buffalo Sabres 27 15 6 02 wins short : 1974 -- 75, 1998 -- 99 San Jose Sharks 20 14 02 wins short : 2015 -- 16 Nashville Predators 11 5 2 wins short : 2016 -- 17 Ottawa Senators 16 7 03 wins short : 2006 -- 07 Vegas Golden Knights 03 wins short : 2017 -- 18 St. Louis Blues 33 23 7 04 wins short : 1967 -- 68, 1968 -- 69, 1969 -- 70 Florida Panthers 5 04 wins short : 1995 -- 96 Arizona Coyotes 19 07 wins short : 2011 -- 12 Winnipeg Jets 7 wins short : 2017 -- 18 Minnesota Wild 9 08 wins short : 2002 -- 03 Columbus Blue Jackets 14 wins short : 2013 -- 14, 2017 -- 18 includes Preliminary Rounds from 1974 -- 75 through to 1980 -- 81, Division Semi-Finals from 1981 -- 82 through to 1992 -- 93 and Conference Quarterfinals from 1993 -- 94 through to 2012 -- 13 includes Quarter - Finals 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 includes Semi-Finals up to and including 1980 -- 81 includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 1979 -- 80 through to 1995 -- 96 ) + 21 seasons for Arizona Coyotes / Phoenix Coyotes ( 1996 -- 97 through to 2017 -- 18 ). includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers ( 1999 -- 2000 through to 2010 -- 11 ) + 6 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 2011 -- 12 through to 2017 -- 18 ). Longest all - time droughts Post-season appearance droughts Active franchise streak is highlighted Team Previous post-season appearance Next post-season appearance Post-season drought Florida Panthers 1999 -- 2000 2011 -- 12 10 seasons Edmonton Oilers 2005 -- 06 2016 -- 17 010 seasons Colorado Rockies / New Jersey Devils 1977 -- 78 1987 -- 88 09 seasons Carolina Hurricanes 2008 -- 09 09 seasons California Golden Seals / Cleveland Barons 1969 -- 70 never ( merger of franchise after 1977 -- 78 ) 08 seasons Boston Bruins 1958 -- 59 1967 -- 68 08 seasons Washington Capitals never ( inception of franchise in 1974 -- 75 ) 1982 -- 83 08 seasons Detroit Red Wings 1969 -- 70 1977 -- 78 07 seasons New York Islanders 1993 -- 94 2001 -- 02 07 seasons Calgary Flames 1995 -- 96 2003 -- 04 07 seasons New York Rangers 1996 -- 97 2005 -- 06 07 seasons Columbus Blue Jackets never ( inception of franchise in 2000 -- 01 ) 2008 -- 09 07 seasons Toronto Maple Leafs 2003 -- 04 2012 -- 13 07 seasons Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets 2006 -- 07 2014 -- 15 07 seasons Buffalo Sabres 2010 -- 11 07 seasons no post-season occurred in 2005, due to the 2004 - 05 NHL Lockout includes 4 seasons for Colorado Rockies ( 1978 -- 79 through to 1981 -- 82 ) + 5 seasons for New Jersey Devils ( 1982 -- 83 through to 1986 -- 87 ) franchise dissolved in 1978 in a merger with the Minnesota North Stars ( current Dallas Stars ) includes 6 seasons for California Golden Seals ( 1970 -- 71 through to 1975 -- 76 ) + 2 seasons for Cleveland Barons ( 1976 -- 77, 1977 -- 78 ) includes 4 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers ( 2007 -- 08 through to 2010 -- 11 ) + 3 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 2011 -- 12 through to 2013 -- 14 ) Post-season series win droughts Active franchise streak is highlighted Team Previous post-season series win Intervening post-season series losses Next post-season series win Post-season series win drought Winnipeg Jets / Phoenix Coyotes 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 25 seasons New York Islanders 1992 -- 93 07 : 1993 -- 94, 2001 -- 02, 2002 -- 03, 2003 -- 04, 2006 -- 07, 2012 -- 13, 2014 -- 15 2015 -- 16 23 seasons Florida Panthers 1995 -- 96 04 : 1996 -- 97, 1999 -- 2000, 2011 -- 12, 2015 -- 16 21 seasons New York Rangers 1949 -- 50 08 : 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 ) 02 : 2006 -- 07, 2014 -- 15 2017 -- 18 17 seasons Columbus Blue Jackets never ( inception of franchise in 2000 -- 01 ) 04 : 2008 -- 09, 2013 -- 14, 2016 -- 17, 2017 -- 18 17 seasons Chicago Black Hawks 1943 -- 44 04 : 1945 -- 46, 1952 -- 53, 1958 -- 59, 1959 -- 60 1960 -- 61 16 seasons Hartford Whalers / Carolina Hurricanes 1985 -- 86 08 : 1986 -- 87, 1987 -- 88, 1988 -- 89, 1989 -- 90, 1990 -- 91, 1991 -- 92, 1998 -- 99, 2000 -- 01 2001 -- 02 15 seasons Calgary Flames 1988 -- 89 06 : 1989 -- 90, 1990 -- 91, 1992 -- 93, 1993 -- 94, 1994 -- 95, 1995 -- 96 2003 -- 04 14 seasons Kansas City Scouts / Colorado Rockies / New Jersey Devils never ( inception of franchise in 1974 -- 75 ) 01 : 1977 -- 78 1987 -- 88 13 seasons Toronto Maple Leafs 2003 -- 04 3 : 2012 -- 13, 2016 -- 17, 2017 -- 18 13 seasons franchise renamed in 2014 as Arizona Coyotes 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 ) includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers ( 1999 -- 2000 through to 2010 -- 11 ) + 6 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 2011 -- 12 through to 2016 -- 17 ) 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 ) includes 2 seasons of the Kansas City Scouts ( 1974 -- 75, 1975 -- 76 ) + 6 seasons for Colorado Rockies ( 1976 -- 77 through to 1981 -- 82 ) + 5 seasons of the New Jersey Devils ( 1982 -- 83 through to 1986 -- 87 ) Stanley Cup Finals droughts Active franchise streak is highlighted Team Previous Stanley Cup Finals Intervening Conference Finals losses Next Stanley Cup Finals Stanley Cup Finals drought Toronto Maple Leafs 1966 -- 67 5 : 1977 -- 78, 1992 -- 93, 1993 -- 94, 1998 -- 99, 2001 -- 02 50 seasons St. Louis Blues 1969 -- 70 4 : 1971 -- 72, 1985 -- 86, 2000 -- 01, 2015 -- 16 47 seasons Winnipeg Jets / Phoenix / Arizona Coyotes never ( franchise entered the NHL in 1979 -- 80 ) 1 : 2011 -- 12 38 seasons New York Islanders 1983 -- 84 1 : 1992 -- 93 33 seasons Detroit Red Wings 1965 -- 66 2 : 1986 -- 87, 1987 -- 88 1994 -- 95 28 seasons Los Angeles Kings never ( inception of franchise in 1967 -- 68 ) 1 : 1968 -- 69 1992 -- 93 25 seasons Montreal Canadiens 1992 -- 93 2 : 2009 -- 10, 2013 -- 14 24 seasons Buffalo Sabres 1974 -- 75 2 : 1979 -- 80, 1997 -- 98 1998 -- 99 23 seasons Pittsburgh Penguins never ( inception of franchise in 1967 -- 68 ) 1 : 1969 -- 70 1990 -- 91 23 seasons Washington Capitals never ( inception of franchise in 1974 -- 75 ) 1 : 1989 -- 90 1997 -- 98 23 seasons San Jose Sharks never ( inception of franchise in 1991 -- 92 ) 3 : 2003 -- 04, 2009 -- 10, 2010 -- 11 2015 -- 16 23 seasons includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets ( 1979 -- 80 through to 1995 -- 96 ) + 21 seasons for Phoenix Coyotes ( 1996 -- 97 through to 2017 -- 18 ) Stanley Cup droughts Active franchise streak is highlighted Team Previous Stanley Cup Intervening Stanley Cup Finals losses Next Stanley Cup Stanley Cup drought New York Rangers 1939 -- 40 3 : 1949 -- 50, 1971 -- 72, 1978 -- 79 1993 -- 94 53 seasons Toronto Maple Leafs 1966 -- 67 50 seasons St. Louis Blues never ( inception of franchise in 1967 -- 68 ) 3 : 1967 -- 68, 1968 -- 69, 1969 -- 70 50 seasons Chicago Black Hawks 1960 -- 61 5 : 1961 -- 62, 1964 -- 65, 1970 -- 71, 1972 -- 73, 1991 -- 92 2009 -- 10 47 seasons Buffalo Sabres never ( inception of franchise in 1970 -- 71 ) 2 : 1974 -- 75, 1998 -- 99 47 seasons Vancouver Canucks never ( inception of franchise in 1970 -- 71 ) 3 : 1981 -- 82, 1993 -- 94, 2010 -- 11 47 seasons 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 Philadelphia Flyers 1974 -- 75 6 : 1975 -- 76, 1979 -- 80, 1984 -- 85, 1986 -- 87, 1996 -- 97, 2009 -- 10 42 seasons Detroit Red Wings 1954 -- 55 6 : 1955 -- 56, 1960 -- 61, 1962 -- 63, 1963 -- 64, 1965 -- 66, 1994 -- 95 1996 -- 97 41 seasons 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 ). 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. Cities / regions awaiting first Stanley Cup This list only includes cities / regions currently hosting an NHL franchise. City / Region Seasons waiting Stanley Cup Finals appearances Current NHL team St. Louis 51 1967 -- 68, 1968 -- 69, 1969 -- 70 St. Louis Blues Buffalo 47 0 1974 -- 75, 1998 -- 99 Buffalo Sabres Minneapolis -- Saint Paul 43 1980 -- 81, 1990 -- 91 Minnesota Wild San Francisco Bay Area 35 2015 -- 16 San Jose Sharks South Florida 24 0 1995 -- 96 Florida Panthers Phoenix 21 0 Never Arizona Coyotes Columbus, Ohio 19 Never Columbus Blue Jackets Nashville 19 0 2016 -- 17 Nashville Predators Las Vegas 2017 -- 18 Vegas Golden Knights includes 1 season of the St. Louis Eagles ( 1934 -- 35 ) and 50 seasons of the St. Louis Blues ( 1967 -- 68 through to 2017 -- 18 ). all three Stanley Cup Finals appearances by the St. Louis Blues. includes 26 seasons of the Minnesota North Stars ( 1967 -- 68 through to 1992 -- 93 ) and 17 seasons of the Minnesota Wild ( 2000 -- 01 through to 2017 -- 18 ). both Stanley Cup Finals appearances by the Minnesota North Stars. includes 9 seasons of the California Seals, Oakland Seals, California Golden Seals franchise ( 1967 -- 68 through to 1975 -- 76 ) and 26 seasons of the San Jose Sharks ( 1991 -- 92 through to 2017 -- 18 ). includes 2 seasons of the Cleveland Barons franchise ( 1976 -- 77 through to 1977 -- 78 ) and 16 seasons of the Columbus Blue Jackets ( 2000 -- 01 through to 2016 -- 17 ). Although the Vancouver Canucks have not won a Stanley Cup in their 46 seasons of play ( inception of franchise in 1970 -- 71 through to 2016 -- 17 ), Vancouver has one Stanley Cup to its credit - the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association won the Stanley Cup in 1915 prior to the founding of the NHL in 1917. While the current Ottawa Senators have never won the Stanley Cup in their 24 seasons of play ( inception of franchise in 1992 -- 93 through to 2016 -- 17 ), Ottawa celebrated 11 Stanley Cup championships with the original era Ottawa Senators, the last one in 1927. While neither team called the Winnipeg Jets ever won the Stanley Cup in their combined 23 seasons playing in Winnipeg ( as of 2016 -- 17 ), the city celebrated three Stanley Cup championships by the Winnipeg Victorias, the last in 1902, prior to the founding of the NHL in 1917. See also List of National Hockey League ( NHL ) franchise post-season appearance streaks List of Major League Baseball ( MLB ) franchise post-season droughts List of National Basketball Association ( NBA ) franchise post-season droughts List of National Football League ( NFL ) franchise post-season droughts National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference Pacific Division Anaheim Ducks Arizona Coyotes Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings San Jose Sharks Vancouver Canucks Vegas Golden Knights Central Division Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Dallas Stars Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators St. Louis Blues Winnipeg Jets Atlantic Division Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Detroit Red Wings Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Metropolitan Division Carolina Hurricanes Columbus Blue Jackets New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Events Seasons structure Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals Finals Champions Winning players Traditions and anecdotes Presidents ' Trophy All - Star Game Draft Players Association Retired jersey numbers All - Star Teams Awards Captains Outdoor games Winter Classic Heritage Classic Stadium Series Hockey Day America Canada International games Kraft Hockeyville History Lore Organizational changes Potential expansion All - time standings All - time playoff series Defunct teams NHA Original Six 1967 expansion WHA merger Others Streaks Droughts Hall of Fame Members Rivalries Arenas Rules Fighting Violence Ice hockey in Canada Ice hockey in the United States Collective bargaining agreement Lockouts Television and radio coverage Attendance figures Portal 2018 -- 19 season List of NHL - related topics History Pre-NHL seasons National Hockey Association 1917 -- 42 1942 -- 67 1967 -- 92 1992 -- present All - time standings All - time team performance Seasons Most frequent playoff series Retired numbers First NHL player by country Ice hockey in Canada Ice hockey in the United States Personnel Famous linemates Captains Head coaches General managers Owners Notable families Presidents and Commissioners Referees and linesmen Records League records ( individual, team ) Statistical leaders ( by country of birth ) Points, career ( min. 1000 ) Assists, career ( min. 1000 ) Goals, career ( min. 500 ) Points, season ( min. 100 ) Goals, season ( min. 50 ) 50 goals in 50 games Games, career ( min. 1000 ) Consecutive games, career ( min. 500 ) PIMs, career ( min. 2000 ) 5 + goals, game 8 + points, game Goaltender wins, career ( min. 300 ) Goaltenders who have scored Wayne Gretzky 's records Gordie Howe 's records Related International games with NHL teams International games with NHL players World Cup of Hockey Hockey Fights Cancer Other Trade deadline Player salaries Team payrolls Video games Mascots National Hockey League lore Advanced statistics NHL uniform Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_NHL_franchise_post-season_droughts&oldid=855831920 '' Categories : National Hockey League lists National Hockey League statistical records Playoff streaks Stanley Cup playoffs Hidden categories : Articles lacking sources from May 2017 All articles lacking sources Talk Contents About Wikipedia Simple English Edit links This page was last edited on 21 August 2018, at 04 : 12 ( UTC ). 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Question: how many nhl team have not won the stanley cup
Answer: 12