List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
Longest active droughts -- Stanley Cup droughts
Table:
Team

Last Stanley Cup

Subsequent Stanley Cup
Finals losses

Stanley Cup
drought

Toronto Maple Leafs
1966–67

52 seasons

Buffalo Sabres
never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)
2 : 1974–75, 1998–99
48 seasons

Vancouver Canucks
never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)
3 : 1981–82, 1993–94, 2010–11
48 seasons

Philadelphia Flyers
1974–75
6 : 1975–76, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1996–97, 2009–10
43 seasons

Arizona Coyotes
never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)

39 seasons1

New York Islanders
1982–83
1 : 1983–84
35 seasons

Calgary Flames
1988–89
1 : 2003–04
29 seasons

Edmonton Oilers
1989–90
1 : 2005–06
28 seasons

San Jose Sharks
never (inception of franchise in 1991–92)
1 : 2015–16
27 seasons

Ottawa Senators
never (inception of franchise in 1992–93)
1 : 2006–07
26 seasons

Montreal Canadiens
1992–93

25 seasons

Florida Panthers
never (inception of franchise in 1993–94)
1 : 1995–96
25 seasons

New York Rangers
1993–94
1 : 2013–14
24 seasons

Nashville Predators
never (inception of franchise in 1998–99)
1 : 2016–17
20 seasons

Dallas Stars
1998–99
1 : 1999–2000
19 seasons

Winnipeg Jets
never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)

19 seasons2

Columbus Blue Jackets
never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)

18 seasons

Minnesota Wild
never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)

18 seasons

Colorado Avalanche
2000–01

17 seasons

New Jersey Devils
2002–03
1 : 2011–12
15 seasons

Using the provided table together with the supporting evidence below.

Solve the question: In the season when two teams beginning with the letter C contested the finals , who were the defending champions ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Do not introduce information beyond the provided sources.

The Toronto Maple Leafs , officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often simply referred to as the Leafs , are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The club is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment , Ltd. and are represented by Chairman Larry Tanenbaum . The Maple Leafs ' broadcasting rights are split between BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications . For their first 14 seasons , the club played their home games at the Mutual Street Arena , before moving to Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931 . The Maple Leafs moved to their present home , Scotiabank Arena ( originally named the Air Canada Centre ) in February 1999 . The club was founded in 1917 , operating simply as Toronto and known then as the Toronto Arenas . Under new ownership , the club was renamed the Toronto St. Patricks in 1919 . In 1927 the club was purchased by Conn Smythe and renamed the Maple Leafs . A member of the Original Six , the club was one of six NHL teams to have endured through the period of League retrenchment during the Great Depression . The club has won thirteen Stanley Cup championships , second only to the 24 championships of the Montreal Canadiens . The Maple Leafs history includes two recognized dynasties , from 1947 to 1951 ; and from 1962 to 1967 .
The 1967 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1966-67 season , and the culmination of the 1967 Stanley Cup playoffs . A best-of-seven series , it was contested between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs . The Maple Leafs won the series , four games to two . In doing so , they won their thirteenth Stanley Cup championship . To date , this is Toronto 's last Stanley Cup championship and appearance in the championship final , and they have the longest-active championship drought in the NHL at 51 ( not including 2004-05 lockout ) seasons . The 1967 Stanley Cup Finals was also the last Stanley Cup Finals in the Original Six Era . This was also the last all-Canadian Finals series until 1986 .
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo , New York . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The team was established in 1970 , along with the Vancouver Canucks , when the league expanded to 14 teams . They have played at KeyBank Center since 1996 . Prior to that , the Buffalo Sabres played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium from the start of the franchise in 1970 . The Sabres are owned by Terry Pegula , who purchased the club in 2011 from Tom Golisano . The Sabres have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL , at 8 seasons . The team has twice advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals , losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975 and to the Dallas Stars in 1999 . The best known line in team history is The French Connection , which consisted of Gilbert Perreault , Rick Martin and Rene Robert . All three players have had their sweater numbers ( 11 , 7 and 14 , respectively ) retired and a statue erected in their honor at KeyBank Center in 2012 . The Sabres , along with the Canucks , share the record for being the longest continuously running active NHL franchise to have never won the Stanley Cup .
The 1970-71 NHL season was the 54th season of the National Hockey League . Two new teams , the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks made their debuts and were both put into the East Division . The Chicago Black Hawks were moved to the West Division . The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup by beating the Black Hawks in seven games in the finals .
The 1975 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1974-75 season , and the culmination of the 1975 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Buffalo Sabres and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers . The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series , four games to two . This was the first Final to have two non-Original Six teams since the 1967 expansion , and also the first contested by any team that had joined the league after 1967 ( the Sabres were part of the 1970 expansion ) . The 1975 Flyers are the last Stanley Cup championship team to be composed solely of Canadian-born players . This was the only Final between 1965 and 1979 not to feature either the Boston Bruins or the Montreal Canadiens .
The 1999 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1998-99 season , and the culmination of the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars . It was the 106th year of the Stanley Cup being contested . The Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca , head coach Lindy Ruff and goaltender Dominik Hasek . The Stars were led by captain Derian Hatcher , head coach Ken Hitchcock and goaltender Ed Belfour . It was the Sabres ' second Stanley Cup Final appearance , the first being a loss to Philadelphia in 1975 . It was the third appearance for the Stars ' franchise , and their first since moving to Dallas from Minnesota in 1993 . Minnesota ( known at the time as the North Stars ) lost in the Final to the New York Islanders in 1981 and to Pittsburgh in 1991 . The Stars defeated the Sabres four games to two to win their first Stanley Cup , becoming the eighth post-1967 expansion team to earn a championship , and the first Southern team to win the Cup . This was the first time since 1994 that the Stanley Cup Finals did not end in a sweep . This series is also remembered because of the controversial finish to game six , in which Stars forward Brett Hull scored the Cup-winning goal with his skate in the crease , which was against the rules at the time . The league allowed the goal to stand as it was ruled that Hull was turned into the crease while maintaining continuous possession .
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena , formerly known as General Motors Place , which has an official capacity of 18,910 . Travis Green is the head coach and Jim Benning is the general manager . The Canucks joined the league in 1970 as an expansion team along with the Buffalo Sabres . In its NHL history , the team has advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals three times , losing to the New York Islanders in 1982 , the New York Rangers in 1994 and the Boston Bruins in 2011 . They have won the Presidents ' Trophy in back-to-back seasons as the team with the league 's best regular season record in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons . They won three division titles as a member of the Smythe Division from 1974 to 1993 , and seven titles as a member of the Northwest Division from 1998 to 2013 . The Canucks , along with fellow expansion team , the Buffalo Sabres , are the two oldest teams to have never won the Stanley Cup . The Canucks have retired six players ' jerseys in their history - Stan Smyl ( 12 ) , Trevor Linden ( 16 ) , Markus Naslund ( 19 ) , Daniel Sedin ( 22 ) , Henrik Sedin ( 33 ) , and Pavel Bure ( 10 ) ; all but Bure and Daniel Sedin have served as team captain . Smyl has the distinction of being the only Canuck to have his jersey number retired at their former arena , the Pacific Coliseum .
The 1982 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1981-82 season , and the culmination of the 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was played between the Vancouver Canucks in their first Finals appearance and the defending champion New York Islanders , in their third Finals appearance . The Islanders won the best-of-seven series , four games to none , to win their third consecutive and overall Stanley Cup championship . This is also the most recent time that a Stanley Cup Champion has won three in a row and the first , and so far only , time that a U.S.-based team has won three straight Stanley Cups . This 1982 Finals took place under a revised NHL divisional alignment and playoff structure , which de facto revived the East vs. West format for the Finals that had been abandoned when the Western Hockey League folded in 1926 . It was also the first time a team from Western Canada contested the Finals since the WHL stopped challenging for the Stanley Cup ( the Victoria Cougars , who had also been the last team from British Columbia to win the Cup in 1925 , played the 1926 Finals too ) .
The 1994 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1993-94 season , and the culmination of the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks . The Canucks were making the club 's second Final appearance , their first coming during their Cinderella run of 1982 , and the Rangers were making their tenth appearance , their first since 1979 . The Rangers ended their record 54-year championship drought with a victory in game seven to claim the long-awaited Stanley Cup . It was the fourth championship in franchise history . The CBC broadcast of the deciding game seven attracted an average Canadian audience of 4.957 million viewers , making it the most watched CBC Sports program in history to that time . This was the last Stanley Cup Finals with games played in Canada until 2004 .
The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2010-11 season , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks four games to three . The Bruins ended a 39-year Stanley Cup drought with the win . Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs . The Canucks had home ice advantage in the Finals by virtue of winning the Presidents ' Trophy as the team that finished with the best regular season record ( 117 points ) . They were also the first Canadian team to have home ice advantage in the Finals since the Montreal Canadiens had it for the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals . The Canadiens ' victory in 1993 was also the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup . As of the 2018-19 season , this was the last Stanley Cup Finals to feature a Canadian team and was also the last time that the Finals went the full seven games until 2019 . In addition this was also the last time a Canadian-based team from the Big Four appeared in a championship round until the NBAs Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals . On June 1 , 2011 , NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made an announcement that Colin Campbell would be stepping down as the league 's head disciplinarian to be replaced by former player Brendan Shanahan , though Campbell would continue in his job as director of hockey operations . Mike Murphy , the NHL vice-president of hockey operations , had already been put in charge of disciplinary matters for the Finals , nonetheless there were concerns raised about Campbell 's impartiality in handing out discipline since his son Gregory was an active player on the Boston Bruins roster . The first game of the series was held on June 1 , while the seventh game was played on June 15 .
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . Part of the 1967 NHL Expansion , the Flyers were the first expansion team in the post-Original Six era to win the Stanley Cup , victorious in 1973-74 and again in 1974-75 . The Flyers ' all-time points percentage of 57.5% ( as of the 2018-19 NHL season [ update ] ) is the third-best in the NHL , behind only the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens . Additionally , the Flyers have the most appearances in the conference finals of all 24 expansion teams ( 16 appearances , winning 8 ) , and they are second behind the St. Louis Blues for the most playoff appearances out of all expansion teams ( 39 out of 51 seasons ) . The Flyers have played their home games on Broad Street since their inception , first at the Spectrum from 1967 until 1996 , and then at the Wells Fargo Center since 1996 . The Flyers have had rivalries with several teams over the years . Historically , their biggest adversaries have been the New York Rangers , with an intense rivalry stretching back to the 1970s . They have also waged lengthy campaigns against the New York Islanders in the 70s and 80s , the Boston Bruins , a bruising battle especially in the 1970s , the Washington Capitals , which has always been intense since their days in the Patrick Division , as well as the New Jersey Devils , with whom they traded the Atlantic Division title every season between 1994-95 and 2006-07 , and finally they enjoy a spirited rivalry with their cross-state and expansion brethren , the Pittsburgh Penguins , which is considered by some to be the best rivalry in the league .
The 1976 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1975-76 season , and the culmination of the 1976 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers , making their third consecutive finals appearance , and the Montreal Canadiens . This was the Canadiens first appearance in the Final since their Cup win in 1973 . The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series , four games to none .
The 1980 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1979-80 season , and the culmination of the 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the New York Islanders in their first-ever Finals appearance and the Philadelphia Flyers , in their fourth Finals appearance , and first since 1976 . The Islanders would win the best-of-seven series , four games to two , to win their first Stanley Cup championship and the third for a post-1967 expansion team after Philadelphia 's Cup wins in 1974 and 1975 .
The 1985 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1984-85 season , and the culmination of the 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the defending champion Edmonton Oilers ( in their third straight Finals appearance ) and the Philadelphia Flyers . The Oilers would win the best-of-seven series , four games to one , to win their second Stanley Cup . It was also the sixth straight Finals contested between teams that joined the NHL in 1967 or later . As of 2020 [ update ] , this is also the last time that a team , defending champion or runner-up , would appear in the Finals for the third straight season . This would be the third of eight consecutive Finals contested by a team from Alberta ( the Oilers appeared in six , the Calgary Flames in 1986 and 1989 ) , and the second of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice ( the Oilers won four of those times , the Montreal Canadiens once ) .
The 1987 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1986-87 season , and the culmination of the 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers . The Oilers won the series 4-3 , for their third Stanley Cup victory . This would be the fifth of eight consecutive Finals contested by a team from Alberta ( the Oilers appeared in six , the Calgary Flames in two ) , and the fourth of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice ( the Oilers won four times , the Montreal Canadiens once ) .
The 1997 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1996-97 season , and the culmination of the 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers . Detroit was in the Final for the second time in three years ( the other coming in 1995 , when they lost to the New Jersey Devils ) while the Flyers were making their first appearance since losing in 1987 to the Edmonton Oilers . Detroit won the series in four games to win the Stanley Cup for the eighth time in franchise history and the first time since 1955 ; Philadelphia had not won since 1975 . Detroit was the last team to win the Cup without having home ice advantage in the Finals and with fewer than 100 points earned during the regular season until 2009 .
The 2010 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2009-10 season , and the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks and the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers . It was Chicago 's eleventh appearance in the Final and their first since 1992 , a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins . It was Philadelphia 's eighth appearance in the Final and their first since 1997 , a loss to the Detroit Red Wings . Chicago defeated Philadelphia four games to two to win their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history . This was the first Cup championship for Chicago since 1961 , which had been the longest active Stanley Cup drought . The Toronto Maple Leafs , who last won the Cup in 1967 and who have not appeared in the Final since , now currently have the longest active Cup drought streak in the NHL . The Blackhawks became the fourth major Chicago sports team to win a championship since 1986 , joining the 1985 Chicago Bears , the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s , and the 2005 Chicago White Sox . The 2016 Chicago Cubs would complete the cycle of all Chicago sports teams winning at least one championship in 30 years . Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 playoffs , and was the first Blackhawks player to receive this honor . He and teammates Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook won the Olympic Gold medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics , adding the three players to the list of Ken Morrow ( 1980 ) and Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan ( both 2002 ) , as well as Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter ( both 2014 ) , as the only players to accomplish this double in the same year . Having played for Team USA at the Olympics , Patrick Kane joined Chris Chelios and Brett Hull ( both 2002 ) as having won both the Olympic Silver medal and Stanley Cup in the same year .
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale , Arizona . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The Coyotes first played at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix , before moving to Glendale 's Gila River Arena in 2003 . In 2021 , the Coyotes are scheduled to return to the Central Division when an expansion team in Seattle joins the league . The Coyotes were founded on December 27 , 1971 , as the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association ( WHA ) . After the WHA had ceased operations , they were one of four franchises absorbed into the National Hockey League and then granted membership on June 22 , 1979 . The Jets moved to Phoenix on July 1 , 1996 , and were renamed the Phoenix Coyotes . In 2014 , the team was re-named to the present Arizona Coyotes . The Coyotes are owned by Alex Meruelo , who purchased the club in 2019 . The team is known for its instability under prior ownership . The NHL took ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise in 2009 after then-owner Jerry Moyes turned it over to the league after declaring bankruptcy and the league kept control of the team until 2013 when they were able to find ownership willing to keep the team in Arizona . The Coyotes continue to be at odds with the city of Glendale and the use of Gila River Arena , but has signed a lease through the 2019-20 season .
The 1979-80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League . This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises . The Edmonton Oilers , Winnipeg Jets , New England Whalers ( later renamed Hartford Whalers at the insistence of the Boston Bruins ) , and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL , bringing the total to 21 teams . The other two WHA teams ( Birmingham Bulls and Cincinnati Stingers ) were paid to disband . The New York Islanders won their first Stanley Cup , defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games , in the finals . The season also marked the eighth and final season for the Flames in Atlanta before the franchise relocated to Calgary . The NHL would return to the Georgia capital in 1999 with the Thrashers , but that team would ultimately relocate away from Atlanta as well becoming the second ( and current ) incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets . The collapse of the WHA also saw the much hyped super-star rookie Wayne Gretzky come to the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers . Gretzky would tie Marcel Dionne for the scoring lead with 137 points and capture the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player while Dionne took home the Art Ross Trophy as the leading scorer by virtue of having scored two more goals . Gretzky aside , many players made their debut in the NHL this season , both due to the WHA merger and to a change in the rules for the Entry Draft allowing eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds to be drafted for the first time ; no fewer than seven Hall of Famers ( Gretzky , Ray Bourque , Mark Messier , Mike Gartner , Michel Goulet , Mark Howe , and an undrafted Joe Mullen ) debuted this season , along with numerous other perennial stars . The big story of the regular season was the record-breaking undefeated streak compiled by the Philadelphia Flyers . After starting the season with a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders and a 9-2 loss to the Atlanta Flames , the Flyers did not lose again for nearly three months , earning at least one point in every game between a 4-3 win over Toronto on October 14 , 1979 , and a 4-2 win over Buffalo on January 6 , 1980 , earning a 35 game record of 25-0-10 .
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York metropolitan area . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The team splits its home games between Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale , New York , and Barclays Center in the borough of Brooklyn . The Islanders are one of three NHL franchises in the New York metropolitan area , along with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers , and their fan base resides primarily on Long Island . The team was founded in 1972 as part of the NHL 's maneuvers to keep a team from rival league World Hockey Association ( WHA ) out of the newly built Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in suburban Uniondale , New York . After two years of building up the team 's roster , they found almost instant success by securing fourteen straight playoff berths starting with their third season . The Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cup championships between 1980 and 1983 , the seventh of eight dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history . Their 19 consecutive playoff series wins between 1980 and 1984 is a feat that remains unparalleled in the history of professional sports . They are the last team in any major professional North American sport to win four consecutive championships . Following the team 's dynasty era , the franchise ran into problems with money , ownership and management , an aging arena , and low attendance . Their woes were reflected on the ice , as the team has not won a division title since 1987-88 , and went 22 seasons without winning a playoff series prior to the 2016 playoffs . After years of failed attempts to rebuild or replace Nassau Coliseum in suburban Long Island , the Islanders relocated to Barclays Center following the 2014-15 season .
The 1983 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1982-83 season , and the culmination of the 1983 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Edmonton Oilers in their first-ever Finals appearance and the defending champion New York Islanders , in their fourth consecutive and overall Finals appearance . The Islanders won the best-of-seven series , four games to none , to win their fourth consecutive and overall Stanley Cup championship . It was also the fourth straight Finals of post-1967 expansion teams , and the first involving a former World Hockey Association ( WHA ) team . This is also the most recent time that a defending Stanley Cup champion has won the cup four years in a row , and also the first ( and , to date , only ) time a North American professional sports team has won four consecutive titles in any league competition with more than 20 teams . Since 1983 , no professional sports team on the continent has won four consecutive championships and no NHL team has won more than two consecutive championships ( most recently the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 ) . This would be the first of eight consecutive Finals contested by a team from Alberta ( of which the Oilers played in six and the Calgary Flames in two ) . Although it was not the first Stanley Cup Finals to be contested by an Albertan team ( the 1923 and 1924 Finals had been contested by teams from Edmonton and Calgary respectively ) , 1983 saw the first Finals games played in Alberta . The Oilers would credit the Islanders ' subdued post-series locker room celebration - focused more on putting ice packs on their various injuries - as teaching them the level of sacrifice and dedication needed to be champions . The Oilers would go on to win four Stanley Cups in the next five seasons - and five overall by 1990 .
The 1984 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1983-84 season , and the culmination of the 1984 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Edmonton Oilers and the defending champion New York Islanders . The upstart Oilers won the best-of-seven series , four games to one , to win their first Stanley Cup , becoming the third post-1967 expansion team and first former World Hockey Association team to win the Cup , and also the first team based west of Chicago to win the Cup since the WCHL 's Victoria Cougars became the last non-NHL team to win it in 1925 . In the previous year 's Stanley Cup Finals , the Islanders had swept the Oilers in four straight games . The teams rematched in 1984 , with the Islanders seeking their fifth consecutive Stanley Cup championship . It was the fifth straight Finals of teams that joined the NHL in 1967 or later . As of 2019 [ update ] , the Islanders ' four consecutive Cup wins ( 1980 , 1981 , 1982 , 1983 ) and their appearance in the 1984 Cup Finals is an NHL record of 19 consecutive playoff series wins that currently stands unbroken . The 1984 Finals was the second of eight consecutive Finals contested by a team from Alberta ( the Oilers appeared in six , the Calgary Flames in two ) , and the first of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice ( the Oilers won four times , the Montreal Canadiens one ) . The Oilers became the fastest-ever Canadian-based expansion team to win a major sports title by winning a title in only their fifth NHL season . The feat would be eclipsed in 2016 by the Ottawa Redblacks , who won the Grey Cup in their third CFL season .
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The club is the third major professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary , following the Calgary Tigers ( 1921-1927 ) and Calgary Cowboys ( 1975-1977 ) . The Flames are one of two NHL franchises in Alberta ; the other is the Edmonton Oilers . The cities ' proximity has led to a rivalry known as the Battle of Alberta . The team was founded in 1972 in Atlanta as the Atlanta Flames until relocating to Calgary in 1980 . The Flames played their first three seasons in Calgary at the Stampede Corral before moving into their current home arena , the Scotiabank Saddledome ( originally known as the Olympic Saddledome ) , in 1983 . In 1985-86 , the Flames became the first Calgary team since the 1923-24 Tigers to compete for the Stanley Cup . In 1988-89 , the Flames won their first and only championship . The Flames ' unexpected run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals gave rise to the Red Mile , and in 2011 the team hosted and won the second Heritage Classic outdoor game . The Flames have won two Presidents ' Trophies as the NHL 's top regular season team , and have claimed seven division championships . Individually , Jarome Iginla is the franchise leader in games played , goals and points and is a two-time winner of the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL 's leading goal scorer .
The 1989 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1988-89 season , and the culmination of the 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens , the top two teams during the regular season . This was the second time in the decade after 1986 that the Canadiens and Flames met in the Finals . The 1989 series also remains the last time that the Cup Finals was played entirely in Canada . The Flames defeated the Canadiens in six games to win their first and only Stanley Cup . The winning goal in game six was scored by Doug Gilmour . They became the first team to win a Stanley Cup after relocating , as they had begun life as the Atlanta Flames in 1972 . Since then , four more teams have accomplished this feat : the New Jersey Devils ( formerly the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies ) , the Colorado Avalanche ( formerly the Quebec Nordiques ) , the Dallas Stars ( formerly the Minnesota North Stars ) , and the Carolina Hurricanes ( formerly the New England/Hartford Whalers ) . The Flames would later reach the Finals again in 2004 , losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning ; they had gone that entire span without a single playoff series victory . This was also the second-to-last of eight consecutive Finals where either the Flames or their provincial rival Edmonton Oilers represented Alberta in the Stanley Cup Finals . Both Calgary and Montreal were the only two teams to win the Stanley Cup in the 1980s other than the New York Islanders and the Edmonton Oilers . This was the Canadiens ' first defeat in a Cup Finals since 1967 .
The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2003-04 season , and the culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames in seven games and were awarded the Stanley Cup . It was Tampa Bay 's first-ever appearance in the final . For Calgary , it was the team 's third appearance , and first since their championship season of 1989 . Lightning owner William Davidson would soon become the first owner in sports history to win two championships in one year as eight days later , the other team that Davidson owned ( the Detroit Pistons of the NBA ) won the NBA title in five games over the Los Angeles Lakers . This was the last Stanley Cup Final played for two years , as the 2004-05 NHL lockout occurred three months after the end of this final , lasting over ten months and leading to the cancellation of the 2005 Final , with the league not returning to play for the Cup until 2006 .
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The Oilers were officially founded in 1971 by W. D. Wild Bill Hunter and Dr. Chuck Allard . The team played its first season in 1972 , as one of the twelve founding franchises of the major professional World Hockey Association ( WHA ) . They were originally intended to be one of two WHA Alberta teams , along with the Calgary Broncos . However , when the Broncos relocated to Cleveland , Ohio , before the WHA 's first season began , the Oilers were renamed the Alberta Oilers . They returned to their current name in the following year , and subsequently joined the NHL in 1979 as one of four franchises absorbed through the NHL merger with the WHA . After joining the NHL , the Oilers went on to win the Stanley Cup on five occasions : 1983-84 , 1984-85 , 1986-87 , 1987-88 and 1989-90 . Along with the Pittsburgh Penguins , they are tied for the most championships won by any team since the NHL-WHA merger and also the most won by any team that joined the league in or after 1967 . Among all NHL teams , only the Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times since the League 's 1967 expansion . For their success in the 1980s , the Oilers team of this era has been honoured with dynasty status by the Hockey Hall of Fame . However , the Oilers began to struggle greatly shortly after the 2004-05 NHL lockout , having missed the playoffs every year since 2006 , with the exception of 2016-17 .
The 1990 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1989-90 season , and the culmination of the 1990 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins ; the Oilers won , four games to one . For the Oilers , it was their fifth Cup win in seven years , and the only one since they traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 . This would be the last of eight consecutive Finals contested by a team from Alberta ( the Oilers appeared in six , the Calgary Flames in two ) .
The 2006 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2005-06 season , and the culmination of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes and the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers . It was Carolina 's second appearance in the final , the other being in 2002 , a loss to the Detroit Red Wings . It was Edmonton 's seventh appearance in the Final and their first since their fifth Cup win in 1990 . It was also the first ( and to date only ) finals matchup between two former World Hockey Association franchises . Carolina defeated Edmonton in seven games to win the franchise 's first Stanley Cup and become the tenth post-1967 expansion team and third former WHA team to win the Cup . Carolina 's 2006 win was also the team 's second league championship ( the club , then known as the New England Whalers won the WHA Championship in 1973 ) .
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose , California . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The franchise is owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises . Beginning play in the 1991-92 season , the Sharks initially played their home games at the Cow Palace , before they moved to their present home , now named SAP Center at San Jose , in 1993 . The SAP Center is known locally as the Shark Tank . The Sharks were founded in 1991 and were the first NHL franchise based in the San Francisco Bay Area since the California Golden Seals relocated to Cleveland in 1976 . The Sharks have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals once , losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 . They have won the Presidents ' Trophy once , as the team with the league 's best regular season record in the 2008-09 season . They have also won six division titles as a member of the Pacific Division since 1993 . The club is affiliated with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League .
The 1991-92 NHL season was the 75th regular season of the National Hockey League . The league expanded to 22 teams with the addition of the expansion San Jose Sharks . For the first time , the Stanley Cup Finals extended into June , with the Pittsburgh Penguins repeating as Stanley Cup champions , winning the best of seven series four games to none against the Chicago Blackhawks .
The 2016 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2015-16 season , and the culmination of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks four games to two to win their fourth championship in franchise history ( winning the clinching game of all four on the road ) . Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs . The Penguins finished ahead of the Sharks during the regular season , giving them home ice advantage in the series . The series began on May 30 and concluded on June 12 . This was the first Stanley Cup Finals since 2007 to feature a team making their Finals debut . This was the first playoff meeting between teams from Pittsburgh and the Bay Area since the Penguins swept the Oakland Seals in the 1970 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals . The Eastern Conference had home-ice advantage in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2004 and 2006 Finals . This was the first Stanley Cup Finals since 2011 to be won by a team other than the Chicago Blackhawks or the Los Angeles Kings .
The Ottawa Senators ( French : Sénateurs d'Ottawa ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The Senators play their home games at the 18,652-seat Canadian Tire Centre , which opened in 1996 as the Palladium . Founded and established by Ottawa real estate developer Bruce Firestone , the team is the second NHL franchise to use the Ottawa Senators name . The original Ottawa Senators , founded in 1883 , had a famed history , winning 11 Stanley Cups , playing in the NHL from 1917 until 1934 . On December 6 , 1990 , after a two-year public campaign by Firestone , the NHL awarded a new franchise , which began play in the 1992-93 season . The current team owner is Eugene Melnyk , and in 2019 , the franchise was valued by Forbes magazine at $ 445 million . The Senators have won four division titles and , in 2003 , the Presidents ' Trophy ; and have once appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals ( 2007 ) .
The 1992-93 NHL season was the 76th regular season of the National Hockey League . Each player wore a patch on their jersey throughout the season to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup . The league expanded 24 teams with the addition of the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning . The Montreal Canadiens won their league-leading 24th Cup by defeating the Los Angeles Kings four games to one . This remains the last time that a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup . It proved , at the time , to be the highest-scoring regular season in NHL history , as a total of 7,311 goals were scored over 1,008 games for an average of 7.25 per game . Twenty of the twenty-four teams scored three goals or more per game , and only two teams , the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks , allowed fewer than three goals per game . Only 68 shutouts were recorded during the regular season . A record twenty-one players reached the 100-point plateau , while a record fourteen players reached the 50-goal plateau - both records still stand as of the 2018-19 NHL season .
The 2007 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2006-07 season , and the culmination of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Western Conference champion Anaheim Ducks and the Eastern Conference champion Ottawa Senators . It was the second appearance in the Final for Anaheim since 2003 ( known at the time as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim ) , when they lost to the New Jersey Devils . It was the first appearance for the Senators since entering the NHL as an expansion team in 1992 . Anaheim defeated Ottawa in five games and were awarded their first Stanley Cup becoming the eleventh post-1967 expansion team to win the NHL championship trophy , and the first Stanley Cup championship for a team from California ( the Los Angeles Kings would eventually win Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 ) . This was also the most recent year that both teams that went to the finals had never won the Stanley Cup before until the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals .
The Montreal Canadiens [ note 3 ] ( French : Les Canadiens de Montréal ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The club 's official name is le Club de hockey Canadien . The team is frequently referred to in English and French as the Habs . French nicknames for the team include Les Canadiens ( or Le Canadien ) , Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge , La Sainte-Flanelle , Le Tricolore , Les Glorieux ( or Nos Glorieux ) , Le CH , Le Grand Club and Les Habitants ( from which Habs is derived ) . Founded in 1909 , the Canadiens are the longest continuously operating professional ice hockey team worldwide , and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the NHL . One of the oldest North American professional sports franchises , the Canadiens ' history predates that of every other Canadian franchise outside football as well as every American franchise outside baseball and the National Football League 's Arizona Cardinals . The franchise is one of the Original Six teams , a description used for the teams that made up the NHL from 1942 until the 1967 expansion . The team 's championship season in 1992-93 was the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup . The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other franchise . They have won 24 Stanley Cup championships , 23 of them since the founding of the NHL and 22 of them since 1927 , when NHL teams became the only ones to compete for the Stanley Cup . On a percentage basis , as of 2014 [ needs update ] , the franchise has won 25.3% of all Stanley Cup championships contested after the Challenge Cup era , making it the second most successful professional sports team of the traditional four major sports of Canada and the United States , behind only the Boston Celtics .
The 1993 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1992-93 season , and the culmination of the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Los Angeles Kings and the Montreal Canadiens . It was the first appearance in the Final for the Kings and the first appearance since the 1920 Stanley Cup Finals for a team based on the west coast of the United States . It was also the 34th and ( as of 2019 ) most recent appearance for Montreal , their first since the 1989 Stanley Cup Finals . The Canadiens won the series four games to one to win the team 's 24th Stanley Cup . The year 1993 was the 100th anniversary of the first awarding of the Stanley Cup in 1893 , and the first Finals to start in the month of June . The 1993 Canadiens are also the last Stanley Cup championship team to be composed solely of North American-born players . To date , this is the last Stanley Cup Finals won by a Canadian team . The series is remembered for Kings defenceman Marty McSorley 's penalty late in the third period of game two for using an illegal stick , in what proved to be the turning point in the 1993 Cup Finals . When McSorley entered the penalty box , Los Angeles held a 1-0 series lead , and a 2-1 score in the contest . The Canadiens then went on to score the equalizer on the ensuing power play , won game two in overtime , and then defeated the Kings in the next three games to win the Cup . From the moment that McSorley was called for the penalty , the Kings failed to win another postseason game from the remainder of the 20th century , losing all the remaining games of the Finals , failing to qualify for the playoffs in five of the next seven seasons , and being swept out in the first round the other two times .
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The team initially played their home games at Miami Arena , before moving to the BB & T Center in 1998 . Located in Sunrise , Florida , the Panthers are the southernmost team in the NHL . The team 's local broadcasting rights have been held by Fox Sports Florida ( formerly SportsChannel Florida ) since 1996 . The Panthers began playing in the 1993-94 NHL season . The team has made one appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals , in 1996 , the only season in which the Panthers have ever won a playoff series , eventually losing the Finals to the Colorado Avalanche . Since then , the Panthers have only qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs four times , never advancing past the first round , since 1996 . The club is affiliated with one minor league team , the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League .
The 1993-94 NHL season was the 77th regular season of the National Hockey League . The league expanded to 26 teams with the addition of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Florida Panthers . The New York Rangers were the Stanley Cup champions . It was the Rangers ' fourth championship overall , and their first in 54 seasons , since 1939-40 . The spectacular play of Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres ushered in a new era of goaltending dominance in the NHL . Only three teams reached the 300-goal plateau , and only one team , the Detroit Red Wings , averaged more than four goals scored per game . Goaltenders combined for 99 shutouts during the regular season , a mark that broke the all-time regular-season record of 85 set in 1974-75 .
The 1996 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1995-96 season , and the culmination of the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche and the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers , two teams in the Final for the first time . Colorado defeated Florida in a four-game sweep to win their first Stanley Cup becoming the seventh post-1967 expansion team and the second former WHA team ( after the Edmonton Oilers ) to win the Cup . Colorado 's Joe Sakic earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the 1996 Playoffs . It was Colorado 's first appearance in the Final , in only their first season in Denver since moving from Quebec City ( where they had formerly played as the Nordiques ) in 1995 . It was also Florida 's first appearance in the Final , in only the franchise 's third season since entering the NHL in 1993 . Only four other teams have made their first Stanley Cup Final appearance faster : the Toronto Arenas winning the Stanley Cup in the NHL inaugural season in 1917-18 , the St. Louis Blues in their debut season in 1967-68 ( they lost the 1968 Final to the Montreal Canadiens ) , the Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural year in 2017-18 , and the 1928 Cup-winning New York Rangers ( who were in their second season of play , having been formed for the 1926-27 season ) . This was also the first time since the formation of the NHL in 1917 that the two teams competing for the Cup were making their first Final appearance .
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden in the borough of Manhattan , an arena they share with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . They are one of three NHL teams located in the New York metropolitan area ; the others being the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders . Founded in 1926 by Tex Rickard , the Rangers are one of the Original Six teams that competed in the NHL before its 1967 expansion , along with the Boston Bruins , Chicago Blackhawks , Detroit Red Wings , Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs . The team attained success early on under the guidance of Lester Patrick , who coached a team containing Frank Boucher , Murray Murdoch , and Bun and Bill Cook to Stanley Cup glory in 1928 , making them the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the trophy . The team would then go onto win two additional Stanley Cups in 1933 and 1940 . Following this initial grace period , the franchise struggled between the 1940s and 1960s , whereby playoff appearances and success was infrequent . The team enjoyed a mini renaissance in the 1970s , where they made the Stanley Cup finals twice , albeit , losing to the Bruins in 1972 and the Canadiens in 1979 . The Rangers subsequently embraced a rebuild for much of the 1980s and early 1990s , which eventually paid dividends , where the team , led by Mark Messier , Brian Leetch , Adam Graves , and Mike Richter , captured their fourth Stanley Cup in 1994 . The team was unable to duplicate that success in the years that followed , and entered into another period of mediocrity . They endured a franchise-record seven-year postseason drought from 1998 to 2005 , and languished for the majority of the 2000s before enjoying another period of prosperity after the 2004-05 NHL Lockout .
The 2014 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2013-14 season , and the culmination of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs . The League realigned its divisions prior to the season , and changed the structure of the playoffs , but the championship series remained the same . The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Kings defeated the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers four games to one to win their second championship in franchise history , marking the first time since 2007 that the championship series was determined in fewer than six games . Their Stanley Cup-winning run of 26 playoff games was later tied by the 2019 St. Louis Blues for the longest of any Stanley Cup-winning team in history . Los Angeles had home ice advantage in the series , as the Kings finished with a better regular season record than the Rangers . The series started on June 4 and ended on June 13 with the Kings winning their second Stanley Cup in three seasons . It was the first meeting between teams from New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship since the Yankees and the Dodgers played in the 1981 World Series . Coincidentally , 1981 was also the last time the Rangers and the Kings had met in the postseason ; that was the last season where the league did not use a geographical based playoff format and as a result any two teams could meet in any round of the postseason regardless of geography . In 1981 the Rangers eliminated the Kings during the first round of the playoffs .
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville , Tennessee . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The Predators have played their home games at Bridgestone Arena since 1998 . Their television broadcasting rights are held by Fox Sports Tennessee , and radio broadcasting rights are held by WPRT-FM . The club was founded in 1998 when the NHL granted an expansion franchise to Craig Leipold . After five seasons , the Predators qualified for their first Stanley Cup playoffs during the 2003-04 season . In 2008 , ownership of the club was transferred from Leipold to a locally based ownership group . The Predators advanced to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 2017 , but were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games . In the following season , the Predators won their first Presidents ' Trophy and Central Division title . The Predators are presently affiliated with the minor league teams Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League and Florida Everblades of the ECHL .
The 1998-99 NHL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Hockey League . The league expanded to 27 teams with the addition of the Nashville Predators . The Dallas Stars finished first in regular season play , and won the Stanley Cup championship over the Buffalo Sabres on a controversial triple overtime goal by Brett Hull .
The 2017 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2016-17 season , and the culmination of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators , four games to two . Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs for the second consecutive year . The Penguins won the Stanley Cup in their opponent 's rink , for the fifth time . During the regular season , the Penguins finished second in the league with 111 points , which gave them home ice advantage in the series . The series began on May 29 and concluded on June 11 . The Penguins made their second consecutive Finals appearance , marking the third time in their history they had done this , following their appearances in 1991-1992 and 2008-2009 . This was the first time since 2009 , a rematch between the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings , that any team appeared in consecutive Finals . The Penguins also became the first team since the Red Wings ( in 1997 and 1998 ) to win the Stanley Cup in consecutive years and the first to do so since the introduction of the salary cap . They also became the fifth franchise to accomplish this feat more than once . This marked the second consecutive season in which a Western Conference team made their first appearance in the Finals ; the San Jose Sharks made their Finals debut the year prior . This was the first time in NHL history that two United States-born head coaches faced off against each other in the Stanley Cup Finals .
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars , based in Bloomington , Minnesota . Before the beginning of the 1978-79 NHL season , the team merged with the Cleveland Barons after the league granted them permission due to each team 's respective financial struggles . Ultimately , the franchise relocated to Dallas for the 1993-94 NHL season . The Stars played out of Reunion Arena from their relocation until 2001 , when the team moved less than 1.5 miles into the American Airlines Center . The Stars have won eight division titles in Dallas , two Presidents ' Trophies as the top regular season team in the league , the Western Conference championship twice , and in 1998-99 , the Stanley Cup . Joe Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs that year . In 2000 , Neal Broten was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame . In 2009 , Brett Hull became the first Dallas Stars player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame , followed by Ed Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyk in 2011 and Mike Modano in 2014 . In 2010 , brothers Derian and Kevin Hatcher were inducted to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame .
The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1999-2000 season , and the culmination of the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars ( who were the defending Stanley Cup champion ) . The Devils were led by captain Scott Stevens , head coach Larry Robinson and goaltender Martin Brodeur . The Stars were led by captain Derian Hatcher , head coach Ken Hitchcock and goaltender Ed Belfour . The Devils defeated the Stars , four games to two .
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The team is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment and plays its home games at Bell MTS Place . The Jets began play as the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999-2000 NHL season . True North Sports & Entertainment then bought the team in May 2011 and relocated the franchise from Atlanta to Winnipeg prior to the 2011-12 season ( the first NHL franchise to relocate since the Hartford Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997 ) . The team was renamed the Jets after Winnipeg 's original WHA/NHL team , which relocated after the 1995-96 season to become the Arizona Coyotes .
The 1999-2000 NHL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Hockey League . With the addition of the expansion Atlanta Thrashers , 28 teams each played 82 games . This was the first season played in which teams were awarded a point for an overtime loss . The New Jersey Devils defeated the defending champion Dallas Stars for their second Stanley Cup championship . During the regular season , no player reached the 100-point plateau , the first time this had happened in a non-lockout season since the 1967-68 season . Also , in the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs , the New Jersey Devils overcame a three games to one deficit against the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Eastern Conference Finals .
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus , Ohio . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The Blue Jackets began play as an expansion team in 2000 . In their initial years , the Blue Jackets struggled , failing to win 30 games in a season until the 2005-06 season . The team qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 2009 , but were swept . Columbus ultimately notched their first playoff game victory in the 2014 playoffs and five years later won their first playoff series in the 2019 playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning , becoming the first team in NHL history to sweep a Presidents ' Trophy winner in the first round . However , they are still the only team in the league which has never appeared in the conference finals . The Blue Jackets ' name and logos are inspired by Ohio 's Civil War history . The Blue Jackets play their home games at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus , which opened in 2000 . They are affiliated with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL .
The 2000-01 NHL season was the 84th regular season of the National Hockey League . With the addition of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild , 30 teams each played 82 games . The Stanley Cup winners were the Colorado Avalanche , who won the best of seven series 4-3 against the New Jersey Devils . The focus of Colorado 's Stanley Cup run was on star defenseman Ray Bourque , who was on a quest to win his first Stanley Cup championship in his illustrious 22-year career .
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul , Minnesota . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The Wild were founded on June 25 , 1997 , but did not start play until the 2000-01 season . The Wild were the first NHL franchise in Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993 . They lost their first game , 3-1 , to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and recorded their first win against the Tampa Bay Lightning five games later . The Wild play at the Xcel Energy Center . In the 2002-03 season , the team made its first Stanley Cup playoffs appearance , making a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals . Since then , the Wild have struggled in the postseason , having only advanced to the second round twice since 2003 .
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The Avalanche are the only team in their division not based in the Central Time Zone ; the team is situated in the Mountain Time Zone . Their home arena is Pepsi Center , which they share with the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association . Their general manager is Joe Sakic . The Avalanche were founded in 1972 as the Quebec Nordiques and were one of the charter franchises of the World Hockey Association . The franchise joined the NHL in 1979 as a result of the NHL-WHA merger . Following the 1994-95 season , they were sold to the COMSAT Entertainment Group and relocated to Denver . In the club 's first season in Denver , the Avalanche won the Pacific Division and went on to sweep the Florida Panthers in the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals , becoming the first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup in the season following a relocation . Among teams in the major North American professional sports leagues , only the National Football League ( NFL ) 's Washington Redskins have also accomplished the feat . This was the first major professional sports championship a Denver-based team brought to the city . In the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals , the Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-3 to win their second and most recent championship .
The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2000-01 season , and the culmination of the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion and Presidents ' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche . It was Colorado 's second appearance in the Finals , and the first since the team won the Cup in 1996 . It was New Jersey 's third appearance in the Finals and second straight appearance after winning the Cup in the previous year . Colorado defeated New Jersey in seven games to win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history . Colorado 's Patrick Roy was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 2001 playoffs . This was the first Stanley Cup Final since 1994 that would be decided in the maximum seven games . This was also the first and , as of 2019 , most recent Finals since 1989 that the number one seeds in each conference met in the Finals .
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark , New Jersey . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The club was founded as the Kansas City Scouts in Kansas City , Missouri , in 1974 . The Scouts moved to Denver , Colorado in 1976 and became the Colorado Rockies . In 1982 , they moved to East Rutherford , New Jersey and took their current name . For their first 25 seasons in New Jersey , the Devils were based at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford and played their home games at Brendan Byrne Arena ( later renamed to Continental Airlines Arena ) . Before the 2007-08 season , the Devils moved to Prudential Center in Newark . The franchise was poor to mediocre in the eight years before moving to New Jersey , a pattern that continued during the first five years in New Jersey as they failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs and never finished higher than fifth in their division . Their fortunes began to turn around following the hiring of president and general manager Lou Lamoriello in 1987 . Under Lamoriello 's stewardship , the Devils made the playoffs all but three times between 1988 and 2012 , including 13 berths in a row from 1997 to 2010 , and finished with a winning record every season from 1992-93 to 2009-10 . They have won the Atlantic Division regular season title nine times , most recently in 2009-10 , before transferring to the newly created Metropolitan Division as part of the NHL 's realignment in 2013 . The Devils have reached the Stanley Cup Finals five times , winning in 1994-95 , 1999-2000 and 2002-03 , and losing in 2000-01 and 2011-12 .
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2002-03 season , and the culmination of the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs . The second-seeded Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils defeated the seventh-seeded Western Conference champion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games and were awarded the Stanley Cup . It was New Jersey 's first appearance since 2001 and third in four years . It was Anaheim 's first-ever appearance . The Devils defeated the Mighty Ducks in seven games to win their third Stanley Cup in less than a decade . The Devils ' win was the last in a series of wins they , along with the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings , established in the era from 1995 to 2003 . The three teams won a combined eight of nine Stanley Cups during that time . The Devils won in 1995 , followed by the Avalanche in 1996 , then the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 . The Dallas Stars win in 1999 would be superseded by the Devils in 2000 , Colorado in 2001 and Detroit in 2002 .
The 2012 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2011-12 season , and the culmination of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs . The Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Kings defeated the Eastern Conference playoff champion New Jersey Devils four games to two , capturing the first Stanley Cup title in the team 's 45-year history , dealing the Devils just their second Stanley Cup Finals defeat in five tries and first since 2001 . Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs . The 2012 Final ended a long Stanley Cup Final appearance drought for the Los Angeles Kings , who had appeared in the Finals only once in franchise history , in 1993 , when the Kings lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games . The New Jersey Devils last appeared in 2003 , when they defeated the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games to win their third Stanley Cup title . It was the first championship series since 2007 whose Stanley Cup-clinching game was played on the winning team 's home ice . The Eastern Conference winner had home ice advantage for the first time since 2006 , since the Devils had a better regular season record than the Kings . The Devils were the lowest-seeded team to have home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals , a record previously held by the Devils when they won the Cup as a fourth seed in 2000 . With the Devils entering the playoffs as the ninth seed of the 16 playoff teams by regular season record ( no division titles ) and the Kings as the 13th , their combined seed of 22 was the second highest of any playoff matchup ( only trailing the 1991 Cup Finals with 23 ) , and it was the first playoff matchup with no team seeded better than 9th . The Kings became the first , as well as the last eighth-seeded team to win the Stanley Cup since the conference-based seedings were introduced in 1994 .