List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
Longest all-time droughts -- Stanley Cup droughts
Table:
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 seasons1

Toronto Maple Leafs
1966–67

51 seasons

St. Louis Blues
never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)
3 : 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70
2018–19
50 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

Chicago Black Hawks2
1960–61
5 : 1961–62, 1964–65, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1991–92
2009–10
47 seasons

Los Angeles Kings
never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)
1 : 1992–93
2011–12
43 seasons

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

43 seasons

Washington Capitals
never (inception of franchise in 1974–75)
1 : 1997–98
2017–18
42 seasons

Detroit Red Wings
1954–55
6 : 1955–56, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1994–95
1996–97
41 seasons

Considering the tabular data plus the supporting text provided.

Answer the following question: What is the nickname of the team that had a 42 season drought ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

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 1940 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs . New York would win the series 4-2 to win their third Stanley Cup . The Rangers would not win another for 54 years .
The 1950 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings . It was the Rangers ' first appearance in the Final since their Stanley Cup victory in 1940 . The Red Wings would win the series 4-3 to mark their franchise 's fourth Cup win , and first since 1943 . This was the last Stanley Cup Final to feature a team that did not host any games and also the last to feature neutral site games , which were held in Toronto on account of scheduling conflicts at Madison Square Garden .
The 1972 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1971-72 season , and the culmination of the 1972 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers . It was the Rangers first appearance in the finals since 1950 . The Bruins were making their first appearance since their victory in the 1970 Finals . It was the second Boston-New York Final series , the other being the 1929 Finals . The Bruins won the best-of-seven series , four games to two . This was only the second Stanley Cup Final contested by New York in which the Rangers hosted all of their home games . The first such Final , held in 1929 , had lasted only two games . All other previous Finals contested by the Rangers had partly or entirely coincided with an annual circus formerly held at Madison Square Garden , compelling the Rangers to play Finals games at neutral sites and/or at the venues of their opponents .
The 1979 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1978-79 season , and the culmination of the 1979 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the New York Rangers and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens , making their fourth straight appearance . It was New York 's first appearance in the Finals since 1972 . The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series , four games to one , to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup championship . This was the last Stanley Cup Final until 2013 where both teams were from the Original Six , and the first of six consecutive Finals involving a team from the New York metropolitan area . The next five Finals would be contested by the Rangers ' crosstown rivals the New York Islanders , who would win the first four of those series to forge a dynasty matching that of the Canadiens . By defeating the Rangers , the Canadiens completed the rare accomplishment of winning four consecutive titles in a North American league competition consisting of at least sixteen teams , a feat that had been achieved only twice before ( both times by the New York Yankees ) and has been achieved only once since ( by the aforementioned Islanders ) .
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 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 St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the six teams from the 1967 NHL expansion and is named after the W. C. Handy song Saint Louis Blues . The Blues play their home games at the 19,150-seat Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis , which has been their arena since moving from St. Louis Arena in 1994 . The Blues qualified for the playoffs in all but nine of their 52 seasons , appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals four times , and won the Stanley Cup in 2019 . Their 42 playoff appearances are the most for any NHL team outside of the Original Six , although the franchise struggled in the postseason throughout much of their history . While they made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of their first three seasons , they were swept each time . With the Blues ' victory in their fourth Stanley Cup Final , 49 years after their last appearance and in their 52nd year of existence , they became the final active team from the 1967 expansion to win their first Stanley Cup . The Blues have a rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks , with both teams having played in the same division since 1970 . The San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League ( AHL ) and the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL are the two minor league affiliates of the Blues .
The 1967-68 NHL season was the 51st season of the National Hockey League . The league expanded to 12 teams , putting the new six in the newly created West Division , while the original six were all placed in the newly created East Division . The regular season schedule was expanded to 74 games per team . The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup against the new St. Louis Blues , in four games .
The 1968 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1967-68 season , and the culmination of the 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues . The Canadiens swept the best-of-seven series in four games . It was the first Stanley Cup Finals after the NHL expansion to twelve teams . Although the series was a sweep , it was a much more intense and close-fought series than anyone had expected , as each of the four games was decided by one goal . The Blues were the only first-year franchise to play for the Stanley Cup in the modern era , until the Vegas Golden Knights participated in the Stanley Cup Finals a half-century later .
The 1969 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1968-69 season , and the culmination of the 1969 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the defending champion Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues , a rematch of the previous year 's finals . As they did in the previous matchup , the Canadiens won the series in four games .
The 1970 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1969-70 season , and the culmination of the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues , who appeared in their third straight finals . The Bruins were making their first appearance in the finals since 1958 . The Bruins won the series , four games to none , their first Stanley Cup victory in 29 years . Bobby Orr scored the Cup-winning goal on Glenn Hall , with an assist from Derek Sanderson , at forty seconds of overtime , and the subsequent image of Orr flying through the air , his arms raised in victory - he had been tripped by Blues ' defenseman Noel Picard immediately after scoring the goal - is one of the most famous and recognized hockey images of all time . With the win , the Bruins became the first American team to win the Stanley Cup since the Chicago Blackhawks in 1961 . The Blues , who had gone to the Finals in their first three years but lost each time in four-game sweeps , did not appear in the Stanley Cup Finals again until 2019 , ending the second longest Finals drought in league history .
The 2019 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2018-19 season and the culmination of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs . The Western Conference champion St. Louis Blues defeated the Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins four games to three to win their first championship , in their 51st season of play ( not including the 2004-05 lockout ) , ending the third longest championship drought in league history . The Bruins had home-ice advantage in this best-of-seven playoff series with the better regular season record . The series began on May 27 and concluded on June 12 . The Blues ' Stanley Cup-winning run of 26 playoff games tied the 2014 Los Angeles Kings for the longest of any Stanley Cup-winning team in history . This was a rematch of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals , which Boston won in four , the fourth consecutive Finals to both involve at least one team vying for its first championship and end with the champion clinching the Cup on the road , and the first time since 2011 where the Finals went the full seven games . Until this year , the Blues were the oldest franchise to have never won a Stanley Cup . That distinction is now shared by the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks , as both teams were founded in 1970 and are without a Stanley Cup to their name . St. Louis also became the last surviving 1967 NHL expansion team to win their first Stanley Cup , joining the Kings , Philadelphia Flyers , Dallas Stars ( originally the Minnesota North Stars ) and Pittsburgh Penguins .
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 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 Chicago Blackhawks ( spelled Black Hawks until 1986 , and known colloquially as the Hawks ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . They have won six Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926 . The Blackhawks are one of the Original Six NHL teams along with the Detroit Red Wings , Montreal Canadiens , Toronto Maple Leafs , Boston Bruins and New York Rangers . Since 1994 , the club 's home rink is the United Center , which they share with the National Basketball Association 's Chicago Bulls . The club had previously played for 65 years at Chicago Stadium . The club 's original owner was Frederic McLaughlin , who owned the club until his death in 1944 . Under McLaughlin , a hands-on owner who fired many coaches during his ownership , the club won two Stanley Cup titles . The club was then owned by the Norris family , who as owners of the Chicago Stadium were the club 's landlord , and owned stakes in several of the NHL teams . At first , the Norris ownership was as part of a syndicate fronted by long-time executive Bill Tobin , and the team languished in favor of the Norris-owned Detroit Red Wings . After the senior James E. Norris died in 1952 , the Norris assets were spread among family members and James D. Norris became owner . Norris Jr. took an active interest in the team and under his ownership , the club won one Stanley Cup title in 1961 .
The 1961 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Black Hawks . Chicago was making its first Finals appearance since 1944 , and Detroit its first appearance since 1956 ; both had lost to the Montreal Canadiens in those previous appearances . The Blackhawks would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win their third Stanley Cup , their first since 1938 . However , this proved to be the last time Chicago won the Cup until 2010 , a 49-year drought . This was the only title not won by the Canadiens , Red Wings or Toronto Maple Leafs during the Original Six era .
The 1962 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs who had last appeared in the Final in 1960 . The Maple Leafs would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win the Stanley Cup , their first since 1951 .
The 1965 Stanley Cup Finals was played between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens . The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series four games to three to win the Stanley Cup .
The 1971 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1970-71 season , and the culmination of the 1971 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens . The Black Hawks made their first appearance in the finals since 1965 , while the Canadiens had last played in and won the finals in 1969 . The Canadiens won the series , four games to three .
The 1973 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1972-73 season , and the culmination of the 1973 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens , a rematch of the 1971 Final . The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series , four games to two .
The 1992 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1991-92 season , and the culmination of the 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Prince of Wales Conference and defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins and the Clarence Campbell Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks . The Blackhawks were appearing in their first Finals since 1973 . After the Blackhawks jumped to an early 4-1 lead in the first game of the series , Mario Lemieux and the Penguins came back to win the game , sweep the series in four games , and win their second consecutive and second overall Stanley Cup . It was the 99th year of the Stanley Cup , and the first to extend into the month of June . It was the last final for Chicago Stadium as it closed in 1994 .
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 Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The team was founded on June 5 , 1967 , after Jack Kent Cooke was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for Los Angeles on February 9 , 1966 , becoming one of the six teams that began play as part of the 1967 NHL expansion . The Kings played their home games at The Forum in Inglewood , California , a suburb of Los Angeles , for thirty-two years , until they moved to the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles at the start of the 1999-2000 season . During the 1970s and early 1980s , the Kings had many years marked by impressive play in the regular season only to be washed out by early playoff exits . Their highlights in those years included the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon , and the Triple Crown Line of Charlie Simmer , Dave Taylor and Hall of Fame player Marcel Dionne , who had a famous upset of the uprising Edmonton Oilers in a 1982 playoff game known as the Miracle on Manchester . In 1988 , the Kings traded with the Oilers to get their captain Wayne Gretzky , leading to a successful phase of the franchise that raised hockey 's popularity in Los Angeles , and helped raise the sport 's profile in the American Sun Belt region . Gretzky , fellow Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille and defenseman Rob Blake led the Kings to the franchise 's sole division title in 1990-91 , and the Kings ' first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1993 . After the 1993 Finals , the Kings entered financial problems , with a bankruptcy in 1995 , which led to the franchise being acquired by Philip Anschutz ( owner of Anschutz Entertainment Group , operators of Staples Center ) and Edward P. Roski . A period of mediocrity ensued , with the Kings only resurging as they broke a six-year playoff drought in the 2009-10 season , with a team that included goaltender Jonathan Quick , defenseman Drew Doughty , and forwards Dustin Brown , Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams . Under coach Darryl Sutter , who was hired early in the 2011-12 season , the Kings won two Stanley Cups in three years : 2012 , over the New Jersey Devils , and 2014 , against the New York Rangers while Quick and Williams respectively won the Conn Smythe Trophy .
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 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 .
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 Washington Capitals ( colloquially known as the Caps ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington , D.C . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The Capitals are owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , headed by Ted Leonsis . From 1974 to 1997 the Capitals played their home games at the Capital Centre , in Landover , Maryland ( a suburb in the Washington metropolitan area ) . In 1997 the team moved to the arena now called Capital One Arena , their present home arena in Washington , D.C . The Capitals were founded in 1974 as an expansion franchise , alongside the Kansas City Scouts . Since purchasing the team in 1999 , Leonsis revitalized the franchise by drafting star players such as Alexander Ovechkin , Nicklas Backstrom , Mike Green and Braden Holtby . The 2009-10 Capitals won the franchise 's first Presidents ' Trophy for being the team with the most points at the end of the regular season . They won it a second time in 2015-16 , and did so for a third time the following season in 2016-17 . In addition to twelve division titles and three Presidents ' Trophies , the Capitals have reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998 and 2018 , winning in the latter . The Capitals have retired the use of four numbers in honor of four players . In addition , the team holds an association with a number of individuals inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame .
The 1974-75 NHL season was the 58th season of the National Hockey League . Two new teams , the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts were added , increasing the number of teams to 18 . To accommodate the new teams , the NHL re-organized its divisional structure and playoff format . The regular season was expanded to 80 games per team ( which would be the case until 1992-93 ) . The Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year .
The 1998 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1997-98 season , and the culmination of the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Western Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals . It was the 105th year of the Stanley Cup being contested . The series was the Capitals ' first appearance in a Stanley Cup Final since the franchise 's inception in 1974 . The Red Wings won the series for the second year in a row , four games to none . It was the Wings ' ninth Stanley Cup , and the most recent time when a Finals concluded with a sweep ( as of 2019 ) . This was also the last time until 2002 that a Stanley Cup Finals ended after an NBA Finals in the same season had concluded . Detroit coach Scotty Bowman won his eighth Stanley Cup in that capacity ( having previously done so with the Montreal Canadiens in 1973 , 1976 , 1977 , 1978 , and 1979 , the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 , and the Wings the previous year ) , tying him with former Canadiens coach Toe Blake for the record of most Cups won by a coach ( which he would break when he helped the Red Wings win the 2002 Cup ) .
The 2018 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 2017-18 season and the culmination of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs . The Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals defeated the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights four games to one to win their first championship , in their 44th season . The Vegas Golden Knights made the Finals in their first season , while this was the second Finals appearance for the Capitals . This was the first Finals series since 2007 where neither team had previously won the Stanley Cup and the third consecutive year in which a Western Conference team made their Finals debut . This was the first Finals since 2014 to require fewer than six games . Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs . The series began on May 28 and ended on June 7 . The Vegas Golden Knights had home ice advantage in the series since the Golden Knights won the Pacific Division with 109 points during the regular season , while the Capitals won the Metropolitan Division with 105 points .
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference , and are one of the Original Six teams of the league . Founded in 1926 , the team was known as the Detroit Cougars until 1930 . For the 1930-31 and 1931-32 seasons the team was called the Detroit Falcons , and in 1932 changed their name to the Red Wings . As of 2020 [ update ] , the Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships of any NHL franchise based in the United States ( 11 ) and are third overall in total Stanley Cup championships , behind the Montreal Canadiens ( 24 ) and Toronto Maple Leafs ( 13 ) . The Wings played their home games at Joe Louis Arena from 1979 until 2017 , after playing for 52 years in Olympia Stadium . They moved into the new Little Caesars Arena beginning with the 2017-18 season . The Red Wings are one of the most popular and successful franchises in the NHL ; fans and sports commentators refer to the Detroit area as Hockeytown , which has been a registered trademark owned by the franchise since 1996 . Between the 1931-32 and 1965-66 seasons , the Red Wings missed the playoffs only four times . Between the 1966-67 and 1982-83 seasons , the Red Wings made the playoffs only two times . However , thereafter , from 1983-84 to 2015-16 , they made the playoffs 30 times in 32 seasons , including 25-straight from 1990-91 to 2015-16 ( not counting the cancelled 2004-05 season ) , in 2006 this became the longest active streak of postseason appearances in all of North American professional sports and finished tied for the third longest streak in NHL history . Since 1983-84 , the Red Wings have tallied six regular season first-place finishes and have won the Stanley Cup four times ( 1997 , 1998 , 2002 , and 2008 ) .
The 1955 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Montreal Canadiens , appearing in their fifth of ten straight Finals and the defending champion Detroit Red Wings , in the third Detroit-Montreal Final series of the 1950s and the second consecutively . The Wings won the series 4-3 to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup , fourth in six seasons , and seventh overall . Detroit , however , would not win the Cup again until 1997 .
The 1956 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Montreal Canadiens and the two-time defending champion Detroit Red Wings in the fourth Detroit-Montreal series in the 1950s , the two teams having met in the previous two years as well as 1952 ; Detroit won all three . The Canadiens were appearing in their sixth consecutive Finals , the Red Wings their third . The Canadiens would win the series 4-1 .
The 1963 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings . The Maple Leafs would win the best-of-seven series four games to one to win the Stanley Cup , their second straight NHL championship .
The 1964 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year . The Maple Leafs would win the best-of-seven series four games to three to win the Stanley Cup , their third-straight championship . As of 2019 , this was the last time the Stanley Cup Finals had ended before the month of May . There would not be another game seven at Maple Leaf Gardens for almost three decades .
The 1966 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1965-66 season , and the culmination of the 1966 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens . The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series , four games to two , to win the Stanley Cup for the seventh time in eleven years .
The 1995 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League 's ( NHL ) 1994-95 season , and the culmination of the 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs . It was contested by the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings . This was the first of nine consecutive finals with American-based franchises exclusively . New Jersey was making the franchise 's first appearance in the Finals , while Detroit returned to the Finals for the first time since 1966 ( and had not won since 1955 ; both of those appearances had been against the Montreal Canadiens ) . The Devils swept the series four games to none to win their first Stanley Cup , becoming the sixth team to earn a championship having joined the league in 1967 or later . Despite the fact that the regular season was cut severely short by the owners ' lockout , both the season and the finals were saved at the eleventh hour-this would be the latest in June that the Stanley Cup was awarded ( matched in 2013 ) . The Devils won their first Stanley Cup , after 21 seasons and two franchise relocations . It was also the first of three for the Devils in less than a decade . The win was made more impressive by the fact that the Devils won it holding the lowest seed ever to win the Stanley Cup with the fifth seed , which remained the record until 2012 , another Final which not only involved the Devils , but also saw the Stanley Cup won by a team that did not have home ice advantage in any of the four rounds of the playoffs , as the Devils lost to the Los Angeles Kings . Their regular-season winning percentage was also the lowest since the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs . They were the underdogs going in , winning their first two games on the road . This series featured the two teams that would go to the finals at least four times since the NHL renamed the conferences before the 1993-94 season .