List of NHL playoff series
Anaheim Ducks
Table:
Opponent

S

Occurrences

GP

Rec

%

Detroit Red Wings

6

1997, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2013

32

2–4

.333

Calgary Flames

3

2006, 2015, 2017

16

3–0

1.000

Dallas Stars

3

2003, 2008, 2014

18

2–1

.667

Nashville Predators

3

2011, 2016, 2017

19

0–3

.000

Minnesota Wild

2

2003, 2007

9

2–0

1.000

Edmonton Oilers

2

2006, 2017

12

1–1

.500

San Jose Sharks

2

2009, 2018

10

1–1

.500

Arizona Coyotes

1

1997

7

1–0

1.000

Colorado Avalanche

1

2006

4

1–0

1.000

Ottawa Senators

1

2007

5

1–0

1.000

Vancouver Canucks

1

2007

5

1–0

1.000

Winnipeg Jets

1

2015

4

1–0

1.000

Chicago Blackhawks

1

2015

7

0–1

.000

Los Angeles Kings

1

2014

7

0–1

.000

New Jersey Devils

1

2003

7

0–1

.000

Totals

29

162

16–13

.552

Drawing on the accompanying table along with the context paragraphs listed at the end.

Answer the following question: What is the number of playoff series played by the opponent that are presently affiliated with the minor league teams Milwaukee Admirals ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

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 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 16 , 1997 , following the completion of the 1996-97 NHL season . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for conference quarter-finals , semi-finals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The Playoffs ended on June 7 , with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in a four-game sweep to win their eighth Stanley Cup championship in their history , and their first in 42 years . Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff 's Most Valuable Player . It was also the first time since 1967 that the Boston Bruins failed to qualify for the playoffs , ending their 29-year consecutive playoffs appearances record .
The 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 21 , 1999 , following the 1998-99 NHL season . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for conference quarter-finals , semi-finals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . As of 2019 , this was the last time all four WHA teams made the playoffs . Despite his team being eliminated before the Stanley Cup Finals , Colorado Avalanche forward Peter Forsberg 's postseason scoring totals , with 24 points in 19 games , were not surpassed for the rest of the 1999 playoffs . This made him the first player to lead all playoff scorers despite not making the finals since the 1986 playoffs where Doug Gilmour and Bernie Federko each tallied 21 points in 19 postseason games for St. Louis who was also eliminated in the conference finals . The playoffs ended on June 19 , 1999 , with the Dallas Stars defeating the Buffalo Sabres to win their first Stanley Cup championship in their history . Brett Hull scored the controversial triple overtime goal in game six for Dallas , while Joe Nieuwendyk was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs .
The 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 9 , 2003 , following the 2002-03 regular season . The playoffs concluded on June 9 , 2003 , with the New Jersey Devils defeating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games . The 16 qualifying teams played best-of-seven series in the conference quarterfinals , semifinals , and finals . Each conference champion proceeded to the Stanley Cup Finals . These playoffs marked the first time the Minnesota Wild qualified , in only their third season in the NHL . The Minnesota Wild , a sixth-seed , made an unlikely advance to the Western Conference Finals as underdogs after being down three games to one in two consecutive rounds . This , along with the Canucks ' comeback against the Blues , made for three 3-1 series comebacks in the playoffs , the second time this had happened in NHL playoff history . Despite losing to the Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals , Mighty Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player during the playoffs , marking only the fifth time that the Trophy had ever been awarded to a player on the losing team .
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11 , 2007 . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The series ended on June 6 with the Anaheim Ducks defeating the Ottawa Senators in five games to win their first ever championship . For the first time in NHL history , neither of the two teams that played in the previous year 's Stanley Cup Finals ( the Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers ) qualified for the playoffs . For the first time since 1994 , all four former WHA teams ; Carolina ( formerly the Hartford Whalers ) , Colorado ( formerly the Quebec Nordiques ) , Edmonton , and Phoenix ( formerly the Winnipeg Jets ) missed the playoffs in the same year , this would not happen again until 2013 . Also for the first time since 1994 , the Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs . This was the only time that the Atlanta Thrashers qualified for the playoffs in their twelve years in Georgia ( they became the new Winnipeg Jets in 2011 ) . Only two Original Six teams made the playoffs this year , the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings ( this included the Montreal Canadiens ' and the Toronto Maple Leafs ' first absence from the tournament together since 1970 ) . This only happened twice before in 2000 and 2001 , and would not happen again until 2018 .
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15 , 2009 , after the 2008-09 regular season . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference ( the winner of each of the three divisions plus the five teams with highest point totals from the teams remaining ) , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals , semifinals , and championships , and then the conference champions will play a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The Columbus Blue Jackets made their first appearance in the playoffs in their nine-year history . Previously they had been the only franchise to have not made the playoffs . Also , home teams set a record by going 13-2 in the openers of all the series combined . There were no playoff games played in the Province of Ontario as this was the first time that the modern Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs both missed the playoffs in the same year . This was the most recent time that the Carolina Hurricanes were in the playoffs until 2019 . The Finals ended on June 12 , 2009 , with the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the Detroit Red Wings four games to three to win the championship . They became just the second team , after the 1971 Montreal Canadiens , to win the championship after losing the first two games of the series on the road .
The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 30 , 2013 , following the conclusion of the 2012-13 NHL regular season . The regular season was shortened to 48 games , and the playoffs pushed to a later date , due to a lockout . The playoffs ended on June 24 , 2013 , with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Boston Bruins in six games to win the Stanley Cup . Patrick Kane won the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoffs MVP , with 19 points ( 9 goals and 10 assists ) . The Toronto Maple Leafs made the playoffs for the first time since 2004 , breaking one of the NHL 's longest playoff droughts . Since the 1967 expansion , only the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils ( 1979-1987 ) , the Florida Panthers ( 2001-2011 ) , and Edmonton Oilers ( 2007-2016 ) have had longer playoff droughts . The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs this year , marking the first time this happened since the Devils ' move to the East Coast in 1982 . The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the first time since 1996 that every Original Six team has advanced to the playoffs in the same year . Also , this year marks the first time since 2004 that two Canadian teams have played each other in the playoffs . In all , four Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs ( Montreal , Ottawa , Toronto , and Vancouver ) , the most since 2006 . For the second time in three years , all three teams from California made the playoffs . For the first time since 2007 , and for only the third time in history , all four former WHA teams ; Carolina ( formerly the Hartford Whalers ) , Colorado ( formerly the Quebec Nordiques ) , Edmonton , and Phoenix ( formerly the Winnipeg Jets ) missed the playoffs in the same year .
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 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League ( NHL ) championship began on April 21 , 2006 , following the 2005-06 regular season . The 16 teams that qualified , seeded one through eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the Conference Quarterfinals . The conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The Finals concluded on June 19 with the Carolina Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup , defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the final series four games to three . Carolina goaltender Cam Ward was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player of the playoffs . The Edmonton Oilers would miss the playoffs each year thereafter until 2017 . This was also the last time that the Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs . While the 2005-06 season introduced a shootout to break ties after five minutes of four-on-four overtime , the Stanley Cup playoffs retained their traditional format of unlimited 20-minute periods of five-on-five sudden-death overtime to break ties . The Western Conference made history in the first round when all four series were won by the lower-seeded teams ( conversely , all four series in the Eastern Conference were won by the higher-seeded teams ) . The eighth- and lowest-seeded Oilers proceeded to win the Western Conference and participate in the Stanley Cup Finals . Four Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs this year , this total was not equaled again until 2013 .
The 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 15 , 2015 , and ended on June 15 , 2015 , with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning four games to two in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals . The New York Rangers made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . They also came back from a 3-1 series deficit for the second consecutive year . The Detroit Red Wings increased their consecutive post-season appearance streak to 24 seasons , the longest current streak at the time and tied for the fourth-longest streak in NHL history . The Winnipeg Jets qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the former Atlanta Thrashers franchise relocated to Winnipeg in 2011 ; the only time that the Thrashers/Jets franchise made the post-season was in 2007 , and the last time that the city of Winnipeg hosted a playoff game was in 1996 , the season before the previous Winnipeg Jets team relocated to Phoenix , Arizona , to become the Coyotes . The Ottawa Senators became the first team in the NHL 's modern era ( since 1943-44 ) to overcome a 14-point deficit in the standings to clinch a playoff spot . Also , the Calgary Flames returned to the playoffs after a six-year absence . In total , five Canadian NHL teams qualified for the post-season , the most since 2004 . The Los Angeles Kings became the first defending Stanley Cup champions since the Carolina Hurricanes in 2007 to fail to make the playoffs . The Boston Bruins failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and became the first reigning Presidents ' Trophy winners to miss the post-season since the Buffalo Sabres in 2008 ( and the third overall ) . In addition , the San Jose Sharks failed to make the post-season for the first time since 2003 , ending the NHL 's second-longest active playoff streak .
The 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 12 , 2017 , after the 2016-17 regular season and concluded on June 11 , 2017 , with the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the Nashville Predators four games to two in the Finals to win the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year . The Washington Capitals made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners for the second consecutive year with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . The Detroit Red Wings failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 1989-90 season , ending the NHL 's longest active playoff streak at 25 consecutive seasons ; the streak was also tied for the third-longest streak in NHL history . The longest active playoff streak moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins with eleven consecutive appearances . The Edmonton Oilers made the playoffs for the first time since 2006 , ending a record-tying playoff drought for a team with ten years missed ( the Florida Panthers also missed the playoffs between 2001 and 2011 inclusively ) . For the first time since 2006 , both Alberta teams , the Oilers and the Calgary Flames , qualified for the postseason in the same year . For the first time since 2013 , and the fourth time since 2002 , all three Eastern Canadian teams ( Montreal Canadiens , Ottawa Senators , and Toronto Maple Leafs ) qualified for the playoffs . In all , five Canadian-based teams made the playoffs , matching 2004 and 2015 , after a season in which none of the seven teams in Canada contended . Five Original Six teams made the playoffs , with only the previously mentioned Red Wings failing to make it . The first round saw eighteen overtime games , eclipsing the previous record of seventeen overtime games in the first round set in 2013 . There were 27 total overtime games in these playoffs , one short of the record set in 1993 .
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 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 9 , 2008 , after the 2007-08 regular season . The 16 teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships , then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The Buffalo Sabres became the second team to miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents ' Trophy in the prior season . This would not happen again until 2015 . The Finals ended on June 4 , 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins four games to two to win their eleventh championship and their fourth in eleven seasons . It was the first championship in the 16-year career of Red Wings winger Dallas Drake , who retired following the season . Red Wings winger Henrik Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs ' Most Valuable Player . Sidney Crosby and Zetterberg led the tournament with 27 points .
The 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 16 , 2014 and ended June 13 , 2014 when the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Rangers four games to one in the Stanley Cup Final . For the first time since 1973 , only one Canadian team qualified for the playoffs : the Montreal Canadiens . This was also the first time since the 1978 Stanley Cup playoffs that no playoff games were played in Western Canada . The Detroit Red Wings increased their consecutive playoff appearance streak to 23 seasons , the longest streak at the time and the fifth longest streak in NHL history . The Dallas Stars ended the league 's third longest active playoff appearance drought , qualifying for the postseason for the first time in six years . For the third time in four years , all three California-based teams again made the playoffs . The Columbus Blue Jackets won their first franchise playoff game on April 19 , 2014 , and their first ever franchise playoff home game at Nationwide Arena on April 23 , 2014 , both against the Pittsburgh Penguins . Three Original Six teams reached the Conference Finals , the first time this has occurred since 1979 . The 2013-14 playoffs opening round featured leads changing hands more so than any other year . After the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Dallas Stars in game six of their opening round series on April 27 , 2014 , an NHL record was broken for most multi-goal comebacks by all teams in the opening round , with ten . In all four rounds combined in the previous year 's playoffs , there were only eight such victories . It also marked just the fourth time in NHL playoff history that a team who led a series 3-0 in a seven-game series failed to advance , when the San Jose Sharks lost to the Los Angeles Kings in game seven of the opening round on April 30 , 2014 .
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 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 13 , 2011 , after the conclusion of the 2010-11 NHL regular season . The first game of the Finals was held on June 1 , while the deciding seventh game was held on June 15 . The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games in the Finals to capture their first Stanley Cup championship since 1972 , their sixth overall Stanley Cup win . Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs . Bruins forward David Krejci led all playoff scorers with 23 points in 25 games .
The 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 13 , 2016 and ended on June 12 , 2016 , with the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the San Jose Sharks four games to two in the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals . For only the second time in league history ( 1970 being the only other time ) , none of the NHL 's Canadian-based teams , seven in total , qualified for the postseason . In addition , for the second season in a row and only the fifth time since joining the league in 1979 , all four former WHA teams ( the Edmonton Oilers , Arizona Coyotes , Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche ) missed the playoffs . The Washington Capitals made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . This was the final season of the Detroit Red Wings ' 25-season playoff appearance streak , the longest streak at the time and tied for third longest in NHL history . The Florida Panthers qualified for the playoffs for only the second time since the 1999-2000 season - both times winning their division - and fifth time in franchise history . For the fourth time in six years , all three California-based teams made the playoffs in the same season . And , for only the second time ever ( 1996 being the only other time ) , both Florida-based teams made the playoffs in the same season . For the first time since 2006 , and only the third time in league history , all Original Six teams who made the playoffs ( three in total ) were eliminated in the first round . The New York Islanders won their first post-season series since the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs , ending the third longest post-season win drought in NHL history . For the seventh consecutive season and eleventh out of thirteen seasons , a team from California was in the Western Conference Final .
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 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 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 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The playoffs began on April 11 , 2018 , after the 2017-18 regular season ended , and concluded on June 7 , 2018 , with the Washington Capitals winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history defeating the Vegas Golden Knights four games to one in the Stanley Cup Finals . The Nashville Predators made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . The Pittsburgh Penguins increased their post-season appearance streak to twelve seasons , the current longest streak . The Vegas Golden Knights became the first team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season in the league since the 1979-80 Hartford Whalers and the Edmonton Oilers . They also became the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season since the 1967 NHL expansion . From there , they eventually became the first team since the 1967-68 St. Louis Blues to win their respective conference , and reach the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season . The only difference is that the 1967-68 season through to the 1969-70 season ensured that an expansion team would be able to reach the Stanley Cup Finals . For the fourth time in league history ( 2000 , 2001 , 2007 ) , only two Original Six teams , the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs , clinched a berth for the playoffs . For the first time since 1966 , no playoff games were played in the state of New York . For the fifth time in eight years , all three California-based teams made the playoffs .
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 .