List of NHL playoff series
Chicago Blackhawks
Table:
Opponent

S

Occurrences

GP

Rec

%

Montreal Canadiens

17

1930, 1931, 1934, 1938, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1953, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1976

81

5–12

.294

Detroit Red Wings

16

1934, 1941, 1944, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2009, 2013

81

9–7

.563

St. Louis Blues

12

1973, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2014, 2016

63

8–4

.667

Toronto Maple Leafs

9

1931, 1932, 1938, 1940, 1962, 1967, 1986, 1994, 1995

38

3–6

.333

Boston Bruins

7

1927, 1942, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1978, 2013

28

2–5

.286

Dallas Stars

6

1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991

33

4–2

.667

New York Rangers

5

1931, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973

24

4–1

.800

Vancouver Canucks

5

1982, 1995, 2009, 2010, 2011

28

3–2

.600

Calgary Flames

4

1981, 1989, 1996, 2009

18

2–2

.500

Edmonton Oilers

4

1983, 1985, 1990, 1992

20

1–3

.250

Minnesota Wild

3

2013, 2014, 2015

15

3–0

1.000

Los Angeles Kings

3

1974, 2013, 2014

17

2–1

.667

Nashville Predators

3

2010, 2015, 2017

16

2–1

.667

Philadelphia Flyers

2

1971, 2010

10

2–0

1.000

Montreal Maroons

2

1934, 1935

4

1–1

.500

New York Americans

2

1936, 1938

5

1–1

.500

Pittsburgh Penguins

2

1972, 1992

8

1–1

.500

Buffalo Sabres

2

1975, 1980

9

0–2

.000

Colorado Avalanche

2

1996, 1997

12

0–2

.000

New York Islanders

2

1977, 1979

6

0–2

.000

Drawing on the tabular data and the background passages listed below.

State the answer to the question: For how many years did the opponent who has the highest number of wins in their win-loss record play their home games in Olympia Stadium ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

The Montreal Canadiens [ note 3 ] ( French : Les Canadiens de Montréal ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The club 's official name is le Club de hockey Canadien . The team is frequently referred to in English and French as the Habs . French nicknames for the team include Les Canadiens ( or Le Canadien ) , Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge , La Sainte-Flanelle , Le Tricolore , Les Glorieux ( or Nos Glorieux ) , Le CH , Le Grand Club and Les Habitants ( from which Habs is derived ) . Founded in 1909 , the Canadiens are the longest continuously operating professional ice hockey team worldwide , and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the NHL . One of the oldest North American professional sports franchises , the Canadiens ' history predates that of every other Canadian franchise outside football as well as every American franchise outside baseball and the National Football League 's Arizona Cardinals . The franchise is one of the Original Six teams , a description used for the teams that made up the NHL from 1942 until the 1967 expansion . The team 's championship season in 1992-93 was the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup . The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other franchise . They have won 24 Stanley Cup championships , 23 of them since the founding of the NHL and 22 of them since 1927 , when NHL teams became the only ones to compete for the Stanley Cup . On a percentage basis , as of 2014 [ needs update ] , the franchise has won 25.3% of all Stanley Cup championships contested after the Challenge Cup era , making it the second most successful professional sports team of the traditional four major sports of Canada and the United States , behind only the Boston Celtics .
The 1929-30 NHL season was the 13th season of the National Hockey League . Ten teams played 44 games each . The Montreal Canadiens upset the heavily favoured Boston Bruins two games to none for the Stanley Cup .
The 1930-31 NHL season was the 14th season of the National Hockey League . Ten teams played 44 games each . The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks three games to two in a best-of-five Stanley Cup final for their second consecutive Cup win .
The 1933-34 NHL season was the 17th season of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Nine teams each played 48 games . The Chicago Black Hawks were the Stanley Cup winners as they beat the Detroit Red Wings three games to one .
The 1937-38 NHL season was the 21st season of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Eight teams each played 48 games . The Chicago Black Hawks were the Stanley Cup winners as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs three games to one in the final series .
The 1940-41 NHL season was the 24th season of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Seven teams each played 48 games . The Boston Bruins were the Stanley Cup winners as they swept the Detroit Red Wings four games to none in the final series .
The 1943-44 NHL season was the 27th season of the National Hockey League . Six teams played 50 games each . The Montreal Canadiens were the top team of the regular season and followed it up with the team 's fifth Stanley Cup championship .
The 1945-46 NHL season was the 29th season of the National Hockey League . The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup , defeating the Boston Bruins for the team 's sixth championship .
The 1952-53 NHL season was the 36th season of the National Hockey League . The Montreal Canadiens were the Stanley Cup winners as they beat the Boston Bruins four games to one in the final series .
The 1958-59 NHL season was the 42nd season of the National Hockey League . Six teams each played 70 games . The Montreal Canadiens were the Stanley Cup champions as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs four games to one in the best-of-seven final series . This marked the fourth consecutive Stanley Cup win for the Canadiens as they became the first team to win four in a row .
The 1960 Stanley Cup playoffs was the tournament to determine the 1960 Stanley Cup professional ice hockey championship of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) The momentum did not stop for the regular-season champion Montreal Canadiens as they played the minimum number of games to win the Stanley Cup . Montreal , in the process , became the last Cup winners in NHL history to go undefeated in the playoffs to date . After winning the Stanley Cup , Maurice Richard retired from the NHL as a champion .
The 1960-61 NHL season was the 44th season of the National Hockey League . The Chicago Black Hawks defeated the Detroit Red Wings in the 1961 Stanley Cup Final four games to two to win the Stanley Cup . It was the first series since 1950 with two American-based teams . It was Chicago 's first Cup win since 1938 ; they would not win another until 2010 . Gordie Howe of the Red Wings became the first player in NHL history to achieve the career mark of 1,000 regular-season points . It would be seven more seasons before the Montreal Canadiens ' Jean Beliveau would match the feat .
The 1961-62 NHL season was the 45th season of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The Toronto Maple Leafs were the Stanley Cup champions as they defeated the Chicago Black Hawks four games to two .
The 1964-65 NHL season was the 48th season of the National Hockey League . Six teams each played 70 games . Jean Beliveau was the winner of the newly introduced Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs . The Montreal Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup since 1960 as they were victorious over the Chicago Black Hawks in a seven-game final series .
The 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs , to decide the 1968 championship of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) was the first after the expansion from six to twelve teams . The playoff system was thus expanded from a four-team to an eight-team tournament , and was designed so that four of the new expansion teams would qualify for the postseason . The defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs did not qualify and a new champion would be crowned . The Montreal Canadiens would defeat the St. Louis Blues in four straight to win 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 1972-73 NHL season was the 56th season of the National Hockey League . Sixteen teams each played 78 games . Two new teams , the New York Islanders and the Atlanta Flames , made their debuts . The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup by beating the Chicago Black Hawks four games to two in the Stanley Cup Final .
The 1975-76 NHL season was the 59th season of the National Hockey League . The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup , defeating the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers in the final . This season also marked the final time that Hockey Night in Canada on CBC in Canada would air both radio and television broadcasts of games , the show would become exclusive to television the next season .
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 1962-63 NHL season was the 46th season of the National Hockey League . Six teams each played 70 games . The Toronto Maple Leafs won their second Stanley Cup in a row as they defeated the Detroit Red Wings four games to one .
The 1963-64 NHL season was the 47th season of the National Hockey League . Six teams each played 70 games . The Toronto Maple Leafs won their third consecutive Stanley Cup by defeating the Detroit Red Wings four games to three in the final series .
The 1965-66 NHL season was the 49th season of the National Hockey League . Six teams each played 70 games . The Montreal Canadiens won their second consecutive Stanley Cup as they defeated the Detroit Red Wings four games to two in the final series .
The 1969-70 NHL season was the 53rd season of the National Hockey League . For the third straight season , the St. Louis Blues reached the Stanley Cup finals , and for the third straight year , the winners of the expansion West Division were swept four games to none . This time , however , it was at the hands of the Boston Bruins , as the defending champions Montreal Canadiens narrowly missed the playoffs , something that did not happen again for the next quarter century . With both the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs missing the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs , it was the first time in league history that neither of the NHL 's two Canadian teams ( at the time ) qualified for the playoffs ( something that has happened only once since , in 2016 , when all of the league 's then seven Canadian teams missed the playoffs ) . It was also the final season that teams wore their colored jerseys at home until the 2003-04 season .
The 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 10 , after the conclusion of the 1984-85 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 30 with the champion Edmonton Oilers defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 8-3 to win the Final series four games to one and win the Stanley Cup .
The 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 8 , after the conclusion of the 1986-87 NHL season . It concluded on May 31 , with the Edmonton Oilers defeating the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Stanley Cup . In an attempt to reduce the number of first round upsets , the NHL expanded the best-of-five series in the first round to a best-of-seven series . The 1987 playoffs marked the second consecutive year that all four former WHA teams made the playoffs in the same year . It would not happen again until 1999 by which time 3 of those teams had moved , the Quebec Nordiques to Denver , the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix , and the Hartford Whalers to Raleigh , North Carolina . For the second time ever and first time since 1978 , all of the Original Six teams made the playoffs in the same season . At the time the Philadelphia Flyers set an NHL playoff record by playing in 26 games during the playoffs . This record has since been equaled by four other teams ( 2004 Calgary Flames , 2014 Los Angeles Kings , 2015 Tampa Bay Lightning and 2019 St. Louis Blues ) .
The 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 5 , after the conclusion of the 1988-89 NHL season . This was the final year that all of the Division Semifinals began with teams playing the first four games in a span of five days . The playoffs concluded on May 25 with the champion Calgary Flames defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 to win the Stanley Cup Final series four games to two . It remains the last time that the Cup Finals was contested between two Canadian hockey teams . Montreal finished the regular season with 115 points , only two behind the league leader Calgary . They had last faced each other in 1986 , with Montreal winning in five games . Calgary was only the second opposing team in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup at the Montreal Forum ( the New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Maroons in 1928 ) and the first and only to do so against the Canadiens . Flames defenceman Al MacInnis won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP , while Lanny McDonald , who ended the regular season with exactly 500 goals , got his name on the Cup in his last ever NHL game . Flames co-owner Sonia Scurfield became the first Canadian woman to have her name inscribed on the Stanley Cup . Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings met the defending champion Oilers in the first round . Gretzky and the Kings defeated the defending Stanley Cup champions after falling behind 3 games to 1 . In the second round the Kings were swept by the eventual champion Calgary Flames in four games .
The 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 18 , after the conclusion of the 1991-92 NHL season . It was the 100th anniversary of the first awarding of the Stanley Cup , and it was won by the Pittsburgh Penguins , defeating the Chicago Blackhawks . The 1992 playoffs saw history being made , as for the first time ever , all four division winners were eliminated in the same round . In the division finals , the Norris Division champion Detroit Red Wings were swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in four straight games , and the Montreal Canadiens , who had won the Adams Division , suffered the same fate at the hands of the Boston Bruins . The Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated the Patrick Division titlists , the New York Rangers , in six games , while the Vancouver Canucks , the Smythe Division toppers , fell to the Edmonton Oilers , also in six games . A record 54 games were played in the first round , with six of the eight series going the full seven games , in addition three series featured teams coming back from 3-1 series deficits , the most in a single playoff year ; this record was equaled in 2003 . The only two series that did n't go seven games were the Oilers ' six-game win over the Kings , and the Blackhawks ' six-game win over the Blues . This was the last year the Hartford Whalers and Minnesota North Stars qualified for the playoffs . The franchises would not reach the post-season again until 1999 and 1994 respectively . By the time each franchise reached the playoffs again , they were known as the Carolina Hurricanes and the Dallas Stars , respectively . Video replay was used to decide a playoff game for the first time in game six of the Detroit-Minnesota division semifinal . Sergei Fedorov of the Red Wings appeared to hit the crossbar behind Minnesota goalie Jon Casey during the first overtime , but after the North Stars iced the puck immediately afterward , referee Rob Shick called for a video review , which determined that the puck had entered the goal just below the crossbar and caromed off the frame at the back of the net .
The 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24 , 1995 . The 1994-95 NHL regular season was shortened to 48 games , and the playoffs pushed to a later date , due to a lockout . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . In the Final , the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship . This was the only time Patrick Roy missed the playoffs in his career . His team , the Montreal Canadiens , missed the playoffs for the first time since 1970 . The Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators missed the playoffs this year . Montreal and Ottawa would not miss the playoffs in the same year again until 2016 , when all Canadian teams missed the playoffs . The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series during this time . They would move to Denver , Colorado during the summer . For the first time since 1980 , no league semifinal/conference final games were played in Canada .
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 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 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 8 , after the conclusion of the 1979-80 NHL season . This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association ( WHA ) as expansion franchises , and thus the playoffs were also expanded from 12 to 16 teams . Two for those former WHA clubs , the Edmonton Oilers and the Hartford Whalers , made the playoffs in their first season in the NHL . The playoffs concluded on May 24 when the New York Islanders defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 to win the Final series four games to two and win the Stanley Cup . It was the Islanders ' first Stanley Cup win and was the first of four consecutive Stanley Cup wins .
The 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 7 , after the conclusion of the 1981-82 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 16 with the champion New York Islanders defeating the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 to win the Final series four games to none and win the Stanley Cup .
The 1983 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 5 , after the conclusion of the 1982-83 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 17 with the champion New York Islanders defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 to win the Final series four games to none and win the Stanley Cup for the fourth consecutive season .
The 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 6 , after the conclusion of the 1987-88 NHL season . It concluded on May 26 , with the defending champion Edmonton Oilers defeating the Boston Bruins to win their second straight Stanley Cup and fourth in five years .
The 1990 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League ( NHL ) championship began on April 5 , 1990 , following the 1989-90 regular season . The sixteen teams that qualified , from the top four teams of the four divisions , played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the division finals . The Conference Champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . This was the last time that the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs until 2017 . They would make the playoffs for 25 consecutive seasons from 1991 to 2016 , excluding 2005 , when the season was cancelled . Since entering the NHL as expansion teams in the 1967-68 NHL season this was the first and only time to date that both the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs in the same season . The playoffs concluded on May 24 with the Edmonton Oilers winning the Stanley Cup , defeating the Boston Bruins in the final series four games to one . Edmonton goaltender Bill Ranford was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player of the playoffs .
The 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began after the conclusion of the 1992-93 NHL season on April 18 and ended with the Montreal Canadiens defeating the Los Angeles Kings four games to one to win the Stanley Cup on June 9 . These playoffs featured an NHL record 28 overtime games , of which the Canadiens set a playoff record for most overtime games won in one year with ten . The Canadiens also won 11 consecutive games during the playoffs , tying an NHL record . The Presidents ' Trophy-winning Pittsburgh Penguins , who had won the Stanley Cup the previous two years , were the favourite to repeat . However , both conferences saw numerous upsets as the third place team in every division reached their respective conference finals . This was the first time since the 1979 NHL-WHA merger that the Edmonton Oilers had missed the playoffs . It was also the first time that longtime Oilers and then-New York Rangers captain Mark Messier had missed the playoffs in his career . This was the only year between 1984 and 1994 that the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens did not face each other in the playoffs . This was the last time that the New York Islanders won a playoff round before 2016 . Montreal 's Cup championship remains the last time that a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup .
The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League began on April 17 , 2002 . The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on June 13 , 2002 , four games to one , to win their tenth championship in their history . The Hurricanes were in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their 23-year history , which includes their tenure as the Hartford Whalers . Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs . It was the ninth championship for Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman , who announced his retirement after the deciding game of the series . The Phoenix Coyotes would play their last playoff games at America West Arena and would miss the playoffs until 2010 , when they played in Glendale .
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 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 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 1931-32 NHL season was the 15th season of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Quakers suspended operations , leaving eight teams to play 48 games each . In the Stanley Cup Finals , the Toronto Maple Leafs swept the New York Rangers in three games to win the franchise 's third Stanley Cup championship .
The 1939-40 NHL season was the 23rd season for the National Hockey League . Of the league 's seven teams , the Boston Bruins were the best in the 48-game regular season , but the Stanley Cup winners were the New York Rangers , who defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the best-of-seven final series 4-2 for their third Stanley Cup in 14 seasons of existence . It would be another 54 years before their fourth .
The 1967 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) was the final playoffs before the expansion from six to twelve teams . The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the defending champion Montreal Canadiens in six games to win the Stanley Cup . The Leafs squad was the oldest ever to win a Cup final ; the average age of the team was well more than 30 , and four players were more than 40 . Toronto has not won the Cup or been to the Finals since .
The 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 9 , after the conclusion of the 1985-86 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 24 with the champion Montreal Canadiens defeating the Calgary Flames 4-1 to win the series four games to one and win the Stanley Cup . This was the last time to date that all active Canadian teams have qualified in the same season . It is also the second time that all seven active teams at the time qualified , the first occurring three years earlier . The playoffs of 1986 saw three first place teams eliminated in the opening round and the fourth , Edmonton , bowed out in the second . This would be the last time that all six Sutter brothers would participate in the playoffs in the same year . The Montreal Canadiens decided to go with a rookie goaltender by the name of Patrick Roy . This decision proved to be a good one just like when the Canadiens rode rookie goalie Ken Dryden to a Stanley Cup championship in 1971 . In the Final , the Canadiens beat the Calgary Flames , who were also riding a rookie netminder , Mike Vernon . Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP and had a sparkling 1.92 goals against average along with 15 wins . St. Louis forwards Doug Gilmour and Bernie Federko led the playoffs in scoring with 21 points despite missing the finals ; this feat was not repeated until 1999 . The 1986 playoffs marked the first time that all four former WHA teams made the playoffs in the same year .
The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began after the conclusion of the 1993-94 NHL season . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven game series for conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships ; and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The playoffs ended when the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh game of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals . For the first time since joining the NHL , all four former WHA teams ( Edmonton , Hartford , Quebec , and Winnipeg ) failed to make the playoffs . Wayne Gretzky also missed the playoffs for the first time in his career . Conversely , the San Jose Sharks became the first post-1990 expansion team to make the playoffs . All series played between Central and Pacific Division teams had a 2-3-2 format to reduce travel . This remains the last time that two Canadian teams made it to the conference finals in the same year , let alone faced each other in that particular round .
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The team has been in existence since 1924 , and is the league 's third-oldest team overall and the oldest in the United States . It is also an Original Six franchise , along with the Chicago Blackhawks , Detroit Red Wings , Montreal Canadiens , New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs . The Bruins have won six Stanley Cup championships , tied for fourth most of all-time with the Blackhawks and tied second-most of any American NHL team also with the Blackhawks ( behind the Red Wings , who have 11 ) . The first facility to host the Bruins was the Boston Arena ( today 's Matthews Arena ) - the world 's oldest ( built 1909-10 ) indoor ice hockey facility still in use for the sport at any level of competition - and following the Bruins ' departure from the Boston Arena , the team played its home games at the Boston Garden for 67 seasons , beginning in 1928 and concluding in 1995 , when they moved to the TD Garden .
The 1927 Stanley Cup playoffs were held from March 29 to April 13 , 1927 , to determine the championship of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and the Stanley Cup . In the first Stanley Cup Final with two NHL teams , the Ottawa Senators defeated the Boston Bruins 2-0-2 in a best-of-five series .
The 1941-42 NHL season was the 25th season of the National Hockey League . Seven teams played 48 games each . The Toronto Maple Leafs would win the Stanley Cup defeating the Detroit Red Wings winning four straight after losing the first three in a best-of-seven series , a feat only repeated three times in NHL history ( 1975 , 2010 , 2014 ) and once in Major League Baseball ( 2004 ) as of 2017 .
The 1973-74 NHL season was the 57th season of the National Hockey League . The Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup championship , the team 's first . The team was the first of the post-1967 teams to win the Cup .
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 1977-78 NHL season was the 61st season of the National Hockey League . The Montreal Canadiens won their third Stanley Cup in a row , defeating the Boston Bruins four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals .
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars , based in Bloomington , Minnesota . Before the beginning of the 1978-79 NHL season , the team merged with the Cleveland Barons after the league granted them permission due to each team 's respective financial struggles . Ultimately , the franchise relocated to Dallas for the 1993-94 NHL season . The Stars played out of Reunion Arena from their relocation until 2001 , when the team moved less than 1.5 miles into the American Airlines Center . The Stars have won eight division titles in Dallas , two Presidents ' Trophies as the top regular season team in the league , the Western Conference championship twice , and in 1998-99 , the Stanley Cup . Joe Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs that year . In 2000 , Neal Broten was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame . In 2009 , Brett Hull became the first Dallas Stars player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame , followed by Ed Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyk in 2011 and Mike Modano in 2014 . In 2010 , brothers Derian and Kevin Hatcher were inducted to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame .
The 1984 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 4 , after the conclusion of the 1983-84 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 19 with the Edmonton Oilers defeating the four time defending champion New York Islanders 5-2 to win the Stanley Cup Finals four games to one , the franchise 's first Stanley Cup .
The 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the National Hockey League ( NHL ) championship began on April 3 , 1991 , following the 1990-91 regular season . The 16 teams that qualified , from the top four teams of the four divisions , played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the division finals . The Conference Champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . This was the first of the 25 consecutive years in which the Detroit Red Wings qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs until their streak finally ended in 2017 . Their streak is tied for the third longest in NHL history , and was the longest active playoff appearance streak in the four major American professional sports . The finals concluded on May 25 with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the Stanley Cup , defeating the Minnesota North Stars in the final series four games to two . Pittsburgh forward Mario Lemieux was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player of the playoffs . This was the first NHL playoffs without any series sweeps since the 1972-73 season . In addition , this season set the record for most playoff games played with 92 , which stood until 2014 .
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 1971-72 NHL season was the 55th season of the National Hockey League . Fourteen teams each played 78 games . The Boston Bruins beat the New York Rangers four games to two for their second Stanley Cup in three seasons in the finals .
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 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 14 , 2010 , after the 2009-10 NHL regular season . The Finals ended on June 9 , 2010 , with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961 . Blackhawks center and team captain Jonathan Toews was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs ' most valuable player . This NHL post-season was noted for the unexpected playoff successes of two teams : the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens , who were the seventh and eighth seeds in their conference and were tied for points . The Flyers became the third NHL team to win a seven-game series after being down 3-0 ( the others being the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders ) . The Flyers went on to play in the Stanley Cup Final , losing to Chicago . Meanwhile , the Canadiens became the first eighth-seeded team in NHL history to win a series against the first-seeded team after being down 3-1 in a series , when they beat the Washington Capitals in the first round . After upsetting the defending Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round , the Canadiens became the first eighth-seeded team to compete in the Eastern Conference Finals since the current playoff format was implemented in 1994 . Previously , only the eighth-seeded 2006 Edmonton Oilers had accomplished a similar feat , winning the 2006 Western Conference Finals . As a result of the Canadiens having the eighth seed , the Flyers became the first seventh-seed to have home-ice advantage in the conference finals since the current playoff format was instituted . During the 2010 playoffs , 18 games went to overtime .
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 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 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 8 , after the conclusion of the 1980-81 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 21 with the champion New York Islanders defeating the Minnesota North Stars 5-1 to win the Final series four games to one and win the Stanley Cup .
The 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 16 , 1996 . The 16 teams that qualified ( 8 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 . These playoffs are noted as being the first playoffs in which all Canadian teams were eliminated during the first round . The New Jersey Devils , who had won the Stanley Cup the year before , failed to qualify for these playoffs . This was the first time that both Florida teams - the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning - made it to the playoffs . The playoffs ended on June 10 with the Colorado Avalanche sweeping the Florida Panthers in both teams ' first-ever Finals appearance . It was Colorado 's first-ever Stanley Cup championship in their inaugural season after relocating from Quebec City prior to the start of the regular season ; in the previous years , they were known as the Quebec Nordiques . Joe Sakic was named playoff MVP and awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy . For the second time in three years and the last time until 2013 , all of the Original Six teams reached the playoffs . This is also the last time all three California-based teams missed the playoffs .
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Montreal Maroons ( officially the Montreal Professional Hockey Club ) were a professional men 's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938 , winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935 . They were the last non-Original Six team to win the Stanley Cup until the expansion Philadelphia Flyers won in 1974 . Founded as a team for the English community in Montreal , they shared their home city with the Canadiens , who eventually came under the same ownership as the Maroons but were intended to appeal to the French Canadian population . This was the first time since 1918 , when the Montreal Wanderers folded , that Montreal would have a second hockey team . In order to accommodate the Maroons , a new arena was built for them in 1924 , the Montreal Forum . The Maroons were a highly competitive team , winning the Stanley Cup twice and finishing first in their division twice more . Some of the best players of the era played for the Maroons ; eleven players would be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame , while five of the six head coaches of the Maroons were also honoured . Financial difficulties resulting from the Great Depression led to the Maroons suspending play after 1938 . Despite efforts to revive the team , the franchise was cancelled in 1947 , leaving the Canadiens as the sole team in Montreal . Since the Maroons ' demise , no NHL team that has won a Stanley Cup at any point in its history has subsequently folded or relocated .
The 1934-35 NHL season was the 18th season of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Nine teams each played 48 games . The Montreal Maroons were the Stanley Cup winners as they swept the Toronto Maple Leafs in three games in the final series .
The New York Americans , colloquially known as the Amerks , were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City , New York from 1925 to 1942 . They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and the second to play in the United States . The team never won the Stanley Cup , but reached the semifinals twice . While it was the first team in New York City , it was eclipsed by the second , the New York Rangers , which arrived in 1926 under the ownership of the Amerks ' landlord , Madison Square Garden . The team operated as the Brooklyn Americans during the 1941-42 season before suspending operations in 1942 due to World War II and long-standing financial difficulties . The demise of the club marked the beginning of the NHL 's Original Six era from 1942 to 1967 , though the Amerks ' franchise was not formally canceled until 1946 . The team 's overall regular season record was 255-402-127 .
The 1935-36 NHL season was the 19th season of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The St. Louis Eagles dropped out of the league , leaving eight teams . The Detroit Red Wings were the Stanley Cup winners as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs three games to one in the final series .
The Pittsburgh Penguins ( colloquially known as the Pens ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The Penguins are one of two NHL franchises in Pennsylvania , the other being the Philadelphia Flyers . The cities ' proximity has led to a rivalry known as the Battle of Pennsylvania . The club is owned by Mario Lemieux and Ronald Burkle , who purchased the Penguins in 1999 and brought the club out of bankruptcy . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league 's expansion from six to twelve teams . The Penguins played in the Civic Arena , also known as The Igloo , from the time of their inception through the end of the 2009-10 season , when they moved to the Consol Energy Center , which was later renamed PPG Paints Arena . The 1992-93 Penguins won the franchise 's first-ever Presidents ' Trophy for being the team with the most points at the end of the regular season . In addition to their eight division titles , they have qualified for six Stanley Cup Finals , winning the Stanley Cup five times - in 1991 , 1992 , 2009 , 2016 , and 2017 . Along with the Edmonton Oilers , the Penguins are tied for the most Stanley Cup championships among non-Original Six teams and sixth overall . With their Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017 , the Penguins became the first back-to-back champions in 19 years ( since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings ) and the first team to do so since the introduction of the NHL salary cap . They also became the fifth team to accomplish this feat multiple times .
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 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 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 New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York metropolitan area . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The team splits its home games between Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale , New York , and Barclays Center in the borough of Brooklyn . The Islanders are one of three NHL franchises in the New York metropolitan area , along with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers , and their fan base resides primarily on Long Island . The team was founded in 1972 as part of the NHL 's maneuvers to keep a team from rival league World Hockey Association ( WHA ) out of the newly built Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in suburban Uniondale , New York . After two years of building up the team 's roster , they found almost instant success by securing fourteen straight playoff berths starting with their third season . The Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cup championships between 1980 and 1983 , the seventh of eight dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history . Their 19 consecutive playoff series wins between 1980 and 1984 is a feat that remains unparalleled in the history of professional sports . They are the last team in any major professional North American sport to win four consecutive championships . Following the team 's dynasty era , the franchise ran into problems with money , ownership and management , an aging arena , and low attendance . Their woes were reflected on the ice , as the team has not won a division title since 1987-88 , and went 22 seasons without winning a playoff series prior to the 2016 playoffs . After years of failed attempts to rebuild or replace Nassau Coliseum in suburban Long Island , the Islanders relocated to Barclays Center following the 2014-15 season .
The 1976-77 NHL season was the 60th season of the National Hockey League . The Kansas City Scouts moved to Denver , Colorado , and became the Colorado Rockies and the California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland , Ohio , and became the Cleveland Barons . The Montreal Canadiens once again dominated the playoffs as , for the second straight year , they swept their opponent four games to none in the final series for the Stanley Cup .
The 1979 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League , ( NHL ) began on April 10 , after the conclusion of the 1978-79 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 21 , with the three-time defending champion Montreal Canadiens defeating the New York Rangers 4-1 to win the Final series four games to one for the Stanley Cup . Three Original Six teams made the semifinals , which would not happen again until the 2014 Conference Finals .