List of NHL franchise post-season droughts facts for kids
In the exciting world of National Hockey League (NHL) hockey, a "drought" means a long time a team goes without achieving something important. This article looks at how long NHL teams have gone without making the playoffs, winning a playoff series, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, or winning the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup. We'll cover droughts up to the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Some teams have never achieved these milestones. For them, their "drought" started the season they joined the league. The 2004–05 NHL season was cancelled, so it's not counted when we figure out how many seasons a drought has lasted.
Out of the 32 teams in the NHL today, 11 have never won the Stanley Cup. The Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres have been waiting the longest, for 52 seasons! The Toronto Maple Leafs hold the record for the longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history, at 55 seasons. They haven't been to the Finals since they last won the Cup. Five teams have never even reached the Stanley Cup Finals. The Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes franchise has waited 42 seasons for a Finals appearance.
The Buffalo Sabres currently have the longest active drought for winning a playoff series (17 seasons) and also for just making it to the playoffs (13 seasons). The Florida Panthers had the longest playoff series win drought ever, lasting 24 seasons, but they ended it recently!
Contents
Longest Active Droughts
This section highlights the teams that are currently experiencing the longest waits for certain achievements in the NHL.
No Playoff Appearances
A "post-season appearance drought" means a team hasn't made it to the NHL playoffs after the regular season. In the 2023–24 season, 16 teams didn't make the playoffs.
| Team | Last time in playoffs | Playoff drought |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 2010–11 | 13 seasons |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2015–16 | 8 seasons |
| Ottawa Senators | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Anaheim Ducks | 2017–18 | 6 seasons |
| San Jose Sharks | 2018–19 | 5 seasons |
| Arizona Coyotes | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Montreal Canadiens | 2020–21 | 3 seasons |
| Calgary Flames | 2021–22 | 2 seasons |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2021–22 | 2 seasons |
| St. Louis Blues | 2021–22 | 2 seasons |
| Minnesota Wild | 2022–23 | 1 season |
| New Jersey Devils | 2022–23 | 1 season |
| Seattle Kraken | 2022–23 | 1 season |
No Division Championships
This list shows how many seasons it's been since teams won their division. The Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks won their divisions in the 2023–24 NHL season, so they are not on this list.
| Team | Last Division championship win |
Division championship drought |
|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | 1986–87 | 36 seasons |
| New York Islanders | 1987–88 | 35 seasons |
| Los Angeles Kings | 1990–91 | 32 seasons |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | never (started in 2000–01) | 23 seasons |
| Ottawa Senators | 2005–06 | 18 seasons |
| Winnipeg Jets | 2006–07 | 17 seasons1 |
| Minnesota Wild | 2007–08 | 16 seasons |
| Buffalo Sabres | 2009–10 | 14 seasons |
| New Jersey Devils | 2009–10 | 14 seasons |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2010–11 | 13 seasons |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2010–11 | 13 seasons |
| San Jose Sharks | 2010–11 | 13 seasons |
| Arizona Coyotes | 2011–12 | 12 seasons2 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Montreal Canadiens | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Nashville Predators | 2018–19 | 5 seasons |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2018–19 | 5 seasons |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| St. Louis Blues | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Washington Capitals | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 2020–21 | 3 seasons |
| Seattle Kraken | never (started in 2021–22) | 3 seasons |
| Calgary Flames | 2021–22 | 2 seasons |
| Boston Bruins | 2022–23 | 1 season |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2022–23 | 1 season |
| Colorado Avalanche | 2022–23 | 1 season |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 2022–23 | 1 season |
- 1 This includes 4 seasons for the Atlanta Thrashers (from 2007–08 to 2010–11) and 13 seasons for the Winnipeg Jets (from 2011–12 to 2023–24).
- 2 The team changed its name from Phoenix to Arizona Coyotes in 2014.
No Presidents' Trophy Wins
The Presidents' Trophy is given to the team with the best record in the regular season. This list shows how long it's been since teams won it. The New York Rangers won it most recently in 2023–24, so they are not listed here.
| Team | Last Presidents' Trophy1 | Presidents' Trophy drought |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1962–63 | 60 seasons1 |
| Los Angeles Kings | never (started in 1967–68) | 56 seasons1 |
| New Jersey Devils | never (started in 1974–75) | 49 seasons1,2 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 1977–78 | 45 seasons1 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | never (started in 1979–80) | 44 seasons1,3 |
| Arizona Coyotes | never (started in 1979–80) | 44 seasons1,4 |
| New York Islanders | 1981–82 | 41 seasons1 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 1984–85 | 38 seasons1 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 1986–87 | 36 seasons |
| Calgary Flames | 1988–89 | 34 seasons |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1992–93 | 30 seasons |
| Anaheim Ducks | never (started in 1993–94) | 30 seasons |
| Dallas Stars | 1998–99 | 24 seasons |
| Winnipeg Jets | never (started in 1999–2000) | 24 seasons5 |
| St. Louis Blues | 1999–2000 | 23 seasons |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | never (started in 2000–01) | 23 seasons |
| Minnesota Wild | never (started in 2000–01) | 23 seasons |
| Ottawa Senators | 2002–03 | 20 seasons |
| Buffalo Sabres | 2006–07 | 17 seasons |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2007–08 | 16 seasons |
| San Jose Sharks | 2008–09 | 15 seasons |
| Vancouver Canucks | 2011–12 | 12 seasons |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2012–13 | 11 seasons |
| Washington Capitals | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Vegas Golden Knights | never (started in 2017–18) | 7 seasons |
| Nashville Predators | 2017–18 | 6 seasons |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2018–19 | 5 seasons |
| Colorado Avalanche | 2020–21 | 3 seasons |
| Seattle Kraken | never (started in 2021–22) | 3 seasons |
| Florida Panthers | 2021–22 | 2 seasons |
| Boston Bruins | 2022–23 | 1 season |
- 1 The Presidents' Trophy was first given out in the 1985–86 NHL season.
- 2 This includes 2 seasons for the Kansas City Scouts, 6 seasons for the Colorado Rockies, and 41 seasons for the New Jersey Devils.
- 3 This includes 18 seasons for the Hartford Whalers and 26 seasons for the Carolina Hurricanes.
- 4 This includes 17 seasons for the original Winnipeg Jets and 27 seasons for the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes.
- 5 This includes 11 seasons for the Atlanta Thrashers and 13 seasons for the current Winnipeg Jets.
No Playoff Series Wins
A "post-season series win drought" means a team either didn't make the playoffs or lost in the first round. In the NHL playoffs, 16 teams don't qualify, and 8 teams lose in the first round. So, 24 teams are on this list.
The Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vegas Golden Knights all won a playoff series in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Teams competing for the 2024 Stanley Cup are highlighted
| Team | Last playoff series win | Playoff series win drought |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 2006–07 | 17 seasons |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2012–13 | 11 seasons |
| Los Angeles Kings | 2013–14 | 9 seasons |
| Minnesota Wild | 2014–15 | 9 seasons |
| Anaheim Ducks | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Ottawa Senators | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2017–18 | 6 seasons |
| Nashville Predators | 2017–18 | 5 seasons |
| Washington Capitals | 2017–18 | 5 seasons |
| San Jose Sharks | 2018–19 | 5 seasons |
| Arizona Coyotes | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2019–20 | 4 seasons |
| Vancouver Canucks | 2019–20 | 3 seasons |
| Montreal Canadiens | 2020–21 | 3 seasons |
| Boston Bruins | 2020–21 | 2 seasons |
| New York Islanders | 2020–21 | 2 seasons |
| Winnipeg Jets | 2020–21 | 2 seasons |
| Calgary Flames | 2021–22 | 2 seasons |
| St. Louis Blues | 2021–22 | 2 seasons |
| Colorado Avalanche | 2021–22 | 1 season |
| New York Rangers | 2021–22 | 1 season |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2021–22 | 1 season |
| New Jersey Devils | 2022–23 | 1 season |
| Seattle Kraken | 2022–23 | 1 season |
No Stanley Cup Finals Appearances
This list shows how many seasons it's been since teams reached the Stanley Cup Finals. The Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights made it to the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals, so they are not on this list.
Teams competing for the 2024 Stanley Cup are highlighted
| Team | Last Stanley Cup Finals appearance | Stanley Cup Finals drought |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1966–67 | 55 seasons |
| Arizona Coyotes | never (started in 1979–80) | 44 seasons1 |
| New York Islanders | 1983–84 | 38 seasons |
| Buffalo Sabres | 1998–99 | 24 seasons |
| Winnipeg Jets | never (started in 1999–2000) | 23 seasons2 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | never (started in 2000–01) | 23 seasons |
| Minnesota Wild | never (started in 2000–01) | 23 seasons |
| Calgary Flames | 2003–04 | 19 seasons |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2005–06 | 17 seasons |
| Edmonton Oilers | 2005–06 | 17 seasons |
| Anaheim Ducks | 2006–07 | 17 seasons |
| Ottawa Senators | 2006–07 | 17 seasons |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2008–09 | 15 seasons |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2009–10 | 14 seasons |
| Vancouver Canucks | 2010–11 | 12 seasons |
| New Jersey Devils | 2011–12 | 12 seasons |
| Los Angeles Kings | 2013–14 | 9 seasons |
| New York Rangers | 2013–14 | 9 seasons |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2014–15 | 9 seasons |
| San Jose Sharks | 2015–16 | 8 seasons |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Nashville Predators | 2016–17 | 6 seasons |
| Washington Capitals | 2017–18 | 5 seasons |
| St. Louis Blues | 2018–19 | 5 seasons |
| Boston Bruins | 2018–19 | 4 seasons |
| Dallas Stars | 2019–20 | 3 seasons |
| Montreal Canadiens | 2020–21 | 3 seasons |
| Seattle Kraken | never (started in 2021–22) | 3 seasons |
| Colorado Avalanche | 2021–22 | 1 season |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2021–22 | 1 season |
- 1 This includes 17 seasons for the original Winnipeg Jets and 27 seasons for the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes.
- 2 This includes 11 seasons for the Atlanta Thrashers and 12 seasons for the current Winnipeg Jets.
No Stanley Cup Wins
This is the big one! This list shows how many seasons it's been since teams won the Stanley Cup. The Vegas Golden Knights won the Cup most recently in 2023, so they are not on this list.
Teams competing for the 2024 Stanley Cup are highlighted
| Team | Last Stanley Cup | Stanley Cup drought |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1966–67 | 55 seasons |
| Buffalo Sabres | never (started in 1970–71) | 53 seasons |
| Vancouver Canucks | never (started in 1970–71) | 52 seasons |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 1974–75 | 48 seasons |
| Arizona Coyotes | never (started in 1979–80) | 44 seasons1 |
| New York Islanders | 1982–83 | 39 seasons |
| Calgary Flames | 1988–89 | 34 seasons |
| Edmonton Oilers | 1989–90 | 32 seasons |
| San Jose Sharks | never (started in 1991–92) | 32 seasons |
| Ottawa Senators | never (started in 1992–93) | 31 seasons |
| Montreal Canadiens | 1992–93 | 30 seasons |
| Florida Panthers | never (started in 1993–94) | 29 seasons |
| New York Rangers | 1993–94 | 28 seasons |
| Nashville Predators | never (started in 1998–99) | 24 seasons |
| Dallas Stars | 1998–99 | 23 seasons |
| Winnipeg Jets | never (started in 1999–2000) | 23 seasons2 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | never (started in 2000–01) | 23 seasons |
| Minnesota Wild | never (started in 2000–01) | 23 seasons |
| New Jersey Devils | 2002–03 | 20 seasons |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2005–06 | 17 seasons |
| Anaheim Ducks | 2006–07 | 17 seasons |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2007–08 | 16 seasons |
| Boston Bruins | 2010–11 | 12 seasons |
| Los Angeles Kings | 2013–14 | 9 seasons |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2014–15 | 9 seasons |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2016–17 | 7 seasons |
| Washington Capitals | 2017–18 | 5 seasons |
| St. Louis Blues | 2018–19 | 5 seasons |
| Seattle Kraken | never (started in 2021–22) | 3 seasons |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2020–21 | 2 seasons |
| Colorado Avalanche | 2021–22 | 1 season |
- 1 This includes 17 seasons for the original Winnipeg Jets and 27 seasons for the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes.
- 2 This includes 11 seasons for the Atlanta Thrashers and 12 seasons for the current Winnipeg Jets.
Closest Calls Without Winning the Stanley Cup
This table shows how close teams that have never won the Stanley Cup have come to winning it. It lists their best playoff runs.
Teams competing for the 2024 Stanley Cup are highlighted
| Team | First NHL season | Stanley Cup Finals Appearances |
Fewest wins short of Stanley Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Canucks | 1970–71 | 3 | 1 win short : 1993–94, 2010–11 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 1970–71 | 2 | 2 wins short : 1974–75, 1998–99 |
| San Jose Sharks | 1991–92 | 1 | 2 wins short : 2015–16 |
| Nashville Predators | 1998–99 | 1 | 2 wins short : 2016–17 |
| Florida Panthers | 1993–94 | 2 | 3 wins short : 2022–23 |
| Ottawa Senators | 1992–93 | 1 | 3 wins short : 2006–07 |
| Arizona Coyotes1 | 1979–80 | 7 wins short : 2011–12 (reached Conference Finals) | |
| Winnipeg Jets2 | 1999–2000 | 7 wins short : 2017–18 (reached Conference Finals) | |
| Minnesota Wild | 2000–01 | 8 wins short : 2002–03 (reached Conference Finals) | |
| Seattle Kraken | 2021–22 | 9 wins short : 2022–23 (reached Second Round) | |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2000–01 | 10 wins short : 2018–19 (reached Second Round) |
- 1 This includes 17 seasons for the original Winnipeg Jets and 27 seasons for the Arizona Coyotes/Phoenix Coyotes.
- 2 This includes 11 seasons for the Atlanta Thrashers and 12 seasons for the current Winnipeg Jets.
Cities Awaiting Their First Stanley Cup
This list includes cities that currently have an NHL team but have never seen that team win the Stanley Cup.
Teams competing for the 2024 Stanley Cup are highlighted
| City/Region | Seasons waiting | Stanley Cup Finals appearances |
Current NHL team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 53 | 1974–75, 1998–99 | Buffalo Sabres |
| Minneapolis–Saint Paul | 491 | 1980–812, 1990–912 | Minnesota Wild |
| San Francisco Bay | 413 | 2015–16 | San Jose Sharks |
| Miami | 29 | 1995–96, 2022–23 | Florida Panthers |
| Phoenix | 27 | Never | Arizona Coyotes |
| Nashville | 24 | 2016–17 | Nashville Predators |
| Columbus | 23 | Never | Columbus Blue Jackets |
- 1 This includes 26 seasons of the Minnesota North Stars and all seasons of the Minnesota Wild.
- 2 Both Stanley Cup Finals appearances were by the Minnesota North Stars.
- 3 This includes 9 seasons of the California Seals, Oakland Seals, California Golden Seals franchise and all seasons of the San Jose Sharks.
- Even though the Vancouver Canucks haven't won a Stanley Cup since they started in 1970–71, the city of Vancouver actually has one Stanley Cup win! The Vancouver Millionaires won it way back in 1915, before the NHL even existed.
- The current Ottawa Senators haven't won the Stanley Cup since they started in 1992–93. But the city of Ottawa celebrated 11 Stanley Cup championships with the original Ottawa Senators, with their last win in 1927.
- While neither version of the Winnipeg Jets has won the Stanley Cup, the city of Winnipeg saw three Stanley Cup championships by the Winnipeg Victorias, the last in 1902, also before the NHL began. The first Winnipeg Jets played from 1979–80 to 1995–96, and the current team started in 2011–12.
- The Seattle Kraken started playing in 2021–22. However, the city of Seattle has one Stanley Cup win already! The Seattle Metropolitans were the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917.
Canadian Team Facts
Even though there have usually been fewer Canadian teams than U.S. teams in the NHL, there have only been two times when no Canadian teams made the playoffs: in 1969–70 and 2015–16. The 1992–93 Montreal Canadiens are the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup.
- Last time no Canadian teams made the playoffs: 2015–16
- Last all-Canadian first round series: 2020–21 (between Toronto and Montreal, and Edmonton and Winnipeg)
- Last all-Canadian second round series: 2021–22 (between Calgary and Edmonton)
- Last time all Canadian teams were eliminated by the end of the second round: 2022–23 (Edmonton and Toronto)
- Last Conference Finals appearance by a Canadian team: 2021–22 (Edmonton)
- Last all-Canadian Conference Finals: 1993–94 (between Toronto and Vancouver)
- Last Stanley Cup Finals appearance by a Canadian team: 2020–21 (Montreal)
- Last all-Canadian Stanley Cup Finals: 1988–89 (between Calgary and Montreal)
- Last Stanley Cup won by a Canadian team: 1992–93 (Montreal)
See also
- Season structure of the NHL
- List of NHL franchise post-season appearance streaks
- List of MLB franchise post-season droughts
- List of NBA franchise post-season droughts
- List of NFL franchise post-season droughts
