List of Stanley Cup champions facts for kids
The Stanley Cup is a super important hockey trophy! It's given out every year to the team that wins the playoffs in the National Hockey League (NHL). It was first given by Lord Stanley of Preston in 1892. This makes it the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.
At first, the Stanley Cup was for amateur ice hockey teams in Canada. They won it by playing special "challenge games" or by winning their league. Over time, professional teams became the best. By 1913, the two main professional leagues, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), agreed that their champions would play each other for the Cup every year.
After some leagues merged and others stopped playing, the Stanley Cup became the main championship trophy for the NHL in 1926. By 1947, it was officially the NHL's top prize.
Since 1915, the trophy has been won 109 times. Twenty-seven different teams have won it, and 22 of those teams are still in the NHL today. Before that, nine different teams held the Cup during the "challenge" years. The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup a record 24 times!
There were two years when the Stanley Cup wasn't given out:
- In 1919, because of the Spanish flu pandemic.
- In 2005, because of a player lockout in the NHL.
The most recent champions are the Florida Panthers, who won in both 2024 and 2025!
Contents
How the Stanley Cup Was First Won (1893–1914)
The Stanley Cup started with a "challenge" system. Before 1893, hockey leagues didn't have regular playoff games. Teams would challenge each other, and the winner would be the champion. Lord Stanley kept this idea going.
A team could win the Cup in two ways:
- By winning a special "challenge game" against the current Cup holder.
- By winning their league championship if they were in the same league as the Cup holder.
This challenge system continued until 1912. After that, the Cup could only be defended at the end of the champion team's regular season. In 1908, the Allan Cup was created for amateur teams, and the Stanley Cup became known as the trophy for professional hockey.
During this time, teams didn't have formal playoffs to decide league champions. The team that finished first in the regular season won the league title. Playoffs only happened if teams were tied for first place.
NHL Teams Battle Other Leagues (1915–1926)
After 1914, the Stanley Cup trustees decided that the champions from the main professional leagues (NHA and PCHA) would play each other for the Cup every year. The games would switch between using NHA rules and PCHA rules. This new plan helped make the Stanley Cup even more important.
When the New Westminster Royals team moved to Portland in 1914 and became the Portland Rosebuds, they were an American team. The trustees then said the Cup was for the best team in the world, not just Canada. In 1916, the Rosebuds were the first American team to play for the Cup. In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans became the first American team to win it!
After the 1917 season, the NHA league stopped operating. The National Hockey League (NHL) took its place.
In 1919, the Stanley Cup series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans was canceled. This happened because of the terrible Spanish flu epidemic. It was the first time the Cup wasn't awarded.
In 1922, a third league, the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), joined the competition. This meant there were now three league champions playing for the Cup. They had semi-final games before the final.
By 1924, the PCHA league folded. Only two teams from it joined the WCHL. This meant the championship went back to being a single series. In 1925, the Victoria Cougars won the Cup. They were the last team from outside the NHL to ever win it. The WCHL changed its name to the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the 1925–26 season. After the Victoria Cougars lost in 1926, no non-NHL team has played for the Stanley Cup since.
The Stanley Cup Becomes the NHL's Trophy (Since 1927)
When the WHL league closed down in 1926, the NHL bought its remaining teams. This made the NHL the only league left that competed for the Stanley Cup. Other leagues tried to challenge for it, but no team outside the NHL has played for the Cup since then. It became the unofficial championship trophy of the NHL.
In 1947, the NHL made an agreement with the Cup's trustees. This agreement gave the NHL control over the Cup. This meant the league could say no to challenges from other leagues.
The way the NHL playoffs work has changed many times since 1927.
- From 1942 to 1967, only the six "Original Six" teams played for the Cup.
- After 1967, the league grew. For a few years, the champions of the East Division and West Division played each other.
- Since 1971, the playoff system has allowed teams from different divisions and conferences to play each other.
- From 1982 to 2020, the Stanley Cup Finals were played between the champions of the league's two conferences (Eastern and Western).
- In 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teams were temporarily grouped into four regional divisions. The winners of these divisions played in semi-finals, and then the winners of those moved on to the Finals.
- The league went back to the Eastern vs. Western Conference format in 2022.
- How Teams Reached the Finals
- 1927–1928: American Division vs. Canadian Division
- 1929–1967, 1971–1981, 2021: Teams advanced to the Finals no matter what division or conference they were in.
- 1968–1970: East Division vs. West Division
- 1982–1993: Campbell Conference vs. Prince of Wales Conference
- 1994–2020, 2022–present: Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference
Stanley Cup Appearances
This section shows how many times teams have played for the Stanley Cup.
Teams from the Challenge Cup Era (1893–1914)
This table shows teams that played for the Stanley Cup when it was a "challenge" trophy.
- SC means they successfully won or defended the Cup.
- UC means they tried but didn't win.
- Years in bold mean they won the Stanley Cup that year. Numbers in brackets mean they played for the Cup multiple times in that year.
| Apps | Team | SC | UC | Win % | Appearances by year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Ottawa HC | 17 | 2 | .895 | 1894, 1903 (2), 1904 (4), 1905 (3), 1906 (2), 1906, 1909, 1910 (2), 1911 (3) |
| 12 | Montreal Wanderers | 10 | 2 | .833 | 1904, 1906 (2), 1907, 1907, 1908 (5), 1910 (2) |
| 11 | Winnipeg Victorias | 6 | 5 | .545 | 1896 (2), 1896, 1899, 1900, 1901 (2), 1902 (2), 1902, 1903 |
| 8 | Montreal Victorias | 6 | 2 | .750 | 1895, 1896, 1896, 1897 (2), 1898, 1899, 1903 |
| 6 | Montreal Shamrocks | 5 | 1 | .833 | 1899 (2), 1900 (3), 1901 |
| 5 | Montreal HC | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 1893, 1894, 1895, 1902, 1903 |
| 5 | Rat Portage/Kenora Thistles | 2 | 3 | .400 | 1903, 1905, 1907 (2), 1907 |
| 4 | Quebec Bulldogs | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 1912 (2), 1913 (2) |
| 3 | Queen's University | 0 | 3 | .000 | 1895, 1899, 1906 |
| 2 | Toronto Blueshirts | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1914 (2) |
| 2 | Brandon Wheat City | 0 | 2 | .000 | 1904, 1907 |
| 2 | Edmonton HC | 0 | 2 | .000 | 1908, 1910 |
| 2 | Galt HC | 0 | 2 | .000 | 1910, 1911 |
| 2 | Winnipeg Maple Leafs | 0 | 2 | .000 | 1901, 1908 |
Sixteen other teams challenged for the Stanley Cup only once and didn't win.
Teams in the Stanley Cup Finals Era (Since 1915)
This table shows how active NHL teams have done in the Stanley Cup Finals.
- Teams are listed by how many times they've been to the Finals, then by how many times they've won, and then alphabetically.
- Years in bold mean they won the Stanley Cup that year.
Active Teams
| Apps | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % | Season(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Montreal Canadiens | 24 | 10 | .706 | 1916, 1917, 1919, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1931, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986, 1989, 1993, 2021 |
| 24 | Detroit Red Wings | 11 | 13 | .458 | 1934, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2009 |
| 21 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 | 8 | .619 | 1918, 1922, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967 |
| 20 | Boston Bruins | 6 | 14 | .300 | 1927, 1929, 1930, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1988, 1990, 2011, 2013, 2019 |
| 13 | Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | 7 | .462 | 1931, 1934, 1938, 1944, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1992, 2010, 2013, 2015 |
| 11 | New York Rangers | 4 | 7 | .364 | 1928, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1937, 1940, 1950, 1972, 1979, 1994, 2014 |
| 9 | Edmonton Oilers | 5 | 4 | .556 | 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2006, 2024, 2025 |
| 8 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2 | 6 | .250 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1997, 2010 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 5 | 1 | .833 | 1991, 1992, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017 |
| 5 | New York Islanders | 4 | 1 | .800 | 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 |
| 5 | New Jersey Devils | 3 | 2 | .600 | 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2012 |
| 5 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2004, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| 5 | Dallas Stars | 1 | 4 | .200 | 1981, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2020 |
| 4 | Florida Panthers | 2 | 2 | .500 | 1996, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| 4 | St. Louis Blues | 1 | 3 | .250 | 1968, 1969, 1970, 2019 |
| 3 | Colorado Avalanche | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 1996, 2001, 2022 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Kings | 2 | 1 | .667 | 1993, 2012, 2014 |
| 3 | Calgary Flames | 1 | 2 | .333 | 1986, 1989, 2004 |
| 3 | Vancouver Canucks | 0 | 3 | .000 | 1982, 1994, 2011 |
| 2 | Anaheim Ducks | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2003, 2007 |
| 2 | Carolina Hurricanes | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2002, 2006 |
| 2 | Vegas Golden Knights | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2018, 2023 |
| 2 | Washington Capitals | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1998, 2018 |
| 2 | Buffalo Sabres | 0 | 2 | .000 | 1975, 1999 |
| 1 | Nashville Predators | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2017 |
| 1 | Ottawa Senators | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2007 |
| 1 | San Jose Sharks | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2016 |
Five active teams have never made it to the Stanley Cup Finals:
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Minnesota Wild
- Seattle Kraken
- Utah Mammoth
- Winnipeg Jets (formerly the Atlanta Thrashers)
Some teams have moved and then won the Cup in their new city, but never in their old one:
- The Quebec Nordiques won three Stanley Cups as the Colorado Avalanche.
- The Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies won three Stanley Cups as the New Jersey Devils.
- The California Golden Seals and Cleveland Barons became the Dallas Stars (after merging with the Minnesota North Stars), and won one Stanley Cup.
- The Atlanta Flames won one Stanley Cup as the Calgary Flames.
- The Hartford Whalers won one Stanley Cup as the Carolina Hurricanes.
Defunct Teams
This table shows teams that no longer exist but once played for the Stanley Cup.
- The league they played in is listed after their name.
- A bold year means they won the Stanley Cup.
| Apps | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % | Season(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ottawa Senators (NHA/NHL) | 4 | 1 | .800 | 1915, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1927 |
| 4 | Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA/WCHL) | 1 | 3 | .250 | 1915, 1918, 1921, 1922 |
| 3 | Montreal Maroons (NHL) | 2 | 1 | .667 | 1926, 1928, 1935 |
| 3 | Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1917, 1919, 1920 |
| 2 | Victoria Cougars (WCHL/WHL) | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1925, 1926 |
| 1 | Portland Rosebuds (PCHA) | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1916 |
| 1 | Edmonton Eskimos (WCHL) | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1923 |
| 1 | Calgary Tigers (WCHL) | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1924 |
See also
- Stanley Cup winning players
- NHL Conference Finals
- List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
- List of NHL franchise post-season appearance streaks
