NHL conference finals facts for kids

The National Hockey League (NHL) conference finals are exciting championship games in the NHL. These games decide the best teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. Each conference final is a "best-of-seven" series. This means one team must win four games to move on. These games are the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They usually happen in mid-to-late May. Sometimes, they were played later, like in June or September, due to special reasons. The team that wins the Eastern Conference finals gets the Prince of Wales Trophy. The Western Conference winner receives the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. Both winners then play each other in the Stanley Cup Finals to decide the league champion.

History of the Conference Finals

For a long time, the NHL was much smaller. Before the 1967–68 season, there was only one main group of teams.

How Divisions Changed

From 1967 to 1974, the NHL had two groups called divisions: the East Division and the West Division. After the 1973–74 season, the league changed things again. The East and West Divisions were renamed the Prince of Wales and Clarence Campbell Conferences. At first, these names didn't really match where the teams were located on the map. Also, all playoff teams were ranked together, no matter which conference they were in.

When Conferences Became Important

Starting in the 1981–82 season, the NHL changed its conferences and playoffs again. The league wanted to save money on travel. They also wanted to make games between teams in the same division more important. This is when the first official conference finals were played, in 1982.

New Names for Conferences

In the 1993–94 season, the conference names changed to match their actual locations. This idea came from the new NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman. He wanted to make it easier for new fans to understand the game. Other sports leagues, like the NBA, NFL, and MLB, already used names based on geography. So, the Campbell Conference became the Western Conference. The Wales Conference became the Eastern Conference. Even with the new names, the Eastern Conference winner still gets the Prince of Wales Trophy. The Western Conference winner still receives the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl.

There was one exception during the 2020–21 season. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league played without conferences. The trophies were given to the winners of the Stanley Cup semifinals that year. But for the 2021–22 season and beyond, the conferences were brought back.

Some teams have had great success reaching the conference finals. The Hartford Whalers never made it. But after they moved and became the Carolina Hurricanes, they reached the finals five times! The original Winnipeg Jets also never made it. After they moved and became the Phoenix Coyotes, they finally reached the conference finals in 2012. As of today, only three NHL teams have never played in a conference final: the Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken, and Utah Mammoth.

Conference Trophy Traditions

The 2013 Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins pose with the Prince of Wales Trophy

Henrik Sedin of the 2011 Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks accepts the Campbell Bowl

Many NHL players have a special tradition, or superstition. They believe that no player should touch the Stanley Cup itself until their team has officially won it. This superstition also extends to the conference trophies, the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and Prince of Wales Trophy. Some players choose not to touch or lift these trophies after winning their conference. They feel that the Stanley Cup is the only true championship trophy that should be hoisted.

However, not everyone follows this. In 1994, Stéphane Matteau of the New York Rangers tapped the Wales Trophy with his stick. He then scored the winning goal in overtime! After that game, the Rangers' captain, Mark Messier, picked up and raised the Wales Trophy. The Vancouver Canucks captain, Trevor Linden, also lifted the Campbell Bowl that year. The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup against the Canucks.

Other players have also touched or lifted the conference trophies. Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils hoisted their conference trophy in 2000 and 2003. The Devils won the Stanley Cup both of those years. Steve Yzerman, captain of the Detroit Red Wings, lifted the Campbell Bowl every time his team won it in 1997, 1998, and 2002. The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup all three of those years.

Sometimes, the superstition seems to hold true. In 2004, Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames grabbed the Campbell Bowl. But Dave Andreychuk of the Tampa Bay Lightning refused to touch the Prince of Wales Trophy. The Lightning ended up winning the Stanley Cup that year. The Campbell Bowl wasn't picked up on the ice again until the Vegas Golden Knights won it in 2018.

In 2007, Daniel Alfredsson and Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators touched and picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy. But Anaheim Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer didn't go near the Campbell Bowl. The Ducks won the Stanley Cup that year.

More recently, in 2015, the Chicago Blackhawks took a team photo with the Campbell Bowl after winning their conference. They then won the Stanley Cup. In 2018, Alexander Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals, hoisted the Wales trophy. His team went on to win the Stanley Cup. In 2020 and 2021, Steven Stamkos and his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates lifted the Prince of Wales Trophy. Their coach, Jon Cooper, said, "we win a trophy, we pick it up." The Lightning won the Stanley Cup both of those years.

Eastern Conference Champions

Prince of Wales Conference (1982–1993)

Eastern Conference (1994–present)

Western Conference Champions

Clarence Campbell Conference (1982–1993)

Western Conference (1994–present)

Team Totals in Conference Finals

Legend: CF = Conference finals; SCF = Stanley Cup Finals; bolded year denotes win; italicized denotes active series

Note: The Colorado Avalanche's totals include two conference finals appearances when they were known as the Quebec Nordiques (both losses). The Dallas Stars' totals include two conference finals appearances when they were known as the Minnesota North Stars (one win, followed by a Stanley Cup Finals loss). The Arizona Coyotes' only conference finals appearance was in 2012 when they were called the Phoenix Coyotes. The Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken, and the Utah Mammoth are the only active NHL teams that have never reached the conference finals.