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Presidents' Trophy facts for kids

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Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy.jpg
Sport Ice hockey
Given for National Hockey League team with the most points (best record) in the regular season
History
First award 1985–86 NHL season
First winner Edmonton Oilers
Most wins Detroit Red Wings (6)
Most recent Boston Bruins (4)

The Presidents' Trophy is a special award in the National Hockey League (NHL). It's given to the team that earns the most points during the regular season. This means they had the best overall record in the league. If two teams have the same number of points, the trophy goes to the team with more wins that didn't happen in overtime or a shootout.

The Presidents' Trophy has been given out 37 times since it started in the 1985–86 NHL season. Eighteen different teams have won it. The team that wins this award usually gets to play their playoff games at home, which is a big advantage. However, winning the trophy doesn't guarantee winning the Stanley Cup. Only eight teams have won both the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same year. The 2012–13 Chicago Blackhawks were the last team to do this. The Detroit Red Wings are the only team to win both more than once.

Understanding the Presidents' Trophy's History

The NHL's Board of Governors created the Presidents' Trophy in the 1985–86. They wanted to officially recognize the best team of the regular season. Before this, the top team would just hang a banner saying "NHL League Champions."

A total of 18 teams have won the Presidents' Trophy. The Detroit Red Wings have won it six times, which is more than any other team. The Boston Bruins are next with four wins. The Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Washington Capitals each have three wins. Five other teams have won it twice: the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. Some of these teams, like Edmonton, Calgary, Dallas, Detroit, Vancouver, and Washington, even won it two years in a row! Edmonton, Calgary, and Dallas also won the Stanley Cup during their second straight Presidents' Trophy season.

If teams are tied for the most points, the NHL has rules to decide the winner. The first rule is to check which team has more "regulation wins." These are games won without needing overtime or a shootout. For example, in the shortened 2020–21, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights both had 82 points. But Colorado won the trophy because they had 35 regulation wins, while Vegas had 30.

How the Award Changed Over Time

Before the Presidents' Trophy, from 1937 to 1967, the Prince of Wales Trophy was given to the team with the best regular season record. Later, the Wales Trophy changed and was given to the best team in the East Division. For a few years, from 1981–82 to 1984–85, no trophy was given for the best regular season record. Instead, the winning team received a $350,000 cash bonus. The Presidents' Trophy was added in 1985–86, and the cash bonus is still shared among the players on the winning team.

Looking at all NHL seasons, even before the Presidents' Trophy existed, the Montreal Canadiens have finished first overall 21 times. This is the most in league history! The Detroit Red Wings are second with 18 first-place finishes.

The Presidents' Trophy and Playoff Success

Winning the Presidents' Trophy means a team gets home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. This means they play more games at their home arena, which can be a big help. However, this doesn't always lead to winning the Stanley Cup.

"It is the reality of the sport. If your particular strength happens to be that you're really good offensively, and you come up against a hot goaltender and a team that is stout defensively, it might not matter that you were good on a nightly basis scoring goals. And that one particular opponent: you'll have to beat them four times."

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NHL broadcaster Darren Eliot explaining the lack of success of Presidents' Trophy winners winning the Stanley Cup.

The trophy has been awarded 36 times, but only eight winners have also won the Stanley Cup. This has led to a popular idea that the trophy might be "cursed." Also, eight Presidents' Trophy winners have been knocked out in the very first round of the playoffs! This kind of early upset is more common in the NHL than in other major sports leagues.

NHL broadcaster Darren Eliot explains that the playoffs are different from the regular season. In the regular season, teams play many different opponents. In the playoffs, you have to beat the same team four times in a best-of-seven series. A team that was great at scoring goals might struggle against a goalie who is playing incredibly well, or a team that plays very strong defense. Sometimes, teams even try to avoid finishing first to rest key players and prevent injuries before the playoffs start.

Some experts have pointed out that teams that dominate a weaker division might struggle when they face tougher competition in the playoffs. However, other studies show that teams leading the league in points are still much more likely to reach and win the Stanley Cup Finals compared to other playoff teams.

A famous example of the "curse" was the 1995–96 Red Wings. They had a record-setting regular season but lost in the Conference Finals to the Colorado Avalanche. This started a big rivalry! Interestingly, the next year, the Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy but lost to the Red Wings in the playoffs, and the Red Wings went on to win the Cup.

The "curse" has been very noticeable since the Blackhawks won both the trophy and the Cup in 2013. The 2018–19 Tampa Bay Lightning had an amazing regular season, tying a record for wins. But they were swept (lost 4-0) in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. This was the first time a Presidents' Trophy winner was swept in the first round. The Blue Jackets had never won a playoff series before! The Lightning then went on to win two Stanley Cups in the following years, even without winning the Presidents' Trophy.

Most recently, the 2022–23 Boston Bruins set new records for wins and points in a season. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs in seven games to the Florida Panthers. The Panthers had won the Presidents' Trophy the year before and were also eliminated early.

Only three times has a team won the Presidents' Trophy and then missed the playoffs the very next season. The New York Rangers did it in 1991–92 and missed the playoffs in 1992–93. But they bounced back to win both the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in 1993–94! The Buffalo Sabres in 2006–07 and the Boston Bruins in 2013–14 also missed the playoffs the season after winning the trophy.

Presidents' Trophy Winners List

Ottawa Senators Presidents Trophy Banner
Ottawa Senators Presidents' Trophy Banner from the 2002–03 season

     Team won the Stanley Cup.      Team lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.      Team lost in the first round of the playoffs. Bold Team with the most points ever accumulated in a season during the trophy's existence.

Year Winner Points Margin Win # Playoff result
1985–86 Edmonton Oilers 119 9 1 Lost Division Finals (CGY)
1986–87 Edmonton Oilers 106 6 2 Won Stanley Cup
1987–88 Calgary Flames 105 2 1 Lost Division Finals (EDM)
1988–89 Calgary Flames 117 2 2 Won Stanley Cup
1989–90 Boston Bruins 101 2 1 Lost Stanley Cup Finals (EDM)
1990–91 Chicago Blackhawks 106 1 1 Lost Division Semifinals (MNS)
1991–92 New York Rangers 105 7 1 Lost Division Finals (PIT)
1992–93 Pittsburgh Penguins 119 10 1 Lost Division Finals (NYI)
1993–94 New York Rangers 112 6 2 Won Stanley Cup
1994–95 Detroit Red Wings 070 5 1 Lost Stanley Cup Finals (NJD)
1995–96 Detroit Red Wings 131 27 2 Lost Conference Finals (COL)
1996–97 Colorado Avalanche 107 3 1 Lost Conference Finals (DET)
1997–98 Dallas Stars 109 2 1 Lost Conference Finals (DET)
1998–99 Dallas Stars 114 9 2 Won Stanley Cup
1999–2000 St. Louis Blues 114 6 1 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (SJS)
2000–01 Colorado Avalanche 118 7 2 Won Stanley Cup
2001–02 Detroit Red Wings 116 15 3 Won Stanley Cup
2002–03 Ottawa Senators 113 2 1 Lost Conference Finals (NJD)
2003–04 Detroit Red Wings 109 3 4 Lost Conference Semifinals (CGY)
2004–05 Season cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–06 Detroit Red Wings 124 11 5 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (EDM)
2006–07 Buffalo Sabres 113 0 (3 wins) 1 Lost Conference Finals (OTT)
2007–08 Detroit Red Wings 115 7 6 Won Stanley Cup
2008–09 San Jose Sharks 117 1 1 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (ANA)
2009–10 Washington Capitals 121 8 1 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (MTL)
2010–11 Vancouver Canucks 117 10 1 Lost Stanley Cup Finals (BOS)
2011–12 Vancouver Canucks 111 2 2 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (LAK)
2012–13 Chicago Blackhawks 77 5 2 Won Stanley Cup
2013–14 Boston Bruins 117 1 2 Lost Second Round (MTL)
2014–15 New York Rangers 113 3 3 Lost Conference Finals (TBL)
2015–16 Washington Capitals 120 11 2 Lost Second Round (PIT)
2016–17 Washington Capitals 118 7 3 Lost Second Round (PIT)
2017–18 Nashville Predators 117 3 1 Lost Second Round (WPG)
2018–19 Tampa Bay Lightning 128 21 1 Lost First Round (CBJ)
2019–20 Boston Bruins 100 6 3 Lost Second Round (TBL)
2020–21 Colorado Avalanche 82 0 (5 regulation wins) 3 Lost Second Round (VGK)
2021–22 Florida Panthers 122 3 1 Lost Second Round (TBL)
2022–23 Boston Bruins 135 22 4 Lost First Round (FLA)

Teams with the Best Regular Season Records (Before the Presidents' Trophy)

Before the Presidents' Trophy was created in 1985, other teams also had the best records in the NHL. Here's a look at those teams.

NHL vs. Other Leagues (1917–1926)

From 1917 to 1926, the Stanley Cup was like a "World Series" between the NHL champions and winners from other hockey leagues. The NHL's own championship trophy back then was the O'Brien Trophy.

     * Team won the O'Brien Trophy as the NHL playoff champion.      † Team won both the O'Brien Trophy and the Stanley Cup.      ^ Team lost in the NHL Championship/Final round.

Year Winner Points Playoff Result
1917–18 Toronto Hockey Club 26 NHL champions*, won Stanley Cup
1918–19 Ottawa Senators 24 Lost NHL Championship (MTL)^
1919–20 Ottawa Senators 38 NHL champions, won Stanley Cup†
1920–21 Toronto St. Patricks 30 Lost NHL Championship (SEN)^
1921–22 Ottawa Senators 30 Lost NHL Championship (TSP)^
1922–23 Ottawa Senators 29 NHL champions, won Stanley Cup†
1923–24 Ottawa Senators 32 Lost NHL Championship (MTL)^
1924–25 Hamilton Tigers 39 Suspended from playoffs
1925–26 Ottawa Senators 52 Lost NHL Final Round (MMR)^

NHL Takes Control of the Stanley Cup (Since 1927)

After the 1925–26 season, the NHL became the only league left competing for the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup then became the official NHL championship trophy. The Prince of Wales Trophy was awarded for the best regular season record from 1938–39 to 1966–67.

     * Team won the Stanley Cup.      ^ Team lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.      # Team lost in a preliminary round of the playoffs.

Year Winner Points Playoff Result
1926–27 Ottawa Senators 64 Won Stanley Cup*
1927–28 Montreal Canadiens 59 Lost semifinals (MMR)
1928–29 Montreal Canadiens 59 Lost semifinals (BOS)
1929–30 Boston Bruins 77 Lost Stanley Cup Finals^ (MTL)
1930–31 Boston Bruins 62 Lost semifinals (MTL)
1931–32 Montreal Canadiens 57 Lost semifinals (NYR)
1932–33 Boston Bruins 58 Lost semifinals (TOR)
1933–34 Toronto Maple Leafs 61 Lost semifinals (DET)
1934–35 Toronto Maple Leafs 64 Lost Stanley Cup Finals^ (MMR)
1935–36 Detroit Red Wings 56 Won Stanley Cup*
1936–37 Detroit Red Wings 59 Won Stanley Cup*
1937–38 Boston Bruins 67 Lost semifinals (TOR)
1938–39 Boston Bruins 74 Won Stanley Cup*
1939–40 Boston Bruins 67 Lost semifinals (NYR)
1940–41 Boston Bruins 67 Won Stanley Cup*
1941–42 New York Rangers 60 Lost semifinals (TOR)
1942–43 Detroit Red Wings 61 Won Stanley Cup*
1943–44 Montreal Canadiens 83 Won Stanley Cup*
1944–45 Montreal Canadiens 80 Lost semifinals# (TOR)
1945–46 Montreal Canadiens 61 Won Stanley Cup*
1946–47 Montreal Canadiens 78 Lost Stanley Cup Finals^ (TOR)
1947–48 Toronto Maple Leafs 77 Won Stanley Cup*
1948–49 Detroit Red Wings 75 Lost Stanley Cup Finals^ (TOR)
1949–50 Detroit Red Wings 88 Won Stanley Cup*
1950–51 Detroit Red Wings 101 Lost semifinals# (MTL)
1951–52 Detroit Red Wings 100 Won Stanley Cup*
1952–53 Detroit Red Wings 90 Lost semifinals# (BOS)
1953–54 Detroit Red Wings 88 Won Stanley Cup*
1954–55 Detroit Red Wings 95 Won Stanley Cup*
1955–56 Montreal Canadiens 100 Won Stanley Cup*
1956–57 Detroit Red Wings 88 Lost semifinals# (BOS)
1957–58 Montreal Canadiens 96 Won Stanley Cup*
1958–59 Montreal Canadiens 91 Won Stanley Cup*
1959–60 Montreal Canadiens 92 Won Stanley Cup*
1960–61 Montreal Canadiens 92 Lost semifinals# (CHI)
1961–62 Montreal Canadiens 98 Lost semifinals# (CHI)
1962–63 Toronto Maple Leafs 82 Won Stanley Cup*
1963–64 Montreal Canadiens 85 Lost semifinals# (TOR)
1964–65 Detroit Red Wings 87 Lost semifinals# (CHI)
1965–66 Montreal Canadiens 90 Won Stanley Cup*
1966–67 Chicago Black Hawks 94 Lost semifinals# (TOR)
1967–68 Montreal Canadiens 94 Won Stanley Cup*
1968–69 Montreal Canadiens 103 Won Stanley Cup*
1969–70 Chicago Black Hawks 99 Lost semifinals (BOS)
1970–71 Boston Bruins 121 Lost quarterfinals# (MTL)
1971–72 Boston Bruins 119 Won Stanley Cup*
1972–73 Montreal Canadiens 120 Won Stanley Cup*
1973–74 Boston Bruins 113 Lost Stanley Cup Finals^ (PHI)
1974–75 Philadelphia Flyers 113 Won Stanley Cup*
1975–76 Montreal Canadiens 127 Won Stanley Cup*
1976–77 Montreal Canadiens 132 Won Stanley Cup*
1977–78 Montreal Canadiens 129 Won Stanley Cup*
1978–79 New York Islanders 116 Lost semifinals (NYR)
1979–80 Philadelphia Flyers 116 Lost Stanley Cup Finals^ (NYI)
1980–81 New York Islanders 110 Won Stanley Cup*
1981–82 New York Islanders 118 Won Stanley Cup*
1982–83 Boston Bruins 110 Lost Conference Finals (NYI)
1983–84 Edmonton Oilers 119 Won Stanley Cup*
1984–85 Philadelphia Flyers 113 Lost Stanley Cup Finals^ (EDM)

Presidents' Trophy Records

Teams with the Most Presidents' Trophies

Team Winners Year(s) won
Detroit Red Wings 6 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08
Boston Bruins 4 1989–90, 2013–14, 2019–20, 2022–23
New York Rangers 3 1991–92, 1993–94, 2014–15
Colorado Avalanche 3 1996–97, 2000–01, 2020–21
Washington Capitals 3 2009–10, 2015–16, 2016–17
Edmonton Oilers 2 1985–86, 1986–87
Calgary Flames 2 1987–88, 1988–89
Chicago Blackhawks 2 1990–91, 2012–13
Dallas Stars 2 1997–98, 1998–99
Vancouver Canucks 2 2010–11, 2011–12
Pittsburgh Penguins 1 1992–93
St. Louis Blues 1 1999–2000
Ottawa Senators 1 2002–03
Buffalo Sabres 1 2006–07
San Jose Sharks 1 2008–09
Nashville Predators 1 2017–18
Tampa Bay Lightning 1 2018–19
Florida Panthers 1 2021–22

Teams with the Most Best Records (All Time)

This table combines the Presidents' Trophy winners with teams that had the best record before the trophy existed.

Team Best record Year(s) won
Montreal Canadiens 21 1927–28, 1928–29, 1931–32, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78
Detroit Red Wings 18 1935–36, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08
Boston Bruins 15 1929–30, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1982–83, 1989–90, 2013–14, 2019–20, 2022–23
Ottawa Senators (1883–1934) 7 1918–19, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1926–27
Toronto Hockey Club/St. Patricks/Maple Leafs 6 1917–18, 1920–21, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1947–48, 1962–63
New York Rangers 4 1941–42, 1991–92, 1993–94, 2014–15
Chicago Blackhawks 4 1966–67, 1969–70, 1990–91, 2012–13
Philadelphia Flyers 3 1974–75, 1979–80, 1984–85
New York Islanders 3 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82
Edmonton Oilers 3 1983–84, 1985–86, 1986–87
Colorado Avalanche 3 1996–97, 2000–01, 2020–21
Washington Capitals 3 2009–10, 2015–16, 2016–17
Calgary Flames 2 1987–88, 1988–89
Dallas Stars 2 1997–98, 1998–99
Vancouver Canucks 2 2010–11, 2011–12
Hamilton Tigers 1 1924–25
Pittsburgh Penguins 1 1992–93
St. Louis Blues 1 1999–2000
Ottawa Senators 1 2002–03
Buffalo Sabres 1 2006–07
San Jose Sharks 1 2008–09
Nashville Predators 1 2017–18
Tampa Bay Lightning 1 2018–19
Florida Panthers 1 2021–22
  • Teams that are no longer playing are shown in italics.

See also

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