This week the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights met in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final erasing a Stanley Cup Final appearance drought of 25 and 4 seasons, respectively, while the NHL's other 30 teams extended their absence by another season. The chart below describes, in descending order, the number of seasons each club has gone without a Cup Final appearance, showing the last year they qualified (if ever).
| Team | Seasons | Last Cup Final |
| Toronto Maple Leafs |
55
|
|
| Arizona Coyotes* | 43
|
Never
|
| New York Islanders |
38
|
|
| Buffalo Sabres | 23
|
|
| Winnipeg Jets** | 23
|
Never
|
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 22
|
Never
|
| Minnesota Wild | 22
|
Never
|
| Calgary Flames |
18
|
|
| Carolina Hurricanes |
17
|
|
| Edmonton Oilers |
17
|
|
| Anaheim Ducks |
16
|
|
| Ottawa Senators |
16
|
|
| Detroit Red Wings |
14
|
|
| Philadelphia Flyers | 13
|
|
| Vancouver Canucks | 12
|
|
| New Jersey Devils | 11
|
|
| Los Angeles Kings | 9
|
|
| New York Rangers | 9
|
|
| Chicago Blackhawks | 8
|
|
| San Jose Sharks | 7
|
|
| Nashville Predators | 6
|
|
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 6
|
|
| Washington Capitals | 5
|
|
| Boston Bruins | 4
|
|
| St. Louis Blues | 4
|
|
| Dallas Stars | 3
|
|
| Montreal Canadiens | 2
|
|
| Seattle Kraken | 2
|
Never
|
| Colorado Avalanche | 1
|
|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 1
|
* Includes record of Winnipeg Jets prior to relocation to Phoenix
** Includes record of Atlanta Thrashers prior to relocation to Winnipeg
The average drought rests at roughly 14 seasons with Toronto laying claim to the longest at 55 seasons, a streak that began prior to NHL expansion beyond its original six teams. Arguably worse is the fact that 5 of the 32 teams (15%) have never skated in a Final in their franchise history (Arizona, Winnipeg, Columbus, Minnesota, Seattle), a list that was reduced by one with the Golden Knights earning a Stanley Cup Final appearance in their inaugural season (2018).
In ten months the quest for the Cup continues for 16 of the 32 clubs that qualify for the postseason. The goal is to hoist the hardware, but simply qualifying for the Stanley Cup Final would be a step in the right direction.
Indeed, one thing leads to another.
* See also NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Qualification Droughts.
* See also NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Series Win Droughts.
* See also NHL Stanley Cup Championship Droughts.
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