When it comes to the hardest trophies to win in sports, the Stanley Cup is regarded as one of the most difficult. It takes four grueling rounds and 16 well-earned wins to reach the top of the NHL mountain.
The NHL playoffs are constantly one of the postseasons with the most parity. Upsets are common, with lower seeds knocking off the top dogs from the regular season. It's unpredictable and chaotic — which makes it the most entertaining form of playoffs.
Plenty of the 32 franchises in the sport have hoisted the Stanley Cup; however, there are a handful of clubs that have yet to find out the feeling of winning a hockey championship.
Here's an updated list of teams to never win a title in the NHL.
MORE: Why is it called the Stanley Cup?
How many NHL teams have never won the Stanley Cup?
In total, there are 11 clubs in the NHL that have never won a Stanley Cup.
The clubs that never earned a championship in the NHL are the Panthers, Sabres, Blue Jackets, Wild, Predators, Sharks, Jets, Senators, Canucks, Kraken and Utah (formerly the Coyotes).
Out of the 11 teams, six have made at least one appearance in a Stanley Cup Final. However, five of the clubs — Utah, Winnipeg, Minnesota, Columbus and Seattle — have never reached the Championship round.
| Team | Total SCF appearances | Last SCF appearance | Deepest playoff run |
| Vancouver Canucks | 3 | 2011 | Stanley Cup Final (1 win short) |
| Florida Panthers | 3 | 2024 | Stanley Cup Final (3 wins short) |
| Buffalo Sabres | 2 | 1999 | Stanley Cup Final (2 wins short) |
| San Jose Sharks | 1 | 2016 | Stanley Cup Final (2 wins short) |
| Nashville Predators | 1 | 2017 | Stanley Cup Final (2 wins short) |
| Ottawa Senators | 1 | 2007 | Stanley Cup Final (3 wins short) |
| Arizona Coyotes | 0 | — | Western Conference Final |
| Winnipeg Jets | 0 | — | Western Conference Final |
| Minnesota Wild | 0 | — | Western Conference Final |
| Seattle Kraken | 0 | — | Second Round |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 0 | — | Second Round |
Who has won the most Stanley Cups in NHL history?
The Canadiens have won the most Cups with 24. However, it's been 30 years since the last time Montreal hoisted the trophy, which came in 1993.
After the Habs, it's the Maple Leafs in second with 13, but their last Cup win came in 1967 and the team has not been to the finals since then. It marks the longest Stanley Cup win drought in the league.
In third is the Red Wings with 11, most recently winning in 2008.
| Team | Stanley Cups |
|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 24 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 11 |
| Boston Bruins | 6 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 6 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 5 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 5 |
| New York Islanders | 4 |
| New York Rangers | 4 |
| New Jersey Devils | 3 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 3 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 3 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 2 |
| Dallas Stars | 1 |
| St. Louis Blues | 1 |
| Calgary Flames | 1 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 1 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 1 |
| Washington Capitals | 1 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 1 |
Stanley Cup winners year by year
Here is a look at every winner of the Stanley Cup since 1927.
| Season | Winner | Series | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Vegas Golden Knights | 4-1 | Florida Panthers |
| 2022 | Colorado Avalanche | 4-2 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2021 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 4-1 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 2020 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 4-2 | Dallas Stars |
| 2019 | St. Louis Blues | 4-3 | Boston Bruins |
| 2018 | Washington Capitals | 4-1 | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 2017 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-2 | Nashville Predators |
| 2016 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-2 | San Jose Sharks |
| 2015 | Chicago Blackhawks | 4-2 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Kings | 4-2 | New York Rangers |
| 2013 | Chicago Blackhawks | 4-2 | Boston Bruins |
| 2012 | Los Angeles Kings | 4-2 | New Jersey Devils |
| 2011 | Boston Bruins | 4-3 | Vancouver Canucks |
| 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks | 4-2 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 2009 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-3 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2008 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-2 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2007 | Anaheim Ducks | 4-1 | Ottawa Senators |
| 2006 | Carolina Hurricanes | 4-3 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2005 | — (Lockout) | — | — |
| 2004 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 4-3 | Calgary Flames |
| 2003 | New Jersey Devils | 4-3 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
| 2002 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-1 | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 2001 | Colorado Avalanche | 4-3 | New Jersey Devils |
| 2000 | New Jersey Devils | 4-2 | Dallas Stars |
| 1999 | Dallas Stars | 4-2 | Buffalo Sabres |
| 1998 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-0 | Washington Capitals |
| 1997 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-0 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1996 | Colorado Avalanche | 4-0 | Florida Panthers |
| 1995 | New Jersey Devils | 4-0 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1994 | New York Rangers | 4-3 | Vancouver Canucks |
| 1993 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | Los Angeles Kings |
| 1992 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-0 | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 1991 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-2 | Minnesota North Stars |
| 1990 | Edmonton Oilers | 4-1 | Boston Bruins |
| 1989 | Calgary Flames | 4-2 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1988 | Edmonton Oilers | 4-0 | Boston Bruins |
| 1987 | Edmonton Oilers | 4-3 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1986 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | Calgary Flames |
| 1985 | Edmonton Oilers | 4-1 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1984 | Edmonton Oilers | 4-1 | New York Islanders |
| 1983 | New York Islanders | 4-0 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1982 | New York Islanders | 4-0 | Vancouver Canucks |
| 1981 | New York Islanders | 4-1 | Minnesota North Stars |
| 1980 | New York Islanders | 4-1 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1979 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | New York Rangers |
| 1978 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-2 | Boston Bruins |
| 1977 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-0 | Boston Bruins |
| 1976 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-0 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1975 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4-2 | Buffalo Sabres |
| 1974 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4-2 | Boston Bruins |
| 1973 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-2 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1972 | Boston Bruins | 4-2 | New York Rangers |
| 1971 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-3 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1970 | Boston Bruins | 4-0 | St. Louis Blues |
| 1969 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-0 | St. Louis Blues |
| 1968 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-0 | St. Louis Blues |
| 1967 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-2 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1966 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-2 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1965 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-3 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1964 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-3 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1963 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-1 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1962 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-2 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1961 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4-2 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1960 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-0 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1959 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1958 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-2 | Boston Bruins |
| 1957 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | Boston Bruins |
| 1956 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1955 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-3 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1954 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-3 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1953 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | Boston Bruins |
| 1952 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-0 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1951 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-1 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1950 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-3 | New York Rangers |
| 1949 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-0 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1948 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-0 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1947 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-2 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1946 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-1 | Boston Bruins |
| 1945 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-3 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1944 | Montreal Canadiens | 4-0 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1943 | Detroit Red Wings | 4-0 | Boston Bruins |
| 1942 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-3 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1941 | Boston Bruins | 4-0 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1940 | New York Rangers | 4-2 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1939 | Boston Bruins | 4-1 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1938 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3-1 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1937 | Detroit Red Wings | 3-2 | New York Rangers |
| 1936 | Detroit Red Wings | 3-1 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1935 | Montreal Maroons | 3-0 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1934 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3-1 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1933 | New York Rangers | 3-1 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1932 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3-0 | New York Rangers |
| 1931 | Montreal Canadiens | 3-2 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1930 | Montreal Canadiens | 2-0 | Boston Bruins |
| 1929 | Boston Bruins | 2-0 | New York Rangers |
| 1928 | New York Rangers | 3-2 | Montreal Maroons |
| 1927 | Ottawa Senators | 2-0 | Boston Bruins |
