NHL teams to never win a Stanley Cup: Updated list of 11 clubs without an NHL championship

Bryan Murphy

NHL teams to never win a Stanley Cup: Updated list of 11 clubs without an NHL championship image

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.

TeamTotal SCF appearancesLast SCF appearanceDeepest playoff run
Vancouver Canucks32011Stanley Cup Final (1 win short)
Florida Panthers32024Stanley Cup Final (3 wins short)
Buffalo Sabres21999Stanley Cup Final (2 wins short)
San Jose Sharks12016Stanley Cup Final (2 wins short)
Nashville Predators12017Stanley Cup Final (2 wins short)
Ottawa Senators12007Stanley Cup Final (3 wins short)
Arizona Coyotes0Western Conference Final
Winnipeg Jets0Western Conference Final
Minnesota Wild0Western Conference Final
Seattle Kraken0Second Round
Columbus Blue Jackets0Second 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. 

TeamStanley Cups
Montreal Canadiens24
Toronto Maple Leafs13
Detroit Red Wings11
Boston Bruins 6
Chicago Blackhawks 6
Edmonton Oilers5
Pittsburgh Penguins5
New York Islanders4
New York Rangers4
New Jersey Devils3
Tampa Bay Lightning 3
Colorado Avalanche3
Philadelphia Flyers2
Los Angeles Kings2
Dallas Stars 1
St. Louis Blues1
Calgary Flames1
Anaheim Ducks1
Carolina Hurricanes1
Washington Capitals1
Vegas Golden Knights1

Stanley Cup winners year by year

Here is a look at every winner of the Stanley Cup since 1927.

SeasonWinnerSeriesRunner-up
2023Vegas Golden Knights4-1Florida Panthers
2022Colorado Avalanche4-2Tampa Bay Lightning
2021Tampa Bay Lightning4-1Montreal Canadiens
2020Tampa Bay Lightning4-2Dallas Stars
2019St. Louis Blues4-3Boston Bruins
2018Washington Capitals4-1Vegas Golden Knights
2017Pittsburgh Penguins4-2Nashville Predators
2016Pittsburgh Penguins4-2San Jose Sharks
2015Chicago Blackhawks4-2Tampa Bay Lightning
2014Los Angeles Kings4-2New York Rangers
2013Chicago Blackhawks4-2Boston Bruins
2012Los Angeles Kings4-2New Jersey Devils
2011Boston Bruins4-3Vancouver Canucks
2010Chicago Blackhawks4-2Philadelphia Flyers
2009Pittsburgh Penguins4-3Detroit Red Wings
2008Detroit Red Wings4-2Pittsburgh Penguins
2007Anaheim Ducks4-1Ottawa Senators
2006Carolina Hurricanes4-3Edmonton Oilers
2005— (Lockout)
2004Tampa Bay Lightning4-3Calgary Flames
2003New Jersey Devils4-3Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
2002Detroit Red Wings4-1Carolina Hurricanes
2001Colorado Avalanche4-3New Jersey Devils
2000New Jersey Devils4-2Dallas Stars
1999Dallas Stars4-2Buffalo Sabres
1998Detroit Red Wings4-0Washington Capitals
1997Detroit Red Wings4-0Philadelphia Flyers
1996Colorado Avalanche4-0Florida Panthers
1995New Jersey Devils4-0Detroit Red Wings
1994New York Rangers4-3Vancouver Canucks
1993Montreal Canadiens4-1Los Angeles Kings
1992Pittsburgh Penguins4-0Chicago Blackhawks
1991Pittsburgh Penguins4-2Minnesota North Stars
1990Edmonton Oilers4-1Boston Bruins
1989Calgary Flames4-2Montreal Canadiens
1988Edmonton Oilers4-0Boston Bruins
1987Edmonton Oilers4-3Philadelphia Flyers
1986Montreal Canadiens4-1Calgary Flames
1985Edmonton Oilers4-1Philadelphia Flyers
1984Edmonton Oilers4-1New York Islanders
1983New York Islanders4-0Edmonton Oilers
1982New York Islanders4-0Vancouver Canucks
1981New York Islanders4-1Minnesota North Stars
1980New York Islanders4-1Philadelphia Flyers
1979Montreal Canadiens4-1New York Rangers
1978Montreal Canadiens4-2Boston Bruins
1977Montreal Canadiens4-0Boston Bruins
1976Montreal Canadiens4-0Philadelphia Flyers
1975Philadelphia Flyers4-2Buffalo Sabres
1974Philadelphia Flyers4-2Boston Bruins
1973Montreal Canadiens4-2Chicago Black Hawks
1972Boston Bruins4-2New York Rangers
1971Montreal Canadiens4-3Chicago Black Hawks
1970Boston Bruins4-0St. Louis Blues
1969Montreal Canadiens4-0St. Louis Blues
1968Montreal Canadiens4-0St. Louis Blues
1967Toronto Maple Leafs4-2Montreal Canadiens
1966Montreal Canadiens4-2Detroit Red Wings
1965Montreal Canadiens4-3Chicago Black Hawks
1964Toronto Maple Leafs4-3Detroit Red Wings
1963Toronto Maple Leafs4-1Detroit Red Wings
1962Toronto Maple Leafs4-2Chicago Black Hawks
1961Chicago Black Hawks4-2Detroit Red Wings
1960Montreal Canadiens4-0Toronto Maple Leafs
1959Montreal Canadiens4-1Toronto Maple Leafs
1958Montreal Canadiens4-2Boston Bruins
1957Montreal Canadiens4-1Boston Bruins
1956Montreal Canadiens4-1Detroit Red Wings
1955Detroit Red Wings4-3Montreal Canadiens
1954Detroit Red Wings4-3Montreal Canadiens
1953Montreal Canadiens4-1Boston Bruins
1952Detroit Red Wings4-0Montreal Canadiens
1951Toronto Maple Leafs4-1Montreal Canadiens
1950Detroit Red Wings4-3New York Rangers
1949Toronto Maple Leafs4-0Detroit Red Wings
1948Toronto Maple Leafs4-0Detroit Red Wings
1947Toronto Maple Leafs4-2Montreal Canadiens
1946Montreal Canadiens4-1Boston Bruins
1945Toronto Maple Leafs4-3Detroit Red Wings
1944Montreal Canadiens4-0Chicago Black Hawks
1943Detroit Red Wings4-0Boston Bruins
1942Toronto Maple Leafs4-3Detroit Red Wings
1941Boston Bruins4-0Detroit Red Wings
1940New York Rangers4-2Toronto Maple Leafs
1939Boston Bruins4-1Toronto Maple Leafs
1938Chicago Black Hawks3-1Toronto Maple Leafs
1937Detroit Red Wings3-2New York Rangers
1936Detroit Red Wings3-1Toronto Maple Leafs
1935Montreal Maroons3-0Toronto Maple Leafs
1934Chicago Black Hawks3-1Detroit Red Wings
1933New York Rangers3-1Toronto Maple Leafs
1932Toronto Maple Leafs3-0New York Rangers
1931Montreal Canadiens3-2Chicago Black Hawks
1930Montreal Canadiens2-0Boston Bruins
1929Boston Bruins2-0New York Rangers
1928New York Rangers3-2Montreal Maroons
1927Ottawa Senators2-0Boston Bruins

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.