List of Stanley Cup champions
This is a
list of Stanley Cup champions, including the finalists/challengers. Originally, it was referred to as the "Challenge Cup"; the champions held onto the Cup until they either lost their league title to another club, or a champion from another league issued a formal challenge and subsequently defeated the reigning Cup champion in a special game or series. The playoff format for each challenge varied depending on what the two competing clubs agreed to.
Prior to 1912, challenges could take place at any time, given the appropriate rink conditions, and it was common for teams to defend the Cup numerous times during the year. In 1912, the Cup's trustees declared that the Cup was only to be defended at the end of the champion team's regular season. Also during the Cup's challenge era, all of the leagues that played for the trophy had no annual formal
playoff system to decide their own respective championships; whoever finished in first place after the regular season won the league title. Thus, a few league championship games or series were held just to break first place ties and determine who would keep the Cup. These league title games have historically been listed along with the regular inter-league Cup challenges.
In 1915, an agreement between the
National Hockey Association (NHA) and the
Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was reached in which their respective champions would face each other for the Cup. The NHA dissolved in 1917, and the
National Hockey League (NHL) took its place. Then after the
Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) was born in 1921, it was agreed that all three league champions would play for the Cup. The PCHA and the WCHL later merged to form the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1924.
Since the demise of the WHL in 1926, the Cup has been awarded to the NHL champions.
Challenge Cup
| Month/Year | Winning Team | Coach | Losing Team | Playoff Format | Score |
|---|
| 1893 | Montreal AAA (AHA) | | No challengers |
| 1894 | Montreal AAA (AHA) | | Ottawa Generals (AHA) | Single-elimination | 3-1 |
| 1895 | Montreal Victorias (AHA) | Mike Grant (cptn.) | * |
| February 1896 | Winnipeg Victorias (MHL) | Jack Armytage (man.) | Montreal Victorias (AHA) | Single-elimination | 2-0 |
| December 1896 | Montreal Victorias (AHA) | Mike Grant (cptn.) | Winnipeg Victorias (MHL) | Single-elimination | 6-5 |
| 1897 | Montreal Victorias (AHA) | Mike Grant (cptn.) | Ottawa Capitals (CCHA) | Single-elimination | 15-2 |
| 1898 | Montreal Victorias (AHA) | Mike Grant (cptn.) | No challengers |
| February 1899 | Montreal Victorias (CAHL) | Frank Richardson (man.) | Winnipeg Victorias (MHL) | Two-game total goals | 5-3 |
| March 1899 | Montreal Shamrocks (CAHL) | Harry Trihey (cptn.) | Queen's University (OHA) | Single-elimination | 6-2 |
| February 1900 | Montreal Shamrocks (CAHL) | Harry Trihey (cptn.) | Winnipeg Victorias (MHL) | Best-of-three | 2-1 |
| March 1900 | Montreal Shamrocks (CAHL) | Harry Trihey (cptn.) | Halifax Crescents (MaHL) | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| 1901 | Winnipeg Victorias (MHL) | Dan Bain (cptn.) | Montreal Shamrocks (CAHL) | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| January 1902 | Winnipeg Victorias (MHL) | Dan Bain (cptn.) | Toronto Wellingtons (OHA) | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| March 1902 | Montreal AAA (CAHL) | Clare McKerrow | Winnipeg Victorias (MHL) | Best-of-three | 2-1 |
| February 1903 | Montreal AAA (CAHL) | Clare McKerrow | Winnipeg Victorias (MHL) | Best-of-three | 2-1 |
| March 7-10, 1903 | Ottawa Silver Seven (CAHL) | A.T. Smith (man.) | Montreal Victorias (CAHL) | Two-game total goals | 9-1 |
| March 12-14, 1903 | Ottawa Silver Seven (CAHL) | A.T. Smith (man.) | Rat Portage Thistles (MNHL) | Best-of-three | 2-1 |
| January 1904 | Ottawa Silver Seven (CAHL) | A.T. Smith (man.) | Winnipeg Rowing Club (MNHL) | Best-of-three | 2-1 |
| February 1904 | Ottawa Silver Seven ** | A.T. Smith (man.) | Toronto Marlboros (OHA) | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| March 2, 1904 | Ottawa Silver Seven ** | A.T. Smith (man.) | Montreal Wanderers (FAHL) | Two-game total goals | *** |
| March 9-11, 1904 | Ottawa Silver Seven ** | A.T. Smith (man.) | Brandon Wheat Kings (MNHL) | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| January 1905 | Ottawa Silver Seven (FAHL) | A.T. Smith (man.) | Dawson City Nuggets | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| March 1905 | Ottawa Silver Seven (FAHL) | A.T. Smith (man.) | Rat Portage Thistles (MNHL) | Best-of-three | 2-1 |
| February 1906 | Ottawa Silver Seven (ECAHA) | A.T. Smith (man.) | Queen's University (OHA) | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| March 6-8, 1906 | Ottawa Silver Seven (ECAHA) | A.T. Smith (man.) | Smiths Falls (FAHL) | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| March 14-17, 1906 | Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA) | Cecil Blanchford (cptn.) | Ottawa Silver Seven (ECAHA) | Two-game total goals | 12-10 |
| December 1906 | Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA) | Cecil Blanchford (cptn.) | New Glasgow Cubs (MaHL) | Two-game total goals | 17-5 |
| January 1907 | Kenora Thistles (MHL) | Tommy Phillips (cptn.) | Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA) | Two-game total goals | 12-8 |
| March 1907 | Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA) | Cecil Blanchford | Kenora Thistles (MHL) | Two-game total goals | 12-8 |
| January 1908 | Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA) | Cecil Blanchford | Ottawa Victorias (FAHL) | Two-game total goals | 22-4 |
| March 10-12, 1908 | Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA) | Cecil Blanchford | Winnipeg Maple Leafs (MHL) | Two-game total goals | 20-8 |
| March 14, 1908 | Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA) | Cecil Blanchford | Toronto Trolley Leaguers (OPHL) | Single-elimination | 6-4 |
| December 1908 | Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA) | Cecil Blanchford | Edmonton Eskimos (AHL) | Two-game total goals | 13-10 |
| 1909 | Ottawa Senators (ECHA) | Bruce Stuart (cptn.) | No challengers |
| January 5-7, 1910 | Ottawa Senators (CHA) | Bruce Stuart (cptn.) | Galt (OPHL) | Two-game total goals | 15-4 |
| January 18-20, 1910 | Ottawa Senators (NHA) | Bruce Stuart (cptn.) | Edmonton Eskimos (AHL) | Two-game total goals | 21-11 |
| March 1910 | Montreal Wanderers (NHA) | Pud Glass (cptn.) | Berlin Union Jacks (OPHL) | Single-elimination | 7-3 |
| March 13, 1911 | Ottawa Senators (NHA) | Bruce Stuart (cptn.) | Galt (OPHL) | Single-elimination | 7-4 |
| March 16, 1911 | Ottawa Senators (NHA) | Bruce Stuart (cptn.) | Port Arthur Bearcats (NOHA) | Single-elimination | 14-4 |
| 1912 | Quebec Bulldogs (NHA) | Mike Quinn | Moncton Victorias (MPHL) | Best-of-three | 2-0 |
| 1913 | Quebec Bulldogs (NHA) | Joe Malone (cptn.) | Sydney Miners (MPHL) | Two-game total goals | 20-5 |
| March 1914 | Toronto Blueshirts (NHA) | Scotty Davidson | Montreal Canadiens (NHA) | Two-game total goals | 6-2 |
| March 1914 | Toronto Blueshirts (NHA) | Scotty Davidson | Victoria Aristocrats (PCHA) | Best-of-three | 3-0 |
(*) Note: Although the Montreal Victorias won the AHA title in 1895, the Stanley Cup trustees had already accepted a challenge from the 1894 Cup champion Montreal AAA and Queen's University. As a compromise, the trustees decided that if the Montreal AAA won the challenge match, the Victorias would become the Stanley Cup champions. The AAA eventually won the game, 5-1, and their crosstown rivals were awarded the Cup.(**) Note: For most of 1904, the Ottawa Silver Seven was not affiliated with any league.''(***) Note: The Montreal Wanderers were disqualified as the result of a dispute. After Game 1 ended tied at the end of regulation, 1-1, the Wanderers refused to play overtime with the current referee, and then subsequently refused to play the next game of the series in Ottawa.
NHA - PCHA champions
NHL - PCHA champions
NHL - PCHA - WCHL champions
NHL - WHL champions
NHL champions
The following is a list of Stanley Cup champions since
1915, the year the cup was first awarded on an annual basis. Prior to 1915 when it was a "challenge" cup, several teams could challenge the champion each year, so there was no clear annual winner.
Notes: 1.) The
Toronto Arenas and
Toronto St. Pats are former names of the
Toronto Maple Leafs.2.) The
Ottawa Senators team listed refers to the original team before they re-joined the NHL in
1992-93.
In an uncanny "losing streak," a different city (or state) has lost the Stanley Cup final in each of the last 17 consecutive seasons. This streak began in 1989 with Montreal, then Boston, Minnesota, Chicago, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Detroit, Florida, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, Dallas, New Jersey, Carolina, Anaheim, Calgary, and finally Edmonton in 2006. The streak for different franchises has continued only 14 years, since the 1991 losers, the Minnesota North Stars, are the same franchise as the Dallas Stars.
*
Stanley Cup Challenge Games*
List of NHL seasons*
Presidents' Trophy*
List of NHL franchise post-season droughts*
List of winners of the Stanley Cup from the
Hockey Hall of Fame*
List of winners of the Stanley Cup from NHL.com
