Oldest NHL team without a Stanley Cup are Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres. Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres became a part of the NHL in 1970.
Sabres and Canucks have not secured the playoff championship in the past 53 years. However, they have gained victory over the Presidents' Trophy, Division Championships, and Conference Championships.
Canucks was founded in 1945 as a part of the East Coast Hockey League(ECHL). They moved to the Western Hockey League(WHL) in 1952 and remained with the league till 1970.
National Hockey League selected the team as their franchise in 1970. The Canucks started competing in the 1970-71 season and ended it with a record of 24-46-8 with 56 points.
Sabres became a part of the NHL since its establishment. They debuted in the league in the same season as the Canucks. They recorded 24-39-15 with 63 points in the inaugural season.
List of oldest NHL teams by age includes Montreal Canadiens which is 106 years old. Boston Bruins is the second oldest team which joined the league in 1924.
Besides being the most aged franchise, Montreal is also the team without a name or location change. It was originally founded in 1910 as a part of the National Hockey Association(NHA).
The Bruins have been a franchise of the NHL since their formation in 1924. Until now, the organization has also not gone through relocation or name change.
Some other elderly teams of the National Hockey League by age are as follows:
Canadian
The oldest to newest Canadian teams are listed below:
Toronto Maple Leafs: 96 years
Vancouver Canucks: 53 years
Calgary Flames: 51 years
Edmonton Oilers: 44 years
Ottawa Senators: 31 years
Winnipeg Jets: 12 years
American
The oldest to newest American teams of the league are as follows:
New York Rangers: 97 years
Chicago Blackhawks: 97 years
Detroit Red Wings: 91 years
Los Angeles Kings: 58 years
Pittsburgh Penguins: 56 years
St. Louis Blues: 56 years
Philadelphia Flyers: 56 years
Buffalo Sabres: 53 years
New York Islanders: 51 years
Washington Capitals: 49 years
New Jersey Devils: 41 years
San Jose Sharks: 32 years
Tampa Bay Lightning: 31 years
Florida Panthers: 30 years
Dallas Stars: 30 years
Anaheim Ducks: 30 years
Colorado Avalanche: 28 years
Arizona Coyotes: 27 years
Carolina Hurricanes: 26 years
Nashville Predators: 25 years
Minnesota Wild: 23 years
Columbus Blue Jackets: 23 years
Vegas Golden Knights: 6 years
Seattle Kraken: 2 years
NHL Expansion Teams By Year
NHL expansion teams by year 1967 are Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars, and Oakland Seals.
The 6 teams were initially added to double the number of teams present in the league. The procedure began in 1965 when then-president Clarence Campbell announced it publicly.
They were an addition to the original six teams. Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers are those teams.
Year
Expansion Team(s)
1967
Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars, California Seals
1970
Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks
1972
Atlanta Flames and New York Islanders
1974
Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts
1979
Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets
1991
San Jose Sharks
1992
Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning
1993
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Florida Panthers
1998
Nashville Predators
1999
Atlanta Thrashers
2000
Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild
2017
Vegas Golden Knights
2021
Seattle Kraken
1967
The six teams that joined the alliance with the NHL in 1967 are:
Los Angeles Kings
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
St. Louis Blues
Minnesota North Stars
Oakland Seals
Four of the teams from the first expansion still operate under the same name. Minnesota North Stars are renamed to Dallas Stars. Seals operated under multiple names before they went dysfunctional as Cleveland Barons in 1978.
1970
The second expansion occurred in 1970 and the teams that won the franchise are:
Vancouver Canucks
Buffalo Sabres
1972
The teams that joined the franchise during its third expansion are as follows:
Atlanta Flames (now Calgary Flames)
New York Islanders
Flames relocated from Atlanta, Georgia to Calgary, Alberta in 1980. The then-owner Tom Cousins sold the team because of a financial crisis.
1974
The organizations that became an NHL franchises in 1992 are:
Washington Capitals
Kansas City Scouts
Until 2023, Capitals are in operation under the same name. However, Scouts was renamed twice as Colorado Rockies and New Jersey Devils following their relocation to Denver and New Jersey respectively.
1979
The number of teams reached 21 in 1979 since four WHA clubs were added to the franchise. They are as follows:
Edmonton Oilers
Hartford Whalers
Quebec Nordiques
Winnipeg Jets
All of the teams are active in the league with different names except for the Oilers. Nordiques changed its moniker to Colorado Avalanche in 1995.
The following year, the Jets became Phoenix Coyotes and was further renamed to Arizona Coyotes. Meanwhile, Whalers are operating as the Carolina Hurricanes since 1997.
1991
San Jose Sharks was the only team to join the alliance in 1991. The owners of the organization submitted $45 million as an expansion fee.
For the name of the team, over 5,000 potential names were mailed. Blades earned first place but Sharks was finalised since it seemed more appropriate.
1992
The franchise was increased from 22 to 24 in 1992 with the addition of two teams. They are:
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Senators did not have the sum to pay for expansion. So, they leveraged land development to win the franchise. Lightning paid $50 million to secure their place in the league.
1993
Two clubs that earned the franchise in 1993 are as follows:
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Florida Panthers
The moniker of the first team was changed to Anaheim Ducks before the 2006-07 season. The Ducks and Panthers each deposited $50 million for the franchise.
When the team received the franchise, they had to pay $80 million. The city of Nashville paid the expansion fees of $25.2 million and the remaining was paid by the owner.
1999
Atlanta Thrashers became a part of the alliance in 1999. They submitted an amount of $80 million to earn a place in the National Hockey League.
The team was purchased by True North Sports & Entertainment in 2011. It was then relocated to Winnipeg and renamed Winnipeg Jets.
2000
Two more teams joined the league in 2000 making the total number reach 30. The additional crew is listed below:
The Jackets and Wild submitted the same amount as Thrashers and Predators. They were placed in the Central and Northwest divisions respectively.
2017
Vegas Golden Knight brought the team count to 31 in 2017. They paid $500 million as an expansion fee after they were awarded the franchise.
The team has progressed quite a bit in the past 5 years. They have reached the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals and have already won 3 games in the best-of-seven series.
2021
Seattle Kraken is the newly added franchise. With the arrival of Kraken, the number of teams in the National Hockey League reached 32.
The team deposited a sum of $650 million to receive the franchise. They were placed in the Pacific Division. The franchise reached the second round of the 2023 playoff championship.
How Many NHL Teams Are There?
There are 32 teams in the NHL. Montreal Canadiens is the matured one whilst Seattle Kraken is the newest member of the league.
Over the century, some teams got dysfunctional whilst others were relocated or renamed. The National Hockey League clubs along with the year they joined the league are:
Name
Year
1. Montreal Canadiens
1917
2. Boston Bruins
1924
3. New York Rangers
1926
4. Chicago Blackhawks
1926
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
1927
6. Detroit Red Wings
1932
7. Los Angeles Kings
1964
8. St. Louis Blues
1967
9. Pittsburgh Penguins
1967
10. Philadelphia Flyers
1967
11. Vancouver Canucks
1970
12. Buffalo Sabres
1970
13. Calgary Flames
1972
14. New York Islanders
1972
15. Washington Capitals
1974
16. Edmonton Oilers
1979
17. New Jersey Devils
1982
18. San Jose Sharks
1991
19. Tampa Bay Lighting
1992
20. Ottawa Senators
1992
21. Florida Panthers
1993
22. Dallas Stars
1993
23. Anaheim Ducks
1993
24. Colorado Avalanche
1995
25. Arizona Coyotes
1996
26. Carolina Hurricanes
1997
27. Nashville Predators
1998
28. Minnesota Wild
2000
29. Winnipeg Jets
1999
30. Columbus Blue Jackets
2000
31. Vegas Golden Knights
2017
32. Seattle Kraken
2021
Stanley Cup Winners By Year
Stanley Cup winners by year 1927 are the original Ottawa Senators. The recent winner of the trophy is Colorado Avalanche.
The first NHL team that secured the was Toronto Hockey Club in 1918. During that time, the trophy was shared between NHA, NHL, PCHA, WCHL, and WHL.
When WHL dissolved in 1926, the Stanley Cup remained with the National Hockey League. The year-by-year winner of the championship since 1927 is as follows:
From 1927 To 1940
When the cup landed in the NHL, the Senators won the first trophy. The Canadiens and Wings won the title for two consecutive times in this time period.
The playoff championship winners from 1927 to 1940 are:
1927: Ottawa Senators
1928: New York Rangers
1929: Boston Bruins
1930: Montreal Canadiens
1931: Montreal Canadiens
1932: Toronto Maple Leafs
1933: New York Rangers
1934: Chicago Black Hawks
1935: Montreal Maroons
1936: Detroit Red Wings
1937: Detroit Red Wings
1938: Chicago Black Hawks
1939: Boston Bruins
1940: New York Rangers
From 1940 To 1950
Maple Leafs earned the most championship during this decade. They received 5 titles whilst the Canadiens and Wings secured 2-2 victories each.
The list of Stanley Cup victors starting from 1940 to 1950 are as follows:
1941: Boston Bruins
1942: Toronto Maple Leafs
1943: Detroit Red Wings
1944: Montreal Canadiens
1945: Toronto Maple Leafs
1946: Montreal Canadiens
1947: Toronto Maple Leafs
1948: Toronto Maple Leafs
1949: Toronto Maple Leafs
1950: Detroit Red Wings
From 1950 To 1960
Montreal Canadiens won five consecutive silver trophies in this time frame. Wings progressed in the games and earned three titles.
The teams that secured the trophy between 1950 and 1960 are as follows:
1951: Toronto Maple Leafs
1952: Detroit Red Wings
1953: Montreal Canadiens
1954: Detroit Red Wings
1955: Detroit Red Wings
1956: Montreal Canadiens
1957: Montreal Canadiens
1058: Montreal Canadiens
1959: Montreal Canadiens
1960: Montreal Canadiens
From 1960 To 1970
During this time, there was tough competition between Leafs and the Canadiens. Both of the teams gained victory over the trophy 4 times each.
The list of teams who won a victory over the postseason championship title from 1960 to 1970 are:
1961: Chicago Black Hawks
1962: Toronto Maple Leafs
1963: Toronto Maple Leafs
1964: Toronto Maple Leafs
1965: Montreal Canadiens
1966: Montreal Canadiens
1967: Toronto Maple Leafs
1968: Montreal Canadiens
1969: Montreal Canadiens
1970: Boston Bruins
From 1970 To 1980
Philadelphia Flyers earned their first playoff trophy in 1974. They shocked the fanbase with a victory in the following season as well.
The NHL organizations that won Stanley Cup in the given timeframe are:
1971: Montreal Canadiens
1971: Boston Bruins
1973: Montreal Canadiens
1974: Philadelphia Flyers
1975: Philadelphia Flyers
1976: Montreal Canadiens
1977: Montreal Canadiens
1978: Montreal Canadiens
1979: Montreal Canadiens
1980: New York Islanders
From 1980 To 1990
New York Islanders made their debut as a champion in 1980. Following that, they won the postseason championship for three more seasons.
The crews that received the playoff title from 1980 to 1990 are:
1981: New York Islanders
1982: New York Islanders
1983: New York Islanders
1984: Edmonton Oilers
1985: Edmonton Oilers
1986: Montreal Canadiens
1987: Edmonton Oilers
1988: Edmonton Oilers
1989: Calgary Flames
1990: Edmonton Oilers
From 1990 To 2000
The Penguins held their first silver trophy in 1991. They also received another one in the following season. Dallas Stars also debuted as a winner in 1999.
Ice hockey clubs that took Stanley Cup home from 1990 to 2000 are:
1991: Pittsburgh Penguins
1992: Pittsburgh Penguins
1993: Montreal Canadiens
1994: New York Rangers
1995: New Jersey Devils
1996: Colorado Avalanche
1997: Detroit Red Wings
1998: Detroit Red Wings
1999: Dallas Stars
2000: New Jersey Devils
From 2000 To 2010
In the history of the NHL, the playoff was canceled in 2005 due to a labor lockout. The Ducks won their first playoff title in the year 2009.
The franchises that won the postseason finals between 2000 and 2010 are:
2001: Colorado Avalanche
2002: Detroit Red Wings
2003: New Jersey Devils
2004: Tampa Bay Lightning
2005: Canceled due to lockout
2006: Carolina Hurricanes
2007: Anaheim Ducks
2008: Detroit Red Wings
2009: Pittsburgh Penguins
2010: Chicago Blackhawks
2010 Onwards
The playoff of the 2023 season is ongoing. Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers are competing in the finals. Knights have won 3 games and they are one game win away from the title.
Since 2010 onwards, the clubs who have won the trophy are:
2011: Boston Bruins
2012: Los Angeles Kings
2013: Chicago Blackhawks
2014: Los Angeles Kings
2015: Chicago Blackhawks
2016: Pittsburgh Penguins
2017: Pittsburgh Penguins
2018: Washington Capitals
2019: St. Louis Blues
2020: Tampa Bay Lightning
2021: Tampa Bay Lightning
2022: Colorado Avalanche
Newest NHL Team To Win Stanley Cup
Newest NHL team to win Stanley Cup is Carolina Hurricanes. They won the championship in 2006 after joining the league in 2000.
Hurricanes reached the finals of the championship back in 2002. However, they lost to Detroit Red Wings with a 4-1 record in the best-of-seven series.
The franchise has received 6 Division and 2 Conference Championships by now. However, they have not won the regular season of the National Hockey League.
Another potential newest team to secure the title is Vegas Golden Knights. They entered the championship finals in their first playing season of 2017-18.
With their hard work and dedication, the team has reached the Stanley Cups Finals in 2023. In the best-of-seven series, they have won 3 games out of 4 against the Panthers.
Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals is scheduled for 13 June 2023. If the Knights defeat the Panthers in the upcoming game, then they will be declared the playoff champions of 2023.
