SUNRISE, Fla. — Champions may walk together forever, but not every Stanley Cup Final remains in our collective memory for quite that long.
With an all-time Game 7 on tap between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers on Monday night, it’s a good time to look back on the current era of championship series in the NHL.
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Incredibly, there hasn’t been a sweep in the Stanley Cup Final since the salary cap was introduced in 2005, and we’ve now had as many of those series go to a Game 7 as those that ended with a Game 5.
So, at the risk of disrespecting your most treasured Cup winner, here’s a completely subjective ranking of every Stanley Cup Final in the NHL’s salary cap era.
Having covered 18 of these 19 series, the rankings are based on my impression of the buzz at the time, the quality of teams, the quality of hockey played, the historical significance of the outcome and how much fun the series ended up being. Feel free to disagree and post your own favorite memories or even rankings in the comments section.
No. 19
2023: Vegas Golden Knights 4, Florida Panthers 1
Cup lifted: June 13, 2023, after Vegas won 9-3 in Game 5
Conn Smythe: Jonathan Marchessault
CJ’s lasting impression: Not only was the outcome of this series never in doubt, it wasn’t even close. The Golden Knights outscored the Panthers 26-12 on aggregate. While the celebration inside T-Mobile Arena popped throughout a clinching game in which Vegas piled on the goals, it lacked the drama and tension that tends to separate the Stanley Cup playoffs from other sporting events.
No. 18
2007: Anaheim Ducks 4, Ottawa Senators 1
Cup lifted: June 6, 2007, after Anaheim won 6-2 in Game 5
Conn Smythe: Scott Niedermayer
CJ’s lasting impression: Another Final where the outcome was never really in question. Ottawa endured a lengthy wait for the start of the series after defeating Buffalo in the Eastern Conference final and never got back up to speed. It marked the first and only Stanley Cup victory for the Ducks organization.
No. 17
2021: Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Montreal Canadiens 1
Cup lifted: July 7, 2021, after Tampa Bay won 1-0 in Game 5
Conn Smythe: Andrei Vasilevskiy
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CJ’s lasting impression: This was a truly weird series as the world was still emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, with games played before sellout crowds in Tampa and only a few thousand fans in Montreal because of government-imposed restrictions in Quebec. The Lightning were the much stronger team and got to celebrate a Cup victory along with family and friends inside a rocking Amalie Arena after winning the previous year by themselves inside the Edmonton bubble.
No. 16
2020: Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Dallas Stars 2
Cup lifted: Sept. 28, 2020, after Tampa Bay won 2-0 in Game 6
Conn Smythe: Victor Hedman
CJ’s lasting impression: The most memorable moment of the COVID-19 Stanley Cup came when Steven Stamkos dramatically scored during one of the five shifts he was healthy enough to take inside the bubble. Even without fans, that popped inside the building! However, most of us would rather forget that tournament altogether. A serious grind for players and staff who had to live behind fences and go through daily COVID-19 tests, it’s safe to assume most fans don’t remember too much about a crammed championship series that saw six games played in 10 days so that they could get it over with as soon as possible.
No. 15
2012: Los Angeles Kings 4, New Jersey Devils 2
Cup lifted: June 11, 2012, after Los Angeles won 6-1 in Game 6
Conn Smythe: Jonathan Quick
CJ’s lasting impression: The Kings had to wait a little longer for their first Stanley Cup win after going up 3-0 … and then losing two games to New Jersey, prompting two more cross-continent trips. But it never felt in much doubt. Quick was virtually unbeatable that spring and kept the Devils to two goals or less in five of the six games played in that Final.
No. 14
2017: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Nashville Predators 2
Cup lifted: June 11, 2017, after Pittsburgh won 2-0 in Game 6
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Conn Smythe: Sidney Crosby
CJ’s lasting impression: The third Stanley Cup of the Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era featured a lot of lopsided scores: 4-1, 5-1, 4-1, 6-0. The clincher was close, with Patric Hornqvist silencing Bridgestone Arena with the game’s opening goal in the 58th minute, but most of the details from this series will be lost to time. The highlight was the incredible scene on Broadway, where thousands of fans gathered before and during every game played in Nashville to celebrate the organization’s first and only appearance in a Stanley Cup Final.
No. 13
2016: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, San Jose Sharks 2
Cup lifted: June 12, 2016, after Pittsburgh won 3-1 in Game 6
Conn Smythe: Sidney Crosby
CJ’s lasting impression: The long-awaited second Stanley Cup celebration for Crosby and Malkin came at the expense of the only appearance in the Final by Joe Thornton’s Sharks. The series featured close games, but still it felt like the Penguins were largely in control throughout. This was also Phil Kessel’s first Cup victory and saw one of the closest Conn Smythe votes ever with Crosby narrowly defeating his teammate.
No. 12
2018: Washington Capitals 4, Vegas Golden Knights 1
Cup lifted: June 7, 2018, after Washington won 4-3 in Game 5
Conn Smythe: Alex Ovechkin
CJ’s lasting impression: The storylines sizzled as the expansion Golden Knights improbably reached the Cup Final in their first season while Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Co., finally broke through in their 13th after enduring so many heartbreaks before it. The joy on Ovechkin’s face when he finally got to hoist the trophy is easily recalled to this day. Washington reeled off four straight wins after dropping the series opener and promptly took the Stanley Cup to the nearby Las Vegas Strip to kick off a celebration unlike any we’ve seen since.
No. 11
2014: Los Angeles Kings 4, New York Rangers 1
Cup lifted: June 13, 2014, after Los Angeles won 3-2 in Game 5
Conn Smythe: Justin Williams
CJ’s lasting impression: The biggest shame about this series is that it only lasted five games. Los Angeles captured three of those in overtime, including the clincher on an Alec Martinez goal in double overtime. That followed an overtime period featuring some of the most exciting back-and-forth hockey seen in any Cup Final game in recent memory. Electric stuff. This wound up being the only chance Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had to play for a championship and I’ll always remember the look of disbelief on his face as he slowly removed his pads before speaking with reporters following an overtime loss in Game 2.
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No. 10
2008: Detroit Red Wings 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Cup lifted: June 4, 2008, after Detroit won 3-2 in Game 6
Conn Smythe: Henrik Zetterberg
CJ’s lasting impression: The fourth Stanley Cup win for the heavily favored Red Wings in 12 years saw them overcome the disappointment of a triple overtime loss in Game 5 on a night where Joe Louis Arena was ready to celebrate. They got the job done two nights later at the old Igloo in Pittsburgh. This series saw Crosby compete in his first Stanley Cup Final at the end of his third NHL season, and he hung a photo of the dejected Penguins bench from the final buzzer in his gym that summer for extra motivation.
No. 9
2013: Chicago Blackhawks 4, Boston Bruins 2
Cup lifted: June 24, 2013, after Chicago won 3-2 in Game 6
Conn Smythe: Patrick Kane
CJ’s lasting impression: Goals 17 seconds apart by Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland stunned TD Garden and helped the Blackhawks claim another Stanley Cup. A series featuring two Original Six teams also included three overtime games and probably deserved the Game 7 it was heading toward before those quick strikes by the depth forwards from Chicago. Notably, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron played Game 6 of this series with a partially collapsed lung, broken rib and torn cartilage and muscle tissue, plus a separated shoulder.
No. 8
2019: St. Louis Blues 4, Boston Bruins 3
Cup lifted: June 12, 2019, after St. Louis won 4-1 in Game 7
Conn Smythe: Ryan O’Reilly
CJ’s lasting impression: The first Stanley Cup victory in Blues history required a gutsy Game 7 performance in Boston after they missed out on closing the deal on home ice in Game 6. It also came after the team sat in last place overall some 30 games into the regular season before catching fire. The back-and-forth Final saw O’Reilly score goals in each of the last four games while claiming the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
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No. 7
2010: Chicago Blackhawks 4, Philadelphia Flyers 2
Cup lifted: June 9, 2010, after Chicago won 4-3 in Game 6
Conn Smythe: Jonathan Toews
CJ’s lasting impression: Kane ended the NHL’s longest active Cup drought at the time by scoring an overtime goal that only he and a handful of others initially realized was in the net. That stopped a Cinderella run by that Flyers team a couple of games short of a championship. It was a colorful, high-scoring series that saw Chris Pronger stealing game pucks after Chicago’s first two victories and helped propel Toews into the “Triple Gold Club” at age 22. There will likely be at least four Hockey Hall of Famers from that Blackhawks roster when all is said and done.
No. 6
2015: Chicago Blackhawks 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
Cup lifted: June 15, 2015, after Chicago won 2-0 in Game 6
Conn Smythe: Duncan Keith
CJ’s lasting impression: Led by the “Triplets Line,” the Lightning were the new kids on the block and held their own against Toews, Kane and Co. In fact, the first five games of the series were each decided by a goal. It wound up being the first Stanley Cup won by the Blackhawks on home ice at United Center, and that electric night will be remembered for a huge storm in the area that delayed the arrival of the Stanley Cup for presentation by about 15 minutes. That resulted in a change of protocol that now sees the trophy arrive early for any potential clinching game.
No. 5
2006: Carolina Hurricanes 4, Edmonton Oilers 3
Cup lifted: June 19, 2006, after Carolina won 3-1 in Game 7
Conn Smythe: Cam Ward
CJ’s lasting impression: The Hurricanes were on absolutely no one’s radar as a Cup contender when the lockout ended, and they wound up ushering in a new style of uptempo play that suited rule changes at that time. The series featured a three-goal Hurricanes comeback in Game 1, a short-handed Fernando Pisani goal in overtime of Game 5 to keep Edmonton alive and saw Ward become the first rookie goalie since Patrick Roy in 1986 to lead his team to a Stanley Cup win.
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No. 4
2022: Colorado Avalanche 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
Cup lifted: June 26, 2022, after Colorado won 2-1 in Game 6
Conn Smythe: Cale Makar
CJ’s lasting impression: Tampa Bay’s third straight appearance in the Final ended with the first championship for Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon, Makar and Gabriel Landeskog. Leaving aside a lopsided victory for each team, this series was tight and tense. The difference was two overtime wins by Colorado, including one in Game 4 where Nazem Kadri froze the clock in extra time while playing in his first game back from a broken thumb.
No. 3
2011: Boston Bruins 4, Vancouver Canucks 3
Cup lifted: June 15, 2011, after Boston won 4-0 in Game 7
Conn Smythe: Tim Thomas
CJ’s lasting impression: This one is remembered more for the storylines than the quality of competition: Alex Burrows’ bite, Thomas’ refusal to pump Roberto Luongo’s tires, the Aaron Rome suspension, Brad Marchand punching Daniel Sedin … and so much more. It was nasty from the outset and ended with fans in Vancouver rioting in the streets. A lot of that shouldn’t be celebrated, of course, but it also won’t soon be forgotten. This also stands as the only Cup win for a Bruins core that was among the NHL’s best for a decade.
No. 2
2009: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
Cup lifted: June 12, 2009, after Pittsburgh won 2-1 in Game 7
Conn Smythe: Evgeni Malkin
CJ’s lasting impression: This was Crosby’s first Stanley Cup and the end of an era for a Red Wings team stocked with Hall of Famers. It was also one hell of a series. In fact, it wasn’t truly decided until Marc-Andre Fleury’s diving save on Nicklas Lidstrom from the left faceoff circle in the dying seconds. The Penguins dropped the first two games of the series and were outscored 17-14 on aggregate. That’s how close it was.
No. 1
2024: Edmonton Oilers 3, Florida Panthers 3
Cup lifted: June 24, 2024
Conn Smythe: TBD
CJ’s lasting impression: Is there some recency bias at play here? Possibly. But this first Final for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl has made for a captivating two weeks in June, especially with the quality of McDavid’s play and Edmonton’s historic rally from an 0-3 hole in the series. With the Panthers trying to avoid losing a second straight Stanley Cup Final, history is at hand one way or another. Bring on Game 7!
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic, with photo from John McCreary / Getty Images)
