165 Seasons and Counting

The second round of the NHL playoffs began last night, and something interesting I noticed of the eight teams remaining is that five of never won a Stanley Cup Championship.   Only one of them have won in the last 16 years (New Jersey Devils).  Moreover, the three teams remaining who have won all represent the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (Devils, Rangers, and Flyers).  Of course this means whomever wins the Western Conference, they will be trying for their first Stanley Cup.

The Five Remaining Teams Never to Win (and Drought):

1. St. Louis Blues (43 seasons)
2. Los Angeles Kings (43 seasons)
3. Washington Capitals (36 seasons)
4. Phoenix Coyotes (31 seasons)
5. Nashville Predators (12 seasons)

These five teams have combined to play 165 seasons in the NHL, and have yet to win a Stanley Cup.  More frustrating to these five is that the only have five appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals between them, and three of them belong to the St. Louis Blues.  None of these teams have been represented in a Stanley Cup since the 1993 Los Angeles Kings led by Wayne Gretzky.

That isn't to say the three Atlantic Division teams are light years ahead of these other franchise, rather only a couple decades.  The Philadelphia Flyers are trying to break their own drought of 35 seasons since they last won a cup in the 1974-75 season despite appearing in six finals since then.  The New York Rangers who broke a drought of 54 years when they won the Cup in 1994 have begun working one a second prolonged drought that is up to 16 years already (14th longest in the NHL).

If nothing else, a drought ending Cup this year will keep with the massive amount of parity that is seen in the NHL for Stanley Cup Champions.  In the last twelve Stanley Cups, only the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings have won more than once.