Lord Stanley’s Cup is the oldest trophy in North American professional sports, having been donated by the Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley Preston, all the way back in 1892. It initially served as the award for amateur ice hockey clubs before the NHA (now NHL) and PCHA agreed to make it the trophy for the winner of a championship bout between their respective champions.
It wasn’t until 1926 that the Stanley Cup became the championship trophy for NHL teams following the folding of the WHL. Between 1915 and 1926, the Stanley Cup trophy was awarded to the winner of the NHL and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, before the NHL took full ownership of it after the 1925-26 season. Today, it’s the most prestigious trophy in professional ice hockey.
Since 1915, no team has won more Stanley Cups than the Montreal Canadiens, who have 23 titles in franchise history. The Toronto Maple Leafs have 13 and are the second winningest organization in the NHL, followed by the Detroit Red Wings with 11. The Original Six teams have dominated ownership of the trophy throughout its history.
The two winningest teams in history are both Canadian, but teams from Canada are enduring a staggeringly long drought without winning the Stanley Cup. The last time a Canadian team won it was the Canadiens in 1993, more than three decades ago.
The most recent winner of the Stanley Cup is the Florida Panthers, who defeated the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game series to win their first-ever title.
Season
Winner
Loser
Series Result
1914-15
Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA)
Ottawa Senators
3–0
1915-16
Montreal Canadiens
Portland Rosebuds
3–2
1916-17
Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA)
Montreal Canadiens
3–1
1917-18
Toronto Hockey Club
Vancouver Millionaires
3–2
1919-20
Ottawa Senators
Seattle Metropolitans
3–2
1920-21
Ottawa Senators
Vancouver Millionaires
3–2
1921-22
Toronto St. Patricks
Vancouver Millionaires
3–2
1922-23
Ottawa Senators
Edmonton Eskimos
2–0
1923-24
Montreal Canadiens
Calgary Tigers
2–0
1924-25
Victoria Cougars (WCHL)
Montreal Canadiens
3–1
1925-26
Montreal Maroons
Victoria Cougars
3–1
1926-27
Ottawa Senators
Boston Bruins
2–0
1927-28
New York Rangers
Montreal Maroons
3–2
1928-29
Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
2–0
1929-30
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
2–0
1930-31
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Black Hawks
3–2
1931-32
Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Rangers
3–0
1932-33
New York Rangers
Toronto Maple Leafs
3–1
1933-34
Chicago Black Hawks
Detroit Red Wings
3–1
1934-35
Montreal Maroons
Toronto Maple Leafs
3–0
1935-36
Detroit Red Wings
Toronto Maple Leafs
3–1
1936-37
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers
3–2
1937-38
Chicago Black Hawks
Toronto Maple Leafs
3–1
1938-39
Boston Bruins
Toronto Maple Leafs
4–1
1939-40
New York Rangers
Toronto Maple Leafs
4–2
1940-41
Boston Bruins
Detroit Red Wings
4–0
1941-42
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
4–3
1942-43
Detroit Red Wings
Boston Bruins
4–0
1943-44
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Black Hawks
4–0
1944-45
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
4–3
1945-46
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
4–0
1946-47
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
4–2
1947-48
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
4–0
1948-49
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
4–0
1949-50
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers
4–3
1950-51
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
4–1
1951-52
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
4–3
1952-53
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
4–1
1953-54
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
4–3
1954-55
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
4–3
1955-56
Montreal Canadiens
Detroit Red Wings
4–1
1956-57
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
4–1
1957-58
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
4–2
1958-59
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
4–1
1959-60
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
4–0
1960-61
Chicago Black Hawks
Detroit Red Wings
4–2
1961-62
Toronto Maple Leafs
Chicago Black Hawks
4–2
1962-63
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
4–1
1963-64
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
4–2
1964-65
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Black Hawks
4–3
1965-66
Montreal Canadiens
Detroit Red Wings
4–2
1966-67
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
4–2
1967-68
Montreal Canadiens
St. Louis Blues
4–0
1968-69
Montreal Canadiens
St. Louis Blues
4–0
1969-70
Boston Bruins
St. Louis Blues
4–0
1970-71
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Black Hawks
4–3
1971-72
Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
4–2
1972-73
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Black Hawks
4–2
1973-74
Philadelphia Flyers
Boston Bruins
4–2
1974-75
Philadelphia Flyers
Buffalo Sabres
4–2
1975-76
Montreal Canadiens
Philadelphia Flyers
4–0
1976-77
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
4–0
1977-78
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
4–2
1978-79
Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers
4–1
1979-80
New York Islanders
Philadelphia Flyers
4–2
1980-81
New York Islanders
Minnesota North Stars
4–1
1981-82
New York Islanders
Vancouver Canucks
4–0
1982-83
New York Islanders
Edmonton Oilers
4–0
1983-84
Edmonton Oilers
New York Islanders
4–1
1984-85
Edmonton Oilers
Philadelphia Flyers
4–1
1985-86
Montreal Canadiens
Calgary Flames
4–1
1986-87
Edmonton Oilers
Philadelphia Flyers
4–3
1987-88
Edmonton Oilers
Boston Bruins
4–0
1988-89
Calgary Flames
Montreal Canadiens
4–2
1989-90
Edmonton Oilers
Boston Bruins
4–1
1990-91
Pittsburgh Penguins
Minnesota North Stars
4–2
1991-92
Pittsburgh Penguins
Chicago Blackhawks
4–0
1992-93
Montreal Canadiens
Los Angeles Kings
4–1
1993-94
New York Rangers
Vancouver Canucks
4–3
1994-95
New Jersey Devils
Detroit Red Wings
4–0
1995-96
Colorado Avalanche
Florida Panthers
4–0
1996-97
Detroit Red Wings
Philadelphia Flyers
4–0
1997-98
Detroit Red Wings
Washington Capitals
4–0
1998-99
Dallas Stars
Buffalo Sabres
4–2
1999-2000
New Jersey Devils
Dallas Stars
4–2
2000-01
Colorado Avalanche
New Jersey Devils
4–3
2001-02
Detroit Red Wings
Carolina Hurricanes
4–1
2002-03
New Jersey Devils
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
4–3
2003-04
Tampa Bay Lightning
Calgary Flames
4–3
2005-06
Carolina Hurricanes
Edmonton Oilers
4–3
2006-07
Anaheim Ducks
Ottawa Senators
4–1
2007-08
Detroit Red Wings
Pittsburgh Penguins
4–2
2008-09
Pittsburgh Penguins
Detroit Red Wings
4–3
2009-10
Chicago Blackhawks
Philadelphia Flyers
4–2
2010-11
Boston Bruins
Vancouver Canucks
4–3
2011-12
Los Angeles Kings
New Jersey Devils
4–2
2012-13
Chicago Blackhawks
Boston Bruins
4–2
2013-14
Los Angeles Kings
New York Rangers
4–1
2014-15
Chicago Blackhawks
Tampa Bay Lightning
4–2
2015-16
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
4–2
2016-17
Pittsburgh Penguins
Nashville Predators
4–2
2017-18
Washington Capitals
Vegas Golden Knights
4–1
2018-19
St. Louis Blues
Boston Bruins
4–3
2019-20
Tampa Bay Lightning
Dallas Stars
4–2
2020-21
Tampa Bay Lightning
Montreal Canadiens
4–1
2021-22
Colorado Avalanche
Tampa Bay Lightning
4–2
2022-23
Vegas Golden Knights
Florida Panthers
4–1
2023-24
Florida Panthers
Edmonton Oilers
4–3
*There were no Stanley Cup winners in 1919, due to the Spanish flu epidemic, and in 2005 due to the NHL lockout.
No team has won more consecutive Stanley Cups than the Montreal Canadiens, who won each year from 1956 to 1960. During their five-year run, the team was led by Maurice Richard, after whom the Rocket Richard trophy was named, who scored 25 goals and tallied 44 points across 41 playoff games throughout that span.
The Canadiens enjoyed another legendary run from 1976 to ’79, winning four straight Cups. Led by NHL legend Guy Lafleur, Montreal defeated the Flyers, Bruins (twice) and Rangers while dropping just three games in the Stanley Cup final throughout those four years.
That Canadiens team passed the torch to the NHL’s next dynasty, the New York Islanders, who followed up Montreal’s four-peat with four Stanley Cup finals wins of their own from 1980 to ’83. They too only lost three games across their four-year run in the final, led by the likes of Bob Bourne and Mike Bossy, among others.
Since then, no team has managed to pull off a three-peat, let alone four straight Cup titles. The Oilers won five Cups in seven years from 1984 to ’90, and multiple teams have won back-to-back championships, most recently the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and ’21.
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