For the 30th year in a row, we will not see a Canadian team lift the Stanley Cup.
The Edmonton Oilers — Canada’s last hope — were knocked out of the playoffs Sunday following a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were the only other Canadian team to reach the second round, losing in five games to the Florida Panthers.
The 1993 Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian team to capture hockey’s top prize. This year’s winner will be the 29th consecutive American champion — the Cup wasn’t presented in 2005 due to a lockout.
This year marks the first time since the 2020 COVID-19 bubble playoffs that no Canadian team will play in either Conference Final.
The 1994 and 2011 Vancouver Canucks, 2004 Calgary Flames, 2006 Edmonton Oilers, 2007 Ottawa Senators and 2021 Canadiens all lost in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Maple Leafs became Stanley Cup favourites at Las Vegas bookmakers this year after the Boston Bruins were eliminated in the first round, but Toronto fell well short against the eighth-seeded Panthers. Toronto hasn’t won the Cup or been in the Final since 1967.
The previous longest drought between Canadian Stanley Cup champions was a six-season run from 1936 to 1941.