List of NHL franchise post-season droughts explained

Active and all-time National Hockey League (NHL) franchise post-season appearance, post-season series win, Stanley Cup Finals and Stanley Cup droughts up to and including the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, are listed below. Those teams which have never made it in franchise history are listed by the season that they entered the league, either as a new franchise or when they merged into the NHL from the disbanded World Hockey Association (WHA) league. These lists do not include the cancelled 2004–05 NHL season when calculating "number of seasons".

Among the current 32 NHL teams, ten have never won the Stanley Cup, with the oldest of them being the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres (53 seasons). The longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs (56 seasons). Toronto's drought is still active, and they have not made the Finals since winning the last Stanley Cup in 1967, before the expansion era. Five teams have never reached the Stanley Cup Finals, with the oldest of them being the Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes franchise (43 seasons). Toronto's active 56-season drought from the Finals is the longest in NHL history. In 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks ended what was the second-longest Stanley Cup championship drought at 49 seasons (now the sixth-longest). The end of that drought was the first of three consecutive years in which one of the eleven longest such droughts was broken (Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, Boston Bruins in 2011, and Los Angeles Kings in 2012).

The Buffalo Sabres have the longest active playoff series win drought at 17 seasons and also have the longest active post-season appearance drought at 13 seasons, a league record. The Florida Panthers have the longest playoff series win drought in league history at 24 seasons.

Longest active droughts

Post-season appearance droughts

A postseason appearance drought is continued by not making the NHL playoffs after the regular season. Since the first round of the playoffs normally consists of eight series (sixteen teams) and there were thirty-two active teams in the NHL during the 2023–24 season, there are sixteen teams that did not make the most recent playoffs on this list.

Team	Last appearance in post-season	Post-season drought
		13 seasons
		8 seasons
		7 seasons
		6 seasons
		5 seasons
		4 seasons^1
		4 seasons
		4 seasons
		4 seasons
		3 seasons
		2 seasons
		2 seasons
		2 seasons
		1 season
		1 season
		1 season

¹ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

Division championship droughts

This is a list of the teams and the number of seasons since they have won the Division championship. This list does not include the division champions in the 2023–24 NHL season: the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks.

Team		Last Division championship win		Division championship drought
		36 seasons
		35 seasons
		32 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)	23 seasons
		18 seasons
		17 seasons^1
		16 seasons
		14 seasons
		14 seasons
		13 seasons
		13 seasons
		13 seasons
		12 seasons^2,3
		7 seasons
		7 seasons
		7 seasons
		5 seasons
		5 seasons
		4 seasons
		4 seasons
		4 seasons
		3 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2021–22)	3 seasons
		2 seasons
		1 season
		1 season
		1 season
		1 season

¹ includes 4 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (2007–08 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

² franchise changed its name in 2014 from Phoenix to Arizona Coyotes

³ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

Presidents' Trophy droughts

This is a list of the teams and the number of seasons since they have won the Presidents' Trophy as the regular season champions. This list does not include the most recent Presidents' Trophy champions: the New York Rangers.

Team		Last Presidents' Trophy^1		Subsequent Presidents' Trophy finalists		Presidents' Trophy drought
			60 seasons^1
	never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)		56 seasons^1
	never (inception of franchise in 1974–75)		49 seasons^1,2
			45 seasons^1
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)		44 seasons^1,3
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)		44 seasons^1,4,5
			41 seasons^1
			38 seasons^1
			36 seasons
			34 seasons
			30 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1993–94)		30 seasons
			24 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)		24 seasons^6
			23 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)		23 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)		23 seasons
			20 seasons
			17 seasons
			16 seasons
			15 seasons
			12 seasons
			11 seasons
			7 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2017–18)		7 seasons
			6 seasons
			5 seasons
			3 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2021–22)		3 seasons
			2 seasons
			1 season

¹ The trophy was introduced at the start of the 1985–86 NHL season.

² includes 2 seasons of the Kansas City Scouts (1974–75 through to 1975–76) + 6 seasons of the Colorado Rockies (1976–77 through to 1981–82) + 41 season of the New Jersey Devils (1982–83 through to 2023–24)

³ includes 18 seasons of the Hartford Whalers (1979–80 through to 1996–97) + 26 seasons of the Carolina Hurricanes (1997–98 through to 2023–24)

⁴ includes 17 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons of the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)

⁵ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

⁶ includes 11 seasons of the Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

Post-season series win droughts

A post-season series win drought is continued either by not making the playoffs in a season or by making the playoffs in a season and subsequently losing the first-round series. Since the first round of the NHL playoffs consists of eight series (sixteen teams), there will be twenty-four teams in this list – the sixteen teams that do not qualify for the post-season, plus the eight teams that lose their first-round series.

The other eight teams – the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks – all won a post-season series in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Team		Last post-season series win		Subsequent post-season series losses		Postseason series win drought
		2 : 2009–10, 2010–11	017 seasons
			011 seasons
			010 seasons
			09 seasons
			07 seasons
			07 seasons
			06 seasons
			06 seasons
			06 seasons
			05 seasons
			04 seasons^1
			04 seasons
			04 seasons
			04 seasons
			3 seasons
			3 seasons
			3 seasons
			2 seasons
			2 seasons
			2 seasons
			1 season
			1 season
			1 season
			1 season

¹ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

Stanley Cup Finals droughts

This lists the teams and the number of seasons since reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. This list does not include a team that made the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals: the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.

Team		Last appearance in Stanley Cup Finals		Subsequent Conference Finals losses^1		Stanley Cup Finals drought
			56 seasons
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)		44 seasons^2,3
			39 seasons
			24 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)		24 seasons^4
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)		23 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)		23 seasons
			19 seasons
			018 seasons
			017 seasons
			017 seasons
			015 seasons
			014 seasons
			013 seasons
			012 seasons
			010 seasons
			010 seasons
			09 seasons
			08 seasons
			07 seasons
			07 seasons
			6 seasons
			5 seasons
			5 seasons
			4 seasons
			3 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2021–22)		3 seasons
			2 seasons
			2 seasons
			1 season

¹ includes Semifinals up to and including 1980–81 and Stanley Cup Semifinals in 2020–21

² includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)

³ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

⁴ includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

Stanley Cup droughts

This is a list of the teams and the number of seasons since they have won the Stanley Cup. This list excludes the most recent Stanley Cup champions: the Florida Panthers.

Team		Last Stanley Cup		Subsequent Stanley Cup Finals losses		Stanley Cup drought
			56 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)		53 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)		53 seasons
			48 seasons
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)		44 seasons^1,2
			40 seasons
			34 seasons
			33 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1991–92)		32 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1992–93)		31 seasons
			30 seasons
			29 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1998–99)		25 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)		24 seasons^3
			24 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)		23 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)		23 seasons
			20 seasons
			018 seasons
			017 seasons
			016 seasons
		2 : 2012–13, 2018–19	013 seasons
			010 seasons
			09 seasons
			07 seasons
			06 seasons
			05 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2021–22)		3 seasons
			03 seasons
			2 seasons
			1 season

¹ includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)

² The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

³ includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

Closest approaches without winning

	Team		First NHL season	First Round Appearances^1	Second Round Appearances^2	Conference Finals Appearances^3	Stanley Cup Finals Appearances	Fewest wins short of Stanley Cup
		28	13	3	3	01 win short : 1993–94, 2010–11
		27	15	6	2	02 wins short : 1974–75, 1998–99
		21	15	5	1	02 wins short : 2015–16
		15	5	1	1	2 wins short : 2016–17
		16	7	3	1	03 wins short : 2006–07
Arizona Coyotes^4,5		20	3	1		07 wins short : 2011–12
Winnipeg Jets^6		7	2	1		7 wins short : 2017–18
		12	3	1		08 wins short : 2002–03
		1	1			9 wins short : 2022–23
		6	1			10 wins short : 2018–19

¹ includes Preliminary Rounds from 1974–75 through to 1980–81, Division Semifinals from 1981–82 through to 1992–93 and Conference Quarterfinals from 1993–94 through to 2012–13.

² includes Quarterfinals from 1967–68 through to 1980–81, Division Finals from 1981–82 through to 1992–93 and Conference Semifinals from 1993–94 through to 2012–13.

³ includes Semifinals up to and including 1980–81 and Stanley Cup Semifinals in 2020–21.

⁴ includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Arizona Coyotes/Phoenix Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24).

⁵ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

⁶ includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24).

Longest all-time droughts

Post-season appearance droughts

Team		Previous post-season appearance		Next post-season appearance		Post-season drought
			13 seasons
			10 seasons^1
			10 seasons
			9 seasons^2
			9 seasons
			8 seasons
California Golden Seals / Cleveland Barons^3		never (last season 1977–78)	8 seasons^4
	never (first season 1974–75)		8 seasons
			8 seasons
			7 seasons
			7 seasons
		2003–04^5	7 seasons
			7 seasons^1
	never (first season 2000–01)		7 seasons^1
			7 seasons^1
			7 seasons^6
			7 seasons
			7 seasons

¹ no post-season occurred in 2005, due to the 2004–05 NHL Lockout

² includes 4 seasons for Colorado Rockies (1978–79 through to 1981–82) + 5 seasons for New Jersey Devils (1982–83 through to 1986–87)

³ franchise dissolved in 1978 in a merger with the Minnesota North Stars (current Dallas Stars)

⁴ includes 6 seasons for California Golden Seals (1970–71 through to 1975–76) + 2 seasons for Cleveland Barons (1976–77, 1977–78)

⁵ includes the Stanley Cup Finals appearance in the same year

⁶ includes 4 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (2007–08 through to 2010–11) + 3 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2013–14)

Division championship droughts

Team		Last Division championship win		Next Division championship win		Division championship drought
			36 seasons^1
			35 seasons^1
	1937–38^2		32 seasons
			32 seasons^1
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)		31 seasons^1,3
	1931–32^2		28 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)		23 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)	1990–91^4	23 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)		23 seasons^1
	never (inception of franchise in 1974–75)		22 seasons^5

¹ no post-season occurred in 2005, due to the 2004–05 NHL Lockout

² from 1938–1967 the NHL did not have any divisions.

³ includes 17 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 14 seasons of the Phoenix Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2010–11)

⁴ won the Stanley Cup in the same year.

⁵ includes 2 seasons of the Kansas City Scouts (1974–75 through to 1975–76) + 6 seasons of the Colorado Rockies (1976–77 through to 1981–82) + 14 seasons of the New Jersey Devils (1982–83 through to 1995–96)

Presidents' Trophy droughts

Team		Last Presidents' Trophy^1		Subsequent Presidents' Trophy finalists		Next Presidents' Trophy		Presidents' Trophy drought
				60 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)			56 seasons
				49 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1974–75)			49 seasons^2
				45 seasons
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)			44 seasons^3
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)			44 seasons^4,5
				41 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1926–27)			40 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)		2010–11^6	39 seasons

¹ trophy was introduced at the start of the 1985–86

² includes 2 seasons of the Kansas City Scouts (1974–75 through to 1975–76) + 6 seasons of the Colorado Rockies (1976–77 through to 1981–82) + 41 season of the New Jersey Devils (1982–83 through to 2023–24)

³ includes 18 seasons of the Hartford Whalers (1979–80 through to 1996–97) + 26 seasons of the Carolina Hurricanes (1997–98 through to 2023–24)

⁴ includes 17 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons of the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)

⁵ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

⁶ includes the Stanley Cup Finals appearance in the same year

Post-season series win droughts

Team		Previous post-season series win		Intervening post-season series losses		Next post-season series win		Post-season series win drought
				24 seasons
Winnipeg Jets / Phoenix Coyotes^1				23 seasons^2
		0		21 seasons
		0		20 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)	0		17 seasons^3
	never (inception of franchise in 2000–01)	0		17 seasons
				17 seasons
				17 seasons
		0	1960–61^4	16 seasons
		0		15 seasons^5

¹ franchise renamed in 2014 as Arizona Coyotes

² includes 9 seasons of the Winnipeg Jets (1987–88 through to 1995–96) + 14 seasons of the Phoenix Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2010–11)

³ includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 6 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2016–17)

⁴ won the Stanley Cup in the same year.

⁵ includes 11 seasons of the Hartford Whalers (1986–87 through to 1996–97) + 4 season of the Carolina Hurricanes (1997–98 through to 2000–01)

Stanley Cup Finals droughts

Team		Previous Stanley Cup Finals		Intervening Conference Finals losses		Next Stanley Cup Finals		Stanley Cup Finals drought
				56 seasons
			2018–19^1	47 seasons
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)			44 seasons^2,3
		3: 1992–93, 2019–20, 2020-21		39 seasons
				28 seasons
				26 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)			25 seasons
				25 seasons
				24 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1999–2000)			24 seasons^4

¹ won the Stanley Cup in the same year.

² includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)

³ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

⁴ includes 11 seasons for Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2000 through to 2010–11) + 13 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (2011–12 through to 2023–24)

Stanley Cup droughts

Team		Previous Stanley Cup		Intervening Stanley Cup Finals losses		Next Stanley Cup		Stanley Cup drought
				56 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)			53 seasons
				53 seasons^1
	never (inception of franchise in 1970–71)			53 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)			50 seasons
				48 seasons
Chicago Black Hawks^2				47 seasons
	never (franchise entered the NHL in 1979–80)			44 seasons^3,4
	never (inception of franchise in 1967–68)			43 seasons
	never (inception of franchise in 1974–75)			42 seasons
				41 seasons

¹ it is common to refer to the duration of the New York Rangers' record Stanley Cup drought as 54 "years" (1940 to 1994), but that only encompasses 53 seasons (1940–41 to 1992–93).

² the name of the team was Black Hawks for a majority of the drought (25 of the 47 seasons) before being renamed to Blackhawks in 1986.

³ includes 17 seasons for Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 through to 1995–96) + 27 seasons for Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (1996–97 through to 2023–24)

⁴ The team was inactive at the start of the 2024–25 NHL season.

Cities/regions awaiting first Stanley Cup

This list only includes cities/regions currently hosting an NHL franchise.

	City/Region		Seasons waiting		Stanley Cup Finals appearances		Current NHL team
	530		Buffalo Sabres
	49^1	1980–81^2, 1990–91^2	Minnesota Wild
	41^3		San Jose Sharks
	250		Nashville Predators
	23	Never	Columbus Blue Jackets
	00	Never	Utah Hockey Club

¹ includes 26 seasons of the Minnesota North Stars (1967–68 through to 1992–93) and all seasons of the Minnesota Wild which has been competing since 2000–01.

² both Stanley Cup Finals appearances by the Minnesota North Stars.

³ includes 9 seasons of the California Seals, Oakland Seals, California Golden Seals franchise (1967–68 through to 1975–76) and all seasons of the San Jose Sharks which has been competing since 1991–92.

• Although the Vancouver Canucks have not won a Stanley Cup since inception of franchise in 1970–71, Vancouver has one Stanley Cup to its credit - the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association won the Stanley Cup in 1915 prior to the founding of the NHL in 1917.
• While the current Ottawa Senators have never won the Stanley Cup since inception of franchise in 1992–93, Ottawa celebrated 11 Stanley Cup championships with the original era Ottawa Senators, the last one in 1927.
• While neither team called the Winnipeg Jets has ever won the Stanley Cup in Winnipeg, the city celebrated three Stanley Cup championships by the Winnipeg Victorias, the last in 1902, prior to the founding of the NHL in 1917. The original Winnipeg Jets team played between 1979–80 and 1995–96, while the current Winnipeg Jets team has been competing since 2011–12.
• The Seattle Kraken began play in 2021–22; however, the city of Seattle has one prior Stanley Cup championship as the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association became the first U.S.-based team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917.

Canadian droughts

Despite having fewer Canadian-based teams than U.S.-based ones throughout much of the NHL's existence (dating back to the Original Six era when it was two Canadian clubs to four American ones, and now seven to twenty-five since 2021), there have been only two times in league history where none of the Canadian teams qualified for the postseason: 1969–70 and 2015–16.^[1] The 1992–93 Montreal Canadiens remain the most recent Canadian club to win the Stanley Cup.^[2]

• Last time that all Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs: 1985–86
• Last time that no Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs: 2015–16
• Last all-Canadian first-round series: 2020–21 (Toronto vs. Montreal and Edmonton vs. Winnipeg)
• Last all-Canadian first-round series without North Division: 2014–15 (Montreal vs. Ottawa and Vancouver vs. Calgary)
• Last time all the Canadian teams were eliminated in the first round: 2018–19 (Calgary, Toronto, Winnipeg)
• Last all-Canadian second round series: 2023–24 (Edmonton vs. Vancouver)
• Last time all the Canadian teams were eliminated by the end of the second round: 2022–23 (Edmonton and Toronto)
• Last Conference Finals appearance by a Canadian team: 2023–24 (Edmonton)
• Last all-Canadian Conference Finals: 1993–94 (Toronto vs. Vancouver)
• Last Stanley Cup Finals appearance by a Canadian team: 2023–24 (Edmonton)
• Last all-Canadian Stanley Cup Finals: 1988–89 (Calgary vs. Montreal)
• Last Stanley Cup won by a Canadian team: 1992–93 (Montreal)

See also

• Season structure of the NHL
• List of NHL franchise post-season appearance streaks
• List of MLB franchise post-season droughts
• List of NBA franchise post-season droughts
• List of NFL franchise post-season droughts

Notes and References

1. Web site: Stubbs. Dave. Woe Canada. No playoffs this year north of border. NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P.. March 31, 2016. March 31, 2016.
2. Web site: Bruins win Stanley Cup. Feb 5, 2012. June 15, 2011. Tim Warnsby. CBC Sports. The Canucks weren't going to become the first Canadian-based team since the 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup with such little production..