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Top 5 NHL teams to never win a Stanley Cup championship ft. Vancouver Canucks

Modified Jun 06, 2025 11:06 GMT

The Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal every NHL team has in mind each season. But only one team can win the Cup per season, while 31 others spend the summer figuring out what went wrong.

But for some teams, winning the Stanley Cup has become so elusive that they have never won the most prized trophy in hockey.

After the Florida Panthers captured their first championship in franchise history last season, the list of teams to have never won the Stanley Cup has shrunk heading into this season. So, it’s worth looking into the top five NHL teams to have never won a Stanley Cup in their history.

Top 5 NHL teams to never win a Stanley Cup championship

#5 Ottawa Senators

The first incarnation of the Ottawa Senators lasted from 1883 till 1954. During that span, the team won 11 Stanley Cups, the last one coming in 1927.

When the team was revived for the 1992 season, the hope was that the spirit of the original team could inhabit its most recent incarnation. Unfortunately, the Sens have yet to win a Stanley Cup in their current form, coming close in 2007 when they lost to the Anaheim Ducks.

The Senators have made a total of 17 playoff appearances his joining the league, with their most recent one being this season, losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the opening round.

#4 Winnipeg Jets

Another team in its second incarnation is the Winnipeg Jets. The original Jets, which joined the league in 1979 following the WHA merger, eventually became the Arizona Coyotes and then the Utah Mammoth. That version of the Jets never won a Stanley Cup.

The current version came back to Winnipeg following the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2011. Unfortunately, the new version of the Winnipeg Jets has yet to make it to the Cup Final in its nine playoff appearances.

The Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy this season, but could not make it past the second round, falling to the Dallas Stars.

#3 Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild joined the league in 2000 after the State of Minnesota lost its original franchise, the Minnesota North Stars, which became the Dallas Stars.

That franchise won a Cup in 1999, while the new Minnesota franchise has yet to reach the Cup Final in its 14 playoff appearances.

In its most recent appearance, the Wild were bounced in the first round by the Vegas Golden Knights in six games.

#2 Buffalo Sabres

Since joining the NHL in 1970, the Buffalo Sabres have made 29 playoff appearances. However, they have been unable to capture a Cup.

The Sabres have it to the Cup Final twice, falling in 1975 to the Philadelphia Flyers of the Broad Street Bullies days and in 1999, losing to the Dallas Stars on a highly controversial goal.

The Sabres are the unfortunate holders of the current longest playoff drought in the NHL, last appearing in the postseason in 2011. That’s 14 consecutive seasons the Sabres have gone without making it into the NHL playoffs.

#1 Vancouver Canucks

The Sabres’ expansion cousins, the Vancouver Canucks, have also made 29 trips to the postseason since joining the league in 1970.

The club has been to the Cup Final thrice. They lost to the New York Islanders in 1982, before running into Mark Messier and the New York Rangers in 1994, losing in a tough series. Then, the Canucks made it back to the Final in 2011, losing to the Boston Bruins in another gut-wrenching series.

The Canucks have been inconsistent, sporadically missing the playoffs, while returning shortly after. The team missed the playoffs this season after making it to the second round in 2024.

The club will be hoping to make it back next season under new coach Adam Foote.

About the author

Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early '90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can't for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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