The NHL's 100 Greatest Stanley Cup Champions: Nos. 40-21
Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest Stanley Cup champions in the NHL era:
100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1
Voter List- James Bisson, National Sports Editor
- Josh Wegman, NHL News Editor
- Sean O'Leary, NHL News Editor
- Esten McLaren, NHL News Editor
- Lucas Casaletto, News Editor
- Michael Amato, Senior News Editor
- Craig Hagerman, NHL News Editor
- Lanny Foster, Senior Social Media Editor
- Arun Srinivasan, News Editor
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 42 | 23 | 13 | 97 | +75 |
A third-place showing in the regular season earned the Canadiens an opening-round matchup with the vaunted Bruins, who compiled 121 points and a plus-192 goal differential. Montreal stunned Boston in seven games, then outlasted the Minnesota North Stars in six before pulling out a 3-2 win in Game 7 of the final against Chicago behind two goals from Henri Richard.
39. 1926-27 Ottawa Senators
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 30 | 10 | 4 | 64 | +17 |
Before there was Jack Adams the head coach (shown above) and Jack Adams the trophy, there was Jack Adams the center - and that guy played on a really good Senators team in '26-'27. The Senators limited opponents to just 69 goals in 44 regular-season games, then proceeded to roll through the playoffs, going 2-0-2 to breeze past the Bruins in the final.
38. 1965-66 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 41 | 21 | 8 | 90 | +66 |
After overcoming a humdrum regular season to capture the Stanley Cup a season earlier, the Canadiens looked much better in '65-'66, leading the league in points while boasting the NHL's top defense and goaltending. The Canadiens outscored the Maple Leafs 15-6 in a semifinal sweep, then rallied from a 2-0 deficit to subdue the Red Wings and complete the title defense.
37. 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 42 | 22 | 10 | 94 | +59 |
The Canadiens and Rangers were the class of the league in the second year of the expansion era, finishing four points apart in the East Division standings. But when the Rangers were bounced by Chicago in Round 1, Montreal's path to the Cup became a whole lot easier - and the Canadiens didn't disappoint, sweeping the expansion St. Louis Blues in a dominant final showing.
36. 1969-70 Boston Bruins
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 40 | 17 | 19 | 99 | +61 |
Bobby Orr's legendary goal clinched the Stanley Cup for the Bruins, but it's not like the outcome was in doubt. Boston finished tied with Chicago for the most regular-season points, then went on an incredible tear in the postseason - sporting a 12-2 record while sweeping the Blues in a one-sided final. John Bucyk led the way with six goals in the four-game series.
35. 1993-94 New York Rangers
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 52 | 24 | 8 | 112 | +68 |
Rangers fans had to be confident about their team's chances of ending its 54-year Stanley Cup drought after the Blueshirts finished 11 points clear of the rest of the league and went on to win eight of their first nine playoff games. But it took seven games to get past the Devils and another seven to outlast Vancouver, with Mark Messier scoring the Game 7 winner.
34. 1998-99 Dallas Stars
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 51 | 19 | 12 | 114 | +68 |
Avert your eyes, Buffalo Sabres fans: We're sure this one still hurts. But disregarding Brett Hull's toe-in-the-crease goal in the game-clinching Game 6, the Stars were full value for their first Stanley Cup title - finishing atop the league in points on the strength of an NHL-fewest 168 goals allowed. The Stars also lost just six games in the playoffs.
33. 1954-55 Detroit Red Wings
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 42 | 17 | 11 | 95 | +70 |
The battle for the Stanley Cup came down to two teams - Detroit and Montreal - that finished more than 20 points ahead of the field during the regular season. The dream final came to fruition after the Red Wings knocked off Toronto and the Canadiens cruised past the Bruins; Alex Delvecchio played the hero for Detroit, scoring twice in Game 7 of the championship.
32. 1959-60 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 40 | 18 | 12 | 92 | +77 |
Having won the previous four Stanley Cup titles, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Habs would reach the final yet again - and they did, rolling to the best record in the league while finishing with the most goals and the fewest goals against. And in a fitting cap to an unprecedented five-peat, Montreal went a perfect 8-0 in the postseason.
31. 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 54 | 21 | 7 | 115 | +73 |
As Red Wings teams go, this has to be considered one of the best of all time. Between the 54 regular-season wins, the top-ranked defense, and the No. 3 offense, Detroit was a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup. And the Red Wings didn't waver, winning 16 of 22 games in the postseason - capped by a six-game defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
30. 1968-69 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 46 | 19 | 11 | 103 | +69 |
Montreal was the favorite to win its fourth Stanley Cup in five seasons, and that came to fruition thanks to another 100-point regular season followed by an unconscious 12-2 run in the postseason. One unheralded fact about this version of the Habs: Goalie Tony Esposito played 13 games before heading to Chicago the following season and obliterating rookie records.
29. 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 44 | 25 | 11 | 99 | +75 |
The term "end of an era" gets tossed around daily in the sports sphere, but the '87-'88 Oilers really did mark the conclusion of an unmatched period in the annals of the NHL. Wayne Gretzky gave Edmonton fans one more taste of history, scoring 149 points in the regular season and another 43 in the playoffs before making his way to Tinseltown that summer.
28. 1982-83 New York Islanders
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 42 | 26 | 12 | 96 | +76 |
Hockey fans couldn't believe the Montreal Canadiens reeled off four straight Stanley Cup titles in the late 1970s - and were even more shocked that the Isles were in position to repeat the feat immediately after. After cruising to a high seed in the regular season, New York turned it on in the playoffs, going 15-5 while sweeping the upstart Oilers to complete the four-peat.
27. 1957-58 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 43 | 17 | 10 | 96 | +92 |
The third of five consecutive Stanley Cup championships for Montreal was highlighted by a rejuvenated Maurice Richard, who was limited to just 28 games in the regular season. The 36-year-old looked like the Rocket of old in the postseason, potting a league-high 11 goals in 10 games - four of them coming in the final against Boston in a six-game Canadiens triumph.
26. 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 41 | 16 | 13 | 95 | +74 |
The five-game final between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs remains the only series in Stanley Cup history in which every game was decided in OT. But that's not what makes this Stanley Cup legendary, at least to Leafs fans: Bill Barilko scored the Game 5 winner, then perished in a plane crash in Northern Ontario later that summer.
25. 1919-20 Ottawa Senators
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 38 | +57 |
They don't build hockey players with names like Sprague Cleghorn anymore - but ol' Sprague (shown above) was known for more than his moniker. He was also an elite defenseman, scoring 16 goals in the regular season as the Senators won both halves of the season. They then faced Seattle of the PCHA for the Stanley Cup, prevailing in five games over the Metropolitans.
24. 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 52 | 16 | 14 | 118 | +78 |
This team is not only one of the most dominant of the 21st century; one voter believes it's the second-best Cup winner in history. Regardless of whether you agree, the Avs thoroughly dominated the regular season, then nearly tripped in the second round of the playoffs before ousting the Kings in seven games. Colorado clinched the chalice with a seven-game final win over New Jersey.
23. 1958-59 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 39 | 18 | 13 | 91 | +100 |
There wasn't much drama in the regular season, as the Canadiens finished 18 points clear of the next-closest finisher while becoming just the second team in NHL history to finish with a triple-digit goal differential. And as you might have guessed, Montreal didn't break much of a sweat in the playoffs, ousting Chicago in six games before cruising past Toronto 4-1 in the finals.
22. 1980-81 New York Islanders
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 48 | 18 | 14 | 110 | +95 |
The Islanders' dynasty may have kicked off with their 1980 Stanley Cup win, but it truly began with a dominant run through the 1981 postseason that followed on the heels of a Presidents' Trophy-winning regular season. New York lost just three of 18 games in the playoffs, with Mike Bossy racking up 35 points in that span to cement his superstar status.
21. 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| GP | W | L | T/OT | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 50 | 24 | 6 | 106 | +88 |
Coming off a stunning loss to the Flames in the 1986 playoffs, the Oilers were out for vengeance - and boy, did they get it. After waltzing to the league's best regular-season record, Edmonton dropped just two games in series wins over Los Angeles, Winnipeg, and Detroit. The Flyers put up a fight in the final, but a 3-1 triumph in Game 7 gave the Oilers their third title in four years.
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