Stanley Cup Winners

Feb 14, 2008 | By John Doe | History Articles Archive

This is a list of Stanley Cup champions, including the finalists/challengers. Originally, it was referred to as the "Challenge Cup"; the champions held onto the Cup until they either lost their league title to another club, or a champion from another league issued a formal challenge and subsequently defeated the reigning Cup champion in a special game or series. The playoff format for each challenge varied depending on what the two competing clubs agreed to.

History of competition

Prior to 1912, challenges could take place at any time, given the appropriate rink conditions, and it was common for teams to defend the Cup numerous times during the year. In 1912, the Cup's trustees declared that the Cup was only to be defended at the end of the champion team's regular season. Also during the Cup's challenge era, all of the leagues that played for the trophy had no annual formal playoff system to decide their own respective championships; whoever finished in first place after the regular season won the league title. Thus, a few league championship games or series were held just to break first place ties and determine who would keep the Cup. These league title games have historically been listed along with the regular inter-league Cup challenges.

In 1915, an agreement between the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was reached in which their respective champions would face each other for the Cup. The NHA dissolved in 1917, and the National Hockey League (NHL) took its place. Then after the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) was born in 1921, it was agreed that all three league champions would play for the Cup. The PCHA and the WCHL merged in 1924, and became the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925. Since the demise of the WHL in 1926, the Cup has been awarded to the NHL champions.

The origins of the Challenge era come from the method of play of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada prior to 1893. From 1887 to 1893, the league did not play a round-robin format, but rather challenges between teams of the association that year, with the winner of the series being the 'interim' champion, with the final challenge winner becoming the league champion for the year.

The Stanley Cup kept the tradition going, but added league championships as another way that a team could win the trophy. If a team in the same league as the current champion won the league championship, it would then inherit the Cup, without a challenge. The only time this rule was not followed was in 1904, when the Ottawa Senators club withdrew from its league, the CAHL. The trustees ruled that the Cup stayed with Ottawa, instead of the CAHL champion.

The 'Full chronology' section lists the complete series of league championships and challenges during the period, and the 'Season-by-Season' record lists the winners after the final challenge of the hockey season, as well as challenge winners during the season, if they are different teams.

Full chronology

This table lists the outcome of all Stanley Cup wins, including successful victories and defenses in challenges, and league championships for the challenge era.

2006-07 - Anaheim Ducks
2005-06 - Carolina Hurricanes
2003-04 - Tampa Bay Lightning
2002-03 - New Jersey Devils
2001-02 - Detroit Red Wings
2000-01 - Colorado Avalanche
1999-2000 - New Jersey Devils
1998-99 - Dallas Stars
1997-98 - Detroit Red Wings
1996-97 - Detroit Red Wings
1995-96 - Colorado Avalanche
1994-95 - New Jersey Devils
1993-94 - New York Rangers
1992-93 - Montreal Canadiens
1991-92 - Pittsburgh Penguins
1990-91 - Pittsburgh Penguins
1989-90 - Edmonton Oilers
1988-89 - Calgary Flames
1987-88 - Edmonton Oilers
1986-87 - Edmonton Oilers
1985-86 - Montreal Canadiens
1984-85 - Edmonton Oilers
1983-84 - Edmonton Oilers
1982-83 - New York Islanders
1981-82 - New York Islanders
1980-81 - New York Islanders
1979-80 - New York Islanders
1978-79 - Montreal Canadiens
1977-78 - Montreal Canadiens
1976-77 - Montreal Canadiens
1975-76 - Montreal Canadiens
1974-75 - Philadelphia Flyers
1973-74 - Philadelphia Flyers
1972-73 - Montreal Canadiens
1971-72 - Boston Bruins
1970-71 - Montreal Canadiens
1969-70 - Boston Bruins
1968-69 - Montreal Canadiens
1967-68 - Montreal Canadiens
1966-67 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1965-66 - Montreal Canadiens
1964-65 - Montreal Canadiens
1963-64 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1962-63 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1961-62 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1960-61 - Chicago Blackhawks
1959-60 - Montreal Canadiens
1958-59 - Montreal Canadiens
1957-58 - Montreal Canadiens
1956-57 - Montreal Canadiens
1955-56 - Montreal Canadiens
1954-55 - Detroit Red Wings
1953-54 - Detroit Red Wings
1952-53 - Montreal Canadiens
1951-52 - Detroit Red Wings
1950-51 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1949-50 - Detroit Red Wings
1948-49 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1947-48 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1946-47 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1945-46 - Montreal Canadiens
1944-45 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1943-44 - Montreal Canadiens
1942-43 - Detroit Red Wings
1941-42 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1940-41 - Boston Bruins
1939-40 - New York Rangers
1938-39 - Boston Bruins
1937-38 - Chicago Black Hawks
1936-37 - Detroit Red Wings
1935-36 - Detroit Red Wings
1934-35 - Montreal Maroons
1933-34 - Chicago Black Hawks
1932-33 - New York Rangers
1931-32 - Toronto Maple Leafs
1930-31 - Montreal Canadiens
1929-30 - Montreal Canadiens
1928-29 - Boston Bruins
1927-28 - New York Rangers
1926-27 - Ottawa Senators
1925-26 - Montreal Maroons
1924-25 - Victoria Cougars
1923-24 - Montreal Canadiens
1922-23 - Ottawa Senators
1921-22 - Toronto St.
1920-21 - Ottawa Senators
1919-20 - Ottawa Senators
1918-19 - No decision
1917-18 - Toronto Arenas
1916-17 - Seattle Metropolitians
1915-16 - Montreal Canadiens
1914-15 - Vancouver Millionaires
1913-14 - Toronto Blueshirts
1912-23 - Quebec Bulldogs
1911-12 - Quebec Bulldogs
1910-11 - Ottawa Senators
1909-10 - Montreal Wanderers
1908-09 - Ottawa Senators
1907-08 - Montreal Wanderers
1906-07 - Montreal Wanderers
1906-07 - Kenora Thistles
1905-06 - Montreal Wanderers
1905-06 - Ottawa Senators
1904-05 - Ottawa Senators
1903-04 - Ottawa Senators
1902-03 - Ottawa Senators
1902-03 - Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (AAA)
1901-02 - Montreal AAA
1901-02 - Winnipeg Victoria
1900-01 - Winnipeg Victoria
1899-1900 - Montreal Shamrocks
1898-99 - Montreal Shamrocks
1897-98 - Montreal Victorias
1896-97 - Montreal Victorias
1895-96 - Winnipeg Victorias
1895-96 - Montreal Victorias
1894-95 - Montreal Victorias
1893-94 - Montreal AAA
1892-93 - Montreal AAA

Stanley Cup Winners

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