Reviewing Canada’s Drought in the Stanley Cup Finals

Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals is slated for Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST, with the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers being the stars of the series. This Cup rematch is sure to create high tension, as the Panthers have the opportunity to begin a streak, while the Oilers have a chance to bring home a win for Canada. It has been over 30 years since a Canadian team skated around with the Cup in their hands, with the Montreal Canadiens sealing the deal in 1993 against the Los Angeles Kings. Is Canada’s drought the result of a curse? A conspiracy? Or just pure incompetence north of the border?

A Legacy Waiting—Patiently— to be Reclaimed

Although Canada is the birthplace of hockey, Canadian teams have struggled to hold onto the Stanley Cup for stretches longer than eight seasons. Despite this, the Montreal Canadiens remain the most dominant Canadian team in playoff history, with a record 23 Cup titles—more than any other franchise. The team won back-to-back championships in 1930–1931, 1965–1966, and 1968–1969, along with a five-year Cup streak from 1956–1960 and a four-year streak from 1976–1979. The Toronto Maple Leafs also performed well historically in the Finals, with two three-year Cup streaks from 1947–1949 and 1962–1964. With the Canadiens still holding the record for most consecutive Stanley Cup wins, Canada’s hockey legacy is solidified, but can it be revived?

Bettman, Bias, or Bad Luck?

Every pattern invites a conspiracy, whether rooted in fact or simply spun for fun. Many fans have made the connection that no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since American commissioner Gary Bettman took over the NHL in February 1993. This idea has long sparked debate over profit, attendance, and the league’s efforts to “Americanize” the game through marketing and expansion strategies. Though it’s easy to blame Bettman for “selling out,” many other factors are at play. In the end, a franchise’s success is determined on the ice—not by decisions made in the commissioner’s office.

More recently, many Oilers fans panicked after seeing their captain, Connor McDavid, touch the Western Conference Championship trophy following last night’s win over the Dallas Stars. The act is steeped in superstition—many fans and even players believe that touching the trophy before winning the Stanley Cup brings bad luck and jeopardizes playoff success. McDavid addressed the concern directly, saying, “Don’t touch it last year, we don’t win. Touch it this year, hopefully we win.” Could it be that Canada is once again tempting fate?

American teams dominate the league, not just in performance, but in quantity. It can be argued that if the NHL maintained true parity, Canadian teams would have an equal chance at winning the Cup. Others suggest that top players are drawn to American cities due to stronger currency and lower taxes compared to those in Canada, further tipping the scales. Ultimately, behind all the speculation and humor lies a tough truth for Canadian fans: their teams have simply underperformed over the years.

Decades of Disappointment 

The Maple Leafs haven’t reached the finals since their last championship in 1967. In fact, they’ve struggled to get past the second round, making it there only twice since 2004—including this year. Many pointed fingers at former head coach Sheldon Keefe, who now leads the New Jersey Devils, for the team’s recent playoff struggles, but even under new head coach Craig Berube, the team came up short once again. It may not be a curse, but they sure play like there is one.

The Winnipeg Jets, although technically a newer team—having been relocated and renamed from their former identity as the Atlanta Thrashers—have never reached a Stanley Cup Final. The Jets have looked promising, with star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on their roster and a 14-game win streak early in the season, but they continue to fall short in the playoffs. The team has made the playoffs consecutively since 2022, but the pressures of playing on the road and Hellebuyck’s random inconsistencies have spoiled their potential. Now, the weight of the expectation rests on the Oilers to finally give fans what they’ve been waiting decades for.

Oil Country 

The Oilers put up a strong fight last year against the Panthers, dominating Game Four with an incredible 8–1 win and tying the series with a 5–1 victory in Game Six. However, the Panthers ultimately claimed Game Seven with a narrow 2–1 win. With McDavid boasting the fastest max skating speed in the league, goaltender Stuart Skinner showing significant improvement in high-danger save percentage, and defenseman Mattias Ekholm returning to the lineup after injury, the Oilers have been handed a chance at redemption—and they won’t be taking it lightly. This could be Canada’s chance to finally break the long-standing Stanley Cup drought and restore national pride on hockey’s biggest stage.