From dominant dynasties like the Blackhawks to miraculous underdog champions like the St. Louis Blues, we’ll delve into the defining moments and superstar players that propelled each title-winning team of the 21st century. Join us as we rank each Stanley Cup-winning squad since 2000.
23. 2019 St. Louis Blues
We kick off our rankings with one of the most unlikely Stanley Cup champions in decades. On New Year’s, the St. Louis Blues owned the worst record in the NHL. At 15-18-4 with 34 points, the Blues were counted out by nearly every fan and expert who follows the league. However, the season turned around with the promotion of goaltender Jordan Binnington and the coaching of Craig Berube — Berube replaced Mike Yeo after 19 games. The Blues won two seven-game series in the playoffs — including the Stanley Cup Finals against Boston — and finished their run with a +13 adjusted goal differential. St. Louis’ +13 is the worst mark by a champ during the salary cap era.
22. 2006 Carolina Hurricanes
The 2006 Hurricanes have the distinction of being the first team to win the Stanley Cup during the salary cap era. Carolina was a contender throughout the season. Its 52 wins were tied for the most in the Eastern Conference with Ottawa and Buffalo. The Canes finished with 112 points and won the Southeast Division by 20 points. In the playoffs, however, Carolina was on the ropes early. After falling into a 2-0 hole against Montreal, the Canes turned to a rookie goalie — Cam Ward. With Ward in net, the Canes rallied to win seven games in a row and eight-of-nine overall to reach the East Finals. The Conn Smyth winner and Co. knocked off Buffalo in seven and proceeded to beat Edmonton in Game 7 to win it all. This was a good team, but Carolina’s path to the Cup was the least difficult one of the salary cap era.
21. 2018 Washington Capitals
Led by an all-time great by the name of Alex Ovechkin since 2005, the Capitals were considered a perennial contender that couldn’t get the job done when it counted most. Before lifting the Cup in 2018, Washington won its division seven times and claimed the Presidents’ Trophy three times — but failed to reach the Stanley Cup. Washington was the league’s best team in the regular season in back-to-back years prior to winning it all but lost to Pittsburgh in the second round both years. In ’18, the Caps finally knocked off the Penguins (4-2) and outlasted Tampa Bay in seven games to win the East. To win it all, Washington took down Vegas — in its inaugural season — in five games.
20. 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh’s triumph in 2009 capped off a great two-year story with the Detroit Red Wings. In ’08, Pittsburgh was swept in the Stanley Cup Final by a fantastic Detroit squad. Pittsburgh responded to its humbling loss by getting off to a poor start — leading to a coaching change in February. Following the switch, the Penguins went 18-3-4 and didn’t look back. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury led the way as Pittsburgh swept Carolina in the East Finals to set up a rematch with Detroit for the Cup. The Penguins trailed 2-0 and 3-2, but grinded out consecutive 2-1 victories to win the series.
19. 2015 Chicago Blackhawks
Between 2010-2015, the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings combined to win five-of-six Stanley Cups. The two Western powers peaked at the same time and also fell out of power nearly simultaneously. In ’14, the Hawks lost an instant-classic Game 7 at home to the Kings in the West Finals. In ’15, Chicago finished the regular season with 102 points and finished third in the Central Division. However, the team’s pedigree was on clear display in the playoffs. Chicago dispatched Nashville in six games, swept Minnesota, and overcame a 3-2 deficit to outlast Anaheim in seven games to win the West. In the Final, the Hawks stifled Tampa Bay’s electric offense — holding the Lightning to two goals over the final three games — to win their third Cup since 2010.
18. 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
It certainly helps your chances of winning the Stanley Cup when the MVP is on your team. In 2004, the Lightning were led by the Hart Trophy winner Martin St. Louis. The star led the NHL in points with 94 and tied for the league lead in assists with 56. Tampa led the East with 46 wins and 106 points — trailing only Detroit in both categories. The Lightning cruised to the East Finals, knocking out the Islanders in five games and the Canadiens in four games, respectively. The champs survived a seven-game series with Philadelphia in the East Finals and needed seven more games to defeat Calgary for the Cup. The last four games of the series were decided by one goal, with Tampa winning Game 7 by a score of 2-1.
17. 2012 Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles’ run to the Cup in 2012 was stunning — and a sign of things to come. In the regular season, the Kings were mediocre. They finished with 95 points, good for 8th in the West, and had three head coaches. However, the franchise struck gold with Darryl Sutter. The Kings snuck into the playoffs but absolutely dominated en route to the franchise’s first Cup. In Round 1, Los Angeles eliminated the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Canucks in five games. After sweeping St. Louis, who tied with the Rangers for the league’s second-best point mark (109), the Kings handled the Coyotes in five games to win the West. In the Final, LA went up 3-0 on the Devils and eventually won in six — capping the triumph with a 6-1 demolition in the final game. The Kings allowed 30 goals throughout their run and held a 3-0 lead in all four series.
16. 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins
After winning the Cup in 2016, the Penguins were seen as a threat to repeat as champs from Day 1 of the ’17 season. Led by Sidney Crosby’s league-leading 44 goals, Pittsburgh had the league’s best offense. The team scored 282 goals overall and eight players scored 15+ goals. The Penguins finished with 111 points and trailed only Washington (118) for the Presidents’ Trophy. In the playoffs, the defending champs took out Columbus in five games to set up a showdown with Washington. Despite winning the first two games in Washington, the Penguins needed seven games to eliminate the Caps. In the East Finals, Pittsburgh survived a 2OT classic in Game 7 against Ottawa. In a bizarre Cup Final that featured four games in a row decided by 3+ goals, Pittsburgh claimed its second Cup in a row by defeating Nashville in six.
15. 2016 Pittsburgh Penguins
Following Pittsburgh’s dramatic Cup win over Detroit in 2008, many people believed Sidney Crosby was destined to win numerous cups in the years to follow. However, as Crosby battled multiple concussions, it would take the Penguins seven years to win a second Cup. The 2016 Penguins were strong on both sides of the puck. They finished with the No. 3 offense and No. 6 defense. In the postseason, Matt Murray posted a .923 save percentage. Pittsburgh ousted a 120-point Washington team in Round 2 before beating Tampa Bay in seven games to win the East. In the Final, the Penguins bested a very strong San Jose team in six.
14. 2000 New Jersey Devils
Throughout most of the 1990s and into the 2000s, the New Jersey Devils were one of the best teams in hockey. The Devils won it all in 1995, 2000 and 2003, and reached the Cup in 2001. The ’03 team finished behind Philadelphia in its division but finished with the second-most points in the East. Led by Jason Arnott, Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora, Scott Gomez and the great Martin Brodeur, the Devils finished with the No. 2 offense and No. 7 defense. In the playoffs, New Jersey overcame a 3-1 deficit in the East Finals to knock off the top-seed Flyers. Then, the Devils took down Mike Modano, Brett Hull and the Dallas Stars in six to win the Cup.
13. 2014 Los Angeles Kings
Two years after the 8-seed Kings shocked the NHL by dominating four-straight opponents en route to lifting the Cup, Los Angeles won another ring. The Kings reached the postseason behind a stellar defense and goaltending — finishing with the No. 1 defense and allowing 174 goals. The postseason proved to be a bit difficult, as the Kings fell behind San Jose 3-0 in the first round. LA would win its next six games but then dropped three in a row to Anaheim to once again face elimination. Alas, the Kings knocked off their Southern California rival in seven games. The West Final pitted LA against the rival Blackhawks — and the two champions battled to overtime of Game 7. The Kings prevailed on the road and proceeded to topple the Rangers in five hard-fought games to win their second Cup.
12. 2023 Vegas Golden Knights
After reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their first year in existence, the Golden Knights returned to the grand stage five years later. Vegas led the Western Conference with 111 points — 24 less than Boston — and hit all the right notes in the playoffs. Four players scored more than 10 goals during the playoffs, and Jack Eichel led the team with 26 points (6 G, 20 A). Vegas didn’t sweat much in the playoffs — knocking out Winnipeg in five, Edmonton and Dallas in six, respectively, and Florida in five in the Cup Final.
11. 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning
One year prior to winning the Cup, the Lightning endured one of the most embarrassing losses in NHL history. After winning the Presidents’ Trophy with 128 points, Tampa was swept in the first round by the Blue Jackets. While battling through the Covid season, the Lightning scored 92 points in 70 games and were led by Nikita Kucherov. In the playoffs, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was phenomenal as his team cruised to the Cup. Overall, the Lightning went 16-6 and only trailed in a series twice.
10. 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning
The 2021 Lightning were even better than the Cup winners from the year before. After finally breaking through and realizing their vast potential, the Lightning took their game to another level in ’21. Despite Kucherov missing the entire regular season, Tampa Bay posted a +53 goal differential. In the playoffs, Tampa’s defense turned it up a notch or two and averaged more goals than it did in the ’20 run. The Lightning also took down three good opponents in the East — Panthers, Islanders, Hurricanes — before blitzing Montreal, 4-1, in the Final.
9. 2007 Anaheim Ducks
When they were still known as the Might Ducks, Anaheim came close to winning the Stanley Cup in 2003 — lost to New Jersey in seven — and fell three games short of reaching the Cup in ’06. In their first season as the Anaheim Ducks, the club finished atop a strong Pacific Division with 110 points and took out three great teams to reach the Cup — Minnesota, Vancouver, and Detroit. The Ducks featured a mix of both young and old stars, with the likes of Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Chris Pronger all contributing. In the Final, Anaheim handled Ottawa — a team that finished with 105 points — in five games.
8. 2011 Boston Bruins
Despite consistently being one of the NHL’s best teams for the past 14 years, Boston has only won one Stanley Cup since 2010. This Cup-winning team had a strong defense (No. 3) and competent offense (No. 8). Playing ahead of a young Tukka Rask in net was Tim Thomas. With a great defense playing in front of him, Thomas held up his end of the bargain in the playoffs and posted a .940 save percentage. Still, it wasn’t easy for the Bruins. Boston survived three seven-game series (swept Philadelphia in the second round) including the Final against Vancouver. Vancouver had run away with the Presidents’ Trophy (117 points) and held a 3-2 lead in the series, but Boston came through.
7. 2010 Chicago Blackhawks
2010 marked the beginning of Chicago’s dynasty. The Blackhawks were powered by a lethal trio of Jonathan Toews/Patrick Kane/Duncan Keith and had just begun to tap into their potential as a group. Chicago scored 271 goals in the regular season, the third-most, and featured a defense that finished No. 5 overall. While the Toews/Kane/Keith trio stole all of the headlines, Chicago’s roster was littered with talent including the likes of Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and goaltender Antti Niemi. To reach the West Final, Chicago took down both the Predators and Canucks in six games. Then, the Hawks swept the top-seed Sharks. In the Cup Final, Chicago beat Philadelphia in six — scoring the Cup-winning goal on Philadelphia’s home ice.
6. 2003 New Jersey Devils
Here is a team that we briefly mentioned while discussing the Anaheim Ducks. In 2003, the Devils took down the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games. In the buildup to that triumph, New Jersey netted 108 points in the regular season and finished atop the Atlantic Division. New Jersey brushed aside both Boston and Tampa Bay in five games apiece and took out the Presidents’ Trophy winners (Ottawa) in seven to win the East. Against the Ducks, Martin Brodeur posted three shutouts (all 3-0) en route to winning the Cup. Jeff Friesen scored five goals in the series and Patrik Elias produced a team-high seven points ( 3 G, 4 A).
5. 2013 Chicago Blackhawks
The 2013 season may have been shortened due to the lockout, but nobody could question Chicago’s dominance. Following back-to-back first-round exits on the heels of their 2010 Cup win, the Blackhawks stormed through the regular season with a 36-7-5 record. Their 155 goals were the second-most and their top-ranked defense allowed a league-best 102 goals. In the playoffs, Chicago eliminated the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Finals — setting up a showdown with Boston for the Cup. In a highly competitive six-game series, Chicago scored two goals in 17 seconds with less than 1:20 to play in game six to capture its second Cup.
4. 2022 Colorado Avalanche
The 2022 Avalanche were special. It is sometimes difficult to rank recent winners due to the possibility of recency bias, but the Avs are deserving of this spot. Colorado won 56 games, scored 312 goals and paced the Western Conference with 119 points. The roster was absolutely stacked — including the likes of Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews and Artturi Lehkoen. In the postseason, Colorado dismantled all four of its opponents — going 16-4 en route to lifting the Cup. The Avs swept Nashville (97 points), took out St. Louis in six (109 points), swept Edmonton (104) and ended Tampa Bay’s (110 points) quest for a three-peat in six games.
3. 2002 Detroit Red Wings
It was hard to pick between this Detroit team and the squad that ranked No. 2. In 2002, Detroit won the Presidents’ Trophy with 116 points — two other teams finished with 100 points, Boston (101) and Toronto (100). This juggernaut featured some of the most notable names in hockey. With stars like Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov, Brett Hull, Nicklas Lidström, Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman, Chris Chelios, Pavel Datsyuk and Dominik Hašek, it is no surprise that the Wings ran away from the competition. Scotty Bowman’s group finished No. 2 in offense and No. 3 in defense. Detroit’s only test in the playoffs took place in the West Finals against Colorado — the defending champion. In Game 7, Detroit smashed the champs 7-0. Then, Detroit dispatched Carolina in five games to win the Cup.
2. 2008 Detroit Red Wings
Detroit hasn’t been great as of late, but it was something special in 2008. Playing a possession-based game that was truly ahead of its time, the Red Wings won a league-best 54 games en route to winning the Presidents’ Trophy. Pavel Datsyuk (31 G, 66 A), Henrik Zetterberg (43 G, 49 A), Nicklas Lidstrom (60 A) and Brian Rafalski (55 PTS) were great all year. The Wings had the league’s best goal differential by a mile (+72, No. 2 was at +40) and finished top-3 in both offense (3rd) and defense (1st). In the playoffs, Datsyuk (10 G, 13 A) and Zetterberg (13 G, 14 A) were unstoppable. With Chris Osgood posting a .930 save percentage, the Wings were never going to be stopped.
1. 2001 Colorado Avalanche
There were a handful of very good teams in 2001, but the Avalanche were the best of the bunch. The best team since 2000, Colorado won 52 games en route to 118 points and the Presidents’ Trophy. Joe Sakic won the Hart Trophy thanks to a masterful performance all season. The captain scored 54 goals and bagged 64 assists to lead the NHL with 118 points. Peter Forsberg (27 G, 62 A), Milan Hejduk (41 G, 38 A), Alex Tanguay, Chris Drury and 40-year-old defenseman Ray Bourque were spectacular, as well. With Patrick Roy in net, the Avs felt like an unbeatable force all season. Colorado was pushed to seven games by the Kings in the second round and again in the Stanley Cup Final by the defending champion Devils, but the Avs ultimately raced out to a 3-0 lead in Game 7 before cruising to a 3-1 win.