A Canadian franchise hasn’t claimed the Cup since the Canadiens did so in 1993. Since then, eight Cup Final series have featured a Canadian team, with more than half of them — the Canucks (1994, 2011), Flames (2004) and Oilers (2006, 2024) — losing in Game 7s.
The Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy with the NHL’s most points last season, and the Canadiens, Oilers, Senators and Maple Leafs also made playoff appearances.
Hope is high that this could be the season the drought ends, but with it comes expectations and pressure for a team from hockey’s home to get the Cup back to where many think it belongs.