The Stanley Cup is the oldest existing trophy in North American professional sports. Introduced in 1982, the trophy is named after Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada. The Stanley Cup was awarded for the first time in 1893 to the Montreal hockey club and since then it has evolved through many games and leagues.
In the NHL, the Stanley Cup was introduced as its playoff championship trophy in 1926 and it became the official prize in 1947. The first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup were the Ottawa Senators and the most recent champions were the Vegas Golden Knights (in 2023).
Additionally, through the years, the trophy has gone through many changes in terms of its physical features. The cup is currently made of silver and nickel alloy with a weight of 15.6 kilograms (35 ¼ in) and a height stands at 89.5 centimetres (34 ½ lb).
List of Stanley Cup Winners
Over the years many teams have claimed this trophy and have created history by holding this prestigious trophy in the NHL. The first team to claim this trophy in the NHL was the Ottawa Senators under coach Dave Gill. The trophy has been awarded 107 times since the establishment of NHL in 1915 and 26 teams in the NHL have claimed this cup. The Vegas Golden Knights are the current holders of the Stanley Cup, defeating the Florida Panthers in the 2023 finals.
| Year | Winning Team |
| 1927 | Ottawa Senators |
| 1928 | New York Rangers |
| 1929 | Boston Bruins |
| 1930 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1931 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1932 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1933 | New York Rangers |
| 1934 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1935 | Montreal Maroons |
| 1936 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1937 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1938 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1939 | Boston Bruins |
| 1940 | New York Rangers |
| 1941 | Boston Bruins |
| 1942 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1943 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1944 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1945 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1946 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1947 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1948 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1949 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1950 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1951 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1952 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1953 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1954 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1955 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1956 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1957 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1958 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1959 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1960 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1961 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1962 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1963 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1964 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1965 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1966 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1967 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1968 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1969 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1970 | Boston Bruins |
| 1971 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1972 | Boston Bruins |
| 1973 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1974 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1975 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1976 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1977 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1978 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1979 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1980 | New York Islanders |
| 1981 | New York Islanders |
| 1982 | New York Islanders |
| 1983 | New York Islanders |
| 1984 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1985 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1986 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1987 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1988 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1989 | Calgary Flames |
| 1990 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1991 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 1992 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 1993 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1994 | New York Rangers |
| 1995 | New Jersey Devils |
| 1996 | Colorado Avalanche |
| 1997 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1998 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1999 | Dallas Stars |
| 2000 | New Jersey Devils |
| 2001 | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2002 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2003 | New Jersey Devils |
| 2004 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2005 | Season Cancelled |
| 2006 | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 2007 | Anaheim Ducks |
| 2008 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2009 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2011 | Boston Bruins |
| 2012 | Los Angeles Kings |
| 2013 | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Kings |
| 2015 | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2016 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2017 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2018 | Washington Capitals |
| 2019 | St. Louis Blues |
| 2020 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2021 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2022 | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2023 | Vegas Golden Knights |
Note: The trophy was not awarded in 2005 due to the NHL lockout.
Teams with the most Stanley Cups in the NHL
In the NHL, the Stanley Cup was introduced in 1926 and since then, many teams have claimed this trophy. There are currently 32 teams in the NHL out of which 25 have claimed the trophy. Montreal Canadien is the only team who have won the trophy 23 times and appeared in the playoffs 33 times.
| Teams | Appearances | Wins |
| Montréal Canadiens | 35 | 24 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 21 | 13 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 24 | 11 |
| Boston Bruins | 20 | 6 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 13 | 6 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 7 | 5 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 6 | 5 |
| New York Islanders | 5 | 4 |
| New York Rangers | 11 | 4 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 3 | 3 |
| New Jersey Devils | 5 | 3 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 5 | 3 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 3 | 2 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 8 | 2 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 2 | 1 |
| Calgary Flames | 3 | 1 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2 | 1 |
| Dallas Stars | 5 | 1 |
| St. Louis Blues | 4 | 1 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 2 | 1 |
| Washington Capitals | 2 | 1 |
Evolution of Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup has a very long history, it was introduced even before the establishment of the NHL. It was introduced for the very first time in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada who donated the Stanley Cup as a trophy for the top amateur ice hockey club of Canada. The Montreal Hockey Club became the first team to claim this trophy in 1893. In its early years, the Stanley Cup was presented to amateur and professional teams in Canada, where teams from different leagues and regions competed for the cup.
However, in 1926, the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and Western Canada Hockey Association League merged. Due to this merger, combined leagues collapsed and the NHL took control of the Stanley Cup in 1926, however it was not until 1947 that the cup became the ultimate prize for NHL teams. With the NHL growing and plans of expansion in place, a new playoff format was adopted.
Since then, the Stanley Cup has gained recognition globally as the premier trophy in professional ice hockey. Over the years, the cup has become a prestigious asset of excellence, and winning this trophy is seen as the biggest achievement of participating players. In the modern era, the Stanley Cup playoffs are the most prestigious tournament in the world of ice hockey. Many players and fans look forward to wait for the playoffs the whole year.
FAQ's On List of Stanley Cup Winners
A. The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup a record breaking 24 times till now.
A. The Vegas Golden Knights claimed their first Stanley Cup in 2023 by defeating the Florida Panthers in the finals.
A. The New York Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups between 1978-1989, 1979-1980, 1980-1981, 1982-1983.
A. The Vegas Golden Knights claimed their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2023.
A. There are a total of 32 teams in the NHL, out of which the Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Sabres, Wild, Senators, Nashville, Sharks, Jets, Canucks, Panthers, and Seattle have never won a championship in NHL history.
