The Stanley Cup is the most prestigious trophy in the National Hockey League (NHL) and is awarded annually to the playoff champions. Moreover, It is recognized as one of the “most important championships available to the sport” according to the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Furthermore, the Stanley Cup holds the distinction of being North America's oldest trophy awarded to a professional sports franchise. Looking back, the Stanley Cup was introduced in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada. Since then, the Stanley Cup has been awarded 107 times in the NHL to 26 different teams till date. Remarkably, the Vegas Golden Knights are present holders of the Stanley Cup, having won in 2023 after defeating the Florida Panthers in a closely fought series.
Most Stanley Cup Final Appearances
Till date, the Montreal Canadiens have been to the most Stanley Cup finals with 35 appearances and 24 victorious campaigns out of them. Interestingly, no other team comes close to them, with the Detroit Red Wings closing in on the second place on the list with 24 appearances till date. The two other teams with most Stanley Cup final appearances include the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins, all four of them being part of the “Original Six” of the National Hockey League.
Matter of factly, the first Stanley Cup was awarded to the Montreal Hockey Club of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) during the Challenge Cup Era while the Toronto Hockey Club were the first team from the NHL to claim the Stanley Cup.
The following table explores teams with most Stanley Cup Final appearances till date:
| Teams | Appearances | Wins |
| Montreal Canadiens | 35 | 24 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 24 | 11 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 21 | 13 |
| Boston Bruins | 20 | 6 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 13 | 6 |
| New York Rangers | 11 | 4 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 8 | 2 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 7 | 5 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 6 | 5 |
| New York Islanders | 5 | 4 |
| New Jersey Devils | 5 | 3 |
| Dallas Stars | 5 | 1 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 5 | 3 |
| St. Louis Blues | 4 | 1 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 3 | 2 |
| Calgary Flames | 3 | 1 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 3 | - |
| Colorado Avalanche | 3 | 3 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2 | 1 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 2 | 1 |
| Washington Capitals | 2 | 1 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 2 | - |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 2 | 1 |
| Florida Panthers | 2 | - |
| Ottawa Senators | 1 | - |
| San Jose Sharks | 1 | - |
| Nashville Predators | 1 | - |
Note: The Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets and the Arizona Coyotes have never been to the Stanley Cup finals.
Most Conference Final Appearances
The NHL Conference Finals consist of the Eastern and Western Conference championships series with the champions receiving the Prince of Wales Trophy and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, respectively. Notably, the champions proceed to the Stanley Cup Finals to face each other and claim the ultimate prize in the sport of ice-hockey, the Stanley Cup Championship.
Remarkably, the Chicago Blackhawks have the most Conference Final appearances at 12, which is followed by the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings at 10 each, with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Colorado Avalanche following them very closely at 9 appearances each.
The following table provides a glimpse into the teams that have made the most Conference Finals till date:
| Team | Conference Final Appearances | Conference Final Wins |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 12 | 4 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 10 | 7 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 10 | 6 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 9 | 6 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 9 | 4 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 9 | 3 |
| Boston Bruins | 8 | 5 |
| Dallas Stars | 8 | 4 |
| New Jersey Devils | 7 | 5 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 7 | 4 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 7 | 3 |
| New York Rangers | 7 | 2 |
| New York Islanders | 5 | 3 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 5 | 2 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 5 | 2 |
| San Jose Sharks | 5 | 1 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 4 | 3 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 4 | 1 |
| St. Louis Blues | 4 | 1 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 | - |
| Calgary Flames | 3 | 3 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 3 | 3 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 3 | 2 |
| Washington Capitals | 3 | 2 |
| Ottawa Senators | 3 | 1 |
| Florida Panthers | 2 | 2 |
| Nashville Predators | 1 | 1 |
| Minnesota Wild | 1 | - |
| Arizona Coyotes | 1 | - |
| Winnipeg Jets | 1 | - |
Note: Only two teams, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Seattle Kraken are yet to reach the conference finals and hence are not shown in the above list.
FAQ's On Most Stanley Cup finals
A. The Montreal Canadiens hold the record for the most consecutive appearances, with 10 Stanley Cup final appearances between 1951 and 1960.
A. Unfortunately, the Boston Bruins have lost the most Stanley Cup Finals, with 14 losses in the finals.
A. The Montreal Canadiens have appeared in the Stanley Cup finals 35 times, which is the highest of all teams in the National Hockey League.
A. The Vancouver Canucks are the oldest NHL at present with no Stanley Cups to their name. Notably, they appeared in three finals and ended up losing all three of them.
A. The Toronto Maple Leafs won their last Stanley Cup in the 1966–67 and are presently on a 55-year drought.
