List of NHL franchise post-season appearance streaks

For an explanation of the NHL season and post-season, see Season structure of the NHL.

These are lists of active and all-time National Hockey League (NHL) franchise post-season appearance, post-season series win, Stanley Cup Final and Stanley Cup streaks up to and including the 2010–11 NHL season and subsequent 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. These lists do not include the canceled 2004–05 NHL season.

Longest active streaks

Post-season appearance streaks

A post-season appearance streak is continued by making the NHL playoffs after the regular season. Since the first round of the playoffs consists of 8 series, there will always be 16 teams in this list (of the 30 teams in the NHL).

Further information: List of NHL franchise post-season droughts

Note that the Detroit Red Wings' current 20-season streak of making the post-season is the longest active streak of any of the four major professional sports leagues (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB).

Team	Post-season streak	Last missed post-season	Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Detroit Red Wings	20 seasons	1989–90	4 : 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08
San Jose Sharks	07 seasons	2002–03
Pittsburgh Penguins	05 seasons	2005–06	1 : 2008–09
Boston Bruins	04 seasons	2006–07	1 : 2010–11
Montreal Canadiens	04 seasons	2006–07
Philadelphia Flyers	04 seasons	2006–07
Washington Capitals	04 seasons	2006–07
Chicago Blackhawks	03 seasons	2007–08	1 : 2009–10
Vancouver Canucks	03 seasons	2007–08
Buffalo Sabres	02 seasons	2008–09
Los Angeles Kings	02 seasons	2008–09
Nashville Predators	02 seasons	2008–09
Phoenix Coyotes	02 seasons	2008–09
Anaheim Ducks	01 season	2009–10
New York Rangers	01 season	2009–10
Tampa Bay Lightning	01 season	2009–10

Post-season series win streaks

This is a list of teams that have active post-season series win streaks. A post-season series win streak is continued by making the post-season and winning at least the first round series (called the Conference Quarter-Finals) of the playoffs. Since the first round of the playoffs consists of 16 teams in 8 series, there will always be 8 teams in this list, the winners of those series.

Team	Post-season series win streak
Detroit Red Wings	5 seasons
Boston Bruins	3 seasons
Vancouver Canucks	3 seasons
Philadelphia Flyers	2 seasons
San Jose Sharks	2 seasons
Nashville Predators	1 season
Tampa Bay Lightning	1 season
Washington Capitals	1 season

Longest all-time streaks

Post-season appearance streaks

  Active franchise streak is highlighted

Team	Post-season streak	Consecutive post-season appearances	Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Boston Bruins	29 seasons	1967–68 through to 1995–96	2 : 1969–70, 1971–72
Chicago Blackhawks	28 seasons	1969–70 through to 1996–97	none
St. Louis Blues	25 seasons	1979–80 through to 2003–04	none
Montreal Canadiens	24 seasons1	1970–71 through to 1993–94	8 : 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1992–93
Montreal Canadiens	21 seasons1	1948–49 through to 1968–69	10 : 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69
Detroit Red Wings	20 seasons	1938–39 through to 1957–58	5 : 1942–43, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55
Detroit Red Wings	20 seasons	1990–91 to present	4 : 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08
Philadelphia Flyers	17 seasons	1972–73 through to 1988–89	2 : 1973–74, 1974–75
Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames	16 seasons2	1975–76 through to 1990–91	1 : 1988–89
Toronto Maple Leafs	15 seasons	1930–31 through to 1944–45	3 : 1931–32, 1941–42, 1944–45
New York Islanders	14 seasons	1974–75 through to 1987–88	4 : 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
Washington Capitals	14 seasons	1982–83 through to 1995–96	none
Edmonton Oilers	13 seasons	1979–803 through to 1991–92	5 : 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90
New Jersey Devils	13 seasons	1996–97 through to 2009–10	2 : 1999–2000, 2002–03
Buffalo Sabres	11 seasons	1974–75 through to 1984–85	none
Pittsburgh Penguins	11 seasons	1990–91 through to 2000–01	2 : 1990–91, 1991–92
Philadelphia Flyers	11 seasons	1994–95 through to 2005–06	none
Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche	11 seasons4	1994–95 through to 2005–06	2 : 1995–96, 2000–01
Ottawa Senators	11 seasons	1996–97 through to 2007–08	none
Chicago Black Hawks	10 seasons	1958–59 through to 1967–68	1 : 1960–61
New York Rangers	10 seasons	1977–78 through to 1986–87	none

¹ The Montreal Canadiens only missed the playoffs once between the 1948–49 and 1993–94 seasons. In the 1969–70 season, they tied for fourth and last playoff spot with the New York Rangers, but were eliminated on total goals scored tiebreak (they scored 244 goals to New York's 246). If they had made the playoffs that season, they would have had a post-season appearance streak of 46 seasons.

² Includes 5 seasons as the Atlanta Flames (1975–76 through 1979–80), and 11 seasons as the Calgary Flames (1980–81 through 1990–91)

³ The Edmonton Oilers made the playoffs the first year they were in the NHL (1979–80); although they aren't included in the NHL streak, they made the WHA playoffs the preceding 4 seasons (1975–76 through 1978–79)

⁴ Includes 1 season as the Quebec Nordiques (1994–95), and 10 seasons as the Colorado Avalanche (1995–96 through 2005–06)

Post-season series win streaks

Consecutive seasons with at least one series victory.

  Active franchise streak is highlighted

Team	Post-season win streak	Consecutive post-season wins	Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Montreal Canadiens	10 seasons	1950–51 through to 1959–60	6 : 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens	10 seasons	1983–84 through to 1992–93	2 : 1985–86, 1992–93
Philadelphia Flyers	09 seasons	1972–73 through to 1980–81	2 : 1973–74, 1974–75
New York Islanders	07 seasons	1978–79 through to 1984–85	4 : 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
Chicago Black Hawks	06 seasons	1969–70 through to 1974–75	none
Montreal Canadiens	06 seasons	1974–75 through to 1979–80	4 : 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79
Edmonton Oilers	06 seasons	1982–83 through to 1987–88	4 : 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88
Detroit Red Wings	06 seasons	1994–95 through to 1999–2000	2 : 1996–97, 1997–98
Montreal Canadiens	05 seasons	1964–65 through to 1968–69	4 : 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69
Toronto Maple Leafs	05 seasons	1974–75 through to 1978–79	none
Boston Bruins	05 seasons	1975–76 through to 1979–80	none
New York Rangers	05 seasons	1978–79 through to 1982–83	none
Boston Bruins	05 seasons	1987–88 through to 1991–92	none
Detroit Red Wings	05 seasons	2006–07 through to present	1 : 2007–08

Stanley Cup Final appearance streaks

Team	Stanley Cup Final appearance streak	Consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances	Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Montreal Canadiens	10 seasons	1950–51 through to 1959–60	6 : 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens	05 seasons	1964–65 through to 1968–69	4 : 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69
New York Islanders	05 seasons	1979–80 through to 1983–84	4 : 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
Montreal Canadiens	04 seasons	1975–76 through to 1978–79	4 : 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79
Toronto Maple Leafs	03 seasons	1937–38 through to 1939–40	none
Detroit Red Wings	03 seasons	1940–41 through to 1942–43	1 : 1942–43
Toronto Maple Leafs	03 seasons	1946–47 through to 1948–49	3 : 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49
Detroit Red Wings	03 seasons	1947–48 through to 1949–50	1 : 1949–50
Detroit Red Wings	03 seasons	1953–54 through to 1955–56	2 : 1953–54, 1954–55
Toronto Maple Leafs	03 seasons	1961–62 through to 1963–64	3 : 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64
St. Louis Blues	03 seasons	1967–68 through to 1969–70	none
Philadelphia Flyers	03 seasons	1973–74 through to 1975–76	2 : 1973–74, 1974–75
Edmonton Oilers	03 seasons	1982–83 through to 1984–85	2 : 1983–84, 1984–85

Stanley Cup win streaks

Team	Stanley Cup win streak	Consecutive Stanley Cup wins
Montreal Canadiens	5 seasons	1955–56 through to 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens	4 seasons	1975–76 through to 1978–79
New York Islanders	4 seasons	1979–80 through to 1982–83
Toronto Maple Leafs	3 seasons	1946–47 through to 1948–49
Toronto Maple Leafs	3 seasons	1961–62 through to 1963–64
Ottawa Senators1	2 seasons	1919–20, 1920–21
Montreal Canadiens	2 seasons	1929–30, 1930–31
Detroit Red Wings	2 seasons	1935–36, 1936–37
Detroit Red Wings	2 seasons	1953–54, 1954–55
Montreal Canadiens	2 seasons	1964–65, 1965–66
Montreal Canadiens	2 seasons	1967–68, 1968–69
Philadelphia Flyers	2 seasons	1973–74, 1974–75
Edmonton Oilers	2 seasons	1983–84, 1984–85
Edmonton Oilers	2 seasons	1986–87, 1987–88
Pittsburgh Penguins	2 seasons	1990–91, 1991–92
Detroit Red Wings	2 seasons	1996–97, 1997–98

¹ Not the current Ottawa franchise. This franchise, an original member of the NHL, folded following the 1934–35 NHL season after playing one year in St. Louis as the Eagles.

Stanley Cup win Countries teams streaks

Country	Stanley Cup win streak	Consecutive Stanley Cup wins
USA	17 seasons	1993–94 through current
Canada	8 seasons	1961–62 through 1968–69

See also

• List of National Hockey League (NHL) franchise post-season droughts
• List of Stanley Cup appearances
• List of Stanley Cup champions

• List of Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise post-season appearance streaks
• List of National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise post-season appearance streaks
• List of National Football League (NFL) franchise post-season appearance streaks

References

• Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Stanley Cup. Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-07-8. 

Notes