There are hardly any sporting events that can compare to the sheer spectacle that is the annual Stanley Cup final series which draws in viewers from all across the globe as the best stars from the hockey scene look set to square off for a chance to lift one of most prestigious and iconic titles in all of professional sports.
The National Hockey League is one of the nation’s largest and most popular sporting professions as it continues to draw in a major sum of spectators from all across the globe to various US cities that have since become the primary destinations for some of the sport’s most iconic teams.
16 teams compete in the NHL every season across two conferences and four individual divisions, with placements being solely dependent on where each team is located across the US and Canada.
Every season, the top ranked teams from each conference will compete against their neighboring rivals to earn a passage into the next round of play, with the final two remaining teams then earning qualification into the NHL’s final series of games, with the winner being awarded the fabled Stanley Cup.
This is the greatest prize available for any athlete competing in the sport of hockey with all games taking place across the two home venues of which ever teams earn a passage to the finals, yet the team that has the better record will have the opportunity to host the opening two games and any future necessary games (which includes game five and the deciding game seven), with fans now being able to view the latest Stanley Cup odds on the DraftKings sportsbook.
For any newcomers to the ice hockey circuit looking to gain an even greater insight into the history and overall prestige of this event, there is plenty to digress when delving back to prior series that have showcased their own factual input on all major professional sports, which include some of the following statistics stated below:
- Which team and player has won the most Stanley Cups?
From 1915 up until the present day, the Montreal Canadians are the most successful NHL franchise in league history as they have racked up an astonishing 24 Stanley Cup wins in the organizations preposterous legacy as a sports club.
The most Stanley Cup wins for an individual player was also a former Montreal Canadian superstar in the legendary Henri Richard, who won eleven championship rings between the recorded years of 1955 and 1975.
- Which current NHL teams have never won a Stanley Cup?
There are a total of 12 unfortunate teams who have solely failed to complete the challenging feat of winning a Stanley Cup series with these including the likes of the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and Arizona Coyotes.
Out of these teams, there are four individual organizations who have failed to even make an appearance at a Stanley Cup event which includes the aforementioned Arizona Coyotes and the Columbus Blue Jackets, with the recent expansion teams in the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken also yet to make an appearance at the event as both teams have only recently entered into the league in 2017 and 2020 respectfully.
- Which player has the most Stanley Cup MVPs?
The Conn Smythe trophy is handed out to the best individual performer in every Stanley Cup series, with the renowned goaltender Patrick Roy (see NHL) being the only player in NHL history to earn the award on three separate occasions.
There are five other players that are tied for two finals MVP awards which include Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Bernie Parent and finally Bobby Orr.
- What is the most watched Stanley Cup series of all-time?
Given that the Stanley Cup averages around 4.5 million viewers per broadcast on a yearly basis, it is important to pinpoint which individual games drew in the largest sum of television audiences.
The largest watched outing for an individual game of the Stanley Cup came during the closing contest of the 1971 final series between the Montreal Canadians and the Chicago Blackhawks, with the total recorded viewership count being 12.41 million in viewers and 20.6 million in ratings during its broadcast on CBS.
The Canadians would defeat the Blackhawks by three goals to two which closed out a tremendous seven game series as Montreal would lift their 17th championship in franchise history, with Ken Dryden winning the MVP honors.
- Who scored the most goals in a single Stanley Cup finals game?
The most goals that were ever recorded in a single Stanley Cup finals game by a team is tied for nine as both the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1936 Detroit Red Wings completed this feat which has yet to be replicated by any other franchise, according to StatMuse.
There are four total players that are tied for the most goals scored in an individual Stanley Cup finals game, which includes Maurice Richard in 1957, Ted Lindsay in 1955, Babe Dye in 1922 and Newsy Lalonde in 1919, all of whom netted four times in a singular contest.
Last Updated: April 20, 2023
