List of NHL franchise post-season appearance streaks

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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 Finals and Stanley Cup streaks up to and including the 2020–21 NHL season and subsequent 2021 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 in consecutive years after the regular season. Since the first round of the playoffs normally consists of eight series, there will always be sixteen teams in this list (of the thirty-two teams in the NHL).

Further information: List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
Team Post-season streak Last missed post-season Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Pittsburgh Penguins 0 15 seasons 2005–06 3 : 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17
Nashville Predators 7 seasons 2013–14
Washington Capitals 7 seasons 2013–14 1 : 2017–18
Boston Bruins 5 seasons 2015–16
Toronto Maple Leafs 5 seasons 2015–16
Colorado Avalanche 4 seasons 2016–17
Tampa Bay Lightning 4 seasons 2016–17 2 : 2019–20, 2020–21
Vegas Golden Knights 4 seasons never (inception of franchise in 2017–18)
Winnipeg Jets 4 seasons 2016–17
Carolina Hurricanes 3 seasons 2017–18
New York Islanders 3 seasons 2017–18
St. Louis Blues 3 seasons 2017–18 1 : 2018–19
Edmonton Oilers 2 seasons 2018–19
Florida Panthers 2 seasons 2018–19
Minnesota Wild 2 seasons 2018–19
Montreal Canadiens 2 seasons 2018–19

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 of the playoffs. Since the first round of the playoffs consists of sixteen teams in eight series, there will always be eight teams in this list, the winners of those series.

Team Post-season series win streak
Boston Bruins 4 seasons
Carolina Hurricanes 3 seasons
Colorado Avalanche 3 seasons
New York Islanders 3 seasons
Montreal Canadiens 2 seasons
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 seasons
Vegas Golden Knights 2 seasons
Winnipeg Jets 1 season

Longest all-time streaks[]

Post-season appearance streaks[]

This section has been updated to include teams who appeared in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.

  Active franchise streak is highlighted
Team Post-season streak Consecutive post-season appearances Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Boston Bruins 29 seasons1 1967–68 through to 1995–96 2 : 1969–70, 1971–72
Chicago Black Hawks/Blackhawks2 28 seasons 1969–70 through to 1996–97 none
St. Louis Blues 25 seasons 1979–80 through to 2003–04 none
Detroit Red Wings 25 seasons7 1990–91 through to 2015–16 4 : 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08
Montreal Canadiens 24 seasons3 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 seasons3 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
Philadelphia Flyers 17 seasons 1972–73 through to 1988–89 2 : 1973–74, 1974–75
Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames 16 seasons4 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
Pittsburgh Penguins 15 seasons 2006–07 to present 3 : 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17
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 1979–805 through to 1991–92 5 : 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90
New Jersey Devils 13 seasons7 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 seasons7 1994–95 through to 2005–06 none
Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche 11 seasons6, 7 1994–95 through to 2005–06 2 : 1995–96, 2000–01
Ottawa Senators 11 seasons7 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
San Jose Sharks 10 seasons7 2003–04 through to 2013–14 none
1 The Bruins' 29 consecutive is the second longest post-season streak in North American major professional sports history, and the longest of the "Big 4". This compares to the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos 34 consecutive, the NBA's Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs 22 consecutive, the MLB's Atlanta Braves 14 consecutive, the MLS' Seattle Sounders FC 12 consecutive, and the NFL's New England Patriots 11 consecutive.[1][2]
2 The nickname of the Chicago team was the "Black Hawks" for the majority of the streak – 17 of the 28 seasons. They were renamed the "Blackhawks" in 1986.
3 The Montreal Canadiens only missed the playoffs once – by a tie-breaker – in the 46 seasons from 1948–49 to 1993–94. 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).
4 Includes 5 seasons as the Atlanta Flames (1975–76 through 1979–80), and 11 seasons as the Calgary Flames (1980–81 through 1990–91)
5 The Edmonton Oilers streak is the longest run from the NHL debut of a franchise, starting from the first year they were in the NHL (1979–80); although they aren't included in the NHL streak, they also made the WHA playoffs the preceding 4 seasons (1975–76 through 1978–79), for a streak of 17 consecutive playoff appearances in major professional hockey.
6 Includes 1 season as the Quebec Nordiques (1994–95), and 10 seasons as the Colorado Avalanche (1995–96 through 2005–06)
7 No post season occurred in 2005 due to the season long NHL lockout.

Post-season series win streaks[]

Consecutive seasons with at least one series victory.

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
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 2010–11 1 : 2007–08

Stanley Cup Finals appearance streaks[]

Team Stanley Cup Finals appearance streak Consecutive Stanley Cup Finals 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
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
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
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
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
2 seasons 1953–54, 1954–55
Montreal Canadiens 2 seasons 1964–65, 1965–66
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
Pittsburgh Penguins 2 seasons 2015–16, 2016–17
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 seasons 2019–20, 2020–21
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 as the St. Louis Eagles.

See also[]

References[]

  • Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Stanley Cup. Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-07-8.
Notes
  1. ^ CFL.ca Staff (November 11, 2010). "By the Numbers: Playoffs???!!!". Canadian Football League. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  2. ^ "L.A. Galaxy secure tenth consecutive MLS Cup Playoff appearance". MLSSoccer.com. January 22, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
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