This year it will fall on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets to end Canada's national humiliation and a 30-year Stanley Cup drought by bringing home the famous mug to the country that claims to have given birth to the sport.
Not since the Montreal Canadiens beat the Los Angeles Kings in 1993 has the Stanley Cup been paraded through a Canadian city, an ego-deflating run of failure that has scarred a generation of fans.
While Canadian fans in general have suffered, Maple Leaf supporters have confronted a special kind of hockey hell that has placed them in the company of two of North American sports cursed franchises, the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, who went 108 and 86 years respectively between World Series wins.
Toronto has not won a playoff series since 2004, exiting in the first round in each of the last six years. The Maple Leafs' big misfortune is playing in the same division as the Boston Bruins, who this season set NHL records for wins and points , and the Tampa Bay Lightning, Stanley Cup finalists for the last three years.First up for the Leafs are the Lightning, an aging squad but one packed with playoff experience after winning the Cup in 2021 and 2022 then losing to the Colorado Avalanche in last year's final.
When the playoffs open on Monday, the Oilers will be the first of the Canadian teams to hit the ice, hosting the Los Angeles Kings in Game One of their best-of-seven series.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Penguins eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoffs after Islanders' win, ending historic postseason recordThe Pittsburgh Penguins' postseason record came to a crushing end on Wednesday when they were officially eliminated after the New York Islanders clinched the final playoff spot.
Read more »
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss Stanley Cup Playoffs due to knee injuryColorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs as he recovers from a knee injury.
Read more »
NHL playoffs 2023: What are the first round series in Stanley Cup Playoffs?The chase for the Stanley Cup officially begins. Check out the matchups for the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Read more »
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss Stanley Cup playoffs in team's quest to repeatThe Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday that Gabriel Landeskog, who has missed the entire season after knee surgery, will not return for the playoffs.
Read more »