ANALYSIS | Canada’s Stanley Cup Quest
Photo Credit: Jason Fransonvia/The Canadian Press
The last time a Canadian NHL team lifted the Stanley Cup was 32 years ago, when the Montreal Canadiens beat the LA Kings in 1993. Since then, only seven Canadian teams have made it to the finals, but none have brought home the Stanley Cup.
Five Canadian teams — the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, and Toronto Maple Leafs — were vying to end Canada’s drought in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
In the first round, two Canadian teams were eliminated. The Washington Capitals knocked out the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5. The Capitals, the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference, have lost five straight playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.
In another match-up, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the LA Kings for the fourth consecutive season after dropping the first two games. The Kings were confident they could beat the Oilers in their fourth attempt, as they had the home-ice advantage for the first time.
In a hometown rivalry, the Toronto Maple Leafs ousted the Ottawa Senators. With a history of post-season heartbreak, William Nylander and Auston Matthews provided the offence to eliminate their provincial rival.
The Winnipeg Jets, who lead the NHL standings in points, defeated the St. Louis Blues in a nail-biting series. In Game 7, the Jets scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation to take the game into overtime. Vladislav Namestnikov cut it to 3-2 with 1:56 remaining, and Cole Perfetti tied it with just 2.2 seconds remaining. After battling hard, the Jets came out victorious in double overtime.
The Winnipeg Jets were eliminated by the Dallas Stars. With 15 seconds left in the third period, the Jets’ Mark Scheifele committed a tripping foul, followed by an overtime power-play goal from the Stars’ Thomas Harley.
“Heartbreaking,” Jets captain Adam Lowry comments during the game debrief. “You know, we felt like we had a great regular season, we felt like we had a team that could go on a run. For it to end the way it did and everything else surrounding the day, it’s just a lot of emotion.”
In another series, the Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7. The Leafs lead the series 2-0, and are now 0-7 in their past seven Game 7s.
The Edmonton Oilers brought hope for Canadians as they beat the Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers went on to their third Western Conference final in four seasons.
With only one team remaining in the conference finals, the Edmonton Oilers stepped up their game once again. In only five games, the Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
“We knew we were going to need everybody,” said Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl, according to the NHL website. “Both goalies have given us a chance every night and our depth has been incredible. We’ve been playing good hockey, good solid hockey, throughout the lineup and you need that this time of year.”
The Stars have been eliminated from the conference final for three consecutive seasons. In last year’s conference final, they lost to the Oilers in six games.
The Edmonton Oilers now advance to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final, a rematch against the Florida Panthers. Last year, they lost in Game 7.
“There’s a big circus. You can feel like it’s larger than it is. At the end of the day, it’s another series and we’re playing another great team, and you’ve got to beat them before anything else happens. So, they have our complete focus. All of our energy is going into beating the Florida Panthers,” said Connor McDavid.