Canada's Stanley Cup drought is decades long: Can Edmonton Oilers end it?

USA Today

04-06-2025

Canada's Stanley Cup drought is decades long: Can Edmonton Oilers end it?
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Are Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup bound? Former NHLer weighs in
Former NHL winger Riley Cote explains what he loves about this Edmonton Oilers team ahead of the Western Conference Finals.
Sports Seriously
Hockey is considered Canada's sport, but it has been decades since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup.
The Montreal Canadiens won the NHL championship in 1993 — at a time when having a Canadian winner seemed to be the rule.
A Canadian team won seven consecutive seasons (Edmonton Oilers five times and the Canadiens and Calgary Flames once each) from 1984-90. A Canadian team reached the Stanley Cup Final every year from 1982-90, and there were all-Canada finals in 1986 and 1989.
But no champion since 1993. The Vancouver Canucks lost in the 1994 Final and a Canadian team didn't make it back until 2004.
The 2025 Oilers will be the latest team to try to end the drought, getting another shot after falling short last season against the Florida Panthers.
Explaining Canada's Stanley Cup drought:
The last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup
The 1993 Canadiens won behind goalie Patrick Roy, 10 consecutive overtime victories and a successful stick measurement challenge against the Los Angeles Kings' Marty McSorley in the Final.
"The two teams had their sticks in the hallway, so we saw it there and we saw it on the ice," then-coach Jacques Demers told USA TODAY Sports years later. "We also knew that McSorley wouldn't change his stick at the end of the period."
The Canadiens didn't do anything about it in a Game 1 loss. But when they trailed 2-1 late in the third period of Game 2, Demers challenged the curve on McSorley's stick. Canadiens defenseman Eric Desjardins scored on the ensuing power play and also in overtime and Montreal went on to win the series in five games.
"We had some players with illegal sticks," Demers said. "They had some players with illegal sticks. We just happened to pick on McSorley."
What led to Canada's Stanley Cup drought?
The poor value of the Canadian dollar, compared with the U.S. dollar, hurt teams north of the border because their revenue was in Canadian dollars but they paid players in U.S. dollars. It made it harder for Canadian teams to hang on to their stars until a salary cap (instituted in 2005) and revenue sharing helped the smaller markets.
At the same time, there was a migration south of the border. Arena issues led the Quebec Nordiques to move to Denver in 1995. The Colorado Avalanche won in their first season there after trading for Roy. The Winnipeg Jets moved to Arizona in 1996 and became the Coyotes (now Utah Mammoth). Canada got a team back in 2011 when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg and became the current Jets.
Only one team can win the Stanley Cup and the United States has 25 teams to Canada's seven.
Which Canadian teams have reached the Stanley Cup Final since 1993?
1994: The Canucks rallied to tie the series after trailing three games to one, but the New York Rangers won Game 7 at home for their first championship since 1940.
2004: The Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. The Flames had a chance to clinch in Game 6, but a would-be go-ahead goal by Martin Gelinas was (seemingly) missed. The Lightning won in double overtime and captured Game 7 at home.
2006: The Oilers tied the series after trailing 3-1 but the Carolina Hurricanes won Game 7 at home.
2007: The Ottawa Senators lost to the Anaheim Ducks in five games.
2011: The Canucks blew 2-0 and 3-2 series leads against the Boston Bruins and lost Game 7 at home.
2021: The Canadiens, who advanced to the third round out of an all-Canada division, fell to the Lightning in five games in the Final.
2024: The Oilers lost the first three games but rallied to win the next three. The Panthers won Game 7 at home.
Can the Edmonton Oilers end the drought?
They have a good chance. They have home-ice advantage this year, they know what to expect from the Panthers and there's a different vibe having gone through this before.
"It feels less big," Oilers star Connor McDavid said of a second consecutive trip to the Final. "Last year, it felt monumental, it felt very dramatic. This year, it feels very normal."
McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, high picks in the 2015 and 2014 drafts, respectively, will lead the way and are joined by fellow draft picks Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Stuart Skinner. The team has filled in over the years with free agents and trade acquisitions such as Mattias Ekholm, Evander Kane, Corey Perry and others.
The Oilers, though missing Zach Hyman, are healthier and deeper than last year. They're also playing the type of lockdown defense that wins championships.
"If there's a breakdown, there's usually someone that is there to help," McDavid said. "I think we've been really good in our own zone."
Two of three USA TODAY voters picked Edmonton to win.
"We're looking to finish the job," McDavid said.