The Edmonton Oilers need to win the next four games against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final if they want to end one of the longest droughts in professional sports. Edmonton has become the latest Canadian team to reach the championship series and is hoping to end the country’s 31-year drought. The last time a Canadian team raised Lord Stanley’s Cup was in 1993. Now the Oilers will need to climb out of a 3-0 series deficit if they hope to make some history of their own.
On June 9, 1993, the Montreal Canadiens passed around the Stanley Cup after beating the Los Angeles Kings in five games. Jurassic Park was mauling its competition at the box office. “Roseanne” and ‘Home Improvement” were on just about every TV in America. Janet Jackson’s “That’s the Way Love Goes” was topping the billboard charts.
Since then, the Stanley Cup has taken up residence in the United States for 31 consecutive years.
That’s a long time for a hockey-crazy country to go without a Cup winner, but Canadian teams have done their fair share of dominating throughout the years. The Canadiens lead the NHL with 23 Stanley Cup wins, including five straight from 1956-60.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have become the butt of many postseason jokes in the modern day, but they had a couple of dynasties of their own in the 40s and 60s. In total, Toronto has won the Cup 13 times, even if it has been nearly 60 years since their last championship.
The Oilers themselves are plenty familiar with Lord Stanley. From 1984-88, Edmonton won the Stanley Cup in four out of five years with the great Wayne Gretzky leading a team chock-full of future Hall of Famers like Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, and Grant Fuhr. The Oilers won their fifth and most recent Stanley Cup in 1990, after sending Gretzky to the Kings two years earlier.
If they can beat the Panthers, which weren’t even a franchise in 1993 when Montreal won the last Cup for a Canadian team, the Oilers will finally bring the Stanley Cup north of the border, ending the lengthy drought. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how long each Canadian team has gone without a championship.
Toronto Maple Leafs | 57 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 13
- Years won: 1967, 1964, 1963, 1962, 1951, 1949, 1948, 1947, 1945, 1942, 1932, 1922, 1918
Vancouver Canucks | 54 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 0
- Years won: N/A
Calgary Flames | 35 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 1
- Years won: 1989
Edmonton Oilers | 34 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 5
- Years won: 1990, 1988, 1987, 1985, 1984
Ottawa Senators | 32 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 0
- Years won: N/A
Montreal Canadiens | 31 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 23
- Years won: 1993, 1986, 1979, 1978, 1977, 1976, 1973, 1971, 1969, 1968, 1966, 1965, 1960, 1959, 1958, 1957, 1956, 1953, 1946, 1944, 1931, 1930, 1924, 1926
Winnipeg Jets | 13 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 0
- Years won: N/A
The Edmonton Oilers are currently facing a daunting task as they try to end their 31-year Stanley Cup drought. The last Canadian team to win the prestigious trophy was the Oilers back in 1990, led by the legendary Wayne Gretzky. Since then, the team has struggled to replicate that success, despite having some talented players over the years.
This season, the Oilers had high hopes of making a deep playoff run, with stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way. However, they find themselves in a tough spot as they trail the Winnipeg Jets 3-0 in their first-round series.
The Oilers have had their chances in the series, but have been unable to capitalize on key opportunities. Their power play, which was one of the best in the league during the regular season, has been ineffective against the Jets’ penalty kill. Their defense has also been porous at times, allowing the Jets to capitalize on their mistakes.
Despite their struggles, the Oilers are not ready to throw in the towel just yet. They know that coming back from a 3-0 deficit is a tall order, but they believe they have the talent and determination to turn things around. Head coach Dave Tippett has been preaching a “one game at a time” mentality to his players, urging them to focus on the task at hand and not get ahead of themselves.
If the Oilers are able to mount a comeback and win the series against the Jets, it would be a monumental achievement for the franchise and their long-suffering fans. It would also give them a chance to end their Stanley Cup drought and bring glory back to Edmonton.
However, the odds are stacked against them, as only four teams in NHL history have come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. The Oilers will need to dig deep and find a way to elevate their game to another level if they want to keep their Stanley Cup dreams alive.
As the Oilers continue their quest to end their 31-year Stanley Cup drought, one thing is for certain – they will need to play their best hockey of the season if they want to make history and bring the Cup back to Canada.
