The NHL is the most prestigious and most popular ice hockey league in the world. The level of competitiveness here is second to none and each game is filled with thrills and excitement. Canada is a country known for its love for hockey and a few teams are hailing from Canada and are among the most decorated teams in the NHL.
That is exactly the topic that is going to be discussed in this article. We’ll be taking a los that have managed to lift more Stanley Cups than the rest of the league. We are also going to share a word or two on Canadian teams in the NHL and get familiar with the NHL by naming some interesting facts about it.
Canadian Teams in the NHL
While the National Hockey League was established in Montreal, Quebec in 1917, these days, a huge majority of teams hail from the USA. As of 2021, there are a total of 31 teams, 24 of which are from the USA and 7 are from Canada.
The featured teams from Canada are Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames. All of them are part of the NHL’s North Division which was organized in 2020. As we are about to see, some of these teams have a long and rich history and are known as one of the most decorated teams in the NHL.
Chicago Blackhawks (6)
Coming at number 5 are the Chicago Blackhawks. As the name of the franchise suggests, they are based in Chicago and were founded in 1926. They are one of the Original Six teams which are the first six franchises that comprised the NHL between 1942 and 1967.
So far, the Chicago Blackhawks have had 13 appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals and managed to win it on 6 occasions. Their celebrations took place in 1934, 1938, 1961, 2010, 2013, and 2015. Their winning percentage is 0.462. Apart from the Stanley Cup, the Chicago Blackhawks have been conference champions on 4 occasions, won the Presidents’ Trophy 2 times, and were crowned division champions 16 times.
Boston Bruins (6)
The next franchise on our list is the Boston Bruins. They are a member of the NHL’s East division and it has been in existence since 1924. That makes them the oldest ice hockey team based in the USA. They too are part of the Original Six, together with the Blackhawks and the Bruins have a long and very rich history.
The number of times when the Boston Bruins managed to win the Stanley Cup is equal to the one of the Chicago Blackhawks – 6. They won it in 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, and 2011. The only difference is that they had more Stanley Cup Finals appearances than the Chicago Blackhawks – a total of 20. That equals a win percentage of 0.300. The Boston Bruins have also been conference champions 5 times, won 3 Presidents’ Trophies, and been division champions on 26 occasions.
Detroit Red Wings (11)
Finally, we enter the top 3. The third-ranked team in the NHL with the most Stanley Cup trophies are the Detroit Red Wings. They are part of the Original Six and compete in the Central Division. The Red Wings were established back in 1926 and they are have had numerous great achievements over the years.
One of those achievements is the number of times that they managed to win the Stanley Cup – 11. That is quite impressive. The Detroit Red Wings have been crowned champions in 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008. Additionally, they have been conference champions 6 times, on the Presidents’ Trophy 6 times as well, and have been crowned division champions 10 times.
The Detroit Red Wings have had a total of 24 Stanley Cup Final appearances, which totals a win percentage of 0.458.
Toronto Maple Leafs (13)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Finally, we enter our so-called Canadian domination. The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most popular teams in the NHL and has one of the richest histories. They are based in Toronto and compete in NHL’s North division.
Since their establishment in 1971, they have managed to win the Stanley Cup on 13 occasions – 1918, 1922, 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967. Additionally, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been division champions 6 times. They have a total of 21 Stanley Cup Finals appearances, which totals a win percentage of 0.619.
Montréal Canadiens (23)
Sitting lonely at the top is the most legendary team in the NHL, which also happens to be from Canada. There’s no denying the superiority of the Montréal Canadiens. This franchise is part of the North division and is by far the most decorated team in NHL.
Not only have they been division champions 24 times and conference champions 8 times, but they’ve also managed to win the Stanley Cup a staggering 23 times. Since their establishment in 1909, the Montréal Canadiens have been champions in 1917, 1924, 1930, 1931, 1944, 1946, 1953, consecutive champions between 1956 and 1960, then 1965, 1966, 1968, 1968, 1971, 1973, consecutive again from 1976-1979, 1986, and finally in 1993.
Few Interesting Facts About NHL
As stated in the beginning, we are going to finish this article with a couple of interesting facts about the NHL. The things that are worth knowing are:
- The pucks used in games are kept in a freezer
- Fans of the teams can fill in as goalies
- Rain cancelled a game between Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks in 1995, which is odd
- The Sharks vs LA Kings in 2015 had a massive ice problem 2015. California had a drought, which is why over 20,000 tons of water was brought to the stadium with trunks to create the ice rink
- As bizarre as these facts may sound, they are true and have happened throughout NHL’s history.