Hockey fans in Canada have exhibited quite a bit of patience waiting for the Stanley Cup to make its return north of the border. But following the Edmonton Oilers’ Game 6 loss to the Florida Panthers, those fans will have to wait at least one more year.
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 now taken up residence in the United States for 32 straight years following the Panthers’ latest championship. Edmonton looked poised to end the drought on a couple different occasions. It took a 1-0 series lead in the Final, and it got to play a pivotal Game 5 at home with the series tied at 2-2. Still, for the second year in a row, the Oilers fell just shy of hockey’s ultimate prize.
Edmonton had the chance to force a decisive Game 7 at home if it could win Game 6, but Florida never allowed that possibility to creep into anyone’s mind. Sam Reinhart opened the scoring with a brilliant goal in the first period, and the Panthers rolled the rest of the way. Reinhart wound up scoring four goals as the Cats closed out the Oilers with ease, 5-1.
Now, Canadian fan bases have to wait at least another year for the Cup to make its triumphant return. As long as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are in the mix, the Oilers will be in contention for another deep postseason run. Throw in the Toronto Maple Leafs and upstart teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, and Canada has some hope that the drought will end in 2026.
Until then, here is each Canadian team’s Stanley Cup drought.
- Stanley Cup wins: 13
- Years won: 1967, 1964, 1963, 1962, 1951, 1949, 1948, 1947, 1945, 1942, 1932, 1922, 1918
- Stanley Cup wins: 0
- Years won: N/A
- Stanley Cup wins: 1
- Years won: 1989
Edmonton Oilers | 35 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 5
- Years won: 1990, 1988, 1987, 1985, 1984
Ottawa Senators | 33 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 0
- Years won: N/A
Montreal Canadiens | 32 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 | 14 years
- Stanley Cup wins: 0
- Years won: N/A
