Tag: Stanley Cup Final

Why these 5 NHL teams (Maple Leafs) will win the 2024 Stanley Cup Final

These five NHL teams very well could win it all in the 2023-24 season.

The Stanley Cup may be the hardest trophy to win in sports.

After a long 82-game season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a brutal gauntlet of punishing hockey, where only the strongest — and least battered — team makes it out alive to become the next NHL champion. And with the 2023-24 NHL season in sight for these five teams, their chances at victory are certainly higher than most.

MORE: Why these 5 NHL teams (Canadiens) won’t win the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

After all, there are the haves and have nots in every sports league. The NHL has its own set of teams destined for the bottom of the league — looking at you, San Jose — while others rise to the top as the best of the best each season. Last season, it was the Vegas Golden Knights. This year? A handful of teams already stand out from the outset.

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, these are five NHL teams that you can count on winning the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Why these 5 NHL teams (Canadiens) won’t win the 2024 Stanley Cup Final

These five NHL teams definitely won’t be competing for the Stanley Cup in 2024.

Only one team can win the Stanley Cup each season. And for these five teams, their chances at winning the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2023-24 NHL season are practically zero.

Of course, anything can happen in hockey. We’ve seen many examples of teams making incredible turnarounds over the course of a season to make a deep playoff run all the way to the end. However, those stories are few and far between and there are a handful of teams this season you shouldn’t get your hopes up about.

MORE: Why these 5 NHL teams (Maple Leafs) will win the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Whether it be that these teams are committing to a full rebuild or that they have finished their window of competing opportunity, these are five NHL teams that you can count on not winning the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Adin Hill seemingly doing a Ricky Bobby impression was a classic moment at the Golden Knights’ parade

To be fair to Adin Hill, it’s possible he really didn’t know what do with his hands!

Beyond their fabulous depth and star power, Adin Hill was undoubtedly one of the Las Vegas Golden Knights’ biggest catalysts in scoring their first Stanley Cup.

A long-time journeyman bouncing from the AHL to the NHL, Hill shined in his first year as the Golden Knights’ main man between the pipes. His .932 save percentage during the playoffs was second-best of all netminders, and he reasonably could’ve been seen as a great Conn Smythe contender.

Yet, as the Golden Knights thoroughly enjoyed their parade festivities on Saturday, Hill, for once, didn’t really have an answer for a reporter asking him about the gravitas of his team’s accomplishment. Instead, he made what definitely felt like a Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby reference.

In a video from Scripps Sports/KMCC Las Vegas, like the eponymous fictional driver, Hill “didn’t know what to do with his hands.”

What a not-so-subtle way to sneak in a dynamite joke from a top-notch Will Ferrell movie. Judging by his face from looking at someone off-camera, Hill loved that he could sneak the nod into an interview. It goes to show you that even brick walls in net understand the comedic concept of seamless subtlety.

William Karlsson delivered an all-time, expletive-filled speech at the Golden Knights’ championship parade

“I was pretty [expletive] great. You guys were greater!”

An expansion franchise, the Las Vegas Golden Knights took six years to achieve one of the greatest dreams of every hockey player — hoist the Stanley Cup. After such a journey, it’s more than understandable if any of the players wanted to take the time to bask in the afterglow of their success.

William Karlsson might be the best example all around.

The Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup parade took place on Saturday night. IJt lined the Las Vegas Strip with countless people, and Sin City, ironically, never seemed more alive with happy sports energy.

After taking the microphone, Karlsson — the Golden Knights’ third-line center — went on an all-time rant with his speech. He talked up his teammate and Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault. He discussed his personal journey and the road the Golden Knights took to get to the top. He, for some reason, mentioned the Arizona Coyotes?

In all honesty, in a video from KTNV Las Vegas, a shirtless Karlsson kind of really covered everything while throwing in a healthy number of random expletives here and there:

(Warning: NSFW language in the video below.)

Phew. That man is having the time of his life talking up the biggest moment of his career.

I’m a little disappointed someone actually took the microphone away from Karlsson because how do you possibly follow him? You’ve got the essence of the defending champion Golden Knights encapsulated perfectly in just about two minutes.

This immaculate photo of the Golden Knights celebrating their Stanley Cup win had NHL fans in awe

A picture-perfect shot of the Golden Knights basking in Stanley Cup glory.

Talk about a picture-perfect representation of the Vegas Golden Knights’ incredible Stanley Cup run.

It’s only been a few days since the Golden Knights won their first-ever Stanley Cup, cementing themselves in hockey history forever after their Game 5 win over the Florida Panthers. No doubt there are more celebrations to come — the Golden Knights are even going to shut down the Strip for their parade! — but what has captured hockey fans hearts has been the team’s immediate post-victory joy.

MORE: The 19 best photos from the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup victory.

Specifically, this photo — captured by Abbie Parr for the Associated Press.

What a shot. From Vegas making a near-perfect heart shape in their embraces to Jonathan Marchessault’s joyous face being the focal point as he screams his exaltations to the sky. Not only that, moments later, Marchessault won the Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP for his truly awesome performance this postseason.

NHL fans were in complete awe over this sublime photo of the Golden Knights celebrating their Stanley Cup victory.

NHL fans were appalled Matthew Tkachuk played in the Stanley Cup Final with a broken sternum

Post-Stanley Cup injury reports are brutal, but Matthew Tkachuk’s is horrifying.

It feels like a miracle that Matthew Tkachuk didn’t end up in the hospital after playing Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final with a broken sternum.

Yes, you read that right. Tkachuk played Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final with a broken sternum after taking a gnarly hit the game prior. In fact, Tkachuk logged nearly 17 minutes of ice time during the game, all while nursing a broken sternum.

Tkachuk ended up sitting out the series’ deciding Game 5 due to the injury.

The news of Tkachuk’s injury came after the Florida Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night, ending their Stanley Cup bid. Tkachuk’s injury was so bad, in fact, that the forward couldn’t even dress himself for Game 4. Someone else had to help him into his gear to play!

Hockey players have a reputation of playing through pain and serious injury, but what Tkachuk and the Panthers did here was completely reckless. No hockey game — yes, even the Stanley Cup Final! — is worth risking your long-term health over, especially in a high-impact sport like this.

NHL fans were horrified to learn that Tkachuk had played Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final with a broken sternum.

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The 19 best photos from the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup victory

What a scene in Vegas for the Stanley Cup!

There’s no party like a Vegas party!

On Tuesday, the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup after beating the Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5. The win is the Golden Knights’ first ever Stanley Cup in their second overall championship appearance after joining the league back in the 2017-18 season.

The Golden Knights jumped out to a quick 2-0 advantage after the first period and never relinquished the lead to the Panthers once. Goaltender Adin Hill managed to shut the door one final time on the Panthers, ending the night with 31 saves on 34 shots.

MORE: See the moment the Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Given that it’s Vegas and over-the-top revelry is their thing, here are the 19 best photos from the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup Final victory.

The last time every NHL team played in the Stanley Cup Final

It’s a hard road to make it to the Stanley Cup Final.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2022 and has been updated.

The 2023 Stanley Cup Final is officially over after a thrilling series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers.

And yet, some NHL teams have yet to grace a Stanley Cup Final in their lifetimes.

Getting to the Stanley Cup Final is a tough road, only getting tougher by the year now that the NHL has expanded to 32 franchises. So you might be wondering, when was the last time each of the NHL’s 32 teams played in the Stanley Cup Final?

Well, you’ve come to the right place! After taking a look at the 11 NHL franchises that have yet to win the Stanley Cup, here’s the last time every team made it to the final round of the playoffs.

The 11 NHL teams that have never won a Stanley Cup

These are the 11 NHL teams that have not won a Stanley Cup.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2022 and has been updated.

The 2023 Stanley Cup Final is officially over!

After an exciting three rounds of playoff action, the Stanley Cup Final has officially been awarded to the Vegas Golden Knights! Unfortunately, the Florida Panthers will have to wait another year to see if they can lift Lord Stanley, but the Golden Knights now join the prestigious club of Stanley Cup champions!

With the 2023 Stanley Cup Final complete, let’s take a look at the now 11 currently active NHL teams who have yet to win a Stanley Cup in their franchise history.

Every Stanley Cup winner in the NHL since 2000

The Stanley Cup is a prize coveted by all, but only won by a few.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2022 and has been updated.

The Stanley Cup has quite the storied history over 125 years of hockey excellence. Not only that, it’s one of the coolest trophies in all of sports too!

That being said, it is hard to win the Stanley Cup. Even more so now in the modern NHL era with 32 teams competing every year and the salary cap limiting teams’ ability to grow.

Over the years, we’ve seen some true Cinderella runs to the Stanley Cup Final alongside some incredible hockey dynasties unfold before our very eyes. As the 2023 Stanley Cup Final has come to an end, let’s take a look back at all the NHL champions in the modern era of hockey.