List of NHL franchise post-season appearance streaks

These are lists of active and all-time National Hockey League (NHL) franchise post-season appearance, post-season series win, Stanley Cup Final and Stanley Cup streaks up to and including the 2017–18 NHL season and subsequent 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. These lists do not include the canceled 2004–05 NHL season.

Longest active streaks

Post-season appearance streaks


A post-season appearance streak is continued by making the NHL playoffs in consecutive years after the regular season. Since the first round of the playoffs consists of 8 series, there will always be 16 teams in this list (of the 31 teams in the NHL).

Team Post-season streak Last missed post-season Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Pittsburgh Penguins 13 seasons2005–063 : 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17
Nashville Predators5 seasons2013–14
Washington Capitals5 seasons2013–141 : 2017–18
San Jose Sharks4 seasons2014–15
Boston Bruins3 seasons2015–16
Columbus Blue Jackets3 seasons2015–16
Toronto Maple Leafs3 seasons2015–16
Colorado Avalanche2 seasons2016–17
Tampa Bay Lightning2 seasons2016–17
Vegas Golden Knights2 seasonsnever (inception of franchise in 2017–18)
Winnipeg Jets2 seasons2016–17
Calgary Flames1 season2017–18
Carolina Hurricanes1 season2017–18
Dallas Stars1 season2017–18
New York Islanders1 season2017–18
St. Louis Blues1 season2017–181 : 2018–19

Post-season series win streaks

This is a list of teams that have active post-season series win streaks. A post-season series win streak is continued by making the post-season and winning at least the first round series of the playoffs. Since the first round of the playoffs consists of 16 teams in 8 series, there will always be 8 teams in this list, the winners of those series.

Team Post-season series win streak
Boston Bruins2 seasons
San Jose Sharks2 seasons
Carolina Hurricanes1 season
Colorado Avalanche1 season
Columbus Blue Jackets1 season
Dallas Stars1 season
New York Islanders1 season
St. Louis Blues1 season

Longest all-time streaks

Post-season appearance streaks

This section has been updated to include teams who appeared in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs.

  Active franchise streak is highlighted
Team Post-season streak Consecutive post-season appearances Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Boston Bruins29 seasons11967–68 through to 1995–962 : 1969–70, 1971–72
Chicago Black Hawks228 seasons1969–70 through to 1996–97none
St. Louis Blues25 seasons1979–80 through to 2003–04none
Detroit Red Wings25 seasons71990–91 through to 2015–164 : 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08
Montreal Canadiens24 seasons31970–71 through to 1993–948 : 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1992–93
Montreal Canadiens21 seasons31948–49 through to 1968–6910 : 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69
Detroit Red Wings20 seasons1938–39 through to 1957–585 : 1942–43, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55
Philadelphia Flyers17 seasons1972–73 through to 1988–892 : 1973–74, 1974–75
Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames16 seasons41975–76 through to 1990–911 : 1988–89
Toronto Maple Leafs15 seasons1930–31 through to 1944–453 : 1931–32, 1941–42, 1944–45
New York Islanders14 seasons1974–75 through to 1987–884 : 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
Washington Capitals14 seasons1982–83 through to 1995–96none
Edmonton Oilers13 seasons1979–805 through to 1991–925 : 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90
New Jersey Devils13 seasons71996–97 through to 2009–102 : 1999–2000, 2002–03
Pittsburgh Penguins12 seasons2006–07 to present3 : 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016-17
Buffalo Sabres11 seasons1974–75 through to 1984–85none
Pittsburgh Penguins11 seasons1990–91 through to 2000–012 : 1990–91, 1991–92
Philadelphia Flyers11 seasons71994–95 through to 2005–06none
Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche11 seasons6, 71994–95 through to 2005–062 : 1995–96, 2000–01
Ottawa Senators11 seasons71996–97 through to 2007–08none
Chicago Black Hawks10 seasons1958–59 through to 1967–681 : 1960–61
New York Rangers10 seasons1977–78 through to 1986–87none
San Jose Sharks10 seasons72003–04 through to 2013–14none
1 The Bruins' 29 consecutive is the second longest post-season streak in North American major professional sports history, and the longest of the "Big 4". This compares to the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos 34 consecutive, the NBA's Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers 22 consecutive, the MLB's Atlanta Braves 14 consecutive, the MLS' LA Galaxy 10 consecutive, and the NFL's 9 consecutive shared by two teams.[1][2]
2 The nickname of the Chicago team was the "Black Hawks" for the majority of the streak – 17 of the 28 seasons. They were renamed the "Blackhawks" in 1986.
3 The Montreal Canadiens only missed the playoffs once – by a tie-breaker – in the 46 seasons from 1948–49 to 1993–94. In the 1969–70 season, they tied for fourth and last playoff spot with the New York Rangers, but were eliminated on total goals scored tiebreak (they scored 244 goals to New York's 246).
4 Includes 5 seasons as the Atlanta Flames (1975–76 through 1979–80), and 11 seasons as the Calgary Flames (1980–81 through 1990–91)
5 The Edmonton Oilers streak is the longest run from the NHL debut of a franchise, starting from the first year they were in the NHL (1979–80); although they aren't included in the NHL streak, they also made the WHA playoffs the preceding 4 seasons (1975–76 through 1978–79), for a streak of 17 consecutive playoff appearances in major professional hockey.
6 Includes 1 season as the Quebec Nordiques (1994–95), and 10 seasons as the Colorado Avalanche (1995–96 through 2005–06)
7 No post season occurred in 2005 due to the season long NHL lockout.

Post-season series win streaks

Consecutive seasons with at least one series victory.

Team Post-season win streak Consecutive post-season wins Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Montreal Canadiens10 seasons1950–51 through to 1959–606 : 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens10 seasons1983–84 through to 1992–932 : 1985–86, 1992–93
Philadelphia Flyers9 seasons1972–73 through to 1980–812 : 1973–74, 1974–75
New York Islanders7 seasons1978–79 through to 1984–854 : 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
Chicago Black Hawks6 seasons1969–70 through to 1974–75none
Montreal Canadiens6 seasons1974–75 through to 1979–804 : 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79
Edmonton Oilers6 seasons1982–83 through to 1987–884 : 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88
Detroit Red Wings6 seasons1994–95 through to 1999–20002 : 1996–97, 1997–98
Montreal Canadiens5 seasons1964–65 through to 1968–694 : 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69
Toronto Maple Leafs5 seasons1974–75 through to 1978–79none
Boston Bruins5 seasons1975–76 through to 1979–80none
New York Rangers5 seasons1978–79 through to 1982–83none
Boston Bruins5 seasons1987–88 through to 1991–92none
Detroit Red Wings5 seasons2006–07 through to 2010–111 : 2007–08

Stanley Cup Final appearance streaks

Team Stanley Cup Final appearance streak Consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Montreal Canadiens10 seasons1950–51 through to 1959–606 : 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens5 seasons1964–65 through to 1968–694 : 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69
New York Islanders5 seasons1979–80 through to 1983–844 : 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
Montreal Canadiens4 seasons1975–76 through to 1978–794 : 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79
Toronto Maple Leafs3 seasons1937–38 through to 1939–40none
Detroit Red Wings3 seasons1940–41 through to 1942–431 : 1942–43
Toronto Maple Leafs3 seasons1946–47 through to 1948–493 : 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49
Detroit Red Wings3 seasons1947–48 through to 1949–501 : 1949–50
Detroit Red Wings3 seasons1953–54 through to 1955–562 : 1953–54, 1954–55
Toronto Maple Leafs3 seasons1961–62 through to 1963–643 : 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64
St. Louis Blues3 seasons1967–68 through to 1969–70none
Philadelphia Flyers3 seasons1973–74 through to 1975–762 : 1973–74, 1974–75
Edmonton Oilers3 seasons1982–83 through to 1984–852 : 1983–84, 1984–85

Stanley Cup win streaks

Team Stanley Cup
win streak
Consecutive Stanley Cup wins
Montreal Canadiens5 seasons1955–56 through to 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens4 seasons1975–76 through to 1978–79
New York Islanders4 seasons1979–80 through to 1982–83
Toronto Maple Leafs3 seasons1946–47 through to 1948–49
Toronto Maple Leafs3 seasons1961–62 through to 1963–64
Ottawa Senators12 seasons1919–20, 1920–21
Montreal Canadiens2 seasons1929–30, 1930–31
Detroit Red Wings2 seasons1935–36, 1936–37
Detroit Red Wings2 seasons1953–54, 1954–55
Montreal Canadiens2 seasons1964–65, 1965–66
Montreal Canadiens2 seasons1967–68, 1968–69
Philadelphia Flyers2 seasons1973–74, 1974–75
Edmonton Oilers2 seasons1983–84, 1984–85
Edmonton Oilers2 seasons1986–87, 1987–88
Pittsburgh Penguins2 seasons1990–91, 1991–92
Detroit Red Wings2 seasons1996–97, 1997–98
Pittsburgh Penguins2 seasons2015–16, 2016-17
1 Not the current Ottawa franchise. This franchise, an original member of the NHL, folded following the 1934–35 NHL season after playing one year as the St. Louis Eagles.

References

  1. ↑ CFL.ca Staff (November 11, 2010). "By the Numbers: Playoffs???!!!". Canadian Football League. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ "L.A. Galaxy secure tenth consecutive MLS Cup Playoff appearance". MLSSoccer.com. January 22, 2010. Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.