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'{{for|the 2017 playoffs|2017 Stanley Cup playoffs}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2014}} The '''[[Stanley Cup]] playoffs''' ({{lang-fr|Les séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley}}) is an elimination tournament in the [[National Hockey League]] consisting of four rounds of [[Best-of-seven playoff|best-of-seven series]]. Eight teams from each of the two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season points totals. The final round is commonly known as the [[Stanley Cup Finals]], which sees the two conference champions play for the [[Stanley Cup]]. The NHL has always used a playoff tournament to determine its champion. Its playoff system has changed over the years, from the league's inception in 1917 when ownership of the Stanley Cup was shared between different leagues, to when the NHL took over the Cup in 1926, to the current setup today. ==Current format== {{See also|NHL Conference Finals}} The Stanley Cup playoffs consists of four rounds of [[Best-of-seven playoff|best-of-seven series]]. Each series is played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with home-ice advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while their opponent hosts games 3, 4, and 6, with games 5, 6, and 7 being played if needed. Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. In the playoff series format instituted in 2014, the first, second, and third place team in each of the four divisions qualify for the playoffs automatically. Two additional teams from each conference, regardless of divisional alignment, also qualify for the playoffs by having the highest point totals out of the remaining teams in the conference. These teams are referred to as the [[Wild card (sports)|Wild Cards]]. Since there is no attention paid to divisional alignment with the wild cards, it is possible for a single division to produce both wild cards. In the First Round,<ref name="NHL_PlayoffFormat"/> the eight teams are split into two separate brackets by division. Each bracket consists of the top three divisional qualifiers and one of the wild cards. The lower seeded wild card plays against the division winner with the best record while the other wild card plays against the other division winner, and both wild cards are de facto #4 seeds. The other two series match the second and third place teams from the divisions. The winners of both First Round series advance to the Second Round.<ref name="NHL_PlayoffFormat"/> The reseeding in the previous format, which ensured the top seed would play the lowest remaining seed, was discarded. The winners of these series advance to the Conference Finals, and the winners there move to the Stanley Cup Finals.<ref name="NHL_PlayoffFormat">{{cite web|title=Stanley Cup Playoffs format, qualification system|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=711015|publisher=NHL.com|date=24 March 2014|accessdate=1 April 2014}}</ref> In the first two rounds, the higher-seeded team has home-ice advantage (regardless of point record). Thereafter, it goes to the team with the better regular season record (regardless of seeding); in case of a tie, the league's standard [[Season structure of the NHL#Stanley Cup playoffs|tiebreaking procedure]] is applied. The team with home-ice advantage hosts games one, two, five, and seven, while the opponent hosts games three, four, and six (games five through seven are played if necessary). Any ties in the standings at the end of the regular season are broken using the following protocols: # The greater number of games won. Starting in the 2010–11 NHL season, shootout wins are not included in the tie-breaking procedure. # The greater number of points earned in games between the tied clubs. ## If two clubs are tied, and have not played an equal number of home games against each other, the points earned in the first game played in the city that had the extra game are not included. ## If more than two clubs are tied, the higher percentage of available points earned in games among those clubs, and not including any "odd" games, are used to determine the standing. # The greater differential between goals for and against during the entire regular season. <!--# If two clubs are tied on non-shootout wins, points earned between the tied clubs, and goal differential, then: ## If both clubs have not played an equal number of home games against each other, the points earned in the first game played in the city that had the extra game are used to determine the standing. ## If both clubs have played an equal amount of home games against each other, a coin toss is used.--> ==History== The [[National Hockey League]] has always used a playoff tournament to determine its champion, generally opening up its playoff games to a much larger number of teams, including those with a losing regular season record in some years (the most recent being the seventh and eighth seeded [[San Jose Sharks]] and [[Edmonton Oilers]], respectively, in [[1998–99 NHL season#Regular season|1999]]). From the NHL's inception to 1920, when ownership of the Stanley Cup was shared between the NHL and the [[Pacific Coast Hockey Association]] the regular season was divided into two halves, with the top team from each half moving on to the league finals, which was a [[two-legged tie|two-game total goals series]] in 1918 and a best-of-seven series in 1919. In 1920, the [[Ottawa Senators (original)|Ottawa Senators]] were automatically declared the league champion when the team had won both halves of the regular season. The two halves format was abandoned the next year, and the top two teams faced off for the NHL championship in a two-game total goals series. At the time, the NHL champion would later face the winners of the PCHA and, from 1921, the [[Western Canada Hockey League]] in further rounds in order to determine the Stanley Cup champion. During this time, as the rules of the NHL and those of the western leagues differ (the main difference being that NHL rules allowed five skaters while the western leagues allowed six), the rules for each game in the Stanley Cup Finals alternated between those of the NHL and the western leagues. Before the WCHL competed for the Stanley Cup, the Cup championship series a best-of-five series. Following the involvement of the WCHL, one league champion was given a bye straight to the finals (a best-of-three affair starting in 1922), while the other two competed in a best-of-three semifinal. As travel expenses were high during these times, it was often the case that the NHL champions were sent west to compete. In a dispute between the leagues in 1923 about whether to send one or both western league champions east, the winner of the PCHA/WCHL series would proceed to the Stanley Cup Finals, while the loser of the series would face the NHL champion, both series being best-of-three. In 1924 the NHL playoffs expanded from two to three teams (with the top team getting a bye to the two-game total goal NHL finals), but because the first-place [[Hamilton Tigers (ice hockey)|Hamilton Tigers]] refused to play under this format, the second and third place teams played for the NHL championship in a two-game total goals affair. The Stanley Cup Finals returned to a best-of-five format the same year.<ref name=Formats>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25433 |title=Stanley Cup Playoff Formats: 1917 to date |accessdate=June 25, 2013 |publisher=NHL.com}}</ref> ===NHL takes control of Stanley Cup=== With the merger of the PCHA and WCHL in 1925 and its collapse in 1926, the NHL took de facto control of the Stanley Cup. While the Cup would not be formally deeded to the league until 1947, from 1926 onward the NHL playoffs and the Stanley Cup playoffs are considered synonymous. The NHL was subsequently divided into the Canadian and American divisions until the 1927–28 season. For 1927, six teams qualified for the playoffs, three from each division, with the division semifinals and finals being a two-game total goals affair, and the Stanley Cup Finals becoming a best-of-five series. In 1928, the playoff format was changed so that the two teams with identical division ranking would face each other (i.e. the first place teams played each other, the second place teams play each other, and likewise for the third place teams). The first place series was a best-of-five affair, with the winner proceeding to the best-of-three Stanley Cup Finals, while the others were a two-game total goals series. The winner of the second and third place series played each other in a best-of-three series, with the winner earning the other berth to the Stanley Cup Finals. This format had a slight modification the following year, where the semifinal series became a two-game total goals affair and the Stanley Cup Finals became a best-of-five series. The two-game total goals format was abolished in 1937, with those series being changed to best-of-three affairs.<ref name="mccarthy-249">{{cite book |last=McCarthy|first=Dave |year=2008 |title=The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book|edition=2009|publisher=Dan Diamond Associates |isbn=978-1-894801-14-0|page=249}}</ref> ===Original Six era=== The 1930s saw the reduction of teams from ten to seven, and with it an end to the Canadian and American divisions. The Stanley Cup playoffs saw the first- and second-place teams play against each other in a best-of-seven series for one berth in the Stanley Cup Finals, while the third- to sixth-place teams battled in a series of best-of-three matches for the other berth (with the third-place team taking on the fourth-place team, and the fifth-place team against the sixth-place team). In 1939, the Stanley Cup Finals became a best-of-seven series, the format still used today.<ref name="mccarthy-249"/> The 1942–43 season saw the removal of the [[New York Americans]], leaving six remaining teams (known today as the "[[Original Six]]"). Throughout this era, the first and third-place teams played in one best-of-seven semifinal, while the second and fourth-place teams played in the other best-of-seven semifinal. During this time, [[Detroit Red Wings]] fans often threw an octopus onto the ice as a good luck charm, as eight wins were required to win the Stanley Cup.<ref name="mccarthy-249"/> ===Expansion era=== The 1967 expansion saw the number of teams double from six to twelve in the 1967–68 season, and with it the creation of the Western and Eastern divisions. The playoff format remained largely the same, with all series remaining best-of-seven, and the division champions battling for the Stanley Cup. The 1970–71 season, because of fan demand, brought forth the first inter-conference playoff matchup outside of the Stanley Cup Finals since the pre-war expansion, which had the winner of the second-place versus fourth-place matchup in one conference take on the winner of the first- versus third-place matchup in the other conference for a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. The following year had one minor change to its playoff format: a stronger team would face a weaker opponent. Thus, instead of a first-place versus third-place and a second versus fourth-place matchup in the first round, the first round had the first-place versus the fourth and the second versus the third-place. This practice of having stronger teams facing weaker opposition has continued to the present day.<ref name="mccarthy-249"/> The 1974–75 season saw another change to its playoff system to accommodate the league of 18 teams, twelve of which qualified for the playoffs. The top team from each division would earn a bye to the quarterfinal, while the second- and third-place teams from each division started their playoff run from a best-of-three preliminary round. In each round of the playoffs, the teams remaining were seeded regardless of divisional or conference alignment, with the preliminary-round series being a best-of-three affair while the remainder of the series remained best-of-seven. The 1977–78 season had one minor change in its playoff format: although the second-place finishers from each division would qualify for the preliminary round, the four playoff spots reserved for the third-place teams were replaced by four ''wild-card'' spots—spots for the four teams with the highest regular-season point total that did not finish first or second in their divisions.<ref name="mccarthy-249"/> ===NHL-WHA merger=== With the absorption of four teams from the [[World Hockey Association]] in the 1979–1980 season, a new playoff system was introduced where 16 of the league's 21 teams would qualify for postseason play. The four division winners would qualify for the playoffs while twelve wildcard positions rounded out the sixteen teams. At the beginning of each round the teams were seeded based on their regular season point totals, with the preliminary round being a best-of-five series while all other playoff series were best-of-seven.<ref name="mccarthy-249"/> ===Divisional playoffs=== The 1981–1982 season brought forth the return of divisional matchups, with the top four teams from each division qualifying for the playoffs. Division champions would be determined, followed by the Conference champions, who would meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. The division semifinals was a best-of-five affair until the 1986–87 season, when it became a best-of-seven series, while all other series remained best-of seven.<ref name="mccarthy-249"/> ===1994–1998=== For the 1993–94 season, the league revamped its playoff structure to become conference-based rather than division-based. Eight teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs. The division first-place teams were seeded first (the team with the best record in the conference) and second in the conference playoffs and received home ice advantage for the first two rounds. The next best six teams in each conference also qualified and were seeded third through eighth. All teams played in the first round: first-place versus eighth, second versus seventh, third versus sixth and fourth versus fifth. All series were best-of-seven, but the arrangement of home games was changed for Central and Pacific division teams. Instead of the normal 2–2–1–1–1 rotation, a series involving teams from both divisions was 2–3–2, with the higher seeded team having the option of starting play at home or on the road (ALL teams with home-ice advantage chose to play the default 2-2-1-1-1 format, from 1995-1998). After each round, surviving teams were reseeded to play a conference semi-final, then a conference final. The conference winners then played each other in the Stanley Cup Finals. Home ice advantage was determined by higher seed in the first three rounds and by regular-season points of the two teams in the Stanley Cup Finals.<ref name="mccarthy-249"/> ===1999-2013=== In 1998–99, the league was re-organized into two conferences of three divisions apiece, resulting in the playoff format used through 2013. The qualifiers remained sixteen, but the seeding changed. The three first-place teams in each division qualified and were seeded first through third for the playoffs. Of the other teams in each conference, the top five finishers qualified for the fourth through eighth seedings. All teams played in the first round: first-place versus eighth, second versus seventh, third versus sixth and fourth versus fifth, by those criteria. After each round, surviving teams were reseeded to play a conference semi-final, then a conference final. Like the 1994–1998 system, the conference winners then played each other in the Stanley Cup Finals, and home ice advantage was determined by higher seed in the first three rounds and by regular-season points of the two teams in the Stanley Cup Finals.<ref name="mccarthy-249"/> ===2013–2014 realignment=== The NHL realigned into a four-division, two-conference system for the 2013–14 season. Under the new postseason system, the top three teams in each division make the playoffs, with two wild-cards in each conference (for a total of eight playoff teams from each conference). The format is division-based, similar to the 1981–82 system. In the First Round, the top-ranked team in the conference plays against the lowest-ranked wild-card, while the other division winner plays against the higher ranked wild-card. The second and third place teams in each division then play each other. The first round winners then meet in the Second Round. The third round will still consist of the Western Conference and Eastern Conference Finals, with those conference winners advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.<ref name="2013Realignment">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=660138|title=Realignment plan approved by Board of Governors|work=[[NHL.com]]|author=Dan Rosen|date=March 14, 2013}}</ref> ==Traditions and trends== Compared to other major professional sports leagues, playoff upsets are relatively common in the NHL.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/sports/hockey/12slapshot.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper | work=The New York Times | first1=Jeff Z. | last1=Klein | first2=Stu | last2=Hackel | title=First-Round Upsets Common in N.H.L | date=April 12, 2009}}</ref> According to NHL broadcaster [[Darren Eliot]], this is because the style of competition in the playoffs is different from the regular season: instead of playing different teams every night, the goal is to advance through four [[Best-of-seven playoff|best-of-seven playoff series]].<ref name="SI_Eliot">{{cite video | title=Inside Report: Presidents' Trophy to curse Caps? | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/nhl/2010/04/07/040610.nhl_eliot_presidents_cup.SportsIllustrated/index.html | publisher=SI.com | people=[[Darren Eliot]] | date=April 7, 2010 | accessdate=March 30, 2011 | quote=}}</ref> The [[Presidents' Trophy]] winner may have to go through other playoff clubs who might have a hotter goaltender, a better defensive team, or other players that pose matchup problems. If the regular season champion's primary success was only outscoring others, they may be out of luck facing goaltenders that can shut them out.<ref name="SI_Eliot"/> And although rare, another aspect is that the NHL leads the other leagues in [[Game seven#Comebacks|Game 7 comebacks]]. Only four instances has an NHL team been able to come back from being down 0–3 to win a seven-game series: the [[1941-42 Toronto Maple Leafs season|1942 Toronto Maple Leafs]], the [[1974-75 New York Islanders season|1975 New York Islanders]], the [[2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers season|2010 Philadelphia Flyers]], and the [[2013-14 Los Angeles Kings season|2014 Los Angeles Kings]]. There has been only one such "reverse sweep" comeback in the [[Major League Baseball postseason|MLB postseason]] (the [[2004 Boston Red Sox season|2004 Boston Red Sox]]) and none in the [[NBA playoffs]]. {{Quote box |quoted = 1 |quote = It is the reality of the sport. If your particular strength happens to be that you're really good offensively, and you come up against a hot goaltender and a team that is stout defensively, it might not matter that you were good on a nightly basis scoring goals. And that one particular opponent: you'll have to beat them four times. | width=25% |source = NHL broadcaster [[Darren Eliot]] explaining the lack of success of Presidents' Trophy winners winning the Stanley Cup.<ref name="SI_Eliot"/> }} Despite having more American-based teams than Canadian-based ones throughout much of the NHL's existence (dating back to the Original Six era when it was two Canadian clubs to four American ones, and now 7 to 23 since 2011), there have been only two times in league history where none of the Canadian teams qualified for the postseason: [[1970 Stanley Cup playoffs|1970]] and [[2016 Stanley Cup playoffs|2016]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Stubbs|first=Dave|title=Woe Canada. No playoffs this year north of border|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/no-canadian-nhl-teams-in-stanley-cup-playoffs/c-279984346|website=[[NHL.com]]|publisher=NHL Enterprises, L.P.|accessdate=March 31, 2016|date=March 31, 2016}}</ref> However, the [[1992–93 Montreal Canadiens season|1993 Montreal Canadiens]] remain the last Canadian club to go all the way and win the Stanley Cup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup/story/2011/06/15/sp-bruins-canucks-game7.html|title=Bruins win Stanley Cup|accessdate=Feb 5, 2012|date=June 15, 2011|author=Tim Warnsby|publisher=CBC Sports|quote=The Canucks weren't going to become the first Canadian-based team since the 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup with such little production.}}</ref> The Stanley Cup playoffs MVP award, the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]] is based on the ''entire'' NHL postseason instead of just the championship game or series, unlike the playoff MVP awards presented in the other [[major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada]] (the [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|Super Bowl MVP]], the [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|NBA Finals MVP]], and the [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|World Series MVP]]), although in its history the trophy has never been given to someone that was not in the finals. [[Doug Gilmour]] and [[Peter Forsberg]], in [[1986 Stanley Cup Playoffs|1986]] and [[1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs|1999]], respectively, are the only players who have topped the postseason in scoring without making it to the Finals. NHL players have often grown [[playoff beard|beard]]s when their team is in the playoffs, where they do not shave until their team is eliminated or wins the Stanley Cup. The tradition was started in the 1980s by the [[New York Islanders]], and is often mirrored by the fans, as well.<ref name="Islanders">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehockeynews.com/en/news/news.asp?idNews=20877|title=Wooly Bullies|accessdate=May 4, 2007|publisher=The Hockey News|date=May 2, 2006|author=Ryan Kennedy}}</ref><ref name="SabresFans">{{cite web|url=http://www.buffalonews.com/185/story/63880.html|title=One team, one goal, no razors|accessdate=May 4, 2007|publisher=The Buffalo News|date=April 28, 2007|author=Barbara Sullivan}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> At the conclusion of a playoff series, players and coaches line up and exchange handshakes with their counterparts on the opposing team, and this has been described by commentators as "one of the great traditions in sports".<ref>{{cite web|author=Analyst |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/178083-nhl-playoff-tradtions-why-the-nhl-is-the-most-celebrated-league |title=NHL Playoff Traditions: Why the NHL Is the Most Celebrated League |publisher=Bleacher Report |date=May 18, 2009 |accessdate=March 17, 2014}}</ref> However, there have been rare occasions that individual players have refused to participate, such as [[Gerry Cheevers]] who left the ice without shaking hands with any of the Flyers in 1978,<ref>[http://dropyourgloves.com/Games/GameEvents.aspx?Game=14746 DropYourGloves.com]</ref> and [[Billy Smith (ice hockey)|Billy Smith]] who avoided handshakes as he was particularly passionate about losses.<ref name="Stephenson">{{Cite news|url = http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2009/03/sean_avery_gets_best_of_new_je.html|title = Sean Avery gets best of New Jersey Devils in New York Rangers' 3-0 victory|last = Stephenson|first = Colin|date = March 30, 2009|work = [[The Star-Ledger]]|access-date = May 7, 2015|via = }}</ref> More recent examples of players refusing the handshake include the 1996 playoffs when several [[Detroit Red Wings]] players protested the dirty hit by the [[Colorado Avalanche]]'s [[Claude Lemieux]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2007/columns/story?columnist=frei_terry&id=2850149 |title=Yes, it's tradition, but players should have a choice - NHL - ESPN |publisher=Sports.espn.go.com |date=April 26, 2007 |accessdate=March 17, 2014}}</ref> and in the 2008 playoffs when [[Martin Brodeur]] refused to shake [[Sean Avery]]'s hand after Avery screened him in an earlier game.<ref name="Stephenson" /> It is common among players to never touch or hoist the [[Prince of Wales Trophy]] ([[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern Conference]] champion) or [[Clarence S. Campbell Bowl]] ([[Western Conference (NHL)|Western Conference]] champion) after they have won the [[NHL Conference Finals|conference finals]]; the players feel that the [[Stanley Cup]] is the true championship trophy and thus it should be the only trophy that they should be hoisting. There have been four recent exceptions to this – [[Scott Stevens]] of the Devils in 2000 and 2003 and [[Sidney Crosby]] of the Penguins in 2009 and in 2016. In each of the four occurrences, their teams went on to win the Stanley Cup. In recent years, the captain of the winning team poses (usually looking solemn) with the conference trophy, and sometimes, the entire team poses as well.<ref>{{cite web | title=NHL.com – Ice Age: Having another trophy in mind | url=http://www.nhl.com/features/iceage/main060206.html | first=Phil | last=Coffey | date=June 2, 2006|accessdate=July 25, 2006}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> There are many [[Traditions and anecdotes associated with the Stanley Cup|traditions and anecdotes associated with the championship trophy]], the [[Stanley Cup]]. Because the [[Ice Hockey World Championships]] are held in the same time period as the Stanley Cup playoffs, the only NHL players who can participate in the former are those on NHL teams that have been eliminated from Stanley Cup contention.<ref>{{cite book | title=Team Canada 1972: The Official 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Summit Series | first=Andrew | last=Podnieks | publisher=McClelland & Stewart | date=Sep 4, 2012| quote=Thus, the only professionals who could participate were those on NHL teams that did not make the playoffs or were eliminated quickly}}</ref> This policy has been in place since a 1977 agreement between the NHL and the [[International Ice Hockey Federation]], which allowed [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Team Canada]] to field a team in the World Championships after an-eight year absence.<ref>{{cite book | title=The Law of Hockey | first=John | last=Barnes | publisher=Butterworths & Company | date=2010 | page=83 | quote=Since 1977, Canada has competed at the annual IIHF competition mainly using players from teams that have been eliminated from the NHL play-offs}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Duplacey |first=James | title=Total Hockey: The official encyclopedia of the National Hockey League | year=1998 | publisher=Total Sports | isbn=0-8362-7114-9 | pages=506}}</ref> ==Postseason appearances== ''Correct as of [[2017 Stanley Cup playoffs]]'' ===Appearances by active teams=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |- !|Team !style="width:180px"|Appearances<ref>{{cite book | title=NHL Official Guide & Record Book 2015 | isbn=978-1629370118 | publisher=Triumph Books | publication-date=October 2014 |chapter=Stanley Cup Record Book | page=244}}</ref> |- |[[Montreal Canadiens]] |86 {{#tag:ref|Includes postseason appearances in the [[National Hockey Association]] prior to the formation of the NHL in 1917. The NHA, the predecessor league of the NHL, also competed for the Stanley Cup.|group=upper-alpha|name=a}} |- |[[Boston Bruins]] |70 |- |[[Toronto Maple Leafs]] |66 |- |[[Detroit Red Wings]] |64 |- |[[Chicago Blackhawks]] |62 |- |[[New York Rangers]] |59 |- |[[St. Louis Blues]] |41 |- |[[Philadelphia Flyers]] |38 |- |[[Dallas Stars]] |31 {{#tag:ref|Includes appearances for [[Minnesota North Stars]] ([[1967–68 NHL season|1967–68]] through to [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]]).|group=upper-alpha|name=b}} |- |[[Pittsburgh Penguins]] |32 |- |[[Buffalo Sabres]] |29 |- |[[Los Angeles Kings]] |29 |- |[[Calgary Flames]] |28 {{#tag:ref|Includes appearances for [[Atlanta Flames]] ([[1972–73 NHL season|1972–73]] through to [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]]).|group=upper-alpha|name=c}} |- |[[Vancouver Canucks]] |27 |- |[[Washington Capitals]] |27 |- |[[New York Islanders]] |24 |- |[[Colorado Avalanche]] |22 {{#tag:ref|Does not include appearances in the [[World Hockey Association]]/[[Avco World Trophy|Avco Trophy]] playoffs. Per the conditions of the [[NHL–WHA merger]], the NHL does not officially recognize the WHA history, playoffs and records. Furthermore, during its existence, no WHA champion competed for the Stanley Cup.|group=upper-alpha|name=d}}{{#tag:ref|Includes appearances for [[Quebec Nordiques]] ([[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]] through to [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95]]).|group=upper-alpha|name=e}} |- |[[New Jersey Devils]] |22 {{#tag:ref|Includes appearances for [[Colorado Rockies (NHL)|Colorado Rockies]] ([[1976–77 NHL season|1976–77]] through to [[1981–82 NHL season|1981–82]]).|group=upper-alpha|name=f}} |- |[[Edmonton Oilers]] |21 <ref group=upper-alpha name=d /> |- |[[Arizona Coyotes]] |19 <ref group=upper-alpha name=d />{{#tag:ref|Includes appearances for the [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996)|original Winnipeg Jets]] ([[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]] through to [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]]).|group=upper-alpha|name=g}} |- |[[San Jose Sharks]] |18 |- |[[Ottawa Senators]] |16 {{#tag:ref|The modern Ottawa Senators (1992–present) are the namesake of the [[Ottawa Senators (original)|original Senators]] (1883–1934). The NHL officially treats them as two separate franchises.|group=upper-alpha|name=h}} |- |[[Carolina Hurricanes]] |13 <ref group=upper-alpha name=d />{{#tag:ref|Includes appearances for [[Hartford Whalers]] ([[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]] through to [[1996–97 NHL season|1996–97]]).|group=upper-alpha|name=i}} |- |[[Anaheim Ducks]] |13 |- |[[Nashville Predators]] |10 |- |[[Tampa Bay Lightning]] |9 |- |[[Minnesota Wild]] |8 |- |[[Florida Panthers]] |5 |- |[[Columbus Blue Jackets]] |3 |- |[[Winnipeg Jets]] |2 {{#tag:ref|Includes appearances for [[Atlanta Thrashers]] ([[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000]] through to [[2010–11 NHL season|2010–11]]).|group=upper-alpha|name=j}} |} {{reflist|group=upper-alpha}} ==See also== *[[List of NHL playoff series]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{Stanley Cup playoffs}} {{NHL}} {{NHL topics}} [[Category:National Hockey League]] [[Category:Stanley Cup|play]] [[Category:Stanley Cup playoffs| ]]'