Stanley Cup

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Los Angeles Kings: 2012 Stanley Cup finals

Stanley Cup

ice hockey trophy

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Nov 9, 2024 • Article History

Key People:: Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston

Related Topics:: ice hockey

Notable Honorees:: Jonathan Toews; Mario Lemieux; Wayne Gretzky; Jaromir Jagr

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Stanley Cup, trophy awarded to the winner of the world’s professional ice hockey championship, an annual play-off that culminates the season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup was first awarded in the 1892–93 season and is the oldest trophy that can be won by professional athletes in North America. The cup’s donor was a governor-general of Canada, Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston, for whom it is named. It was originally intended to go to the outstanding Canadian team, as determined by a play-off, and the first winner was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. Amateurs competed for the cup in the early years, but, as the number of professional teams grew, amateurs dropped out of the competition. The cup became the sole property of the National Hockey League in 1926. (For a list of Stanley Cup champions, see table.)

The Stanley Cup
season	winner	runner-up	games
*Though Victoria defeated Quebec in challenge games, Victoria's win was not officially recognized.
**Series called because of flu epidemic.
1892–93	Montreal Amateur Athletic Association
1893–94	Montreal Amateur Athletic Association
1894–95	Montreal Victorias
1895–96	Winnipeg Victorias (Feb.)
1895–96	Montreal Victorias (Dec.)
1896–97	Montreal Victorias
1897–98	Montreal Victorias
1898–99	Montreal Shamrocks
1899–1900	Montreal Shamrocks
1900–01	Winnipeg Victorias
1901–02	Montreal Amateur Athletic Association
1902–03	Ottawa Silver Seven
1903–04	Ottawa Silver Seven
1904–05	Ottawa Silver Seven
1905–06	Montreal Wanderers
1906–07	Kenora Thistles (Jan.)
1906–07	Montreal Wanderers (March)
1907–08	Montreal Wanderers
1908–09	Ottawa Senators
1909–10	Montreal Wanderers
1910–11	Ottawa Senators
1911–12	Quebec Bulldogs
1912–13*	Quebec Bulldogs
1913–14	Toronto Blueshirts
1914–15	Vancouver Millionaires
1915–16	Montreal Canadiens
1916–17	Seattle Metropolitans
1917–18	Toronto Arenas	Vancouver Millionaires	3–2
1918–19	no decision**
1919–20	Ottawa Senators	Seattle Metropolitans	3–2
1920–21	Ottawa Senators	Vancouver Millionaires	3–2
1921–22	Toronto St. Pats	Vancouver Millionaires	3–2
1922–23	Ottawa Senators	Edmonton	2–0
1923–24	Montreal Canadiens	Calgary	2–0
1924–25	Victoria Cougars	Montreal Canadiens	3–1
1925–26	Montreal Maroons	Victoria Cougars	3–1
1926–27	Ottawa Senators	Boston Bruins	2–0
1927–28	New York Rangers	Montreal Maroons	3–2
1928–29	Boston Bruins	New York Rangers	2–0
1929–30	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	2–0
1930–31	Montreal Canadiens	Chicago Black Hawks	3–2
1931–32	Toronto Maple Leafs	New York Rangers	3–0
1932–33	New York Rangers	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–1
1933–34	Chicago Black Hawks	Detroit Red Wings	3–1
1934–35	Montreal Maroons	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–0
1935–36	Detroit Red Wings	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–1
1936–37	Detroit Red Wings	New York Rangers	3–2
1937–38	Chicago Black Hawks	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–1
1938–39	Boston Bruins	Toronto Maple Leafs	4–1
1939–40	New York Rangers	Toronto Maple Leafs	4–2
1940–41	Boston Bruins	Detroit Red Wings	4–0
1941–42	Toronto Maple Leafs	Detroit Red Wings	4–3
1942–43	Detroit Red Wings	Boston Bruins	4–0
1943–44	Montreal Canadiens	Chicago Black Hawks	4–0
1944–45	Toronto Maple Leafs	Detroit Red Wings	4–3
1945–46	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	4–1
1946–47	Toronto Maple Leafs	Montreal Canadiens	4–2
1947–48	Toronto Maple Leafs	Detroit Red Wings	4–0
1948–49	Toronto Maple Leafs	Detroit Red Wings	4–0
1949–50	Detroit Red Wings	New York Rangers	4–3
1950–51	Toronto Maple Leafs	Montreal Canadiens	4–1
1951–52	Detroit Red Wings	Montreal Canadiens	4–0
1952–53	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	4–1
1953–54	Detroit Red Wings	Montreal Canadiens	4–3
1954–55	Detroit Red Wings	Montreal Canadiens	4–3
1955–56	Montreal Canadiens	Detroit Red Wings	4–1
1956–57	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	4–1
1957–58	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	4–2
1958–59	Montreal Canadiens	Toronto Maple Leafs	4–1
1959–60	Montreal Canadiens	Toronto Maple Leafs	4–0
1960–61	Chicago Black Hawks	Detroit Red Wings	4–2
1961–62	Toronto Maple Leafs	Chicago Black Hawks	4–2
1962–63	Toronto Maple Leafs	Detroit Red Wings	4–1
1963–64	Toronto Maple Leafs	Detroit Red Wings	4–3
1964–65	Montreal Canadiens	Chicago Black Hawks	4–3
1965–66	Montreal Canadiens	Detroit Red Wings	4–2
1966–67	Toronto Maple Leafs	Montreal Canadiens	4–2
1967–68	Montreal Canadiens	St. Louis Blues	4–0
1968–69	Montreal Canadiens	St. Louis Blues	4–0
1969–70	Boston Bruins	St. Louis Blues	4–0
1970–71	Montreal Canadiens	Chicago Black Hawks	4–3
1971–72	Boston Bruins	New York Rangers	4–2
1972–73	Montreal Canadiens	Chicago Black Hawks	4–2
1973–74	Philadelphia Flyers	Boston Bruins	4–2
1974–75	Philadelphia Flyers	Buffalo Sabres	4–2
1975–76	Montreal Canadiens	Philadelphia Flyers	4–0
1976–77	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	4–0
1977–78	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	4–2
1978–79	Montreal Canadiens	New York Rangers	4–1
1979–80	New York Islanders	Philadelphia Flyers	4–2
1980–81	New York Islanders	Minnesota North Stars	4–1
1981–82	New York Islanders	Vancouver Canucks	4–0
1982–83	New York Islanders	Edmonton Oilers	4–0
1983–84	Edmonton Oilers	New York Islanders	4–1
1984–85	Edmonton Oilers	Philadelphia Flyers	4–1
1985–86	Montreal Canadiens	Calgary Flames	4–1
1986–87	Edmonton Oilers	Philadelphia Flyers	4–3
1987–88	Edmonton Oilers	Boston Bruins	4–0
1988–89	Calgary Flames	Montreal Canadiens	4–2
1989–90	Edmonton Oilers	Boston Bruins	4–1
1990–91	Pittsburgh Penguins	Minnesota North Stars	4–2
1991–92	Pittsburgh Penguins	Chicago Blackhawks	4–0
1992–93	Montreal Canadiens	Los Angeles Kings	4–1
1993–94	New York Rangers	Vancouver Canucks	4–3
1994–95	New Jersey Devils	Detroit Red Wings	4–0
1995–96	Colorado Avalanche	Florida Panthers	4–0
1996–97	Detroit Red Wings	Philadelphia Flyers	4–0
1997–98	Detroit Red Wings	Washington Capitals	4–0
1998–99	Dallas Stars	Buffalo Sabres	4–2
1999–2000	New Jersey Devils	Dallas Stars	4–2
2000–01	Colorado Avalanche	New Jersey Devils	4–3
2001–02	Detroit Red Wings	Carolina Hurricanes	4–1
2002–03	New Jersey Devils	Anaheim Mighty Ducks	4–3
2003–04	Tampa Bay Lightning	Calgary Flames	4–3
2004–05	canceled due to labour dispute
2005–06	Carolina Hurricanes	Edmonton Oilers	4–3
2006–07	Anaheim Ducks	Ottawa Senators	4–1
2007–08	Detroit Red Wings	Pittsburgh Penguins	4–2
2008–09	Pittsburgh Penguins	Detroit Red Wings	4–3
2009–10	Chicago Blackhawks	Philadelphia Flyers	4–2
2010–11	Boston Bruins	Vancouver Canucks	4–3
2011–12	Los Angeles Kings	New Jersey Devils	4–2
2012–13	Chicago Blackhawks	Boston Bruins	4–2
2013–14	Los Angeles Kings	New York Rangers	4–1
2014–15	Chicago Blackhawks	Tampa Bay Lightning	4–2
2015–16	Pittsburgh Penguins	San Jose Sharks	4–2
2016–17	Pittsburgh Penguins	Nashville Predators	4–2
2017–18	Washington Capitals	Vegas Golden Knights	4–1
2018–19	St. Louis Blues	Boston Bruins	4–3
2019–20	Tampa Bay Lightning	Dallas Stars	4–2
2020–21	Tampa Bay Lightning	Montreal Canadiens	4–1
2021–22	Colorado Avalanche	Tampa Bay Lightning	4–2
2022–23	Vegas Golden Knights	Florida Panthers	4–1
2023–24	Florida Panthers	Edmonton Oilers	4–3

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.