Which Four NHL Hockey Teams Have Never Been to the Stanley Cup Finals?

Entering the 2021 NHL season there are four teams or franchises which have never been to the Stanley Cup Finals. Can you name the four teams?

There are currently 31 teams in the NHL. Out of the 31 teams, 12 have never won the Stanley Cup, but eight of the 12 teams have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals were they lost.

These are the four NHL teams that have yet to even make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The teams are listed below based upon how long they have been playing in the NHL.

Three of the teams on the list have each gone 20 years in the NHL without making the Stanley Cup. That might not sound too bad, but the Vegas Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in the very first year they started playing in the NHL in 2017-18.

The only way the Vegas Golden Knights could have bettered that record was by winning the Stanley Cup, but they were defeated by the Washington Capitals in five games. The Washington Capitals themselves erased years of futility by winning their first Stanley Cup that year.

One team in the NHL has gone over 40 years without making a single Stanley Cup Finals. Can you name that team? As a big hint, the franchise moved to its current location in 1996.

Despite not ever making the Stanley Cup Finals, the first team listed below has made the NHL Playoffs many times, they have just never advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

When the Seattle Kraken make their NHL debut during the 2021-22 season, they will also make this list by default.

Which Four NHL Hockey Teams Have Never Been to the Stanley Cup Finals?

1. Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes originally joined the NHL in 1979 as the Winnipeg Jets when the NHL absorbed four WHA teams. In 1996, the team moved to Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes and were renamed the Arizona Coyotes in 2014.

The Arizona Coyotes franchise has yet to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. While playing in Winnipeg, the team made the playoffs 11 times but never advanced to the Conference Finals.

Since moving to Arizona, the team has made the playoffs eight times and did make the Conference Finals in 2012 were they lost in five games. So this franchise has made the playoffs plenty of times they just never advance far enough to get off this list.

T-2. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets joined the NHL as an expansion team in 2000. The Blue Jackets made their first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in 2009 but they lost in the first round.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have also made the playoffs in 2014, 2017 and 2018, but have also lost in the first round each time. The Blue Jackets are the only NHL franchise that has never won a playoff series.

T-2. Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild joined the NHL as an expansion team in 2000. The team has had a ton of success making the playoffs but the Wild have yet to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Wild made the playoffs for the first time in their third year in 2003 and they advanced all the way to the Conference Finals were they lost. The franchise has made the playoffs eight more times since then but have yet to make it back to the Conference Finals.

4. Winnipeg Jets

The current Winnipeg Jets team started out playing in the NHL in 2000 as the Atlanta Thrashers. The team relocated to Winnipeg in 2011.

As the Atlanta Thrashers, this franchise made the NHL Playoffs just once in 2007 were they lost in the first round. Since moving to Winnipeg, the teams has made the playoffs two more times including making the Conference Finals in 2018, were they lost to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in five games.