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).
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.
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 Bruins
29 seasons1
1967–68 through to 1995–96
2 : 1969–70 , 1971–72
Chicago Black Hawks 2
28 seasons
1969–70 through to 1996–97
none
St. Louis Blues
25 seasons
1979–80 through to 2003–04
none
Detroit Red Wings
25 seasons7
1990–91 through to 2015–16
4 : 1996–97 , 1997–98 , 2001–02 , 2007–08
Montreal Canadiens
24 seasons3
1970–71 through to 1993–94
8 : 1970–71 , 1972–73 , 1975–76 , 1976–77 , 1977–78 , 1978–79 , 1985–86 , 1992–93
Montreal Canadiens
21 seasons3
1948–49 through to 1968–69
10 : 1952–53 , 1955–56 , 1956–57 , 1957–58 , 1958–59 , 1959–60 , 1964–65 , 1965–66 , 1967–68 , 1968–69
Detroit Red Wings
20 seasons
1938–39 through to 1957–58
5 : 1942–43 , 1949–50 , 1951–52 , 1953–54 , 1954–55
Philadelphia Flyers
17 seasons
1972–73 through to 1988–89
2 : 1973–74 , 1974–75
Atlanta Flames /Calgary Flames
16 seasons4
1975–76 through to 1990–91
1 : 1988–89
Toronto Maple Leafs
15 seasons
1930–31 through to 1944–45
3 : 1931–32 , 1941–42 , 1944–45
New York Islanders
14 seasons
1974–75 through to 1987–88
4 : 1979–80 , 1980–81 , 1981–82 , 1982–83
Washington Capitals
14 seasons
1982–83 through to 1995–96
none
Edmonton Oilers
13 seasons
1979–80 5 through to 1991–92
5 : 1983–84 , 1984–85 , 1986–87 , 1987–88 , 1989–90
New Jersey Devils
13 seasons7
1996–97 through to 2009–10
2 : 1999–2000 , 2002–03
Pittsburgh Penguins
12 seasons
2006–07 to present
3 : 2008–09 , 2015–16 , 2016-17
Buffalo Sabres
11 seasons
1974–75 through to 1984–85
none
Pittsburgh Penguins
11 seasons
1990–91 through to 2000–01
2 : 1990–91 , 1991–92
Philadelphia Flyers
11 seasons7
1994–95 through to 2005–06
none
Quebec Nordiques /Colorado Avalanche
11 seasons6, 7
1994–95 through to 2005–06
2 : 1995–96 , 2000–01
Ottawa Senators
11 seasons7
1996–97 through to 2007–08
none
Chicago Black Hawks
10 seasons
1958–59 through to 1967–68
1 : 1960–61
New York Rangers
10 seasons
1977–78 through to 1986–87
none
San Jose Sharks
10 seasons7
2003–04 through to 2013–14
none
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 Canadiens
10 seasons
1950–51 through to 1959–60
6 : 1952–53 , 1955–56 , 1956–57 , 1957–58 , 1958–59 , 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens
10 seasons
1983–84 through to 1992–93
2 : 1985–86 , 1992–93
Philadelphia Flyers
0 9 seasons
1972–73 through to 1980–81
2 : 1973–74 , 1974–75
New York Islanders
0 7 seasons
1978–79 through to 1984–85
4 : 1979–80 , 1980–81 , 1981–82 , 1982–83
Chicago Black Hawks
0 6 seasons
1969–70 through to 1974–75
none
Montreal Canadiens
0 6 seasons
1974–75 through to 1979–80
4 : 1975–76 , 1976–77 , 1977–78 , 1978–79
Edmonton Oilers
0 6 seasons
1982–83 through to 1987–88
4 : 1983–84 , 1984–85 , 1986–87 , 1987–88
Detroit Red Wings
0 6 seasons
1994–95 through to 1999–2000
2 : 1996–97 , 1997–98
Montreal Canadiens
0 5 seasons
1964–65 through to 1968–69
4 : 1964–65 , 1965–66 , 1967–68 , 1968–69
Toronto Maple Leafs
0 5 seasons
1974–75 through to 1978–79
none
Boston Bruins
0 5 seasons
1975–76 through to 1979–80
none
New York Rangers
0 5 seasons
1978–79 through to 1982–83
none
Boston Bruins
0 5 seasons
1987–88 through to 1991–92
none
Detroit Red Wings
0 5 seasons
2006–07 through to 2010–11
1 : 2007–08
Stanley Cup Final appearance streaks
Team
Stanley Cup Final appearance streak
Consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances
Stanley Cup Championships during streak
Montreal Canadiens
10 seasons
1950–51 through to 1959–60
6 : 1952–53 , 1955–56 , 1956–57 , 1957–58 , 1958–59 , 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens
0 5 seasons
1964–65 through to 1968–69
4 : 1964–65 , 1965–66 , 1967–68 , 1968–69
New York Islanders
0 5 seasons
1979–80 through to 1983–84
4 : 1979–80 , 1980–81 , 1981–82 , 1982–83
Montreal Canadiens
0 4 seasons
1975–76 through to 1978–79
4 : 1975–76 , 1976–77 , 1977–78 , 1978–79
Toronto Maple Leafs
0 3 seasons
1937–38 through to 1939–40
none
Detroit Red Wings
0 3 seasons
1940–41 through to 1942–43
1 : 1942–43
Toronto Maple Leafs
0 3 seasons
1946–47 through to 1948–49
3 : 1946–47 , 1947–48 , 1948–49
Detroit Red Wings
0 3 seasons
1947–48 through to 1949–50
1 : 1949–50
Detroit Red Wings
0 3 seasons
1953–54 through to 1955–56
2 : 1953–54 , 1954–55
Toronto Maple Leafs
0 3 seasons
1961–62 through to 1963–64
3 : 1961–62 , 1962–63 , 1963–64
St. Louis Blues
0 3 seasons
1967–68 through to 1969–70
none
Philadelphia Flyers
0 3 seasons
1973–74 through to 1975–76
2 : 1973–74 , 1974–75
Edmonton Oilers
0 3 seasons
1982–83 through to 1984–85
2 : 1983–84 , 1984–85
Stanley Cup win streaks
Team
Stanley Cup win streak
Consecutive Stanley Cup wins
Montreal Canadiens
5 seasons
1955–56 through to 1959–60
Montreal Canadiens
4 seasons
1975–76 through to 1978–79
New York Islanders
4 seasons
1979–80 through to 1982–83
Toronto Maple Leafs
3 seasons
1946–47 through to 1948–49
Toronto Maple Leafs
3 seasons
1961–62 through to 1963–64
Ottawa Senators 1
2 seasons
1919–20 , 1920–21
Montreal Canadiens
2 seasons
1929–30 , 1930–31
Detroit Red Wings
2 seasons
1935–36 , 1936–37
Detroit Red Wings
2 seasons
1953–54 , 1954–55
Montreal Canadiens
2 seasons
1964–65 , 1965–66
Montreal Canadiens
2 seasons
1967–68 , 1968–69
Philadelphia Flyers
2 seasons
1973–74 , 1974–75
Edmonton Oilers
2 seasons
1983–84 , 1984–85
Edmonton Oilers
2 seasons
1986–87 , 1987–88
Pittsburgh Penguins
2 seasons
1990–91 , 1991–92
Detroit Red Wings
2 seasons
1996–97 , 1997–98
Pittsburgh Penguins
2 seasons
2015–16 , 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
History NHL personnel Records Related Other