The NHL created the Atlantic Division for the 1993-94 season, and over three decades, teams have moved through several realignments. Today’s Atlantic Division formed in 2013, and except for the 2020-21 season, this group has included four Original Six franchises and four modern-era expansion teams. Considering that four of the past seven Stanley Cup champions have come from the Atlantic Division, here’s a look at when each franchise last won a championship.
The last time each Atlantic Division team won the Stanley Cup
Buffalo Sabres (Never)
The Buffalo Sabres have never won the Stanley Cup, playing in the Final only twice, 1975 and 1998, since joining the league in 1972. Despite legendary players like Gilbert Perreault and Dominik Hasek, the franchise holds the record for the longest playoff drought, 14 years, which they just ended last year.
Ottawa Senators (Never)
The Ottawa Senators debuted in 1992, taking the name of a former team from Canada’s capital city, which operated in the NHL from 1918 to 1934. Although the two clubs share no history, the original Senators won 11 Stanley Cups, which the current Senators honor with championship banners in their home arena. Meanwhile, since 1992, Ottawa has played in the Final only once, in 2007.
Toronto Maple Leafs (1967)
The longest-running joke in the NHL today is the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967, when the league had six teams. Moreover, since expansion, the franchise has not returned to the Stanley Cup Final in over 50 years. Every year they don’t win a championship, the drought grows.
Montreal Canadiens (1993)
It’s been 33 years since a Canadian club last won the Stanley Cup, with the Montreal Canadiens last doing so in 1993. Since then, the most successful franchise in professional sports, with 24 championships, the club has returned to the Final only once, in 2021.
Detroit Red Wings (2008)
The Detroit Red Wings were a very successful Original Six team, with seven championships before expansion in 1967. Like the Maple Leafs, the franchise struggled to recapture its old glories until the late 1990s, when a roster loaded with Future Hall of Famers won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. They remained a top team for another decade, winning again in 2002 and 2008. However, the Red Wings have not qualified for the playoffs since 2016-17, the longest postseason drought in their history.
Boston Bruins (2011)
The Boston Bruins have produced some of the game’s all-time greatest players, like Bobby Orr, and have won six Stanley Cups across different eras. After winning two in 1970 and 1972, the club reached the Final on numerous occasions but came up empty-handed, including losing to Edmonton in 1988 and 1990. Eventually, the Bruins went on a run for the ages in 2011, backed by a record-setting performance from Tim Thomas, capturing their sixth title in a thrilling seven-game series. With much of the same core intact, the club lost in the 2013 and 2019 Finals.
Tampa Bay Lightning (2021)
The Tampa Bay Lightning went through expansion growing pains, playing in the playoffs only twice before winning their first Stanley Cup in 2004. Then, during the bubble playoffs in Edmonton in August 2020 due to the pandemic, the Lightning advanced and beat the Dallas Stars for their second title. A year later, they repeated as champions but fell short in their bid to become the first team since the New York Islanders (1980-1984) to win three straight. Since winning the Eastern Conference Final in 2022, Tampa Bay hasn’t won a playoff series.
Florida Panthers (2025)
The Florida Panthers debuted in 1993 and three years later went on one of the NHL’s most memorable Cinderella playoff runs of all time, losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final. Since then, the franchise qualified for the playoffs just four times between 1997 and 2019. Then, with most of today’s core coming of age, the Panthers advanced to the postseason six straight seasons for a new franchise record. In 2023, Florida played in their second Final, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights, before defeating Edmonton in back-to-back years in 2024 and 2025 to win their first championships.
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