The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series for the National Hockey League (NHL). The winning team receives the Stanley Cup trophy, which is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. The International Ice Hockey Federation considers the Stanley Cup to be one of the most important championships in all of ice hockey.
1906: Professional teams eligible for Stanley Cup
In 1906, professional teams were first allowed to challenge for the Stanley Cup, marking a significant change in the competition's dynamics.
1912: Stanley Cup trustees' challenge rule change
In 1912, the Stanley Cup trustees mandated that challenges for the Cup could only take place after all league games were completed, establishing a new rule for the competition.
1913: NHA and PCHA agreement for Stanley Cup Finals
In 1913, the NHA and PCHA agreed that their champions would face each other for the Stanley Cup, establishing a precedent for inter-league competition.
March 1914: Stanley Cup trustees allow pro leagues to arrange series
In March 1914, the Stanley Cup trustees permitted the NHA, PCHA, and Maritime leagues to make all arrangements for the Cup series, reducing the trustees' influence over the competition.
1914: Stanley Cup finals alternation between East and West
From 1914 onwards, the Stanley Cup Finals alternated between Eastern and Western venues each year, reflecting the geographical distribution of the competing teams.
1914: First 'World Series' of ice hockey
In 1914, the Stanley Cup Finals saw the first 'World Series' of ice hockey between the Toronto Hockey Club of the NHA and the Victoria Aristocrats of the PCHA, in a pre-arranged series.
1915: Stanley Cup officially held between NHA and PCHA champions
Starting in 1915, the Stanley Cup was officially contested between the champions of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), setting a new standard for the competition.
1917: First American team wins Stanley Cup
In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans became the first American team to win the Stanley Cup, highlighting the growing influence of American teams in the competition.
1918: Toronto Arenas Win Stanley Cup
The Toronto Hockey Club, known as the Toronto Arenas at the time, won the Stanley Cup in 1918. This win is now included in the Toronto Maple Leafs' total.
1919: Stanley Cup Finals canceled due to Spanish influenza
In 1919, the Stanley Cup Finals were canceled due to the Spanish influenza epidemic, with the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans tied at 2–2–1. This marked the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded.
1919: Montreal Canadiens' Unfinished Finals
The 1919 Stanley Cup Finals, which featured the Montreal Canadiens, were never finished and resulted in a no-decision due to the Spanish flu epidemic. Despite this, the Montreal Canadiens include this in their total number of Stanley Cup Finals appearances.
1922: Stanley Cup format change with WCHL
In 1922, the format for the Stanley Cup championship changed with the creation of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), requiring a semi-final series between league champions.
1922: Toronto St. Patricks Win Stanley Cup
The Toronto St. Patricks won the Stanley Cup in 1922. This win is now counted towards the Toronto Maple Leafs' total Stanley Cup victories.
1924: PCHA and WCHL merge to form WHL
In 1924, the PCHA and WCHL merged to form the Western Hockey League (WHL), reverting the Stanley Cup championship to a single series. The Victoria Cougars won the 1924–25 season, becoming the last non-NHL team to win the Cup.
1926: Stanley Cup becomes NHL championship trophy
In 1926, after several league mergers and dissolutions, the Stanley Cup became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL).
1926: NHL becomes sole league competing for Stanley Cup
In 1926, the WHL folded, leaving the NHL as the only league competing for the Stanley Cup. From this year forward, no non-NHL team has played for the Cup.
1927: First NHL Playoff Format Change
Since 1927, the NHL has changed its playoff format several times, affecting the structure of the Stanley Cup Finals.
1927: First Stanley Cup Finals as NHL Championship
The Stanley Cup was first awarded to the winner of the NHL's championship playoff round in 1927. The Ottawa Senators defeated the Boston Bruins in a best-of-three series, which allowed ties at the time, in four games.
1928: End of Ties in Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals allowed ties until 1928, after which they were eliminated.
1929: New Playoff Format Based on Division Ranking
A new playoff format was introduced in 1929, where teams with the same division ranking played each other. The winner of the first-place series advanced directly to the Stanley Cup Finals.
1938: End of Division-Based Playoff Format
The playoff format used from 1929 to 1938, where teams with identical division ranking faced each other, was discontinued after 1938.
1947: NHL gains control of Stanley Cup
In 1947, the NHL reached an agreement with the Stanley Cup trustees to gain control over the Cup, allowing the league to reject challenges from other leagues.
1953: First French-language broadcast of Stanley Cup Finals
In 1953, the first French-language broadcast of the Stanley Cup Finals aired on CBC's Télévision de Radio-Canada (SRC), with Rene Lecavalier and Jean-Maurice Bailly providing commentary.
1953: First television broadcast of Stanley Cup Finals in Canada
In 1953, the first television broadcast of the Stanley Cup Finals in Canada aired on CBC, with Danny Gallivan and Keith Dancy providing commentary. This began a long tradition of Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts.
1962: First US Television Broadcast of Stanley Cup Finals
In 1962, the Stanley Cup Finals were broadcasted on television for the first time in the United States by the local Chicago station WGN.
1966: Network Broadcasts of Stanley Cup Finals Begin
National network broadcasts of the Stanley Cup Finals commenced in 1966 on NBC.
1972: Stanley Cup Finals broadcast on CTV due to strike
In 1972, a NABET strike forced the Stanley Cup Finals to be broadcast on CTV instead of CBC, marking a rare change in the final's broadcast arrangement.
1975: Start of Seeded Playoff Format
From 1975 to 1981, the NHL playoffs adopted a seeded format where all teams were seeded regardless of division or conference.
1975: End of Initial Period of Network Coverage
The initial period of network coverage for the Stanley Cup Finals, with NBC and CBS holding the rights at various times, concluded in 1975.
1976: Stanley Cup Finals Move to Syndication
From 1976, the Stanley Cup Finals were broadcasted through the 1970s NHL Network via syndication.
1978: Danny Gallivan calls last Stanley Cup Finals
In 1978, Danny Gallivan called his last Stanley Cup Finals, ending an era of memorable play-by-play commentary for Hockey Night in Canada.
1979: End of Syndicated Coverage
The period of syndicated coverage for the Stanley Cup Finals ended in 1979.
1980: Stanley Cup Finals on Cable and Simulcasts
The Stanley Cup Finals moved to cable in 1980, with the Hughes broadcast network simulcasting CBC's feed.
1981: End of Initial Seeded Playoff Format
The initial seeded playoff format in the NHL, used from 1975 to 1981, was discontinued after 1981.
1982: Introduction of best-of-seven series for Stanley Cup Finals
From 1982, the Stanley Cup Finals have been contested as a best-of-seven series between the champions of the NHL's Eastern and Western Conferences.
1982: Conference Champions in Stanley Cup Finals
Starting in 1982, the NHL's final round, the Stanley Cup Finals, featured the league's two conference playoff champions.
1985: Stanley Cup Finals broadcast split between CBC and CTV/Global TV
From 1985 to 1988, the Stanley Cup Finals' broadcast was split between CBC and either CTV or Global TV, diverging from the usual exclusive coverage by CBC.
1986: Chicago Blackhawks Name Change
Before the 1986–87 season, the Chicago Black Hawks officially changed their name to the Chicago Blackhawks.
1988: Stanley Cup Finals broadcast split between CBC and CTV/Global TV
From 1985 to 1988, the Stanley Cup Finals' broadcast was split between CBC and either CTV or Global TV, diverging from the usual exclusive coverage by CBC.
1993: Early Cable Coverage of Stanley Cup Finals Concludes
The early cable coverage era of the Stanley Cup Finals, with rights held by USA, SportsChannel America, and ESPN at various times, ended in 1993.
1995: Fox and ESPN Share Stanley Cup Finals Coverage
In 1995, Fox became the exclusive national broadcast network for selected games of the Stanley Cup Finals, sharing coverage with ESPN.
2000: ABC and ESPN Take Over Coverage
The exclusive national coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals was passed on to ABC and ESPN in 2000.
2003: RDS takes over French-language broadcasts
In 2003, Réseau des sports (RDS) took over as the exclusive French-language broadcaster of the Stanley Cup Finals in Canada.
2004: NHL lockout and Stanley Cup conditions
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the NHL agreed to allow other teams to play for the Stanley Cup if the league was not operating, as per a court ruling.
2006: Court case regarding NHL's control over Stanley Cup
A 2006 Ontario Superior Court case found that the NHL's 1947 agreement with the Stanley Cup trustees went against Lord Stanley's original conditions. The NHL agreed to allow other teams to compete for the Cup if the league was not operating, as during the 2004–05 lockout.
2006: NBC and Versus Acquire Rights
In 2006, NBC and Versus (now NBCSN) acquired the rights to broadcast the Stanley Cup Finals.
2015: CBC telecast becomes Rogers Media-produced broadcast
In 2015, the CBC telecast of the Stanley Cup Finals became a Rogers Media-produced broadcast under a sub-license agreement, changing the production dynamics of the broadcast.
2015: TVA becomes exclusive French-language broadcaster
Since 2015, TVA has been the exclusive home of French-language broadcasts of the Stanley Cup Finals in Canada, under a sub-license agreement with Rogers.
2017: Stanley Cup Finals simulcast on Sportsnet
Starting in 2017, the Stanley Cup Finals were simulcast on Sportsnet in addition to CBC, expanding the reach of the broadcast.
2020: End of Conference-Based Playoff Format
The NHL's practice of having the two conference champions compete in the Stanley Cup Finals, in place since 1982, ended in 2020.
2021: Temporary Realignment and Division-Based Playoffs
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL temporarily realigned in 2021, leading to a playoff format where the four division champions were re-seeded and the winners of the Semifinals advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
2022: Return to Conference-Based Playoff Format
In 2022, the NHL reverted to the previous conference-based playoff format for the Stanley Cup Finals.
2022: Annual Rotation Between ABC and TNT
Since 2022, the Stanley Cup Finals have been broadcasted in an annual rotation between ABC (even years) and TNT (odd years), with the option for simulcasts on their respective sister cable networks or streaming platforms.