History of Stanley Cup Finals in Timeline

The Stanley Cup Finals is the National Hockey League's annual championship series. The winning team is awarded the Stanley Cup, which is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, it's one of the most important championships in ice hockey.

1906: Professional teams eligible for Stanley Cup

In 1906, professional teams became eligible to challenge for the Stanley Cup for the first time.

1912: Stanley Cup challenges restricted to after league games

Until 1912, Stanley Cup challenges could occur before or during a league season. After 1912, the trustees mandated that challenges only take place after all league games were completed.

1913: NHA and PCHA agreement for Stanley Cup face-off

In 1913, the NHA and PCHA agreed that their respective champions would face each other for the Stanley Cup, as part of their agreement to set up drafting and player rights ownership.

March 1914: Stanley Cup trustee misunderstanding

In March 1914, a letter from the Stanley Cup trustees initially stated that the Stanley Cup would not travel west as they did not consider Victoria a proper challenger, but trustee William Foran later clarified it was a misunderstanding and the Victoria challenge was accepted.

1914: Stanley Cup Championship alternates between East and West

From 1914 onwards, the Stanley Cup championship finals alternated between the East and the West each year, with alternating games played according to NHA and PCHA rules.

1914: Inauguration of the first "World Series" of ice hockey

In 1914, the last challenge marked the inauguration of the first "World Series" of ice hockey, a series between the Stanley Cup and league champion Toronto Hockey Club of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Victoria Aristocrats, champions of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA).

1915: Stanley Cup held between NHA and PCHA champions

Starting in 1915, the Stanley Cup was officially contested between the champion of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the champion of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA).

1917: Seattle Metropolitans become first American team to win the Cup

In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans became the first American team to win the Stanley Cup.

1918: Toronto Hockey Club win included in Toronto Maple Leafs total

The NHL includes the Toronto Hockey Club (Toronto Arenas) 1918 win in the Toronto Maple Leafs total.

1919: Stanley Cup series cancelled due to Spanish flu

In 1919, the Stanley Cup series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans was cancelled due to the Spanish influenza epidemic, with the series tied at 2–2–1. This marked the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded.

1919: Montreal Canadiens totals include the 1919 finals that ended with a no-decision

The Montreal Canadiens totals include the 1919 finals that ended with a no-decision because of the Spanish flu epidemic.

1922: Stanley Cup championship format changes with WCHL creation

In 1922, the format for the Stanley Cup championship changed with the creation of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL).

1922: Toronto St. Patricks win included in Toronto Maple Leafs total

The NHL includes the 1922 Toronto St. Patricks win in the Toronto Maple Leafs total.

1924: PCHA and WCHL merge to form WHL

In 1924, the PCHA and the WCHL merged to form the Western Hockey League (WHL), reverting the championship to a single series.

1926: Stanley Cup becomes NHL championship trophy

In 1926, after a series of league mergers and folds, the Stanley Cup became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL).

1926: NHL becomes sole league competing for the Stanley Cup

In 1926, the WHL folded, leaving the NHL as the only league competing for the Stanley Cup.

1927: First Stanley Cup Final after NHL became sole league

In 1927, the first Stanley Cup Final after the NHL became the last remaining league was held between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators. The Senators defeated the Bruins in four games.

1928: Series allowed ties until 1928

Until 1928, the Stanley Cup series allowed ties. The series would alternate using each league's rules, with the PCHA continuing to use seven-man team play.

1929: NHL Playoff format change

In 1929, the NHL changed its playoff format.

1938: NHL Playoff format change

Until 1938, in the NHL playoff format, the two teams with identical division ranking would face each other (i.e. the first place teams played each other, the second place teams play each other, and likewise for the third place teams).

1947: NHL granted control of the Stanley Cup

In 1947, the NHL reached an agreement with trustees P. D. Ross and Cooper Smeaton to grant control of the cup to the NHL, allowing the league itself to reject challenges from other leagues.

1953: French-language broadcasts of Stanley Cup Finals begin in Canada

In 1953, French-language broadcasts of the Stanley Cup Finals began in Canada on CBC's Télévision de Radio-Canada (SRC) division, with Rene Lecavalier and Jean-Maurice Bailly as commentators.

1953: First television broadcast of the Stanley Cup Finals in Canada

In 1953, the first television broadcast of the Stanley Cup Finals in Canada occurred. The English-language coverage was aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

1962: First television broadcast in the United States

In 1962, the first television broadcast of the Stanley Cup Finals in the United States was covered by local Chicago station WGN.

1966: Network broadcasts start on NBC

In 1966, network broadcasts of the Stanley Cup Finals started in the United States on NBC.

1972: Stanley Cup coverage aired on CTV due to NABET strike

In 1972, due to a lengthy NABET strike, Stanley Cup coverage was aired on CTV instead of CBC.

1975: NBC and CBS held the rights at various times

From 1966 to 1975, NBC and CBS held the rights at various times, but they each only covered selected games of the series.

1975: All playoff teams seeded regardless of division or conference

From 1975 to 1981, all the NHL playoff teams were seeded regardless of division or conference.

1976: Stanley Cup Finals carried on syndication

From 1976 to 1979, the Stanley Cup Finals were carried on syndication through the 1970s NHL Network.

1978: Danny Gallivan calls his last championship series

In 1978, Danny Gallivan called his last championship series for Hockey Night in Canada.

1979: Stanley Cup Finals carried on syndication

From 1976 to 1979, the Stanley Cup Finals were carried on syndication through the 1970s NHL Network.

1980: Hughes broadcast network simulcast CBC's feed

In 1980, the Hughes broadcast network simulcast CBC's feed of the Stanley Cup Finals before the series was moved to cable.

1981: All playoff teams seeded regardless of division or conference

From 1975 to 1981, all the NHL playoff teams were seeded regardless of division or conference.

1982: Conference playoff champions face off in final round

From 1982 to 2020, the NHL's final round pitted the league's two conference playoff champions.

1982: NHL playoff championship round format change

Starting in 1982, the championship round of the NHL's playoffs became a best-of-seven series played between the champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences.

1985: Stanley Cup series split between CBC and other networks

From 1985 to 1988, the Stanley Cup series was split between CBC and either CTV or Global TV.

1986: Chicago Blackhawks known as Chicago Black Hawks

Before the 1986–87 season, the Chicago Blackhawks were known as the Chicago Black Hawks.

1988: Stanley Cup series split between CBC and other networks

From 1985 to 1988, the Stanley Cup series was split between CBC and either CTV or Global TV.

1993: Rights to the series was held at various times by USA, SportsChannel America, and ESPN

During its time on cable from 1980 to 1993, rights to the series was held at various times by USA, SportsChannel America, and ESPN.

1995: Fox signs on to be the exclusive national broadcast network

In 1995, Fox signed on to be the exclusive national broadcast network of selected games of the final round, splitting it with ESPN.

2000: Splitting of exclusive national coverage between a cable and a broadcast network was then passed to ABC and ESPN

The splitting of exclusive national coverage between a cable and a broadcast network was then passed to ABC and ESPN in 2000.

2003: Réseau des sports (RDS) takes over French-language broadcasts

In 2003, Réseau des sports (RDS) took over the French-language broadcasts of the Stanley Cup from SRC.

2004: NHL agrees to allow other teams to play for the Cup should the league not be operating

The NHL agreed to allow other teams to play for the Cup should the league not be operating, as was the case in the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

2006: Ontario Superior Court case finds trustees went against Lord Stanley's conditions

A 2006 Ontario Superior Court case found that the trustees had gone against Lord Stanley's conditions in the 1947 agreement.

2006: Splitting of exclusive national coverage between a cable and a broadcast network was then passed to NBC and Versus (now NBCSN)

The splitting of exclusive national coverage between a cable and a broadcast network was then passed to NBC and Versus (now NBCSN) in 2006.

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.

2015: TVA becomes exclusive home of French-language broadcasts in Canada

Since 2015, TVA has been the exclusive home of French-language broadcasts of the Stanley Cup in Canada under a sub-license agreement with Rogers.

2017: Simulcast on Sportsnet begins

Starting in 2017, there was a simulcast of the Stanley Cup Finals on Sportsnet, in addition to streaming on Rogers Media's digital platform.

2020: Conference playoff champions face off in final round

From 1982 to 2020, the NHL's final round pitted the league's two conference playoff champions.

2021: Temporary realignment due to COVID-19 pandemic

In 2021, the NHL temporarily realigned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the four playoff division champions being re-seeded and playing in the Semifinals.