Canada’s Stanley Cup drought reaches 31 years

By CityNews Staff

Canadians will have to wait at least another year to see a team north of the border lift the Stanley Cup.

Canada’s NHL championship drought extended to 31 years on Monday when the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.

The Oilers were looking to do the improbable after falling behind 3-0 in the series to the Panthers. Edmonton’s three consecutive victories forced the winner-take-all final game, but the Canadian franchise fell just short.

The 1993 Montreal Canadiens are the last Canadian team to capture hockey’s top prize.

The 1994 and 2011 Vancouver Canucks, 2004 Calgary Flames, 2006 Edmonton Oilers, 2007 Ottawa Senators and 2021 Canadiens all lost in the Stanley Cup final to an American team.

The previous longest drought between Canadian Stanley Cup champions was a six-season slump from 1936 to 1941.

Edmonton was one of four Canadian teams in this year’s playoffs. The Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs failed to make it past the first round, while the Vancouver Canucks were eliminated by Edmonton in round two.

With files from Sportsnet.