Biggest Win in the History of Every NHL Team

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We all love the NHL and the sport of hockey. Chances are you are a passionate fan of one of the 30 NHL teams.

As the season enters December, many of the biggest wins of this season have not been seen yet. While there have been many exciting games and stories, plenty of great competition is yet to come.

With so much left to be written for this campaign, it is a good time to take a look at the biggest win in the history of each NHL team.

For many teams, it is a matter of choosing which of their Stanley Cup victories was the biggest.

For the teams that have not won the Stanley Cup, we take a look at a defining moment in their franchise.

Let me know if you have some other favorite moments in the comments.

Anaheim Ducks

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Date: June 6, 2007

Score: 6-2

Significance: This Stanley Cup Final was unique in that it presented two teams from the recent waves of expansion. When the Ducks clinched the series four games to one, they became the first team in the state of California to win the Cup. Notable players on the winning side included Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Teemu Selanne.

Boston Bruins

Gail Oskin/Getty Images

Date: June 15, 2011

Score: 4-0

Significance: A long overdue return to glory for an Original Six franchise. Prior to this victory, the B's had not won it all since the 1971-1972 season. The team also joined a group that includes the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and the 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins as teams that won championship Game 7's on the road. Notable players on the winning side included Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara and Mark Recchi.

Buffalo Sabres

Elsa/Getty Images

Date: May 31, 1999

Score: 4-2

Significance: Winning the Eastern Conference put the Sabres in the Stanley Cup Final the most recent time. The Sabres were able to get over the hump by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was a great moment in a season that saw the team finish fourth in its division. Notable players on the winning side were Stu Barnes, Miroslav Satan and Dominik Hasek.

Calgary Flames

Brad McCrimmon (R.I.P.)
Ken Levine/Getty Images

Date: May 25, 1989

Score: 4-2

Significance: First Stanley Cup for the franchise in a battle of Canada. This victory came over the Montreal Canadiens. It is most widely known as Lanny McDonald's career-capping moment. This remains the only Stanley Cup in Flames history.

Notable players on this team included Al MacInnis, Mike Vernon, Joe Mullen, Hakan Loob, Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour, Gary Roberts, Gary Suter and the late Brad McCrimmon.

Carolina Hurricanes

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Date: June 19, 2006

Score: 3-1

Significance: Franchise's first Stanley Cup win and a crowning achievement for the team once known as the Hartford Whalers.

This team had a strong season, finishing second in the conference. The series against a surprising Edmonton Oilers team went a full seven games, though, so the dramatics of this victory were amplified. Notable players on the team were Rod Brind'Amour, Doug Weight, Mark Recchi and Eric Staal.

Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Date: June 9, 2010

Score: 4-3 (OT)

Significance: Return to glory for another Original Six franchise that had not won the Cup since the 1960-1961 season. This series would have a winner that would break a longtime drought since it was against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Forward Marian Hossa appeared in his third consecutive final, having lost the previous two with the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Notable players on the team included Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Dustin Byfuglien.

Colorado Avalanche

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Date: June 10, 1996

Score: 1-0 (3OT)

Significance: First Stanley Cup for the franchise formerly known as the Quebec Nordiques. The Avs faced off against a surprising Florida Panthers team. In the end, the immense collection of talent in Colorado was too much for Florida, and the series ended with a sweep. Notable players with the winners were Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Claude Lemieux.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Date: April 8, 2009

Score: 4-3 (SO)

Significance: Qualified the Blue Jackets for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The victory allowed Columbus to finish seventh in the conference. With financial problems still looming for this team in the center of Ohio, they anxiously hope for the next big victory. Notable players on the team included Rick Nash, R.J. Umberger and Steve Mason.

Dallas Stars

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Date: June 19, 1999

Score: 2-1 (3OT)

Significance: Franchise's first Stanley Cup win that brought the Cup to Texas. It is best known for the controversial winning goal during which Brett Hull's skate was in the blue crease paint. At the time, this was a violation of the rules. The goal was allowed to stand, and the Buffalo Sabres had come up just short of their goal.

Notable players for the winners were Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk, Derian Hatcher and Ed Belfour.

Detroit Red Wings

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Date: June 7, 1997

Score: 2-1

Significance: Arguably, this win helped usher in the Red Wings re-establishing themselves as a dominant franchise in the NHL. It helped get them past the loss to the New Jersey Devils two finals earlier. Prior to this, the Red Wings' last Stanley Cup came after the 1954-1955 season. The team was able to sweep the Philadelphia Flyers to bring the Cup back to Hockeytown.

Notable players on the team included Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Brendan Shanahan, Nicklas Lidstrom, Slava Fetisov and Vladimir Konstantinov.

Edmonton Oilers

Getty Images/Getty Images

Date: May 19, 1984

Score: 5-2

Significance: Avenged their finals loss from the previous year and started a run of five Stanley Cups in seven years. This was unique because it was a rare time where the finals matchup was the same teams as the previous season, but with the winner different. This win put an end to the New York Islanders dynasty as well.

Notable players from the team included Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, Kevin Lowe, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr.

Florida Panthers

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Date: June 1, 1996

Score: 3-2

Significance: Defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 to move to the Stanley Cup Final. This effort was most known for being the "Rat Trick" team because fans would throw plastic rats on the ice in tribute to Scott Mellanby's legendary killing of a real one in the team's facility. Notable players included John Vanbiesbrouck, Ed Jovanovski, Stu Barnes, Brian Skrudland, Tom Fitzgerald and Martin Straka.

Los Angeles Kings

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Date: May 29, 1993

Score: 5-4

Significance: This victory won the Campbell Conference and moved the Kings to the Stanley Cup Final. Many consider this one of the scrappiest seven-game series in NHL history, with the Toronto Maple Leafs coming up on the short side. Many would say that this game was lost in the sixth game, when an apparent high stick by the Great One was allowed to go unpenalized. He scored the winning goal shortly thereafter.

Los Angeles was coached by Barry Melrose, and its notable players included Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, Jari Kurri, Tony Granato, Tomas Sandstrom and Kelly Hrudey.

Minnesota Wild

Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

Date: May 8, 2003

Score: 4-2

Significance: This victory put the Wild into the Western Conference Finals. This was a Game 7 victory that saw Minnesota overcome a 2-0 Vancouver Canucks lead. Darby Hendrickson scored what was probably the biggest goal in the young Wild's history to win it. Notable players included Pascal Dupuis, Marian Gaborik and Dwayne Roloson.

Montreal Canadiens

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Date: June 9, 1993

Score: 4-1

Significance: Picking the greatest moment in the Habs history is a bit overwhelming. This is the marquee franchise of the NHL in terms of the biggest wins, those that win the Stanley Cup. But their last Stanley Cup victory, also the last by a team from Canada, fits the bill as the biggest. They were able to defeat the Los Angeles Kings led by Wayne Gretzky to capture their 24th Cup.

Notable players included Guy Carbonneau, Denis Savard, Kirk Muller and Patrick Roy.

Nashville Predators

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

Date: April 24, 2011

Score: 4-2

Significance: Victory moved the Preds to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Many believe that this playoff run and the success it had may help solidify the Predators' place in town. While time will tell if this is true, it allowed Nashville a chance to embrace the team and show that despite being in the South, they can appreciate good hockey. Notable players included Shea Weber, Joel Ward and Pekka Rinne.

New Jersey Devils

Andy Marlin/Getty Images

Date: June 24, 1995

Score: 5-2

Significance: The first Stanley Cup for a franchise once called a "Mickey Mouse" organization by Wayne Gretzky. For better or for worse, the success of the Devils during the 1990s ushered in the "clutch and grab" era of the NHL. Notable players included Bill Guerin, Bobby Holik, Claude Lemieux, Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko and Martin Brodeur.

New York Islanders

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Date: May 17, 1983

Score: 4-2

Significance: Fourth consecutive Stanley Cup, a feat that most in sports cannot dream of achieving. The New York Islanders dynasty would be tripped up the next season, but their run of championships not only places them in the discussion of the greatest team in NHL history, but also puts them in the discussion as one of the greatest teams in sports history.

This win came against the Edmonton Oilers in four games. It seems that the loss helped inspire them to greatness as well.

Notable players included Bryan Trottier, Clark Gillies, Mike Bossy, Bob Nystrom, Denis Potvin and Billy Smith.

New York Rangers

Mike Powell/Getty Images

Date: June 14, 1994

Score: 3-2

Significance: The eyes of the hockey world returned to an Original Six team, and the cries of "1940" were no more. Led by Mark Messier and the previous round's guarantee, the Rangers bested the Vancouver Canucks. It may have taken seven games, but for the Stanley Cup to come to the media center of the world was great for the NHL and the sport of hockey.

Notable players included Mike Richter, Brian Leetch, Kevin Lowe, Craig MacTavish, Alexei Kovalev, Glenn Anderson and Messier. 

Ottawa Senators

Elsa/Getty Images

Date: May 19, 2007

Score: 3-2 (OT)

Significance: The win secured the Eastern Conference Finals for the Sens and brought them to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in the modern era. The team had long been accused of not being able to get over the hump, but with this victory over the Buffalo Sabres, the team would be as close as ever to the ultimate goal.

Notable players included Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Anton Volchenkov and Ray Emery.

Philadelphia Flyers

Len Redkoles/Getty Images

Date: May 19, 1974

Score: 1-0

Significance: First Stanley Cup victory for the Broad Street Bullies, which came over the Boston Bruins. The win came at the old Spectrum, which had to set the city into absolute bedlam once their beloved Flyers lifted the Cup. While the Flyers had a rugged reputation, the goaltending of Bernie Parent was the biggest story of the finals. Other notable players included Dave Schultz, Bob Kelly, Bill Clement, Terry Crisp and Bobby Clarke.

Phoenix Coyotes

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Date: Yet to occur

Score: N/A

Significance: Since the Coyotes have made the playoffs multiple times yet not moved past the first round, their biggest win is yet to come.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Date: May 25, 1991

Score: 8-0

Significance: Franchise's first Stanley Cup win and a "turning of the corner" for a franchise that needed it. The franchise previously had experienced bankruptcy and a long string of dark seasons.

Coach "Badger" Bob Johnson helped give this franchise direction and a special place in Pittsburgh. It was the first championship in the city since the Pirates and Steelers won in 1979-1980. More importantly, it helped cement hockey into the legacy of Pittsburgh sports.

Notable players included Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Bryan Trottier, Joe Mullen, Mark Recchi, Bob Errey, Jaromir Jagr, Ulf Samuelsson, Larry Murphy, Paul Coffey and Tom Barrasso.

St. Louis Blues

Date: April 30, 1970

Score: 4-3

Significance: The victory took the Blues back to the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive season. Unfortunately, St. Louis was not able to win the Cup again for the third straight time. In this game, the team was able to eliminate the Minnesota North Stars. Notable players include Ab McDonald, Terry Crisp, Jacques Plante and Al Arbour (pictured above).

 

Photo courtesy of http://www.fanbase.com/photo/555522

San Jose Sharks

Glenn Cratty/Getty Images

Date: April 30, 1994

Score: 3-2

Significance: One of the most shocking upsets in NHL playoff history. The Sharks had the No. 8 seed and had the daunting task of facing the No. 1 seed Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs. Through grit and determination, this series went seven games. In the seventh game, the Sharks literally shocked the world with the win.

Notable players included Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov, Jamie Baker, Bob Errey, Pat Falloon and Arturs Irbe.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Elsa/Getty Images

Date: June 7, 2004

Score: 2-1

Significance: First Stanley Cup win for an expansion franchise in the state of Florida. This series was hard-fought between the Lightning and the Calgary Flames. In this seventh game, Ruslan Fedotenko scored two goals to bring the Cup to Tampa. Notable players included Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Dave Andreychuk, Martin St. Louis and Nikolai Khabibulin.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

Date: May 2, 1967

Score: 3-1

Significance: As of now, the last Stanley Cup victory for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The series was contested between the Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. It was also the fourth Stanley Cup win in six years for Toronto, a truly impressive feat. Notable players included "Red" Kelly, George Armstrong, Bob Pulford, Allan Stanley and Terry Sawchuk.

Vancouver Canucks

Elsa/Getty Images

Date: June 10, 2011

Score: 1-0

Significance: The win left the Canucks needing one victory to claim their first Stanley Cup. At this point in the series, Vancouver was up three games to two, and it seemed likely that it would be the team to lift the Cup. Unfortunately for Vancouver, it did not come true. Notable players included Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler and Roberto Luongo.

Washington Capitals

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Date: April 6, 2004

Score: N/A

Significance: Winning the NHL draft lottery secured the right to pick Alexander Ovechkin, which drastically changed the direction of the franchise. This was quite an upset in terms of odds, as Washington had a 14.2 percent chance of winning behind both the Pittsburgh Penguins' 25 percent chance and the Chicago Blackhawks' 18.8 percent chance.

Winnipeg Jets

Marianne Helm/Getty Images

Date: October 17, 2011

Score: 2-1

Significance: The first victory for the Jets since their triumphant return to Winnipeg. It occurred against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves, and the goals were scored by Kyle Wellwood and Tanner Glass. Alex Burmistrov had two assists.

 

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