10 NHL Players We Wish Had Won a Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is hockey's holy grail. Every player dreams of hoisting the greatest trophy in professional sports and one day having their name engraved on its barrel.
Ryan Gagne of The Hockey Writers observed that 7,565 have skated at least one game in the NHL, with 4,307 appearing in a playoff game. However, only 1,090 have won the Stanley Cup, with 467 winning it more than once and 195 winning more than twice.
Henri Richard is the all-time leader as a player with 11 Stanley Cups, followed by Jean Béliveau and Yvan Cournoyer (10 each), and Claude Provost (nine).
Meanwhile, notable Hall-of-Famers like Marcel Dionne, Dale Hawerchuk, Pavel Bure, and Eric Lindros never won the Stanley Cup. It doesn't diminish their legacies as great players, but it is the major accomplishment missing from their otherwise impressive resumes.
Some recent inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame came up short in their quests to win hockey's biggest prize. Three other potential Hall-of-Famers also finished their careers without a Cup ring.
Here's a look at 10 players we wish had won the Stanley Cup during their illustrious careers. Feel free to express your thoughts on this topic in the app comments below.
Daniel Alfredsson
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It's been seven years since the Ottawa Senators last appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, there was a time (1998-99 to 2006-07) when they were among the NHL's elite clubs. Leading the way was Daniel Alfredsson.
Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1995-96, Alfredsson quickly established himself as a key part of the Senators core, helping them rise from bottom-feeder in the standings into a perennial playoff contender and a league powerhouse, winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2003-04.
Alfredsson spent all but one of his 18 NHL seasons with the Senators. He's their franchise leader with 426 goals, 682 assists and 1,108 points. Named team captain in 1999-2000, "Alfie" held that role until his departure to the Detroit Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent in 2013. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.
A solid playoff performer, Alfredsson had 51 goals and 49 assists for 100 points in 121 games with the Senators. His best postseason was in 2007 when he led his club to the Stanley Cup Final with a playoff-leading 14 goals and 22 points in 20 games.
Despite Alfredsson's leadership and goal-scoring, the Senators fell to the Anaheim Ducks in five games in the 2007 Cup Final. It turned out to be his only opportunity to play for the Cup.
Jarome Iginla
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The Calgary Flames have won the Stanley Cup once dating back to their inaugural season as the Atlanta Flames in 1972-73. Thanks to the leadership of Jarome Iginla, they came close to winning it in 2004 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
One of the greatest power forwards in NHL history, Iginla was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020. He spent nearly 16 of his 20 NHL seasons with the Flames, followed by stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings, finishing with 625 goals, 675 assists and 1,300 points.
The bulk of that production occurred during Iginla's tenure with the Flames, with nine as captain from 2003-04 to 2012-13. He's their career leader with 1,219 games played, 525 goals, and 1,095 points.
Iginla is a two-time winner of the Maurice Richard Trophy (2001-02 and 2003-04) and took home the Ted Lindsay Award and the Art Ross Trophy in '01-'02. He reached or exceeded the 20-goal plateau 17 times, including two 50-goal performances in '01-'02 and 2007-08. "Iggy" also had 37 goals and 68 points in 81 playoff contests.
Led by Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, the Flames upset the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, and San Jose Sharks to face the Lightning in the 2004 Stanley Cup Final. Iginla led all scorers with 13 goals in 26 playoff games but couldn't prevent the Lightning from taking the series in seven games. It was the only time he'd reached the Final.
Henrik Lundqvist
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Joining the New York Rangers in 2005-06, Henrik Lundqvist wasted no time establishing himself among the NHL's elite goaltenders. With "King Henrik" as their starter, the Rangers reached the playoffs 11 times from '05-'06 to 2016-17. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023.
Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 2011-12 and was a finalist in that season for the Hart Memorial Trophy as MVP. He was a Vezina finalist for three straight seasons from 2005-06 to 2007-08, and again in 2012-13.
The gifted Swede is the only netminder to win at least 20 games in 13 straight seasons and the first to win at least 30 games in his first seven seasons. He's the Rangers career leader with 887 games played, 459 wins, and 64 shutouts. His career goals-against average was 2.43 and his save percentage was .918.
Lundqvist posted solid numbers in 130 career playoff games, with a 2.30 GAA, a .921 SP and 10 shutouts. He won 61 postseason games but lost 67, though not through a lack of effort or skill by him.
During Lundqvist's 15 seasons with the Rangers, they reached the Stanley Cup Final once, in 2014 against the Los Angeles Kings. It was a very close series with four games decided by one goal, with three requiring overtime. The Kings, however, prevailed in five games, leaving Lundqvist kneeling dejectedly on the ice following Alec Martinez's double-OT series winner.
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Roberto Luongo
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Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1999-2000, Roberto Luongo became one of the NHL's elite netminders during his 19-season career. He's fourth all-time with 489 wins and ninth with 77 shutouts, finishing with a 2.52 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. He also won 34 playoff games (five by shutout) with a 2.49 GAA and.918 SP.
Luongo spent 11 seasons with the Florida Panthers and eight with the Vancouver Canucks. His tenure with the Canucks was the best of his career. He holds their single-season records with 76 games played and 47 wins in 2006-07 and nine shutouts in 2008-09. Luongo is also their all-time leader with 252 wins.
Despite those impressive stats, Luongo never won the Vezina Trophy. He was a finalist with the Panthers in 2003-04 and twice with the Canucks in 2007 and 2011, though he would win the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2010-11. He also served a two-season stint as team captain from 2008-09 to 2009-10 and remains the last NHL goalie to hold a captaincy.
Led by Luongo and his teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin, the Canucks were a dominant franchise from 2008-09 to 2012-13. They took home the Presidents' Trophy in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and won their division five straight years.
During that time, the Canucks reached the Stanley Cup Final only once, in 2011. They led the Boston Bruins three games to two but dropped the next two contests, losing the series in seven games. Luongo never got another opportunity to play in a Stanley Cup Final.
Patrick Marleau
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With 1,779 games played, Patrick Marleau is the NHL's all-time leader in that category. From 1997-98 to his retirement in 2021, he scored 566 goals and 631 assists for 1,197 points. Those stats should one day result in his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Marleau spent 21 of his 23 NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks, captaining the club from 2003-04 to 2008-09. He's their all-time leader with 1,607 games played, 522 goals, and 1,111 points.
A model of consistency during his playing prime, Marleau reached or exceeded 20 goals in 15 seasons and 40 points 18 times. All but one of those campaigns was with the Sharks, with the final season in 2017-18 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Marleau and teammate Joe Thornton became the faces of the Sharks during their greatest seasons. From 2007-08 to 2010-11, they finished first in the Pacific Division for four straight years. They were also first in the Western Conference twice in 2008-09 and 2009-10, winning the Presidents' Trophy in '08-'09.
By 2015-16, Marleau remained a productive player and leader with the Sharks. He helped the club reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 2016 before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. It would be Marleau's only shot at the Cup.
Carey Price
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The Montreal Canadiens have a long history of great goaltenders, from Georges Vezina, George Hainsworth, Bill Durnan, Jacques Plante, Gump Worsley, Ken Dryden, and Patrick Roy. Carey Price must also be included in their ranks.
Of those illustrious Canadiens goalies, Price is the only one not to win the Stanley Cup during his 15 NHL seasons. That's no fault of his own. Unlike his peers, Price played for Canadiens teams lacking depth in talent. They never even had a 40-goal scorer during his tenure.
Through most of his career with the Canadiens, Price was their best player. He holds the franchise single-season records with 72 games played (2010-11) and 44 wins (2014-15). He's also their all-time leader with 712 games played and 361 victories. Price finished with a career 2.51 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and 49 shutouts.
The 2014-15 regular season was Price's best, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and the William M. Jennings Trophy. In 2021-22, he took home the Bill Masterton Trophy. Price also went on to sport a playoff record of 43 wins and 45 losses with a 2.39 GAA, .919 SP, and eight shutouts.
Price's best playoff performance was also his last. Plagued by a knee injury that ended his career, he carried the overmatched Canadiens to upset wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Vegas Golden Knights to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. However, his heroics couldn't prevent his Habs from falling in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin
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No brother act in NHL history was as impressive or productive as Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Drafted second and third overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1999 NHL Draft, the twins spent 17 seasons with the Canucks before retiring in 2018. They were both inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.
In 1,306 career regular-season games, Daniel had 393 goals and 648 assists for 1,041 points and netted 71 points in 102 career postseason games. Henrik, meanwhile, had 240 goals and 830 assists for 1,070 points in 1,330 career games, along with 78 points in 105 career playoff contests. He also served as Canucks captain from 2010-11 to 2017-18.
Henrik is the Canucks' single-season leader with 83 assists and 112 points in 2009-10, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy and Art Ross Trophy. He's also their all-time leader in games played, assists and points. Meanwhile, Daniel is their all-time goal leader. He took home the Art Ross Trophy (104 points) and the Ted Lindsay Award in 2010-11.
Led by the Sedins, the Canucks became a powerhouse in the NHL. From 2008-09 to 2012-13, they won five straight division titles and the Presidents' Trophy in 2010-11 and 2011-12. They also finished third in the Western Conference three times.
During that stretch, however, the Canucks reached the Stanley Cup Final once, in 2011. Up three games to two over the Boston Bruins, they ultimately fell to the Bruins in seven games. It was the only time the Sedins reached the Final. The Canucks haven't been back since.
Mats Sundin
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It was 1967 when the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup. That drought has dogged every great player who ever skated for the franchise since then. That includes Mats Sundin, who captained the Leafs from 1997-98 to 2007-08.
Sundin began his 18-season NHL career with the Quebec Nordiques in 1990-91. He would finish with 564 career goals, 785 assists, and 1,349 points, exceeding the 20-goal plateau 17 times. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
Acquired by the Leafs in 1994, the talented Swedish center would become one of the greatest players in franchise history. He's their career leader with 420 goals and 989 points.
Under Sundin's leadership, the Leafs reached or exceeded 100 points in 1999-2000, 2001-02 and 2003-04. A reliable postseason performer, he tallied 32 goals and collected 38 assists for 70 points in 77 playoff contests with Toronto.
The Leafs would reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 1999 and 2002 during Sundin's tenure as captain. However, that's the closest he ever got to skating in a Stanley Cup Final.
Joe Thornton
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One of the greatest playmakers of all time, Joe Thornton collected 1,109 career assists to sit seventh among the NHL's career assist leaders. During Thornton's 24 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers, his 1,539 career points rank 14th overall. He's also sixth in regular season games with 1,714.
The bulk of those games, assists and points were accumulated during Thornton's 15 seasons with the Sharks. Joining them in a trade from the Bruins on Nov. 30, 2005, the 6'4", 220-pound center became one of the greatest players in that franchise's history.
Thornton holds the Sharks single-season records with 92 assists and 114 points. He's also their all-time leader with 804 assists and third in games played with 1,055. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy in 2005-06. He also put up good numbers during the playoffs. In 187 postseason games, he had 32 goals and 104 assists for 134 points.
"Jumbo Joe" helped the Sharks become a dominant franchise in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2010-11. They finished first in the Pacific for four straight years, winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2008-09 and first in the Western Conference twice.
Thornton's teams reached the playoffs in 19 of his 24 NHL seasons. However, only the 2015-16 Sharks reached the Stanley Cup Final. Despite a career-best 21 points in 24 postseason games by Thornton, they were eliminated in six games by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He never got another shot at the Cup again.
Stats and trophy information via NHL.com and Hockey-Reference.com.
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