2011 NHL Playoffs: 10 Most Dominant Playoff Dynasties in NHL History
The new salary cap era NHL has increased the level of competition in the league
The salary cap has made it so that teams are on a much more even playing field, and the standings over the last few years have shown that.
Still, hockey has a history of proud franchises that have turned into dynasties.
These dynasties dominated the game of hockey in their respective eras, setting the bar for excellence in the game of hockey.
Here is a list of the 10 most dominant playoff dynasties in NHL history.
Honorable Mentions
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Several NHL teams have met the criteria for dynasty, but there were also several teams that held multiple titles before the NHL existed. This honorable mention is for them.
Montreal Victorias: Won 5 straight titles in the late 1890s.
Montreal Shamrocks: Won 5 straight titles starting in 1899.
Winnipeg Victorias: Won 4 in a row.
The Ottawa Hockey Club: Won 11 straight Stanley Cups.
Montreal Wanderers: 6 Straight titles.
Quebec Bulldogs: 4 straight titles
The leagues were very different back then, and the cup was actually awarded a couple of different times in the same calendar year.
Also, there were far fewer teams playing for the cup than there are today.
Nonetheless, winning multiple titles in a row, as each of these teams were able to do, takes great consistency.
For the purposes of this list, I have kept the rankings to teams since the founding of the NHL.
#10. New Jersey Devils of the 2000s
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It's hard to pick a modern day dynasty, as they really don't exist in the truest sense of the word anymore.
That being said, the New Jersey Devils might be the most recent example of a modern dynasty.
Though they never have won back-to-back championships, the New Jersey Devils have won 3 Stanley Cup Titles since 1995.
Their performances early in the decade are what squeaks them into the conversation of dynasties.
They appeared in three Stanley Cup Finals in four years, winning two of them.
They were within one game of winning back-to-back titles, but lost in a seventh game to the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.
#9. Detroit Red Wings of the 1990s
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There have been very few true dynasties in the NHL since the 1990s came along.
One of the teams that best represents a dynasty in the modern incarnation of the NHL is the Detroit Red Wings.
In the 90s, the Red Wings had a lot of regular season success, but had trouble closing the deal in the playoffs, losing to teams that finished far lower in the standing than they had.
They finally made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1995, only to be swept by the New Jersey Devils.
The next season, they set a record for regular season wins, and were defeated in the conference championship by the Colorado Avalanche.
The managed to win back-to-back Stanley Cup Titles in 1997 and 1998, finally breaking their own long Stanley Cup drought.
Their three appearances in the finals in four seasons is probably the best example of a dynasty since the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s.
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#8. Detroit Red Wings of the 1950s
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The 1950s belonged to the Montreal Canadiens, but there was a small window of time when one other team would share the spotlight.
The Detroit Red Wings were one of three teams that won Stanley Cups in the 50s.
Toronto won one, Montreal won five, and Detroit won four.
Only once did the Red Wings manage to put together back-to-back titles during this decade, but they still managed to defeat the Montreal Canadiens in the final three different times.
Very few teams are able to boast that.
#7. Montreal Canadiens of 1960s
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The Montreal Canadiens started off the 1960s with a Stanley Cup title, which actually capped off their decade of incredible dominance from the 1950s.
In addition to their title in 1960, the Canadiens won four more Stanley Cups, but never managed to put together a string that was more than back-to-back.
If I was going to try to put a tie between two teams, it would be between the Canadiens of this decade, and the next team on the list.
#6. Toronto Maple Leafs of the 1960s
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With very few exceptions, the 1960s were all about two teams, the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs of the 1960s played in a grand total of five Stanley Cup Finals in the 1960s, and won four of them.
This also included three straight titles from 1962 to 1964, which matched their previous streak of consecutive titles.
#5. Toronto Maple Leafs of the 1940s
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The Toronto Maple Leafs had great success in the 1930s, but only managed to capture one Stanley Cup.
In the 40s, however, the Maples Leafs would rise to dominance by winning six Stanley Cup championships in the decade.
This included a run of three straight from 1947 to 1949. The captured another title in 1951 as well.
The first championship of the decade was a very special one. Not just because they had lost every final they had been in since 1933, but because of the way they won it.
Toronto became the first major sports team to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win their respective series when they stormed back to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in 1942.
One could argue that the 1940s Maple Leafs is the first example of a dynasty in the NHL, as they were the first NHL team to win three straight Stanley Cups.
Future teams came to meet and surpass this feat, but the Leafs were the first to do it.
#4. Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s
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I can hear the riots starting already.
The Oilers of the 80s at number four?! What?! Are you crazy? This list is a joke!! etc...
Hear me out folks.
There is definitely no doubt that the Edmonton Oilers of the 80s were incredibly dominant, and amazingly talented.
From 1984 to 1990, the Oilers won five Stanley Cup Championships and produced some of the game's all time greatest talents.
Wayne Gretzky is obviously the most notable of all of these, but we can't forget Mark Messier, Jari Kurri or Grant Fuhr, just to name a few others.
The reason the Oilers only rank at number four, despite their obvious accomplishments, was the fact that in spite of their numerous championships, this group never won more than two titles in a row.
There are a couple other dynasties ahead of them, and a few behind them, that managed to put together a few more than just two championships in a row.
Still, from a talent perspective, these Oilers could give a lot of those other teams a serious run for their money.
#3. New York Islanders of the 1980s
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For many young hockey fans today, the Islanders represent futility and a team that seems to have talent but never really do much.
This was not always the case. In fact, the Islanders hold a distinction that only one other team in NHL history can better.
The Islanders of the 1980s are the only team in the NHL, other than the Montreal Canadiens, to win 4 Stanley Cup Championships in a row.
Led by coach Al Arbour, the Islanders iced several future Hall of Fame players, including; Mike Bossy and Billy Smith.
The Islanders are also the last team to win more than two Stanley Cup Titles in a row, which is why they are at number three.
#2. Montreal Canadiens of the 1970s
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Montreal shows up on this list a few times, and it's no wonder.
The Canadiens of the 1970s were another dominant group.
Coached for the majority of the decade by hockey legend Scotty Bowman, the Canadiens were loaded with their usual amount of amazing firepower.
Guy Lafleur, Bob Gainey, Ken Dryden, Serge Savard, and Larry Robinson were just a few of the NHL legends to come from this time period.
The Canadiens of the 70s rivaled only themselves when it came to championships, winning six more Stanley Cup titles, including four straight to end the decade.
The Montreal dynasties have been many but not even the great teams of the 1970s could rival the number one group.
#1. Montreal Canadiens of the 1950s
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There can be very little debate that the Montreal Canadiens have been the most dominant franchise in the history of the NHL.
Granted they have not had as much success in recent years when it comes to hoisting the silver chalice, but their entire breadth of work is something incredibly impressive.
The team has won 24 Stanley Cup Championships in its history, most recently in 1993.
The Canadiens in the 1950s enjoyed immense success under the coaching of former Canadien's player and NHL Hall of Famer "Toe" Blake.
The Canadiens of the 1950s won 6 Stanley Cups, including an NHL record five straight from 1956 - 1960.
Those five straight Stanley Cup victories is a record that still stands today.
The truly remarkable thing about the Canadiens of the 1950s was that with the exception of the year 1950, Montreal played in every single Stanley Cup Final in that decade.
This was truly the most dominant performance of a franchise in NHL history, cementing the 1950s Montreal Canadiens as the most dominant playoff dynasty in NHL history.
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