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The Stanley Cup Finals is arguably one of the hardest to earn in all sports. It requires a lot of physicality and grit to win a best-of-seven series over and over to just make it to the finals. Since 1927, only so many teams have claimed the right to the Stanley Cup trophy, some more than others.
Keep reading because we’ll discuss the five most recent Stanley Cup winners, including which teams won it and when, how the final game/series concluded, any notable players on the team as well as which team is likely to win it this year!
The Tampa Bay Lightning took the COVID-19 202 season by storm, although they finished second in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division (43-21 record) behind the Boston Bruins. However, they had a strong start in Round 1 with a 4-1 series win over the Blue Jackets before sweeping the Bruins 4-1 in the next round. The Islanders put up a little more fight in the Conference Finals, yet the Lightning took the series 4-2 to face off against the Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals to earn their second-ever trophy after a 4-2 series win. Nikita Kucherov led in postseason points with 34 (7 goals and 27 assists), along with Brayden Point with 33 points (14 goals and 19 assists) and Victor Hedman with 22 points (10 goals and 12 assists) who took home the Playoff MVP Conn Smythe Trophy that year.
The 2021 season was a complete repeat for the Lightning, earning their third Stanley Cup trophy after back-to-back postseason Championships. This year, the Lightning finished third in the Central Division behind the Panthers and Hurricanes with a 36-17 record. The 1st Round saw the Lightning snatch a 4-2 series win over the Panthers before taking it to the Hurricanes 4-1. The semifinals was a close matchup for Tampa Bay, winning the series against the Islanders 4-3, earning them a spot in the Finals for the second year in a row where they beat the Canadiens 4-1 in the series. The postseason points leaders were the same; Nikita Kucherov with 8 goals and 24 assists, Brayden Point with 14 goals and 9 assists and Victor Hedman with 2 goals and 16 assists, although Andrei Vasilevskiy claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy that year.
The 2022 playoffs saw the Lightning in the Finals for a third season in a row, although the Colorado Avalanche would dethrone them this time around. This season was ripe for the Avalanche, finishing first in the Western Conference Central Division with a 56-19 record. They blew out the Predators 1st Round 4-0 and the Blues 4-2 in the next round before sweeping the Oilers 4-0 again in the Conference Finals. The Stanley Cup Finals was a much tougher test as they challenged the two-time defending champions, Tampa Bay, to steal their hopes of winning a third Stanley Cup in a row after a 4-2 series win. Colorado earned their third Stanley Cup ever, with defenseman Cale Makar leading the postseason points scoring 8 goals and 21 assists to earn the MVP Conn Smythe Trophy that year.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights secured their 1st and only Stanley Cup Trophy in 2023 after finishing the regular season 1st place in the Western Conference Pacific Division with a 51-22 record. Vegas took on the Jets for a 4-1 victory in Round 1, before knocking out the Oilers in Round 2 with a 4-2 series win. The Golden Knights also ended the Star’s Stanley Cup hopes after defeating them 4-2 in the series during the Conference Finals. Then, in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Golden Knights swept the Florida Panthers with a 4-1 series victory, with Jack Eichel (6 goals and 20 assists) and Mark Stone (11 goals and 13 assists) leading the way in points in the postseason with Jonathan Marchessault award the Conn Smythe Trophy with 13 goals and 12 assists in the playoffs.
This season was the Florida Panthers’ year to win it all after ending the regular season in first place in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. After falling in the finals to the Golden Knights the previous season, the Panthers earned their first-ever Stanley Cup after beating Tampa Bay 4-1 in the 1st Round, the Bruins 4-2 in the 2nd Round, the Rangers 4-2 in the Conference Finals and the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Despite Aleksander Barkov (8 goals and 14 assists), Matthew Tkachuk (6 goals and 16 assists), and Carter Verhaeghe (11 goals and 10 assists) leading the way in postseason points for Florida, Oilers Connor McDavid earned the MVP Conn Smythe Trophy after racking up 8 goals and 34 assists in an impressive playoff run.
The Florida Panthers are the strongest contenders for the trophy this year, despite finishing third in the Atlantic Division with a 47-31 record. So far, the Panthers swept the Lightning in the 1st Round 4-1, after going the distance with Toronto and winning Game 7. However, they lead tough opponents Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 in the Conference Final Series with the hopes of taking on the Stars or Oilers in the Finals, so I like how things have played out so far, and the Panthers should win their second straight Stanley Cup.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.