The Edmonton Oilers are out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after losing Game 6 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night. And the loss has an effect that reaches much further than just the Oilers.
Edmonton's loss marks the 30th consecutive season in which an American team will win the Stanley Cup. The only other Canadian team in the second round, the Toronto Maple Leafs, lost to the Florida Panthers in five games.
The last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs won the Cup in 1993, defeating Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings thanks to a brilliant performance in goal from Patrick Roy.
A Canadian team made the Stanley Cup Final in 1994. The Vancouver Canucks took on the New York Rangers, but the Canucks lost in seven games. After that, however, it'd be another 10 years before another Canadian team made the Stanley Cup Final.
The Calgary Flames represented Canada in the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The series went to seven games and featured a bit of controversy in Game 6.
The Oilers were the first Canadian team to make the Stanley Cup Finals following the 2005 lockout. They faced the Carolina Hurricanes in a losing effort. The Hurricanes are taking on the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
2007 saw the Ottawa Senators lose to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. The Canucks once again lost in the final, falling to the Boston Bruins in 2011. And finally, the Canadiens fell in 2021 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Edmonton will once again try to crack the code this offseason with the aim of ending Canada's misery next season. Only time will tell if next season brings with it a Canadian Stanley Cup champion.
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