Last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup: Revisiting the 1993 Canadiens championship and drought that followed | Sporting News Canada

Hockey’s roots are embedded in Canada. The sport is a massive part of the country’s culture, dating back to 1875 when the first organized game was played. 

So, it’s understandable why the NHL is so big in the Great White North. Canadians live and breathe the league in a much more complex way than others, and Canadian fan bases are among the most passionate in the NHL. 

While there has been plenty to celebrate for fans of the seven Canadian clubs over the years, a Stanley Cup has not crossed into the country any of the teams in three decades. A handful of teams reached the final stage but fell short. There’s a chance that changes in 2024 with the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. 

How long ago was the last time Lord Stanley crossed over the border? Here is when and who won Canada’s last NHL championship.  

MORE: Why is it called the Stanley Cup?

Last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup

The last team from Canada to bring a Stanley Cup to their city is the winningest organization in the league — the Montreal Canadiens. 

The Quebec club won the Stanley Cup in 1993, taking out Wayne Gretzky and Los Angeles Kings in their bid to win their first championship.

Montreal defeated the Nordiques in six to open the playoffs, followed by a sweep of Buffalo and a five-game series win against the Islanders.

It was the team’s first Stanley Cup Final since 1989 when the Canadiens lost to the Flames. The club, led by Patrick Roy, Vincent Damphousse, and Kirk Muller, got out to a rocky start when it fell behind in Game 1, losing 4-1 to the Kings at home. However, the turning point of the series occurred in Game 2 with a Marty McSorley equipment violation.

With the Kings up 2-1 late in the third period, McSorley was whistled for an illegal stick for having too much of a curve on his toe. It gave the Canadiens a chance to tie the contest on the man advantage. 

On the ensuing power play, Eric Desjardins found the back of the net, tying the game at 2-2. But that wasn’t his most important goal, as he potted the game-winning goal in overtime to knot the series at 1-1. 

It was the first of three overtime victories in a row for the Canadiens, who put together an NHL-record 10 consecutive overtime wins after taking Game 4. Montreal went up 3-1 in the series thanks to John LeClair’s heroics on the road in both Games 3 and 4. 

Back home at the Montreal Forum, the Canadiens put on a show, taking out Gretzky and the Kings 4-1 to seal the series and the championship. 

Since Gary Bettman took over as commissioner for the NHL, no team from Canada has won the Stanley Cup. Coincidence? Of course, but it’s become fuel for conspiracy theorists out there. 

Last Canadian team to play in the Stanley Cup Final

The Canadiens are also the last team from Canada to reach the Stanley Cup Final. During the 2021 playoffs in the bubble, Montreal played in the final series, losing to Tampa Bay. 

Montreal stunned the hockey world with a Cinderella run on the back of star goalie Carey Price. The Canadiens finished as the fourth team in the North Division that consisted of the seven Canadian teams in the West, earning a spot in the playoffs while having the worst record out of the postseason field.

The Habs came back from down 3-1 against the Maple Leafs in the first round to advance, then swept the Jets and stunned the Golden Knights in six. The magic ran out in the finals against the Lightning, who completed its quest for back-to-back championships by defeating the Canadiens in five games. 

That was the year that the Canadiens were the technical Western Conference champion. COVID-19 forced division and conference realignment that season, which is why the Habs took on the Lightning. That would never be possible under the usual conference structure. 

Here are all of the Canadian clubs since 1993 that reached the Stanley Cup Final but could not seal the deal. 

Stanley Cup winners year by year

Here is a look at every winner of the Stanley Cup since 1927.