With 54 losses on the season so far, the Colorado Avalanche are one of the Worst teams of the modern era. But are the other worst teams in NHL History?
The Colorado Avalanche already have 54 losses on the season. They have a -109 goal differential. And they might be the singular worst team of the new millennium. Their offense can’t score goals (158 goals, last in the NHL) and their defense can’t stop them (267, last in the NHL). They’re definitively the worst team in the NHL. But are they among the worst teams of all-time? Let’s break it down.
Honorable Mention: 1937-38 Chicago Blackhawks
This version of the Chicago Blackhawks won 14 games. That’s more than any other team on this list. In fact, they might be the best team on this list. So why are they here?
The 1938 Chicago Blackhawks won 14 games in the time of the Original Six (well, original 8). Two teams tied at the bottom of the league, with 12. One of them, the Montreal Maroons, folded that offseason. The Blackhawks, astoundingly, made the playoffs.
What happened next is even more astounding. The Blackhawks made a comeback against the Canadiens in round 1, including a shutout by goaltender Mike Karakas. And then the Blackhawks proceeded through the playoffs, losing just two more games. And the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.
They still stand as the four major sports champions with the lowest regular season winning percentage. Nearly 100 years later, this is the sports record that will stand forever. The King of worst teams.
#5: 1980-81 Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets had a record of 9-57-14. Hey, at least they tied in some games, right?
The Jets had just transitioned from the World Hockey Association to the NHL and the transition
was not… smooth. They had actually won WHA Championships prior to this season. I mean, this might be why we don’t see a KHL vs. NHL series.
They lost (or tied) 30 in a row. They couldn’t buy a win for 30 games. They’re the opposite of the UConn Women. Literally. That’s the record nowadays for most games without a win.
So much for Winnipeg. Although, unlike a few teams on this list, they got immediately better, posting 30 wins in their next season.
#4: 1975-76 Kansas City Scouts
This losing season actually cost their city their team. The Scouts entered the league at the same time as the Washington Capitals. As you’ll see later, neither of them were good. And it may have tainted Kansas City’s chances of getting another team back.
In the Scout’s first season, they posted 15 wins. Still not great, but hey, for a first-year expansion
team in the old NHL, it’s not bad. But their season proceeding was. The Scouts posted a record of 12-56-12. You can tell why they moved – the Scouts eventually became the New Jersey Devils, after a brief stint in Colorado.
The Scouts came in last in a division where the best team had 32 wins. They concluded their season winning one game out of their last 44. At least the Avalanche are 2-8 near the end of their season.
#3: 1992-93 San Jose Sharks
The 92-93 season was a race to the bottom. Because of their wins total, the Sharks are the better, at least in my opinion, of the two teams involved. Sorry, I’m being vague, the other team is next.
The Sharks posted a record of 11-71-2. Yeah. The other team was worse than that.
And it’s not like the Sharks were unused to being bad. In their first season, the Sharks posted a record of 17-58-5. But the following season was something special if you define something special as something bad. It’s very reminiscent of the Kansas City Scouts. Luckily, though, San Jose got to keep their team.
The Sharks also lost, straight out lost, 17 games in a row. The Sharks allowed 414 goals in 84 games. Only the next team and the now-defunct Hartford Whalers came close.
#2: 1992-93 Ottawa Senators
I told you this was a race to the bottom. The race was tied. The Senators finished the season with a 10-70-4 season. Both them and the Sharks finished with 24 points. But because the Sharks managed to somehow win more games (with more goals allowed), they won the tiebreaker.
The Senators allowed 395 goals. Told you they came close. The Senators had the least number of goals for, too, with just 202. Maybe that’s how they lost the opposite-of-arms race.
The Senators strategy became to just lose. Two years later, in a lockout shortened season, the Senators finished with a 9-34-5 record. They also drafted the biggest NHL bust in Alexandre Daigle. The Senators wound up with last overall for four straight seasons. They also eventually drafted all-time great Marian Hossa. Hey, looks like every team gets a new start eventually.
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#1: 1974-75 Washington Capitals
Nowadays, the Washington Capitals have second round struggles. When they were first founded, the Capitals had just plain struggles. They finished their inaugural season with an 8-67-5 record. That includes the all-time mark for fewest points in an NHL season with 21.
It also includes a -265 goal differential. Hey, Colorado fans, you’re not this bad. And that’s something to be glad about. The Capitals scored 181 goals. For reference, the Scouts, another team on this list, scored 184. The Capitals also allowed 446. Nobody else allowed more than 341 (Minnesota North Stars, second-most).
And it’s not like the Capitals immediately improved. The following season, the Capitals had an 11-59-10 record, which could very well be on this list as well. Two of the worst teams in history. Okay then. At least they eventually drafted Alexander Ovechkin?