NHL: The Presidents’ Trophy is not the trophy to chase
The 2010s featured some amazing hockey from some amazing NHL teams. However when you look at the past and see the Presidents’ Trophy winners from the 2010s, maybe teams should try and avoid that trophy.
Only eight Presidents’ Trophy winners have gone on to win the Stanley Cup, one of which occurred this past decade. The other teams did not finish well in the playoffs. The Presidents’ Trophy should be a trophy that teams should strive for every year. Yet the team that often captures it falls short of the Stanley Cup. There are a lot of reasons this could happen.
Due to how long and strenuous the hockey season is, sometimes the team that captures the Presidents’ Trophy is burnt out by the time the playoffs are back. Even though the winner is guaranteed home-ice advantage throughout the entire playoffs things end up not working out.
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For some teams, the idea of playing a game that means something after a month or two of having the league in your hands is just too daunting in the playoffs. That and more might help explain why only one Presidents’ Trophy winner in the decade has managed to win the Stanley Cup.
We will take a look at each trophy winner season to season, and give who ended up winning the Cup that spring. If this story is to tell one thing I hope it shows just how meaningless the Presidents’ Trophy ends up being.
2009-10 Washington Capitals
54-15-13 121 points
Stanley Cup Champ – Chicago Blackhawks
When I looked back at the Washington Capitals in 2010 all I have to say is wow this team is so different from then to now. In 2010 the Capitals won their first of three presidents trophies this decade, and yet their season ended too soon.
Washington in the playoffs had a 24-year-old Alex Ovechkin fresh off of a 109 point season, as well as a 22-year-old Nicklas Backstrom who put up 101 points that season. This team, led by Bruce Boudreau was set to win the Stanley Cup, and yet things did not go as planned.
When a team wins the Presidents’ Trophy all they need to do is win all their home games during the playoffs. Now, few teams end up doing that and eventually fall short of their goal. Sometimes it only takes one game to turn a season of success around. That is what happened to the 2009-10 Capitals.
Sometimes when a team is set to faceoff against the Presidents’ Trophy winner, the presumed best team in the NHL, they are sparked to compete that much harder. Just watch the Montreal Canadiens celebrate after beating the Washington Capitals in game 7 in Washington.
Not only did Washington give up a 3-1 lead in the series, but they also lost three out of the four home games in the series, which really shows how little the home ice means in the playoffs.
2010-11 Vancouver Canucks
54-19-9 117 points
Stanley Cup Champ – Boston Bruins
The Vancouver Canucks did something in 2010-11 that the Washington Capitals failed to do in 2009-10, they won a playoff series. Vancouver managed to win three playoff series this season, against opponents like the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, and San Jose Sharks.
Vancouver was led by Daniel and Henrik Sedin this season. Daniel managed to put up 104 points, and yet the team almost didn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Vancouver won their first three games in the first round of the playoffs, managing to go up 3-0 against the Chicago Blackhawks, and yet after going up in the series they lost 2 road games and 1 home game to give the series back to Chicago.
Luckily for the Canucks, they clinched the first-round series in OT at home in a Game 7, similarly their conference final ended in a Game 5 at home, in a series where they won every home game they could. Despite reaching the Stanley Cup Final, Vancouver could not win in a Game 7 at home for the greatest prize.
The Vancouver Canucks went 10-4 on home ice within the 2010-11 playoffs. Despite playing relatively well on home ice throughout the series, they failed to win in the most important game. Vancouver failed to win in a Game 7 at home for the Stanley Cup, and they lost in a large fashion by a score of 4-0. Luckily for the Canucks, they would be back next season to compete again.
2011-12 Vancouver Canucks
51-22-9 111 points
Stanley Cup Champ – Los Angeles Kings
After a relatively successful playoff run in the 2010-11 season, Vancouver returned to compete in the playoffs the following year. The Canucks managed to win the Presidents’ Trophy again. This time around Vancouver relied heavily on depth scoring to make it to the playoffs. Everyone in their lineup was making a difference.
Winning back to back Presidents’ Trophies is awesome, but that is not the trophy to chase, you want a Stanley Cup in the locker room, not a Presidents’ Trophy. Vancouver might have got caught looking too far ahead in the first round of the playoffs.
Vancouver lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions in 2011-12, they lost in a Game 5 at home to the Los Angeles Kings. That playoff series featured no wins at home for the Canucks, all that hard work to win the Presidents’ Trophy wasted in just 5 games.
Los Angeles went on an incredible run in 2011-12, and honestly, I don’t know if you can blame the Canucks for losing to such a hot team like LA. LA had been playing meaningful hockey all year as they compete for a playoff spot, whereas Vancouver had their position locked for a long time. Sometimes the playoffs are all about who is trending at the right time.
2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks
36-7-5 77 points
Stanley Cup Champ – Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks championship in 2013 was an interesting one to say the least. Not only did the Blackhawks go on an incredible 20 game plus point streak to start the season, but they added the Stanley Cup to their collection at the end of the year.
Chicago had great goaltending by Corey Crawford and Ray Emery throughout the season and playoffs, and that was a big reason they went all the way. However, one large factor that might make sense of the Blackhawks Stanley Cup as a Presidents’ Trophy winner would be the lockout that occurred that season.
Chicago won the Stanley Cup in a lockout season. Not to take away from their hard-earned trophy, but they did not have to go through the long NHL season and then compete in a long playoff series. Rather the Blackhawks only had to faceoff against their conference all season, and only played 6 games against an Eastern Conference team.
Chicago was a great team in 2013, but even they cut it close in the playoffs. Chicago almost lost to the Detroit Redwings in the second round when they were down 3-1 in the series, and they were down 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins.
Things do not always work out for the Presidents’ Trophy winner, but for the Blackhawks it did.
2013-14 Boston Bruins
54-19-9 117 points
Stanley Cup Champ – Los Angeles Kings
The Boston Bruins just could not stomach their Stanley Cup Final loss in 2013 against Chicago. Boston was led by Tuukka Rask who played great for the Bruins all season in 2013-14. The Boston Bruins went to the playoffs ready to compete for the Stanley Cup, and home ice throughout every round.
Boston steamrolled their way through the first round of the playoffs, managing to beat the Detroit Redwings in the first round of the playoffs in just 5 games. The second round would not be as easy for the Bruins.
Montreal rallied together to beat the Boston Bruins in a Game 7 in Boston. Sometimes winning the Presidents’ Trophy sparks your opponent to slay the big bad team that they are playing in the best of 7 series. Although the Bruins had no “real” advantage over the Canadiens, that did not stop Montreal from pitting themselves as the underdog.
Montreal would go on to lose in the next round to the New York Rangers, the team that would be next year’s Presidents’ Trophy winner.
2014-15 New York Rangers
53-22-7 113 points
Stanley Cup Champ – Chicago Blackhawks
The New York Rangers just could not stomach their Stanley Cup Final loss to the Los Angeles Kings, where have we heard that before? Oh right. For the second season in a row, the team that went to the Stanley Cup Final would go on to win the Presidents’ Trophy the following season
Rick Nash, Derick Stepan, and Martin St. Louis all helped power the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, and they were all back to help the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2015.
After easily beating the Pittsburgh Penguins and coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Washington Capitals in round two the Rangers ran into their ultimate test in round three of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning showed the Rangers they were a threat when they almost beat the Rangers in Game 1 of the Conference finals. It ended up being a Rangers win by a score of 2-1, after that the series opened up and the scoring increased. Each team beat their opponent by 4 goals at least once en-rout to a game 7 in New York.
The Rangers were confident they would pull things off at home in a Game 7 on May 29th, after dropping the home game 5 by a score of 2-0 the Rangers went on the road to win 7-3 in a must-win game. Then with their home crowd behind them, they lost in a Game 7 by a score of 2-0.
The Presidents’ Trophy winner went 1-3 on home ice in the conference finals. However, when you look at some of the past Presidents’ Trophy winners losing in the conference finals might be a step up.
2015-16 Washington Capitals
56-18-8 120 points
Stanley Cup Champ – Pittsburgh Penguins
I should just group the next two seasons together because each follows a similar trend with the same results. Washington had a great regular season in 2015-16, and Barry Trotz led the team to a 56-18-8 record. The Capitals were ready to make a run for the Cup.
The first round ended well for the Capitals. They managed to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games and were set to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in round 2. Pittsburgh was led by Sidney Crosby who was in desperate need of a Stanley Cup, having failed to win one since 2009.
Although the Capitals managed to win Game 1 in OT, they dropped Games 2-4 to the Penguins, all by one goal. Then, in Game 5 on home ice things turned back in favor for the Capitals, as they won 3-1 on May 7th, 2016.
Unfortunately still down 3-2, the Capitals would need to win two more games to go on to the next round. Back in Pittsburgh the Penguins beat the Capitals and ended Alex Ovechkin’s trip to the Stanley Cup, good news for Alex, there is always next year.
2016-17 Washington Capitals
55-19-8 118 points
Stanley Cup Champs – Pittsburgh Penguins
After another successful regular season where the Capitals easily grabbed the Presidents’ Trophy by putting up 118 points. Barry Trotz and the boys were back to compete for the Stanley Cup, with home ice on their side once again.
The first round came relatively easy for the Capitals, as they beat the young Toronto Maple Leafs in 6 games. Toronto would go on to lose in round one the next few seasons, but hey they are still growing! This could be their year.
Anyway, Washington was ready to move onto Round two and face off against whatever opponent they would have to beat. After Pittsburgh beat the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second season in a row their match-up was set.
Washington started things off strong by dropping the first two games on home ice by scores of 3-2 and 6-2, before then capturing Game 3 behind enemy lines. Washington would then fall behind 3-1 in the series and would force a Game 7.
Unfortunately for the Capitals, they would be shut out in a Game 7 at home to end their season, like many Presidents’ Trophy winners before them. The Capitals would go on to learn an important lesson next season.
2017-18 Nashville Predators
53-18-11 117 points
Stanley Cup Champs – Washington Capitals
The Nashville Predators followed in New York, Boston, and Vancouver’s steps by winning the Presidents’ Trophy the year after reaching the Stanley Cup Final. Pekka Rinne and the crew were ready to make another run at the Stanley Cup.
Nashville was stacked with talented players like Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, and P.K. Subban, to name a few. The only real issue with the Predators was they looked past too many opponents.
Rather than focus on the Winnipeg Jets in the second round of the playoffs they were already watching the Vegas Golden Knights getting ready to face off against them in the conference finals.
Nashville ended up losing to Winnipeg in a Game 7 in Nashville, what else is new for Presidents’ Trophy winners? At least Nashville put up a fight in Game 7, managing to score 1 goal compared to the Jets 5.
Nashville in 2017-18 represents a team that got burnt out too soon following a postseason run the year before and a very long regular season. The funny thing when it comes to 2017-18 is who ended up holding the Cup that spring.
Ovechkin and the Capitals managed to win the Stanley Cup without the home ice on their sides, and they managed to do it without having the best regular season in franchise history. Management had already deemed the Capitals a done team after failing to win in 2017 so that just goes to show how much we all know right?
2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning
62-16-4 128 points
Stanley Cup Champs – St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay only lost 16 games throughout their entire regular season, and then they managed to lost 4 straight in the playoffs. After scoring 3 straight goals in the first period in game 1 the Lightning already started to measure their fingers for the Stanley Cup Rings they would definitely get that Spring.
They were rudely awakened by the Columbus Blue Jackets who managed to not only win in game 1 by overcoming a first-period deficit, but also win the rest of the games that round. Columbus embarrassed the Lightning with their defensive play and managed to outscore the best team in the NHL in modern-day history by a total of 15-5.
Countless bracket challenges were ruined by the Tampa Bay Lightning’s early exit when you pair that with every wild card team winning in round 1 you get league-wide confusion. Teams do not have to have the best regular season anymore. Rather it is all about how you play on the back half of the season, I am looking at you St. Louis and your Stanley Cup.
Every NHL team can learn a lesson from the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Instead of playing for the best record in the regular season, play for what comes next in the spring.
2019-20 ???
Isn’t the NHL fun? Only one team that has won the Presidents’ Trophy in the past decade has gone on to win the Stanley Cup. So I guess root for your rival to have the best regular season record in the NHL right?
Teams across the league need to remember that it is not about how you do in November or December that determine if you will win the Stanley Cup. At the end of the day you need to show up to play in the playoffs. Just because a team wins the Presidents’ Trophy does not mean you start every game with a 3 goal lead.
Right now the early pick for the Presidents’ Trophy is the Boston Bruins, and honestly that makes sense to me. Boston is a year removed from going to the Stanley Cup Final and losing to the St. Louis Blues. This past decade we have seen more than a few teams win the Presidents’ Trophy after getting beaten in the Stanley Cup Final. Whether or not Boston can win is yet to be seen.
Next. Every Team's Mount Rushmore. dark
Of course, John Carlson and the Washington Capitals might just win the Presidents’ Trophy again for the fourth time in 10 years wouldn’t that be fun? We still have a long way to go this season, and if this article tells you one thing, I hope it is that teams should worry less about being the best and more about just making the playoffs.