Ranking the top 5 greatest NHL dynasties of the modern era

Since 1967, the NHL has seen quite a few impressive dynasties. But which ones were the best? Here’s a look at the most dominant dynasties of the modern era.

With no hockey going on, it’s time once again to start looking at the NHL’s vast history. The modern era started in 1967 when the league became worried that the Western Hockey League could emerge as a serious contender. It saw the league grow from six teams to 12 teams in just one year.

The modern era has made it harder for teams to have dynasties, as there were just six teams before 1967. However, the league has still seen quite a few impressive dynasties since 1967. What is a dynasty? It’s defined by Dictionary.com as “a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group; a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group”.

But that doesn’t really define what it is in the NHL. Everyone has a different definition. For me, a dynasty is any franchise that wins three Stanley Cups within a 10-year span. That shows impressive dominance and consistent success.

Let’s take a look at the top five NHL dynasties since 1967. But first, let’s honor the honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions

The New Jersey Devils won three Stanley Cups from 1995 to 2003. Additionally, they made another Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2001. The Devils are noteworthy because of their infamous “trap” game plan, which slowed games down while allowing the Devils to take advantage of mistakes.

From 2009 to 2017, the Pittsburgh Penguins won three Stanley Cups. Two of those Stanley Cups (2016 and 2017) were won consecutively. They remain the only team in the salary cap era to win back-to-back Stanley Cups, which is pretty impressive.

The salary cap era has made it even harder for teams to build dynasties, and more importantly, keep them together. Led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins have been arguably the most consistent and successful team in the salary cap era.