The last time a Canadian NHL team won the Stanley Cup was in 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens defeated Wayne Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings in six games.
That year, the Toronto Blue Jays made their last trip to the World Series, beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to claim their second MLB championship.
This season, the Blue Jays are back in the World Series after a three-decade-long absence. So, could this historical coincidence mean that the Stanley Cup could return to Canada?
The Blue Jays have made the MLB playoffs in three of the last four seasons, but haven’t been close to making the World Series.
The Edmonton Oilers have made it to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, but haven’t been able to get over the hump. So, it could be that the singular historical coincidence could become an auspicious one for Canadian NHL clubs.
Now, we could venture and say that a serendipitous occurrence might lead to the Montreal Canadiens winning the Cup this season. The Habs have a good squad and could surprise people in the postseason.
But then again, Montreal is not the only kid on the block with a chance to take it all.
Several Canadian NHL clubs have shot at winning Stanley Cup
In 1993, the two Canadian teams with the best shot at winning the Stanley Cup were the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs fell to the Kings in the Campbell Conference Final in seven games. A different outcome would have pitted the Leafs and Canadians in the Cup Final.
Alas, that was not meant to be.
The Vancouver Canucks made it to the Final in 1994, but they fell to the destiny squad that was Mark Messier’s New York Rangers.
The Oilers, the 1979 Winnipeg Jets (now Utah Mammoth), Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche), and Calgary Flames weren’t close to the Cup.
Fast-forward a lifetime later, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a shot (depending on who you ask), the Canadiens are on the fringe, the Canucks don’t look too good, either, and the Flames, well, they’re not really in the picture.
That leaves the new Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, and Ottawa Senators as teams that could scare the bejeezus out of their playoff opponents. But it would seem that the Oilers and Jets are the two Canadian teams best positioned to make it to the final.
Yes, the Maple Leafs could finally get their act together and win it all. The Canucks, Senators, and Canadiens could all become serious players. The Jets and Oilers could steamroll the competition. The Flames could channel the 2019 Blues and spark a miraculous turnaround.
Ultimately, the Blue Jays’ World Series run could have opened the door for another historical anomaly to end Canada’s Stanley Cup drought.