The article ranks the top five greatest NHL dynasties, highlighting teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings. It celebrates 140 years of hockey history and iconic moments.
Key points
The article ranks the top five NHL dynasties.
Montreal Canadiens won five Stanley Cups from 1956 to 1960.
Detroit Red Wings won three Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2002.
The Sporting News celebrates its 140th anniversary.
The celebration includes iconic moments and teams from hockey history.
The Sporting News, established in 1886, is celebrating its 140th birthday with a year-long series honoring the greatest moments, teams and players from the last 140 years. Weâve also released SNâs entire archive for free, empowering hockey fans to download iconic print covers of Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe or explore endless rabbit holes to read how your favorite teams were covered in the moment.
The hockey portion of our 140 celebration continues with our picks for the top-five greatest NHL dynasties of all time.
Itâs difficult to pick out only five dynasties for this The Sporting News list, because theyâre all special in their own way. The Canadiensâ run of five consecutive Cup wins was their longest championship stretch of the Original Six Era. Although the Habs only had two playoff series to win in each of their five Cup wins in that stretch, Montreal did beat some very good and teams in the Cup final over that half-decade stretch.
Q&A
What are the top five NHL dynasties of all time?
The top five NHL dynasties include teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings, recognized for their championship successes.
How many Stanley Cups did the Montreal Canadiens win during their dynasty?
The Montreal Canadiens won five Stanley Cups from 1956 through 1960.
What years did the Detroit Red Wings win their Stanley Cups?
The Detroit Red Wings won three Stanley Cups between 1997 and 2002.
Why is the 140th anniversary significant for The Sporting News?
The 140th anniversary is significant as it celebrates the greatest moments, teams, and players in hockey history over the past 140 years.
Related Articles
NBA·Injury Update
Why is Joel Embiid not playing tonight? What to know about 76ers star's injuries
Joel Embiid will not play in Game 2 against the Knicks due to injuries.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Footy Fix: Will PSG and Bayern recapture the magic of the Champions League semifinal first leg?
Will PSG and Bayern recapture the magic in the Champions League semifinal?
CBS Sports Headlines··1 min read
NBA·Injury Update
Luka Doncic reveals his actual injury return timeline, and it's bad news for Lakers
Luka Doncic shares concerning news about his injury return timeline for the Lakers.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
MMA·Feature
âDonât Blinkâ â Shamil Gasanov Promises An Explosive World Title Finish Against Tang Kai At ONE Fight Night 43
Shamil Gasanov promises an explosive finish against Tang Kai at ONE Fight Night 43!
Meanwhile, the Red Wingsâ run of three Cups in six years is all the more impressive because it came at a time when the NHL was regularly expanding and headed toward the 32-team league it is today.
Detroit GM Ken Holland worked brilliantly with iconic coach Scotty Bowman to dominate the league. And although Detroit won another Cup in 2008, their run from â97 through â02 holds a special place in the hearts of Wings fans.
Another modern-day miracle was the Blackhawks teams that won three Cups in only six years. The Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews/Patrick Sharp/Marian Hossa-led Hawks were as skilled as any team in the league up front. At the same time, blueliners Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Niklas Hjalmarsson were the defensive backbone of those Chicago teams.
The only thing that changed for the Blackhawks in that six-season competitive window was the goaltenders. The first Cup was won by netminder Antti Niemi in 2010, while goalie Corey Crawford won the Cups in 2013 and 2015. In any case, coach Joel Quenneville proved masterful, and winning a Cup every other year is a feat we doubt weâll see again in the modern era, and Hawks fans will remember it forever.
Legendary GM Bill Torrey constructed the Islanders, and the team â including legendary defenseman Denis Potvin, iconic goalie Billy Smith, and legendary scorer Mike Bossy â taught the Oilers what it meant to compete for a Cup.
The Islanders have failed to win a Cup since their 1980-1983 run, and thatâs why this Isles team is one of the greatest modern-era dynasties. When your team humbles the great Wayne Gretzky and feels off four straight champion seasons in a way few teams have been able to replicate, you know youâve pulled off a major achievement.
The Islanders havenât been able to get any more Cup wins since 1983, and for the most part, theyâve struggled to be a playoff team. But Islanders fans can take comfort knowing that good times may well be coming soon. We may yet see another championship take place on Long Island.
2. Edmonton Oilers, five Cups from 1984 through 1990
The Oilers learned their lesson from their defeats to the Islanders, as they prevented the Isles from winning their five straight Cups in 1984.
The names associated with the group GM/coach Glen Sather assembled are all unforgettable, including Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, and Glenn Anderson. Theyâre all now in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and for good reason.
The Oilersâ final Cup win in 1990 was particularly sweet for Edmonton fans, as that one came after Gretzky demanded a trade to the Los Angeles Kings. But when Gretzky was there, the Oilers were more dominant than arguably any team in hockey history.
Gretzkyâs wizardry was the chief reason Edmonton earned five championships. The Oilersâ overall talent was the biggest reason weâre putting them so high on this list. Gretzky and Messier led the way, and they carried Edmonton to glory for more than half a decade.
1. Montreal Canadiens, eight Cups from 1968 through 1979
The Canadiens have a long and illustrious history, and at no time were they better than in the 1970s, when they won an astonishing eight Cups in only 12 seasons.
Boasting an incredible roster that included the phenomenal Ken Dryden in net, and stars Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, Bob Gainey, and Larry Robinson, Montreal was *the* dominant team in the NHL for more than a full decade.
One of the reasons Montreal was able to hang so many championship banners was its depth, which other organizations could only dream of.
That said, the Canadiens are our pick for the best dynasty in NHL history. Itâs hard to fathom how any team can dominate the way Montreal dominated in the 70s, so Habs fans should be happy with the success the Canadiens have had. No team in any pro sport can beat opponent after opponent year-in and year-out for a dozen seasons.
It just doesnât happen that way in the modern game anymore. But the Habs did that, and thatâs why theyâre our choice for the greatest dynasty in NHL history.
