The NHL's President's Trophy curse is alive and well. With 114 points, the New York Rangers topped the NHL last year but failed to win the Stanley Cup. It was the 11th year in a row where the league's best team didn't win a championship.
Presidents’ Trophy Winners List
| Year | Winner | Round of Elimination |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | New York Rangers | Conference Finals |
| 2023 | Boston Bruins | First Round |
| 2022 | Florida Panthers | Second Round |
| 2021 | Colorado Avalanche | Second Round |
| 2020 | Boston Bruins | Second Round |
| 2019 | Tampa Bay Lightning | First Round |
| 2018 | Nashville Predators | Second Round |
| 2017 | Washington Capitals | Second Round |
| 2016 | Washington Capitals | Second Round |
| 2015 | New York Rangers | Conference Finals |
| 2014 | Boston Bruins | Second Round |
| 2013 | Chicago Blackhawks | Stanley Cup Champions |
Since the award was handed out in 1985-86, only eight teams have won the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same year. That's a measly 22% of the time.
As you saw in the table above, not only does a Presidents' Trophy winner struggle to be crowned champions but they also have a hard time getting through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Go back to 85-86 and 50% of President's Trophy winners get bounced in the first two rounds.
| Round Of Elimination | Count (%) |
|---|---|
| First Round | 8 (21%) |
| Second Round | 11 (29%) |
| Third Round | 3 (8%) |
| Stanley Cup Finals | 8 (21%) |
| Cup Champion | 8 (21%) |
2024-25 Presidents' Trophy Winner Odds
The Presidents' Trophy winner odds are cursing the Edmonton Oilers for the 2024-25 season after making them the favorites to win the jinxed trophy at +650.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | +650 |
| Florida Panthers | +800 |
| Dallas Stars | +900 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +1100 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1100 |
| New York Rangers | +1300 |
Odds as of July 26
Edmonton finished 10 points back of the Rangers last season. But remember they had a horrendous start to the year picking up only seven points from a possible 26 before making a coaching change.
Once Kris Knoblauch was in charge, the Oilers decimated the league with a 70.3% points percentage. That was the best points percentage in the league. What can Knoblauch achieve with a full offseason and training camp to prepare and get necessary upgrades to the roster? Topping the league seems likely.
Edmonton Oilers
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) January 27, 2024
3rd team in NHL history with a 16-game win streak
3rd team in NHL history with 24 wins in a 27-game span
Have held opponents without a goal in 42% of game time during this 16-game win streak pic.twitter.com/w1U89uxJr4
As much as it infuriates me, the Oilers did hire the last GM to win a Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in Stan Bowman. Maybe Edmonton break the curse. Although the accused award hardly seems to care about history.
Presidents’ Trophy Curse: History Doesn't Matter
The 2022-23 Boston Bruins set the NHL record for regular season points with 135 and still got bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
The Bruins weren't the first record-setting Presidents’ Trophy-winning team to have missed out on the Stanley Cup:
- In 2018-19, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had equalized the single-season record for wins (62), got swept in the opening round of the playoffs by Columbus, a team with 30 fewer points than Tampa.
- In 1995-96, the Detroit Red Wings set the single-season record for wins (62) and lost in the Western Conference Finals to Colorado.
