Winning a championship is the ultimate goal of any franchise. Every player, coach, front office member, and fan dreams of watching their favorite team enjoy everything this envelops: hoisting a trophy as colored confetti rains down, a city-wide parade with the fans, raising a banner in their home arena on opening night, and putting a coveted championship ring on their fingers.
As a kid, I think shiny-object-syndrome was real and it seemed like it was about the hardware: namely the trophies and the rings. Don't get me wrong, these serve as proof of being the best in the world, and a physical representation of the team's achievement and history, which is why they're displayed. But as an adult, you realize that couldn't be farther from the truth, and it was about the journey and the moments. It was the years of pain and suffering you endured before finally having your faith rewarded. Those moments you lied in bed at night after the season ended in heartbreaking fashion, beginning the long mental count down to next year. It was the camaraderie of sweating it out with your buddies at the bar, or the sense of unity you felt with a city or community, or even fellow fans in the stadium, or cheering on your alma-mater with your fellow classmates, or sharing it with a parent who indoctrinated you to love the team they loved, or your child whom you indoctrinated to cheer for the team you did, or of course a spouse who you love and got to share love of your teams with and many date nights out cheering on those teams you bonded over. It's rewarding because of the emotional investment we put in, watching the games night in night out, experiencing the highs and lows of our team's journey. You enter it knowing that 99% of the time, someone else is going to win. But winning it once, just once, validates decades of loyalty and patience and and makes all the agonizing losses and suffering that went into reaching that point finally worth it. It was about reaching the mountain top after a long and arduous journey. It was about having faith, finally rewarded.
I still remember the joy of sharing watching the Red Sox break the curse with my mom in '04 as a 9 year old in Connecticut, or watching the Giants win Super Bowls in '08 and '12 after watching my dad faithfully watch every Sunday game in the Fall, or the feeling of being a student and watching FSU win the national title in 2014, or being a young adult in my 20s living in Tampa and watching the Bucs and Bolts win championships after all the watch parties and nights at the bars with friends. At some point in life, hopefully, it will be sharing similar moments with my wife, my kids, my grandkids. It is no exaggeration when I say those were some of the best moments of my life.
Of the 124 pro sports franchises that make up the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, there are 37 that still have never experienced the euphoric joy of winning it all. That accounts for a staggering 30%, which seems high considering the fact that each of these leagues have been around for 60-plus years. Almost 1 in every 3 pro sports teams has still yet to win it all. I've always had this weird fascination with these teams and fan bases. I think for many of them, winning their first championships are some of the best storylines still to be written in all of sports.
So today, we give each of them their flowers, and do a little history lesson on each. We will go in alphabetical order by location, spanning everything from the teams who haven't been particularly close, to the teams who could almost taste it, only for it to slip through their clutches in the final moments. Let's begin.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have only reached the Super Bowl once in their team history. It happened back in 2009 and ended in heartbreak when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated them by scoring a go-ahead touchdown with 35 seconds left to win the game 23-20. Having just committed to tearing it down and rebuilding, it will probably still be some time before the Cardinals win it all.
Atlanta Falcons
Probably the team that got closest in any individual chance, the Falcons reached the Super Bowl in 2017 and held a 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots in the second half. Tom Brady would then go on to engineer the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, as the Patriots would score 25 straight points to force overtime. Back then, the OT rules were that if the team who received the ball scored a touchdown, the game would end, which made the coin toss of monumental importance. New England won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball, and everyone knew Brady and the boys would march down the field and win the game. It is known as the biggest choke in Super Bowl history and to this day that still haunts the franchise.
The Falcons did actually reach the Super Bowl one other time in 1999 where they lost 34-19 to Denver. As a mediocre at best team currently, Atlanta will likely need to wait a bit longer to secure it's first Super Bowl.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have only been to the NBA Finals twice and it actually happened in back to back seasons in 2002 and 2003. Back then they were actually the New Jersey Nets, as the team didn't re-locate to Brooklyn until 2012. The Nets would get dominated and swept by the Kobe/Shaq Lakers in '02 and then lost a more competitive 6 game series to the Spurs in '03.
Brooklyn is another young, rebuilding team who is far from championship contender status currently.
Buffalo Bills
Has any fan base suffered more heartbreak? The Bills infamously went to 4 straight Super Bowls between 1991 and 1994 and proceeded to lose all of them. Only '91 was particularly close though, that year the Bills lost to the Giants 20-19 after Scott Norwood sent a game winning 47 yard field goal attempt wide right as time expired.
Buffalo hasn't been back to the Super Bowl since. In the modern-era, the Josh Allen-led Bills have been close on many occasions, but have always seen their season end in some sort of heartbreaking fashion just shy of the Super Bowl, many of them at the hands of the Chiefs.
Of all the teams still yet to win, Buffalo still feels like one of the closest currently. Josh Allen is a generational talent, and the Bills hope their offseason moves of firing Sean McDermott, promoting Joe Brady, and trading for DJ Moore, are the moves necessary to finally put the Bills over the top, or at least get them back to the big game. The Josh Allen window won't be open forever, and if Buffalo never gets it done during his career it will feel like a colossal waste and failure after having a player of his talent level for so long. But the Bills faithful still hope and believe that Allen can be the Prince that was Promised.
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo sports fans in general have had a rough go of it, seeing as neither of their 2 teams have ever won the whole thing, and neither has even reached the championship round this millenium. The Sabres have only seen the Stanley Cup Final twice, once in 1975, and once in 1999, losing in 6 games on both occasions.
After a long period of darkness, the Sabres actually had a great season in 2026. They won the Atlantic Division, ended a 14 year playoff drought, and won a playoff series for the first time in 18 years. It still had an unhappy ending, as the Sabres would lose in 7 games to the Montreal Canadiens, a series they led 3 games to 2 and had 2 opportunities to close but couldn't. But still, things are looking up for the Sabres, and should be exciting times in Buffalo if both the Sabres and Bills are contenders.
Carolina Panthers
They've only been an official team since 1995, and have seen the Super Bowl twice in their 31 year history. The first instance was 2004, when they also fell victim to the Tom Brady Patriots losing 32-29, a game where Brady led a last-minute drive that resulted in a last second field goal. The Panthers would then return to the Super Bowl in 2016, this time as the favorites led by MVP Cam Newton. The Panthers had only lost once all season entering the game, but Denver's defense stifled Newton and the Panthers who would lose the game 24-10.
Despite winning the NFC South last season, Carolina still feels like a team multiple years away from contending for a title.
Charlotte Hornets
Moving from one Charlotte based team to the next, we have the Hornets, who have never gotten past the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs in their 38 year history. In fact they have only won 4 playoff series ever, and none since 2002. They are one of the only teams on the list to not reach the final 4 of their respective sport.
The Hornets actually get red hot at the end of the 2026 season, and nearly snuck their way into the playoffs. This is a team with some good young talent and if they can carry their momentum into next season they can definitely be a playoff team with great long-term potential.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have been to 3 Super Bowls and lost them buy a combined 12 points. They most recently went in 2022, where a second year Joe Burrow nearly took them all the way before losing a close one to the Rams 23-20. Cincinnati's other two trips came in the '80s and both resulted in losses to the San Francisco 49ers, once by 4 points and once by 5 points.
The Bengals are a good enough offensive team to win the whole thing with their star cast of Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown. The question will always be if the defense can do enough to allow this iteration of the Bengals to make another Super Bowl run.
Cleveland Browns
One of four NFL teams to never reach the Super Bowl (the others are Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville), the Browns have been one of the NFL's worst franchises of the last quarter century. In fact the Browns have only won one playoff game this millennium and haven't been beyond the second round since the 80's. The sad part is, the Browns did actually win "NFL Championships" in the pre-Super Bowl era, but since the Super Bowl's inception in 1967, Cleveland has never been.
Cleveland still finds itself as one of the worst teams in the NFL currently. These loveable losers still have a ways to go to reach the top.
Colorado Rockies
Our first baseball entry on the list, the Rockies have only reached the World Series once back in 2007, and didn't win a single game while there after being swept 4-0 by the Red Sox.
They have been one of baseball's worst teams the last handful of seasons, with no real signs of getting out of the gutter.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are still one of the league's younger franchises, having been formed in 2000. But in that time, it has been a struggle and they have won a playoff series only once (a shocking sweep of the 1st place Lightning in 2019).
Columbus has been a middle of the pack, fringe playoff team in the East the last couple of seasons.
Detroit Lions
They are the second of our four "never been to the Super Bowl" teams. Three years ago, they were dangerously close. In the NFC Championship game, the Lions went to San Francisco and took a 17 point lead into halftime. But then Brock Purdy and the 49ers rallied in the second half to overcome the large deficit and would go on to win the game 34-31. In the season after, Detroit looked primed to get there once again after going 15-2 and securing the top seed in the NFC, but then a shocking loss to the Commanders in the Divisional round once again shattered the hopes of Lions fans.
Despite missing the playoffs last year, the Lions have been a competitive team ever since Dan Campbell took over as head coach. Campbell was able to successfully change the culture and made Detroit a team defined by toughness and grit. I wouldn't call them a Super Bowl "favorite", but the window still feels open for this group.
Houston Texans
Houston is the third of our four "never been to the Super Bowl" teams, but we can cut them more slack than the others seeing as they are the NFL's youngest franchise, having only been around since 2002. In their 24 year history, the Texans have made the playoffs 9 times and made the Divisional round (the second round) 7 times, but have never been further than that as they hold as 0-7 record in the divisional round. They are the only NFL team to have never reached the Conference Championship Game.
The first quarter-century of the Texans can thus far be defined as "good but not great". On the one hand, there is nothing wrong with making the playoffs more than a third of the time and making the divisional round almost a third of the time. On the other, 25 years feels like a fair amount of time to have waited to make a Conference Championship Game just once.
Houston looks like they will have a strong team again in 2026-27. The defense is probably top 2 or 3 in the entire NFL and if the offense improves they could be a dark horse Super Bowl contender, or at least a strong contender to finally reach a conference title game.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have made 2 NBA Finals appearances, and may have been one torn Achilles away from ending the wait. Many remember the 2025 NBA Finals, a competitive series between Indiana and the Oklahoma City Thunder that went all the way to Game 7. In that game, Pacers star player Tyrese Haliburton got off to a red hot start, but then tore his Achilles in the 2nd quarter. It was a heartbreaking moment and Indiana was unable to overcome the Haliburton injury and OKC would go on to win the game and in turn the title. Indiana's other Finals appearance came in 2000, where they lost a competitive series to the Kobe/Shaq LA Lakers in 6 games.
No one ever likes losing in the championship game (or round), but it probably stings even more when an injury played a major factor. Haliburton sat out the entire 2026 season and Indiana was a bottom 5 team as a result. He is expected to return in 2027 and how close he is to his pre-injury form will be a large factor in Indiana's title chances 2027 and beyond.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags are the last of our 4 "never reached the Super Bowl" teams. They have reached the AFC Championship Game 3 times, and their closest attempt to reaching the Super Bowl came in 2018. The Jaguars had the Patriots on the ropes, holding a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter in Boston, but then Tom Brady once again led a come from behind charge and the Patriots would rally to win 24-20. Jacksonville's two other AFC Championship Game appearances came in '96 (their second ever season) and '99, but neither was particularly close, having lost 20-6 to New England in '96 and 33-14 to Tennessee in '99.
The Jaguars are hoping to build off of a successful 2025-26 campaign. In the first year under new head coach Liam Coen the team went 13-4 and won the AFC South, before being bounced in the playoffs by Buffalo. Coen seemed to help Trevor Lawrence begin to unlock his full potential, which will be key if this group is ever going to make a Super Bowl run.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers only have one Super Bowl appearance in franchise history and it came back in 1995 (back then they were the San Diego Chargers) where they were killed by the in-state rival 49ers by a score of 49-26. They are one of 12 NFL teams to never win the Super Bowl.
The Chargers are an interesting dark horse to monitor this year much like Houston and Jacksonville. They have a star quarterback in Justin Herbert, who has been statistically great but still lacks a playoff win. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is entering year 3 and has greatly improved the team in his first two seasons. Harbaugh has not won a Super Bowl, but did reach one with the 49ers in 2013 and won a National Championship with Michigan in 2024.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have never reached the NBA Finals and are the oldest franchise in the NBA to have never gotten there. They were founded in 1970, and 56 years later the team is still without a Finals appearance. It's been a struggle for the Clippers as an organization. They have constantly lived in the Lakers shadow in Los Angeles and only reached the playoffs 4 times in their first 27 seasons, only winning 1 playoff series during that time. They have only reached the Western Conference Finals once in 2021.
The Clippers have had their chances over the past 10-15 years, but were never able to get over the hump despite having talented rosters. The Clippers currently sit as a middle of the pack NBA team, likely to blow things up and attempt another rebuild in the near future.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are also an NBA team that has never reached the Finals. Similar to the Clippers, they have only been to the Western Conference Finals once (where they were swept by the Spurs) however they are a much younger franchise, having originated in 1995.
The Grizzlies are one of the NBA's bottom teams currently, recently blowing things up and rebuilding again. To make matters worse, many have speculated that down the road the team could re-locate to Nashville, which has been a much more booming market than Memphis when it comes to Tennessee's major cities.
Milwaukee Brewers
First of all, one of my favorite names in all of sports. Literally called the "Brewers" due to the city's historic and famous beer-brewing industry.
In their 56 year history, the Brewers have only reached the World Series once back in 1982. They faced the St. Louis Cardinals and the series went the full 7 games. In game 7, the Brewers would jump out to a 3-1 lead, which they would hold until the bottom of the 6th. The Cardinals would then take a 4-3 lead, and then add a pair of insurance runs in the 8th to win the game 6-3, and in turn the World Series.
Milwaukee has been a solid team in recent years. Since 2018, they have missed the playoffs only once, and have reached the NLCS (round before the World Series) twice. They have won their division (the NL Central) 4 of the last 5 seasons. But it's been "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" for the Brewers as they've never been able to leapfrog the NL's bigger juggernauts, namely the Dodgers. We're still less than halfway through this MLB season, but it seems as though Milwaukee is poised to win the division and make the playoffs once again, but will likely have to knock off the Dodgers and/or the Braves in order to reach their second ever World Series.
Minnesota Timberwolves
This begins a stretch of 3 straight teams all based in Minnesota (thankfully the Minnesota Twins have won the World Series though). The Timberwolves are Minnesota's NBA team and are one of 5 NBA teams to never reach the Finals along with Charlotte, the Clippers, Memphis, and New Orleans.
The Timberwolves have reached the Western Conference Finals on 3 separate occasions and lost each of them. Two of them were recent, having gone in 2024 and 2025, but both times they lost in 5 games. The other time occurred in 2004 when they lost in 6 to the Kobe/Shaq Lakers.
Minnesota still has a good team, led by a young superstar in Anthony Edwards, but it remains to be seen if they will ever leapfrog Western Conference powerhouses like the Spurs and Thunder.
Minnesota Vikings
In addition to Buffalo, Minnesota is the only other NFL team to reach the Super Bowl 4 times and lose every single one. However, unlike Buffalo, Minnesota's were not 4 consecutive seasons. All occurred in the '70s and sadly all of them were double-digit losses. The closest attempt was a 10 point loss to the Steelers in '75, and the other 3 losses came to the Chiefs, Dolphins, and Raiders and were all between 16 and 18 points.
It's been a long drought for the Vikings, having not reached the big game since Super Bowl 11. The drought will reach 50 years unless the Vikings reach the Super Bowl this season.
Minnesota Wild
The last of our 3 Minnesota based teams are their NHL team, the Minnesota Wild. Like their NBA counterpart, the Wild have never reached the Stanley Cup Finals. Their closest attempt came in 2003 when they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals but were swept by the Anaheim Ducks, which was also their first ever season making the playoffs (the Wild were founded in '97).
Similar to the Brewers, this is an "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" case. The Wild have only missed the playoffs twice since the 2012-13 season, but have never gotten beyond the second round during that stretch.
Nashville Predators
The city of Nashville has an NFL team and an NHL team and neither have won a championship. Both have also reached the championship round just once. The Predators lone Stanley Cup Finals appearance came in 2017 where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games.
The Predators have not qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons but hopefully will return sooner rather than later.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are the last of our 5 "never reached the NBA Finals" teams, and they are actually one of two to never even reach the conference finals, along with Charlotte. They have only been around since 2002 and have only won 2 playoff series ever in team history.
They are a young rebuilding squad and are now led by a familar face: Jamahl Mosely.
Orlando Magic
Be still my heart. In my completely biased and completely personal-interest based opinion, the Magic winning the NBA Championship is the best story yet to be written in sports. While my fanhood didn't start until 2022, those are my f*****g boys and I've become an avid die-hard who watches every game on TV. This organization, city, community, and fan-base has been through a lot over the years and deserve a title, one that will celebrated from downtown to Disney to Space Coast to the Villages.
To go into the history, the Magic have been around for 37 seasons and have reached the NBA Finals twice in that time. The first trip came during the Shaquille O'Neal era in 1995 when the Magic won the East but then were swept by the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. The second came in 2009 when Dwight Howard led the team to the Finals (which included beating the LeBron James Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals) but they lost to the Kobe Bryant Lakers in 5 games. If you're doing the math, that means the Magic have only won 1 NBA Finals game in team history.
The Magic find themselves in the middle of an era that we don't know the end of yet. Can a young nucleus of Paolo Banchero (23 years old), Franz Wagner (24), Desmond Bane (27), and Jalen Suggs (25), with the new leadership of Sean Sweeney, reach the mountain top? Hopefully some day in our lifetimes that day is coming, and there will be tears of joy in this young writer's eye when it does.
Ottawa Senators
Of the NHL's 7 Canadian teams, only 4 have won the Stanley Cup, while Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg still await their day in the sun. The Senators have reached the Cup Final just once, back in 2007, where they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in 5 games.
The Senators are a young ascending team, having made the playoffs the past two seasons but losing in the first round on both occasions.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns have the NBA Finals on 3 separate occasions and every time they would lose in 6 games. All were rather spaced out, with their finals appearances occurring in '76, '93, and 2021. The '76 team was an underdog squad that made a surprise run to the Finals but ultimately lost to the Celtics. The '93 team was led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley but would lose to the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls. The 2021 team was led by Devon Booker and Chris Paul and they faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Suns would actually take an early 2-0 lead in the series, but Milwaukee would then win the next 4.
With Booker still on the team but not much around him, the Suns find themselves as a middle of the pack team currently. Moves will need to be made in order for Phoenix to close the gap on the aforementioned strong Western Conference rivals like the Thunder and Spurs.
San Diego Padres
After the Chargers re-located to LA in 2016, the Padres became the only remaining pro sports team in San Diego. The team has reached the World Series twice, once in '84, and once in '98. The '84 team had a red hot start to their season, winning 35 of their first 40 games. But in the World Series they would fall to the Detroit Tigers in 5 games. The team would return to the World Series 14 years later, only to be swept by the Yankees.
The Padres have made the playoffs 4 of the last 6 seasons, with the most successful attempt being a run to the NLCS in 2022 where they would fall to the Philadelphia Phillies. They currently sit at about a 50/50 shot of making the playoffs this season.
Seattle Kraken
The youngest member of our list, the Seattle Kraken have only been around since 2021, so we can't really fault them for not winning a championship in their brief 5 years of existence. Only once in that 5 years did they qualify for the playoffs. It happened in 2023, their second ever season, and they would pull off a massive upset in the first round defeating the defending champion Colorado Avalanche in 7 games before falling to the Dallas Stars in the next round also in 7 games.
They have missed the playoffs the past 3 seasons, but hopefully will return as they continue to grow as a young franchise.
Seattle Mariners
In contrast to their young hockey team, Seattle's baseball team, the Mariners, have the distinction of being the oldest MLB team to never reach the World Series. They have reached the ALCS (the round prior to the World Series) 4 times, including this past season, where the series went 7 games and they fell to the Toronto Blue Jays. The other 3 appearances occurred in 1995 (lost to Cleveland in 6), 2000 (lost to the Yankees in 6), and 2001 (lost to the Yankees again in 5).
The Mariners currently hold a narrow lead in their division, the AL West. If they hold that division and reach the playoffs, the Yankees would likely once again be the biggest obstacle between them and the World Series.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have technically reached the World Series twice, however the 2020 one is often displayed with an asterisk as it occurred during the greatly shortened COVID season, which was only 60 games instead of the standard 162. That year the Rays would reach the World Series but fall to the Dodgers in 6 games. Manager Kevin Cash made the controversial decision in that game to pull starting pitcher Blake Snell in the 6th inning when Snell was throwing a terrific game and the Rays held a narrow lead. The bullpen would then concede the lead and go on to lose the game. Tampa's more legitimate trip came in 2008, where they played the full-length season and lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games.
It's an interesting time for the Tampa Bay Rays. The team changed ownership in the middle of last season and is also in the process of building a new stadium to re-locate from St Pete to Tampa. The Rays have always punched above their weight despite being one of the lowest payroll teams in a non-salary cap league. Hopefully the new regime is more willing to spend, the stadium gets finalized, and the team eventually wins the World Series.
Tennessee Titans
Nashville's other pro team in the Tennessee Titans, who were formerly the Houston Oilers until 1999. In their first ever year in Nashville, the Titans would make it all the way to the Super Bowl and come up just short. Quite literally in fact, the Titans were 1 yard away from scoring a game-tying touchdown as time expired. This would have set up the decision to either kick the extra point and force overtime, or risk it all and go for two and win the Super Bowl. But Kevin Dyson was tackled 1 yard short by Rams linebacker Mike Jones to save the game.
The Titans are in a new era. They have a second year quarterback with high upside in Cam Ward, a completely new coaching staff led by Robert Saleh, a new logo, and a flashy new stadium slated to open in 2027. Will all the change and excitement eventually lead the Titans to the promised land?
Utah Jazz
If not for Michael Jordan, the Utah Jazz would likely have multiple NBA titles. This was one of the dominant teams of the mid-90s, led by the superstar duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton. Malone has scored the third most points in NBA history and won the MVP award twice, and Stockton still holds the NBA record for most assists in league history. The duo reached the Finals twice, and both times lost to the Bulls in 6 games thanks to the heroics of Michael Jordan. The most famous game of any across both of those series was the infamous "flu game" in 1998. It was Game 5 and the series was tied 2-2, and MJ was diagnosed with flu-like symptoms and extreme illness and dehydration, with some conspiracy theorists believing this was caused by a contaminated pizza delivered to his hotel room in Utah. Despite this, Jordan would score 44 points and hit a game winner in what was arguably his most iconic performance.
The Jazz haven't achieved much since the Malone/Stockton era. The team is currently building around a pair of young big men in Lauri Markannen and Jaren Jackson Jr., and they haven't made the playoffs since 2022.
Utah Mammoth
Technically the Mammoth are actually the youngest member of our list, however before forming in 2024, they were the Arizona Coyotes from 1996 to 2024, and before that they were the Winnipeg Jets (different from the current Winnipeg Jets, we'll get to that later..) from 1979 to 1996. No iteration of the team ever won the title, or even made it to the Cup Final.
Salt Lake City was ecstatic to finally land a second pro-sports team, they've had only the Jazz for years. The fans have embraced them and the Mammoth reached the playoffs for the first time since relocation this past season.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are the second of our three Canadian NHL teams to win the Stanley Cup and the share the distinction with the Buffalo Sabres of being the oldest franchises to never win the title. The Canucks have reached the Cup Final 3 times, and two of these went the full distance and reached Game 7s. The closest attempt came in 1994, when the Canucks trailed Game 7 3-2 and were unable to get an equalizer past the New York Ranger's goaltender in the final minutes. The team would again lose a game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011 when the Boston Bruins would cruise to a 4-0 victory. Vancover's other Stanley Cup appearance was much shorter lived, when they were swept by the New York Islanders in 1982.
The Canucks were the worst team in hockey this past season, and have missed the playoffs the past 2 seasons, despite being a second round playoff team 3 years ago. They hold the 3rd overall pick in this year's draft where they hope to add a new franchise cornerstone for the team to build around.
Winnipeg Jets
Last but not least, we have the Winnipeg Jets, who were actually the Atlanta Thrashers from 1999 to 2011 before the team was sold and relocated to Winnipeg. There actually was a separate Winnipeg Jets from 1972 to 1996 that eventually became the Arizona Coyotes, and then the present day Utah Mammoth. Neither version has ever won the Stanley Cup, or even reached the Final.
Two years ago, the Jets had the best record in hockey, but would lose in the second round to the Dallas Stars in 6 games. They did not make the playoffs this past season, however they are led by goaltender Connor Helleybuck who led Team USA to a gold medal in this year's Winter Olympics. If the team can continue to build around Helleybuck, they can certainly be a playoff team for years to come.
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