Five Canadian NHL teams have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs
For the first time since the 2016-17 season, five Canadian teams will be competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, and Edmonton Oilers have made the cut, leaving just two teams from the Great White North on the sidelines. The Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks are the only teams from Canada that won’t be playing postseason hockey this year.
Late into the season, it looked like we could see as many as six Canadian teams in the playoffs, as the Flames stayed in the race until their elimination on Tuesday night. The Canucks, meanwhile, were eliminated just over a week ago, marking the eighth time in 10 years that they have failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The Canadiens were the final team in the NHL to qualify for the playoffs, doing so with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.
While there is still plenty of work to be done, there appears to be a realistic chance we see a Canadian team win the Cup for the first time since Montreal in 1993.
The Stanley Cup Playoff bracket is set (NHL)
The favourites out of Canada may very well be the Winnipeg Jets, who won the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history with an impressive 56-22-4 record. That said, they have struggled in the playoffs in recent years and are facing a St. Louis Blues team that went 11-2-1 to end the regular season.
The Oilers were viewed as heavy favourites for the Stanley Cup entering the season, but a plethora of injuries and inconsistent play have many now doubting them. They’ll be going up against another red-hot team, the LA Kings, a team that they have eliminated in the first round in each of the last three seasons.
Out east, the Maple Leafs and Senators will be going head-to-head for the first time since 2004. The two sides have met up four times in the playoffs, with the Leafs coming out on top in every series to date.
Last but not least is the Canadiens, who are viewed as major underdogs against a Washington Capitals team that finished second in the NHL standings. This year marks their first time in the playoffs since their Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2021.
The playoffs are set to get underway on Saturday, with the Jets and Blues kicking things off. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars will play the second and final game later that evening.
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