The 10 best players without a Stanley Cup (2024)

Wednesday Night Hockey on ESPN wants to know what you think is the best of the "10 Best" throughout the NHL season. Each week, WNH will assemble its 10 best selections of a particular theme and post them on ESPN.com for users to vote on their favorite.

Tune in to the March 13 broadcast of the St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) to watch highlights of the 10 best players who have never won a Stanley Cup.

During the game, ESPN's hockey experts will pick their favorite and compare their choices with how ESPN.com users voted.

Marcel Dionne
At 5-foot-9, Marcel Dionne may not have been big in stature, but few put up bigger numbers. He scored 50 or more goals in a season six times. In 1979-80, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer (edging Wayne Gretzky on a tiebreaker, having scored more goals). He stands among the top 10 all time in goals (731), assists (1,040), and points (1,771). But over his 18-year career, spent mostly with struggling Red Wings and Kings squads, Dionne played in a mere 49 playoff games. He was elected to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1992.

Mike Gartner
After a 27-goal campaign for the WHA's Cincinnati Stingers in 1978-79, Mike Gartner entered the NHL in 1979-80 with the Washington Capitals. In each of his first 15 NHL seasons, Gartner scored at least 30 goals, an NHL record for consecutive 30-goal campaigns. He finished his career with 706 goals, good for fifth on the NHL's all-time list. But for all his individual success, Gartner never made it to a Stanley Cup final. His 1,432 game NHL career is the longest of any player not to play for a Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

Dominik Hasek
After playing in just 25 games over two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, Dominik Hasek was dealt to Buffalo in August of 1992. He won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie six times and twice he won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, the first goalie in over three decades to be named the league's top player. But only once as a Sabre did Hasek vie for Lord Stanley's Cup, falling to Dallas in the 1999 finals. Now a Detroit Red Wing, Hasek looks to add the greatest of all hockey accolades -- Stanley Cup Champion -- to his resume.

Pat LaFontaine
In 1984, at age 19, Pat LaFontaine stepped from the Sarajevo Olympics into the lineup of the New York Islanders, becoming a key scoring cog in the team's quest for a fifth straight Stanley Cup. However, the Isles' five-game loss in the 1984 final to Edmonton would be his only shot at Cup glory. While a championship would elude him, LaFontaine would go on to post outstanding career numbers. Twice he scored 50 goals in a season. With Buffalo in 1992-93, he racked up 148 points, the highest single-season total for an American-born player in league history. When he retired due to concussions following the 1997-98 season, he had 468 goals to his credit, second-most all-time among U.S.-born players.

Adam Oates
Undrafted coming out of RPI, Adam Oates signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings in June of 1985. Quickly, he display the great passing skills that have become his trademark. As a St. Louis Blue in 1990-91, he racked up 90 assists. Two years later in Boston, he dished out 97 helpers to lead the league. Earlier this season, he joined the 1000-assist club. However, Oates' one chance at a Stanley Cup to date was all too brief as his Washington Capitals were swept by Detroit in 1998.

Brad Park
Brad Park made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers in 1968 and would soon develop into one of the league's top defensem*n. Six times he finished as runner-up for the Norris Trophy. He played in the All-Star Game nine times and scored 20 goals or more three times. He recorded 896 points over his 17-year career. But in three trips to the Cup finals (1972 withthe Rangers, 1977 and 1978 with Boston), a championship would elude the grasp of Park and his teammates. Park was elected to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1988.

Gilbert Perreault
The first overall choice in the 1970 draft, Gilbert Perreault made an immediate impact, scoring 38 goals for the expansion Buffalo Sabres en route to the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. In his fifth season, 1974-75, he had 96 points in 68 games, helping to lead Buffalo to its first Stanley Cup finals appearance. But a six-game loss to the Flyers that year would be a close as Perreault would come to a championship. He went on to score 512 goals and 1,326 points in a 17-year career spent entirely with the Sabres, and was elected to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1990.

Luc Robitaille
When the Los Angeles Kings drafted Luc Robitaille in 1984, he was selected 171st overall, 102 picks after the Kings chose current Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine in that same draft. While Glavine went on to baseball stardom, Robitaille became a scoring sensation for the Kings, notching eight straight 40-goal seasons from 1986-94, including 63 in 1992-93, when the Kings made their only Cup finals appearance to date, losing to Montreal in five games. Now a Detroit Red Wing, Robitaille made history this season by becoming the NHL's all-time leader in goals by a left wing. With the Red Wings currently first overall by a wide margin, Robitaille could get another chance at Lord Stanley's mug this season.

Darryl Sittler
Darryl Sittler was one of the NHL's top scorers during the 1970s. From 1973-83, he recorded 10 straight 30-goal seasons. As a Maple Leaf in February of 1976, he set the single-game record for points with 10 (6 goals, 4 assists) in a game against Boston. He went on to score 484 goals for the Leafs, Flyers, and Red Wings over 15 NHL seasons. But while his high-scoring exploits earned Sittler election to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1989, none of the teams he played on qualified for a Stanley Cup final.

Peter Stastny
After arriving from Czechoslovakia in 1980, Peter Stastny became one of the NHL's most dangerous offensive players with the Quebec Nordiques. He won the Calder Trophy in 1981, notched over 100 points in each of his first five seasons and was part of one of the league's better known brother acts with siblings Anton and Marian. He would go on to make stops in New Jersey and St. Louis before his NHL days were done, scoring 450 goals and 1239 points in 15 seasons, but none of the teams he toiled for ever reached a Cup Final. Stastny was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.




ESPN Tools

The 10 best players without a Stanley Cup (1) Email story

The 10 best players without a Stanley Cup (2) Most sent

The 10 best players without a Stanley Cup (3) Print story

The 10 best players without a Stanley Cup (4) Daily email


The 10 best players without a Stanley Cup (2024)

FAQs

Who was the best player to never win the Stanley Cup? ›

Marcel Dionne

The Los Angeles Kings legend owns the unfortunate distinction of being the only retired player on the NHL's top 15 all-time scoring list to never win the Stanley Cup. Despite an illustrious 18-year career, Dionne didn't come close to a title.

Who has the most points without a Stanley Cup? ›

MARCEL DIONNE

With 1,771 points, Dionne is the highest scoring player to have never won a Stanley Cup. The eye-opening total is the sixth highest in NHL history but the Drummondville, Quebec native never played more than 10 games in a postseason.

Who has played the most games without a Stanley Cup? ›

Marleau holds the distinction of playing the most NHL games (both regular season and playoffs) without winning the Stanley Cup, an active streak as of the end of the 2022–23 season. Internationally, Marleau won gold medals with Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Who lost 3 Stanley Cups in a row? ›

During his two one-year campaigns with the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens respectively, Perry lost consecutive Stanley Cup Finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning; Perry proceed to join the Lightning the very next season after his time with the Canadiens, where he proceeded to lose a third straight Stanley Cup Finals, ...

What team has gone the longest without a Stanley Cup? ›

The longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs (55 seasons), breaking a tie with the New York Rangers.

Who has the most Stanley Cup rings ever? ›

Henri Richard

Who has the most Stanley Cup loses? ›

Records
  • Most wins: Montreal Canadiens (24)
  • Most losses: Boston Bruins (14)
  • Fewest losses: Colorado Avalanche (0)
  • Most consecutive wins: Montreal Canadiens (5 in 1956–1960)
  • Most consecutive losses: Toronto Maple Leafs (3 in 1938–1940), St. ...
  • Most consecutive appearances: Montreal Canadiens (10 in 1951–1960)

What single player has won the most Stanley Cups? ›

1. Henri Richard (11 Stanley Cups)

Who has the largest Stanley Cups? ›

Having lifted the trophy a total of 24 times, the Montreal Canadiens are the team with more Stanley Cup titles than any other franchise. Founded in 1909, the Canadiens are the longest continuously operating professional ice hockey team and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the NHL itself.

What player has the most Stanley Cups not in the Hall of Fame? ›

Provost won the most Stanley Cups of anyone who is not a member of Hockey Hall of Fame. Every other player and executive who has won at least eight Stanley Cups has been named to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Has anyone won 4 consecutive Stanley Cups? ›

The record for consecutive Stanley Cup wins by the same club is five (Montreal 1956-1957-1958-1969-1960) with two teams managing four straight wins (Montreal 1976-1977-1978-1979, New York Islanders 1980-1981-1982-1983), one team duplicating three year streaks (Toronto 1947-1948-1949 & 1962-1963-1964), and four squads ...

Have Wild won the Stanley Cup? ›

The Minnesota Wild have not won any of the team trophies the National Hockey League (NHL) awards annually — the Stanley Cup as league champions, the Clarence S.

Who has the longest Stanley Cup winning streak? ›

Stanley Cup win streaks
TeamStanley Cup win streakConsecutive Stanley Cup wins
Montreal Canadiens5 seasons1955–56 through to 1959–60
4 seasons1975–76 through to 1978–79
New York Islanders4 seasons1979–80 through to 1982–83
Toronto Maple Leafs3 seasons1946–47 through to 1948–49
14 more rows

Did the Coyotes ever win a Stanley Cup? ›

The Arizona Coyotes have not won any championships all-time.

Who is the best NHL player to never make the playoffs? ›

Ladislav Smid was a pretty solid D-man for us and never played in the playoffs because he played on a team whose best defence man was Ladislav Smid. Patrik Stefan played 6 seasons for the Thrashers never making the playoffs before they traded him to Dallas in 2006.

Who has the lowest save percentage to win the Stanley Cup? ›

The Vegas Golden Knights have the lowest save percentage by a team in the Stanley Cup Finals with >0 series wins, at . 890.

Has anyone ever won the Stanley Cup 4 0? ›

The 1944 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens won the series 4–0 to win their first Stanley Cup since they defeated Chicago in 1931.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 5664

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.