# The 17 Greatest Stanley Cup Finals of All Time

> From dynasty coronations to gut-wrenching upsets nobody predicted, these Finals captured everything that makes playoff hockey the most gripping sport on earth. Which series was the greatest?

*By YPB Team · Published June 19, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-17-greatest-stanley-cup-finals-of-all-time*

---

## Current results (3 votes)

1. **1994 Rangers vs Canucks** — 66.67% (2 votes · score 1000/1000)
   Mark Messier's legendary guarantee and a double-overtime Game 7 ended the New York Rangers' 54-year championship drought.
2. **2019 Blues vs Bruins** — 33.33% (1 votes · score 864/1000)
   The St. Louis Blues went from last place in January to Stanley Cup champions in one of the most improbable title runs ever.
3. **2026 Hurricanes vs Golden Knights** — 0% (0 votes · score 546/1000)
   Carolina won its second title in 20 years in six games, with 37-year-old Jordan Staal making NHL history as the oldest Conn Smythe winner.
4. **1970 Bruins vs Blues** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Bobby Orr's iconic flying overtime goal became the most celebrated image in hockey history as Boston won the Cup.
5. **2022 Avalanche vs Lightning** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Colorado's dominant 4-2 victory ended Tampa Bay's bid for an unprecedented three-peat in one of the most one-sided Finals in decades.
6. **2009 Penguins vs Red Wings** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Sidney Crosby captured his first Cup when the Penguins became the first visiting team to win a Game 7 on the road in Finals history.
7. **2013 Blackhawks vs Bruins** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Chicago scored twice in the final 76 seconds of Game 6 to stun Boston and win the Stanley Cup in one of the most dramatic closings ever.
8. **1984 Oilers vs Islanders** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Edmonton dethroned the four-time champion Islanders with Gretzky and Messier leading a new dynasty into the spotlight.
9. **2011 Bruins vs Canucks** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Boston rallied from a 2-0 series deficit against a heavily favored Vancouver side to win in a Game 7 that Canucks fans will never forget.
10. **2006 Hurricanes vs Oilers** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Carolina claimed its first-ever Stanley Cup in a thrilling seven-game series against an upstart Edmonton squad.
11. **2004 Lightning vs Flames** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   A gritty seven-game battle between Tampa Bay and Calgary that captivated fans and ended with the Lightning's first championship.
12. **1987 Oilers vs Flyers** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Wayne Gretzky led Edmonton back from a 3-1 deficit in an all-time classic Game 7 showdown at the height of the Oilers dynasty.
13. **2018 Capitals vs Golden Knights** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Alexander Ovechkin finally lifted the Cup while first-year expansion team Vegas shocked everyone by reaching the Finals.
14. **2010 Blackhawks vs Flyers** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Chicago captured its first Stanley Cup in 49 years, igniting a dynasty that would win three titles in six seasons.
15. **1942 Leafs vs Red Wings** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Toronto staged the first 3-0 comeback in Finals history — still the only time an NHL team erased that deficit to win the championship.
16. **2024 Panthers vs Oilers** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   The greatest comeback in Finals history — Florida erased a 3-0 series deficit against Edmonton to claim the Cup in Game 7.
17. **1980 Islanders vs Flyers** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   The New York Islanders won their first Cup on home ice, launching one of hockey's greatest dynasties with four consecutive titles.

Tags: sports, hockey, canada, classics, nhl