#NHLPeachy @NHL #NHLStats Pack: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Key Questions Our Coverage Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know @GaroNazarianDDS #cosmopolitandental #loveyoursmile
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The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs open April 19th, the start of a two-month rollercoaster of upsets, overtime games, unsung heroes, and memorable moments. Whether you are wondering which fanbase has waited the longest for a Stanley Cup, what veteran you might want to root for or what players can climb NHL all-time lists this postseason, the #NHLStats team has you covered with this handy guide.
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The Next Gr8 Chase: A Second Stanley Cup for Ovechkin?
On April 6, Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. Ovechkin now enters the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs captaining the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Capitals in search of his second career Stanley Cup (2018). The Great 8 enters the postseason as the NHL’s active leader in playoff goals (72) and seven shy of matching Jean Beliveau (10th; 79) to enter the top 10 of the NHL’s all-time playoffs goals list.
Should Ovechkin capture his second Stanley Cup, he would match a feat last accomplished by the player whose trophy Ovechkin has won an NHL-record nine times, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, who stands as the last player to win a Stanley Cup in the same season he became the NHL’s all-time goals leader.
A look at how others faired in the postseason the same year they broke the NHL’s all-time goals record:
* On March 23, 1994, Gretzky scored career goal No. 802 and passed Gordie Howe for first on the NHL’s all-time goals list. A year after making a run to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, the Kings failed to make the playoffs in Gretzky’s record-breaking season.
* On November 10, 1963, Gordie Howe scored his 545th career goal to pull ahead of Maurice “Rocket” Richard on the NHL’s all-time list. In the 1964 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Howe led all players in goals (9) and points (19) to help the Red Wings reach the Final where they were defeated by the Maple Leafs in seven games.
* On Nov. 8, 1952, Richard scored his 325th goal to surpass Nels Stewart for first on the all-time goals list. In the 1953 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Richard scored seven goals in 12 games to help the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup.
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Will a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 32 years?
The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs will see five Canadian teams participate in a 16-team playoff format for the first time since 2017. The Canadian field includes the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets, the Atlantic Division’s top-seeded Maple Leafs, last season’s Stanley Cup runner-up the Oilers and a pair of Eastern Conference Wild Card teams in the Senators and Canadiens.
The Maple Leafs, who are looking to end the longest Stanley Cup wait in NHL history, will be participating in the postseason for a ninth consecutive campaign – the last time Toronto made the playoffs nine-straight seasons they won their last championship in 1967.
The Canadiens, who clinched a playoff spot in their 82nd game of 2024-25, were the last Canadian team to win a Stanley Cup 32 years ago (1993). The 1993 Canadiens, backstopped by Patrick Roy in net, played 11 overtime games (winning an NHL-record 10 of them) and defeated the Wayne Gretzky-led Kings in the Final.
Among the 16 teams that qualified for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the four longest waits for a championship belong to Canadian teams.
Longest Wait for a Stanley Cup, Teams in 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Toronto (58 years; last 1967)
Edmonton (35 years; last 1990)
Montreal (32 years; last 1993)
Ottawa (32 years; looking for first Cup)
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Which playoff teams have won the most series in the last five years (since 2020)?
Seven teams have won at least six playoff series over the past five years, including four on that list that have won the Stanley Cup.
11 – Tampa Bay (SC in 2020 & 2021)
8 – Vegas (SC in 2023)
8 – Florida (SC in 2024)
7 – Colorado (SC in 2022)
7 – Dallas
6 – Carolina
6 – Edmonton
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Do Wild Card teams have a shot?
At least one Wild Card team has advanced out of the First Round in six of the nine years under that format, including multiple teams four times in a single postseason. In 2018-19, all four Wild Card teams made it into the Second Round. While no Wild Card team has gone on to win the Stanley Cup, two have advanced to the Final: Panthers (2023) and Predators (2017).
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There is nothing like overtime in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. How common is it?
Across the last five playoff seasons (since 2019-20), nearly 1 in 4 postseason contests have required overtime (107 of 467; 23%). In the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, 11 of the 15 total series saw at least one overtime game played (4 series saw multiple overtime contests).
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Will another Atlantic Division team make the Final?
A team currently in the Atlantic Division has reached the Stanley Cup Final in six consecutive seasons. In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Atlantic Division makes up five of the eight playoff teams in the East: Toronto, Tampa Bay, Florida, Ottawa and Montreal.
Atlantic Division Teams in Stanley Cup Final, Since 2019
2024 – Florida (Won Cup)
2023 – Florida (Lost Final)
2022 – Tampa Bay (Lost Final)
2021 – Tampa Bay (Won Cup)
2020 – Tampa Bay (Won Cup)
2019 – Boston (Lost Final)
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Need a veteran to root for? Here are the players in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the most regular-season games played that have not won a Stanley Cup.
1,526 GP – Ryan Suter (STL)
1,497 GP – Brent Burns (CAR)
1,263 GP – Claude Giroux (OTT)
1,192 GP – Jamie Benn (DAL)
1,184 GP – John Tavares (TOR)
1,138 GP – Matt Duchene (DAL)
1,078 GP – Jeff Skinner (EDM)
1,042 GP – Cam Fowler (STL)
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Which players this postseason have appeared in the most career playoff games?
The top-five most experienced players in the postseason that will be participating in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs all have at least one Stanley Cup ring. The most playoff experience by a player in this postseason who has yet to win a Cup belongs to Blues defenseman Ryan Suter (133 GP) – who as noted above also has the most regular-season games in that category.
215 GP – Corey Perry (Stanley Cup in 2007)
191 GP – Ryan McDonagh (Stanley Cup in 2020 & 2021)
165 GP – Victor Hedman (Stanley Cup in 2020 & 2021)
157 GP – Brad Marchand (Stanley Cup in 2011)
151 GP – Alex Ovechkin (Stanley Cup in 2018)
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Which players can move up all-time lists on Records.NHL.com?
Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury could appear in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for an 18th season, which will break a tie with Martin Brodeur (17) and Patrick Roy (17) for the most in NHL history.
Marc-Andre Fleury (92) is one playoff win away from surpassing Grant Fuhr (92) for sole possession of the third-most playoff wins in NHL history, behind only Patrick Roy (151) and Martin Brodeur (113). Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (66) is five wins from matching Jacques Plante (71) for 10th on the list.
Marc-Andre Fleury (16) is one playoff shutout from surpassing Curtis Joseph (16) for sole possession of the third-most playoff shutouts in NHL history, behind only Martin Brodeur (24) and Patrick Roy (23).
Oilers forward Corey Perry (215) enters the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs tied for the 12th-most playoff games played in NHL history. Should he appear in six or more games this postseason, he would move into the top 10 all-time.
Alex Ovechkin (15th; 72), the NHL’s active leader in postseason goals, needs seven to match Jean Beliveau (10th; 79) and enter the top 10 of the NHL’s all-time playoffs goals list.
Nikita Kucherov (16th; 114) needs nine assists to match Jaromir Jagr (10th; 123) and enter the top 10 of the NHL’s all-time playoffs assist list. Sidney Crosby (5th; 130) is the only active player with more.
Nikita Kucherov (21st; 167) needs 21 points to match Joe Sakic (t-9th; 188) and Doug Gilmour (t-9th; 188) and enter the top 10 on the NHL’s all-time playoffs points list. Kucherov has recorded 21 or more points in a playoff year four times (2014-15, 2019-20, 2020-21 & 2021-22).
Alex Ovechkin is tied for eighth in NHL playoffs history with 28 career power-play goals. His next goal with the man advantage will match Mario Lemieux (29) for seventh and two more will put him in a three-way tie with Joe Pavelski (30) and Nicklas Lidstrom (30) for fifth in NHL postseason history.
Ondrej Palat (13) and Brad Marchand (13) are three playoff game-winning goals away from matching Patrick Marleau (t-10th; 16) and Jaromir Jagr (t-10th; 16) and entering the top 10 on the NHL’s all-time playoffs game-winning goals list.
Carter Verhaeghe (t-3rd; 5) and Corey Perry (t-3rd; 5) are both one playoff overtime goal away from matching Maurice Richard (6) for second on the NHL’s all-time overtime goals list. Joe Sakic (8) tops the list.
Victor Hedman (94) ranks 10th on the NHL’s all-time playoffs assists list among defensemen and enters the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs one back of Chris Pronger (95) for ninth. Hedman (t-12th; 117) also sits four points back of matching Pronger (10th; 121) and entering the top 10 on the all-time playoffs points list among defensemen.
