NHL conference finals

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates The National Hockey League (NHL) conference finals are the Eastern Conference and Western Conference championship series of the NHL. The conference finals are each a best-of-seven series, and comprise the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The two series are played in mid-to-late May (early June in 1995 and 2013, due to labour disputes that delayed the start of the season and September in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference finals receive the Prince of Wales Trophy and Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, respectively, and advance to face each other in the Stanley Cup Finals.

History

Script error: No such module "labelled list hatnote". Before the 1967–68 season, the NHL was made up only of a single division. From the 1967–68 season through the 1973–74 season, the NHL was made up of two divisions (as opposed to conferences), the East Division and the West Division.

Following the 1973–74 season, the NHL again realigned. The East and West Divisions were renamed the Prince of Wales and Clarence Campbell Conferences, respectively. At the time, the new conferences and divisions had little to do with North American geography and geographical references were removed. Furthermore, all playoff teams were seeded regardless of conference.

Beginning in the 1981–82 season, the conferences and the playoffs were realigned. The NHL was hoping to reduce travel costs in the face of a struggling economy and high energy prices. The regular season and playoffs were also altered to emphasize divisional match-ups. Thus, the first official conference finals were held in 1982.

Beginning in the 1993–94 season, the names of conferences and divisions were changed to reflect their geographic locations. At the instigation of then-new NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, the NHL made the change to help non-hockey fans better understand the game, as the National Basketball Association uses geographic-based names for their conferences and divisions, and the National Football League, and Major League Baseball use geographic-based names for their divisions. Therefore, the Campbell Conference became the Western Conference and the Wales Conference became the Eastern Conference. The winner of the Eastern Conference finals still receives the Prince of Wales Trophy, while the winner of the Western Conference finals still receives the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. The only exception to this practice was the pandemic-affected 2020–21 season that was played without conferences.[1] The league decided in June 2021 to award the trophies (one per team) to the two victors of the Stanley Cup semifinals.[2] After that season, the league revived the conferences for the 2021–22 season.

The Hartford Whalers never advanced to a conference final, however after they relocated to become the Carolina Hurricanes, they did so five times (2002 as the eventual Cup finalists, 2006 as the eventual Cup champions, 2009, 2019 and 2023). The original Winnipeg Jets never appeared in the conference finals, and after moving to become the Phoenix Coyotes the franchise did not even win a playoff series until the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs when they advanced to the conference finals. Of the 32 teams in the NHL, only the Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken and Utah Mammoth have never appeared in the conference finals.

Conference trophy traditions

File:Boston Bruins Prince of Wales Trophy 2013-06-07.JPG
The 2013 Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins pose with the Prince of Wales Trophy
File:Henrik Sedin accepts the trophy.jpg
Henrik Sedin of the 2011 Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks accepts the Campbell Bowl

Another tradition (or rather superstition) that is prevalent among today's NHL players is that no player should touch the Cup itself until his team has rightfully won the Cup.[3] Adding to this superstition is some players' choice to neither touch nor hoist the conference trophies (Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and Prince of Wales Trophy) when these series have been won; the players feel that the Stanley Cup is the true championship trophy, and only it should be hoisted.[4][5]

However, in 1994, Stephane Matteau, then of the New York Rangers, admitted that he tapped the Wales Trophy with his stick's blade before the overtime period in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.[6] Matteau subsequently scored the game-winning goal in double overtime against the New Jersey Devils. Following the game, Mark Messier, the captain of the Rangers, picked up and raised the Wales Trophy after it was awarded to the team.[7] After winning the Western Conference, Vancouver Canucks captain Trevor Linden lifted the Campbell Bowl.[8] The Rangers prevailed over the Canucks in a seven-game series to win the Cup.

Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur hoisted the conference trophy as well in 2000, after the New Jersey Devils came back from a 3–1 series deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games; the Devils would go on to defeat the Dallas Stars (who touched but did not lift their conference trophy)[9] in the Stanley Cup Finals. Stevens then also touched the trophy in 2003, after defeating the Ottawa Senators in seven games. Not only touching, Stevens picked up the trophy and made his team take a photo with it. The Devils went on to defeat the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim four games to three in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.

In 2002, the Carolina Hurricanes hoisted the Prince of Wales Trophy after they won their conference title;[10] the Hurricanes lost their Finals series with the Detroit Red Wings four games to one. Steve Yzerman, captain of the Red Wings during their 1997, 1998 and 2002 Stanley Cup victories, picked up the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl each time, to the delight of the home fans in Joe Louis Arena.[11]

The superstition held true in 2004, as Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames grabbed the Campbell Bowl, but Dave Andreychuk of the Tampa Bay Lightning refused to touch the Prince of Wales Trophy; the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in seven games. The Campbell Bowl would not be picked up on the ice again until it was won by the first-year Vegas Golden Knights in 2018.

In 2007, Daniel Alfredsson and Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators touched and picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy, respectively, but Anaheim Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer never came close to the Campbell Bowl; the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in five games. Steve Yzerman, captain of the Detroit Red Wings during their 1997, 1998, and 2002 Stanley Cup victories, picked up the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl each time, though his successor Nicklas Lidstrom did not touch it en route to a 2008 Stanley Cup victory. Scott Stevens hoisted the Prince of Wales Trophy during the Devils' other two Stanley Cup-winning seasons in 1995 and 2003. In 2009, 2016, and 2017, Sidney Crosby and other members of the Pittsburgh Penguins carried and posed with the Prince of Wales Trophy before going on to win the Stanley Cup. At the close of the 2010 Eastern Conference finals, Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards picked up the Wales Trophy. Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks captain, did not touch the Campbell Bowl, and the Blackhawks went on to defeat the Flyers in six games for the 2010 Stanley Cup.

In 2012, Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown and the rest of the team refused to touch the Campbell Bowl after winning the conference finals against the Phoenix Coyotes. The team did not take the Campbell Bowl trophy on the plane back to Los Angeles. Instead, Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group (the parent of the Los Angeles Kings), drove the trophy in his car trunk from Phoenix to Los Angeles and showed it to the more-than 10,000 fans that waited at LAX Airport to show their support to their Stanley Cup finalists, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

In 2015, the Chicago Blackhawks took a team photo with the Campbell Bowl after winning Game 7 of the 2015 Western Conference finals against the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The Blackhawks would end up defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals.[12] In 2018, Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin hoisted the Wales trophy after winning the Eastern Conference finals, before ultimately defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games to win the Stanley Cup.[13] In 2020, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and his teammates lifted the Prince of Wales Trophy after winning the Eastern Conference finals. Head coach Jon Cooper stated "we win a trophy, we pick it up",[14] while Victor Hedman acknowledged that not touching the trophy in 2015 "didn't work".[15] The Lightning went on to defeat the Dallas Stars in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals. Stamkos picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy again in 2021 after the Lightning defeated the New York Islanders in the semifinals, and Tampa Bay defended the Stanley Cup by defeating the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

Prince of Wales Conference/Eastern Conference

Prince of Wales Conference (1982–1993)

Year Champion Runner-up Games Eventual Cup winner
1982 New York Islanders Quebec Nordiques 4
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1983 New York Islanders Boston Bruins 6
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1984 New York Islanders Montreal Canadiens 6
1985 Philadelphia Flyers Quebec Nordiques 6
1986 Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers 5
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1987 Philadelphia Flyers Montreal Canadiens 6
1988 Boston Bruins New Jersey Devils 7
1989 Montreal Canadiens Philadelphia Flyers 6
1990 Boston Bruins Washington Capitals 4
1991 Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins 6
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1992 Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins 4
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1993 Montreal Canadiens New York Islanders 5
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Eastern Conference (1994–present)

Year Champion Runner-up Games Eventual Cup winner
1994 New York Rangers New Jersey Devils 7
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1995 New Jersey Devils Philadelphia Flyers 6
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1996 Florida Panthers Pittsburgh Penguins 7
1997 Philadelphia Flyers New York Rangers 5
1998 Washington Capitals Buffalo Sabres 6
1999 Buffalo Sabres Toronto Maple Leafs 5
2000 New Jersey Devils Philadelphia Flyers 7
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2001 New Jersey Devils Pittsburgh Penguins 5
2002 Carolina Hurricanes Toronto Maple Leafs 6
2003 New Jersey Devils Ottawa Senators 7
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2004 Tampa Bay Lightning Philadelphia Flyers 7
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2005 No conference finals played due to the lockout.
2006 Carolina Hurricanes Buffalo Sabres 7
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2007 Ottawa Senators Buffalo Sabres 5
2008 Pittsburgh Penguins Philadelphia Flyers 5
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins Carolina Hurricanes 4
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2010 Philadelphia Flyers Montreal Canadiens 5
2011 Boston Bruins Tampa Bay Lightning 7
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2012 New Jersey Devils New York Rangers 6
2013 Boston Bruins Pittsburgh Penguins 4
2014 New York Rangers Montreal Canadiens 6
2015 Tampa Bay Lightning New York Rangers 7
2016 Pittsburgh Penguins Tampa Bay Lightning 7
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2017 Pittsburgh Penguins Ottawa Senators 7
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2018 Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning 7
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2019 Boston Bruins Carolina Hurricanes 4
2020 Tampa Bay Lightning New York Islanders 6
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2022 Tampa Bay Lightning New York Rangers 6
2023 Florida Panthers Carolina Hurricanes 4
2024 Florida Panthers New York Rangers 6
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2025 Florida Panthers Carolina Hurricanes 5
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Clarence Campbell Conference/Western Conference

Clarence Campbell Conference (1982–1993)

Year Champion Runner-up Games Eventual Cup winner
1982 Vancouver Canucks Chicago Black Hawks 5
1983 Edmonton Oilers Chicago Black Hawks 4
1984 Edmonton Oilers Minnesota North Stars 4
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1985 Edmonton Oilers Chicago Black Hawks 6
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1986 Calgary Flames St. Louis Blues 7
1987 Edmonton Oilers Detroit Red Wings 5
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1988 Edmonton Oilers Detroit Red Wings 5
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1989 Calgary Flames Chicago Blackhawks 5
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1990 Edmonton Oilers Chicago Blackhawks 6
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1991 Minnesota North Stars Edmonton Oilers 5
1992 Chicago Blackhawks Edmonton Oilers 4
1993 Los Angeles Kings Toronto Maple Leafs 7

Western Conference (1994–present)

Year Champion Runner-up Games Eventual Cup winner
1994 Vancouver Canucks Toronto Maple Leafs 5
1995 Detroit Red Wings Chicago Blackhawks 5
1996 Colorado Avalanche Detroit Red Wings 6
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1997 Detroit Red Wings Colorado Avalanche 6
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1998 Detroit Red Wings Dallas Stars 6
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1999 Dallas Stars Colorado Avalanche 7
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2000 Dallas Stars Colorado Avalanche 7
2001 Colorado Avalanche St. Louis Blues 5
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2002 Detroit Red Wings Colorado Avalanche 7
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2003 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Minnesota Wild 4
2004 Calgary Flames San Jose Sharks 6
2005 No conference finals played due to the lockout.
2006 Edmonton Oilers Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 5
2007 Anaheim Ducks Detroit Red Wings 6
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2008 Detroit Red Wings Dallas Stars 6
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2009 Detroit Red Wings Chicago Blackhawks 5
2010 Chicago Blackhawks San Jose Sharks 4
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2011 Vancouver Canucks San Jose Sharks 5
2012 Los Angeles Kings Phoenix Coyotes 5
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2013 Chicago Blackhawks Los Angeles Kings 5
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2014 Los Angeles Kings Chicago Blackhawks 7
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2015 Chicago Blackhawks Anaheim Ducks 7
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2016 San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues 6
2017 Nashville Predators Anaheim Ducks 6
2018 Vegas Golden Knights Winnipeg Jets 5
2019 St. Louis Blues San Jose Sharks 6
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2020 Dallas Stars Vegas Golden Knights 5
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2022 Colorado Avalanche Edmonton Oilers 4
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2023 Vegas Golden Knights Dallas Stars 6
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2024 Edmonton Oilers Dallas Stars 6
2025 Edmonton Oilers Dallas Stars 5

Team totals

Legend: CF = Conference finals; SCF = Stanley Cup Finals; bolded year denotes win; italicized denotes active series

Team CF appearances CF wins CF % SCF wins SCF % Last CF Consecutive CF Consecutive SCF
appearances
Edmonton Oilers 12 9 Template:Winpct 5 Template:Winpct 2025 3 3
Chicago Blackhawks 12 4 Template:Winpct 3 Template:Winpct 2015 3 —
Detroit Red Wings 10 6 Template:Winpct 4 Template:Winpct 2009 4 2
Dallas Stars 10 4 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2025 3 2
Pittsburgh Penguins 9 6 Template:Winpct 5 Template:Winpct 2017 2 2
Philadelphia Flyers 9 4 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2010 — —
Colorado Avalanche 9 3 Template:Winpct 3 Template:Winpct 2022 4 —
Boston Bruins 8 5 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2019 3 —
New York Rangers 8 2 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2024 2 —
New Jersey Devils 7 5 Template:Winpct 3 Template:Winpct 2012 2 2
Tampa Bay Lightning 7 4 Template:Winpct 3 Template:Winpct 2022 3 3
Montreal Canadiens 7 3 Template:Winpct 2 Template:Winpct 2014 2 —
Carolina Hurricanes 6 2 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2025 — —
New York Islanders 5 3 Template:Winpct 2 Template:Winpct 2020 3 3
Anaheim Ducks 5 2 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2017 2 —
San Jose Sharks 5 1 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2019 2 —
Florida Panthers 4 4 Template:Winpct 2 Template:Winpct 2025 3 3
Los Angeles Kings 4 3 Template:Winpct 2 Template:Winpct 2014 3 —
Buffalo Sabres 4 1 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2007 2 —
St. Louis Blues 4 1 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2019 — —
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 0 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2002 2 —
Calgary Flames 3 3 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2004 — —
Vancouver Canucks 3 3 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2011 — —
Vegas Golden Knights 3 2 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2023 — —
Washington Capitals 3 2 Template:Winpct 1 Template:Winpct 2018 — —
Ottawa Senators 3 1 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2017 — —
Nashville Predators 1 1 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2017 — —
Minnesota Wild 1 0 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2003 — —
Arizona Coyotes 1 0 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2012 — —
Winnipeg Jets 1 0 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct 2018 — —
Columbus Blue Jackets 0 0 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct N/A — —
Seattle Kraken 0 0 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct N/A — —
Utah Mammoth 0 0 Template:Winpct 0 Template:Winpct N/A — —

Note: The Colorado Avalanche's totals include two conference finals appearances as the Quebec Nordiques (both losses), and the Dallas Stars' totals include two conference finals appearances as the Minnesota North Stars (one win; subsequent Stanley Cup Finals loss). The Arizona Coyotes' only conference finals appearance was in 2012 as the Phoenix Coyotes. The Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken and the Utah Mammoth remain the only active NHL teams to have never advanced to the conference finals.

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:NHL Template:Stanley Cup playoffs

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