Casey Mittelstadt, Zach Parise, Samuel Girard and Josh Manson of the Colorado Avalanche celebrate a goal against the Winnipeg Jets in Game Three of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHL Teams and Their NFL Counterparts

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Paolo Go | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 11:35 AM ET

The NHL and NFL may be totally different sports, but the storylines feel oddly familiar. Think about it: new dynasties replacing the old, iconic franchises that never seem to win when it matters, and upstart teams. With the NFL season just underway and the NHL about to heat up, it’s the perfect time to draw some parallels. Let’s compare some of the NHL’s most notable franchises (some for the wrong reasons) to their NFL counterparts.

Comparing 10 NHL Franchises to NFL Franchises

The Florida Panthers are… the Philadelphia Eagles

The Florida Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles are not only atop their respective leagues, but are also unfairly stacked thanks to uncanny moves by their front offices. Sure, the Eagles have yet to repeat as champions (they are the favorites), but like the Panthers, they won their title in dominating fashion. We’ll hold off on labeling either a dynasty just yet. But they are the teams to beat and are feared and hated by the 31 other fanbases.

The Edmonton Oilers are… the Buffalo Bills

Both franchises could be where the Panthers or Eagles are now. They each have a generational superstar in Connor McDavid and Josh Allen, respectively. Unfortunately, they’ve also run into the Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs. In Edmonton’s case, McDavid could not save his Oilers from back-to-back Stanley Cup Final defeats. Allen’s Bills, on the other hand, lost to the Chiefs in four of the last five playoffs.

Here's the list of players in NHL history with five Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Memorial Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, one Conn Smythe Trophy and eight 100-point seasons by age 28.

1. Wayne Gretzky

2. Connor McDavid

That's it. pic.twitter.com/wttWmOSc6J
— Eric Friesen (@EricJFriesen) August 29, 2025

The Boston Bruins are… the San Francisco 49ers

The Boston Bruins and San Francisco 49ers had rosters good enough to win titles. But they fell short with the Bruins losing in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, while the 49ers lost in both Super Bowl LIV and LVIII. They can’t get over the hump, and their typically aggressive and physical styles have forced the front offices to re-tool as they try to get over recently disastrous seasons.

The Colorado Avalanche are… the Los Angeles Rams

The Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Rams both won their respective titles in the same year: 2022. Since then, the teams have either been hamstrung by injuries (especially in LA’s case) or roster subtractions. Still, despite the turnover, Colorado and Los Angeles are top-tier contenders. They are well-coached and bring a high-powered offensive style that is easy to root for.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are… the Dallas Cowboys

The two biggest brands of their respective leagues are also the two biggest playoff chokers. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Cowboys have fielded prolific regular-season teams for years, only to fall awfully short when the stakes get high. However, the Maple Leafs have shown more signs of growth while the Cowboys have slowly but surely spiraled, thanks mainly to the man in charge.

The Montreal Canadiens are… the Green Bay Packers

The Montreal Canadiens and the Green Bay Packers are not only up-and-coming teams with title aspirations, but are also their leagues’ most historic franchises. The “Habs” have experienced a longer title drought, but they did come close to winning the Stanley Cup recently. The Packers have been up-and-down, but have plenty of promise with their quarterback-head coach combo in Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur, respectively.

The Buffalo Sabres are… the New York Jets

The two most dysfunctional franchises are in the same state (sort of, since the New York Jets technically play in New Jersey). The Buffalo Sabres and Jets are tied for the longest active playoff droughts, and can’t seem to get it right. They have gone through multiple head coaches, wasted top draft picks, and have ownership or management that constantly make ill-fated decisions. Lord help their poor fans.

The Chicago Blackhawks are… the Chicago Bears

Speaking of tortured fanbases, Chicago fans, in general, have had it rough. Just look at the Blackhawks and the Bears. Yes, the Hawks won three Stanley Cup titles in five years. But that was over a decade ago. They got Connor Bedard, a superstar prospect, who’s already been through the wringer, not unlike the Bears’ star quarterback Caleb Williams. These franchises have hope, but growing pains will linger.

Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates his first NHL goal (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Pittsburgh Penguins are… the New England Patriots

The Pittsburgh Penguins and New England Patriots are former dynasties going through rebuilds. Sidney Crosby is still one of the best centers in the NHL. But even with him on the ice, Pittsburgh is a subpar NHL team. He could mimic Tom Brady by going to another team and winning a fourth ring. The Patriots have an intriguing quarterback prospect in Drake Maye, though it remains to be seen if he can bring this franchise’s glory days back.

The Vegas Golden Knights are… the Kansas City Chiefs

The Vegas Golden Knights may have a few more Stanley Cup titles to win to get to the Chiefs’ level. But as far as organization, they operate at shrewd levels. Both have jettisoned key stars and overturned their rosters despite what fans or pundits feel. The results speak for themselves as both are perennial title contenders with ever-growing fanbases.

Honorable Mentions and Familiar Storylines

These leagues may feature entirely different sports. But the parallels are too good to ignore, and the fans may just feel like kindred spirits with each other. Winnipeg Jets fans may share similar “feels” with the Minnesota Vikings. In addition to dealing with freezing winters, they must watch their teams get exposed in the playoffs after giving them hope during the regular season. Likewise, Detroit Red Wings fans and Pittsburgh Steelers fans are in the same boat as they cheer for proud (and once mighty) Original Six/Eight franchises that have been in purgatory for what feels like forever.

The NHL and NFL couldn’t be more different. Yet, when you line up the records, the vibes, and the history, it’s clear every team has a “spiritual twin”.