NHL legends who never won the Stanley Cup

A borderline Hall of Famer (stay tuned for that), Daniel Alfredsson played almost exclusively for the Ottawa Senators in his 18-year NHL career, which amounted to 124 playoff games, 100 playoff points and zero Stanley Cups. Let’s hope the retired winger’s Calder Memorial Trophy, six All-Star selections, 1,157 career points (54th all time), 713 assists (50th) and 444 goals (63rd) are at least enough to push him into the Hall.

Hall of Famer Pavel Bure spent 12 seasons in the NHL, earned the Calder Memorial Trophy, led the NHL in goals three times, was a regular on All-Star teams and is ranked fifth all time in goals per game (just ahead of fellow Russian countryman Alex Ovechkin). But he never won the Stanley Cup. In fact, of the five times he made the playoffs, four came in the first four years of his NHL career. You can’t blame Bure too much for these losses, however, as he scored a whopping 16 playoff goals on the way to his only Stanley Cup Final.

All the stuff we say about Mike Gartner? The same is true of Dino Ciccarelli, except this Hall of Famer actually made it to the Stanley Cup Final twice: in 1981 with the Minnesota North Stars and in 1995 with the Detroit Red Wings. Dino’s 608 goals rank him 19th all time (and the most by an undrafted, draft-eligible player) and his 1,200 points land him 49th on the all-time list. With stats like these and 19 years in the NHL playing for five different teams, you’d think the Cup would have come his way at least once.

Despite being an offensive force who worked his way up to sixth on the all-time scoring list (731 goals and 1,040 assists) over an 18-year Hall of Fame career, Marcel Dionne never even made it past the second round of the playoffs thanks to poor play by the Detroit Red Wings, L.A. Kings and New York Rangers. Dionne had eight 100-plus point seasons, including five in a row, and led the NHL in scoring for the 1979-80 season.

Not only did Mike Gartner never win the Stanley Cup, but he’s also the only player to never play in the Cup Final and never win an NHL award yet still be elected to the Hall of Fame. And for good reason! In his 19-year NHL career, Gartner set records for most 30-goal seasons (17), most consecutive 30-goal seasons (15), most goals in an All-Star Game (four, tied with Wayne Gretzky) and ranks seventh all time for most goals (708).

Dale Hawerchuk saw the playoffs in all but one season of his 16-year career, but only one of those teams made it past the second round. That achievement belonged to the Philadelphia Flyers, who battled all the way to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final only to get swept by the Detroit Red Wings. Hawerchuk ended his career with 518 goals, 891 assists and 1,409 points, ranking him 20th overall on the career NHL points list.

2015 Hall of Fame inductee Phil Housley is still ranked second in all-time points (1,232) and third in most games played (1,495) among American-born NHL players, yet he has never won a Stanley Cup. The closest he came was in 1998 as a member of the Washington Capitals, who ended up getting swept by the Detroit Red Wings. Housley has played in seven All-Star games.

Although you won’t see him in the Hall of Fame, many hockey fans consider Dale Hunter to be one of the NHL’s ultimate warriors, or at least one of its biggest goons. Either way, the guy has some unique accomplishments. In addition to scoring 1,020 career points in 19 seasons, Hunter also racked up a startling 3,565 penalty minutes, second to only Tiger Williams. But we’re more concerned with another statistic: Dale Hunter’s 186 postseason games give him the record for most playoff appearances without playing on a Stanley Cup-winning team.

Should goalie Curtis Joseph be in the Hall of Fame? Probably. He ranks fifth all time in wins, went to multiple All-Star Games and undoubtedly made every team he played on better. Regardless of your opinion on this question, however, Joseph still owns one baffling statistic: His 454 wins are the most by any goalie who never played for a Stanley Cup-winning team. And it’s not like he was stuck on a single hopeless club for his entire career; in fact, he’s the first goalie to ever amass 30 wins with five different teams.

Most hockey fans and analysts always believed Paul Kariya would eventually make the Hall of Fame, thanks to his seven All-Star appearances, stint as captain of the Anaheim Ducks (including a 50-goal season in 1995-96) and the fact that he scored 989 points in 989 games. However, despite playing for 15 years (which would have been longer if it weren’t for his multiple concussions) on four different teams, Kariya never won the Stanley Cup. He came close in 2003, but the Ducks lost the Final to the New Jersey Devils in seven games.

The only Stanley Cups won by the New York Islanders came in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983. The following season, rookie Pat LaFontaine joined the team and spent eight years there, before moving on to six years with the Buffalo Sabres, a team still looking for its first Cup. Talk about bad timing. Still, LaFontaine put together a strong 15-year Hall of Fame career that saw him get named to five All-Star teams, score 468 goals and amass 1,013 points. His 1.17 points per game is still the best among all American-born NHL players, active or retired.

During Hall of Fame inductee Eric Lindros’ prime in the '90s, he was among the best players in the NHL. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy in the strike-shortened 1994-95 season by scoring 70 points in only 46 games and followed it up with a 73-game, 115-point season the next year. During the Philadelphia Flyers’ four-year playoff run from 1994 to 1998, he had 56 points in 48 games, helping Philly reach the Final in 1997, the closest the All-Star ever came to winning the Stanley Cup.

Although Henrik Lundqvist is still active, he’s already been referred to by many as one of the best goalies in NHL history. Lundqvist is a three-time All-Star, the only goaltender to ever record at least 30 wins in each of his first seven seasons and the only one to start his career with 13 consecutive 20-win seasons, in addition to numerous franchise records. The problem is that Lundqvist’s 14 seasons have all been with the New York Rangers, who, despite making the playoffs almost every year, haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1994.

The Boston Bruins tend to win a Stanley Cup every decade or two, with the exception of the '80s and '90s, which is exactly when Hall of Famer (and current Bruins president) Cam Neely played on the team. You can’t blame the guy, however, as he did more than his part, even in an injury-shortened career. Neely’s accomplishments include scoring 50 goals in 49 games (only bested by Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull), owning the 10th-best goals per game average in NHL history and being named to five All-Star teams.

Ranking 18th all time in scoring (1,420 points) and seventh in assists (1,079) earned Adam Oates five All-Star nods, but it didn’t win him the Stanley Cup despite playing in the Final in 1998 with the Washington Capitals and again in 2003 with the Anaheim Ducks. In all, Oates played in the postseason 15 times with six different teams and made the Hall of Fame in 2012.

One of the best defensemen to ever play the game, Brad Park played in nine All-Star Games, finished second in Norris Trophy voting six times (to Bobby Orr), ranks 13th all time in defense scoring and made the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Park’s teams also made the playoffs in each of his 17 NHL years, and he reached the Final three times but never came away hoisting the Cup.

This one is easy to understand. Gilbert Perreault played all 17 of his NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres have never won a Stanley Cup. Thus, Perreault has never won a Stanley Cup. Not for lack of trying, however. The always-entertaining Hall of Fame center won the Calder Memorial Trophy, was a regular All-Star, played in the 1979 Challenge Cup and ranks 33rd all time in points (1,326).

Hall of Famer Jean Ratelle averaged almost a point per game throughout his extensive 21-year career, including a 109-point season that was accomplished despite missing 15 games at the end of the year. Ratelle spent every season with either the Rangers or Bruins, who both almost always made the playoffs, but the Stanley Cup still managed to elude him. Ratelle’s 1,267 points currently rank him 37th all time.

Börje Salming spent almost his entire career as a Toronto Maple Leaf, including every year between 1973 and 1989. Unfortunately, the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, meaning Salming had to settle for a Hall of Fame induction, three All-Star appearances, the NHL record for most points by an undrafted defenseman (787) and a number of Toronto franchise records.

Even though Darryl Sittler played on three different teams that won a total of 26 Stanley Cups and he made the playoffs in all but one of his 15 years, he was never on the right team at the right time. Nevertheless, the center finished his career 50th all time for goals (484) and 61st for points (1,121) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989. He also holds the record for most points scored in a single game (10, on Feb. 7, 1976).

Tell us if this is fair: Wayne Gretzky, the best scorer of the '80s (and ever), won four Stanley Cups. On the other hand, Peter Stastny, the second-best scorer of the '80s, won none. In fact, in 12 trips to the playoffs in 15 years with the Quebec Nordiques, New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues, “Peter the Great” never even made it to the Final. He did, however, win the Calder Memorial Trophy, earn six All-Star appearances and a Hall of Fame induction and currently ranks 38th all time in points with 1,239.

Mats Sundin was drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques and played four seasons there before a 1994 offseason trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite making it to the postseason only once in the previous seven years (and once during Sundin’s tenure), the Nordiques won the Stanley Cup sans Sundin in 1995. He spent the next 14 years in Toronto and finished his career in Vancouver with no Cups to show for it. But he still managed to score 564 goals and 1,349 career points (23rd and 28th overall, respectively, and the most ever by a Swede) and make the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The San Jose Sharks have yet to win a Stanley Cup, which would explain why six-time All-Star and 2006 MVP Joe Thornton, who has played most of his 21 NHL seasons with the team, has also failed to accomplish the same feat. However, Thornton, still playing and currently ranked 14th all time in points, could get another shot at the Cup, as San Jose is still alive in the playoffs.

Twenty years in the NHL, 14 postseasons, 11 All-Star Games, 1,229 points (40th all time), a 1982 Hall of Fame induction and zero Stanley Cups. And it’s not like the guy choked in the playoffs. Norm Ullman actually scored 30 goals and notched 53 assists during his 106 postseason games with both the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, making the Stanley Cup Final five times.