🏒 Every NHL season since 1917-18
109 seasons, each with every team’s rating week by week and the standings after any week of that year. One model runs the whole way through, so a 1927 team and a 2026-27 team are measured the same way.
59,124 team-weeks · 1917-18–2026-27 · built 2026-10-13 · Elo series by Neil Paine; era names, honours and brackets from NHL.xlsx
Browse a season
109 seasons, one hub each. Each chip opens that year's hub and names its champion.
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
1980s
1970s
1960s
1950s
1940s
1930s
1920s
The belt: the best team in the league, season by season
One square per season, in that team's own colour. Runs of dominance are the point.
How this is measured
Highest rating at the end of the season, which is not the same as champion and disagrees 42 times. Reading across, a colour that holds for four squares is a dynasty and a wall of different colours is a decade nobody owned. A franchise with no stored colour keeps the neutral border rather than being assigned one.
1917-18Canadiens1919-20Senators★1920-21Senators★1921-22Senators1922-23Senators★1923-24Senators1924-25Canadiens1925-26Senators1926-27Senators★1927-28Canadiens1928-29Canadiens1929-30Bruins1930-31Bruins1931-32Canadiens1932-33Rangers★1933-34Maple Leafs1934-35Maple Leafs1935-36Red Wings★1936-37Red Wings★1937-38Rangers1938-39Bruins★1939-40Bruins1940-41Bruins★1941-42Bruins1942-43Red Wings★1943-44Canadiens★1944-45Canadiens1945-46Canadiens★1946-47Canadiens1947-48Maple Leafs★1948-49Maple Leafs★1949-50Red Wings★1950-51Red Wings1951-52Red Wings★1952-53Red Wings1953-54Red Wings★1954-55Red Wings★1955-56Canadiens★1956-57Canadiens★1957-58Canadiens★1958-59Canadiens★1959-60Canadiens★1960-61Canadiens1961-62Canadiens1962-63Maple Leafs★1963-64Maple Leafs★1964-65Canadiens★1965-66Canadiens★1966-67Black Hawks1967-68Canadiens★1968-69Canadiens★1969-70Bruins★1970-71Bruins1971-72Bruins★1972-73Canadiens★1973-74Bruins1974-75Canadiens1975-76Canadiens★1976-77Canadiens★1977-78Canadiens★1978-79Canadiens★1979-80Canadiens1980-81Islanders★1981-82Islanders★1982-83Islanders★1983-84Oilers★1984-85Oilers★1985-86Oilers1986-87Oilers★1987-88Oilers★1988-89Flames★1989-90Flames1990-91Flames1991-92Penguins★1992-93Penguins1993-94Rangers★1994-95Devils★1995-96Red Wings1996-97Red Wings★1997-98Red Wings★1998-99Stars★1999-00Blues2000-01Avalanche★2001-02Red Wings★2002-03Senators2003-04Red Wings2005-06Red Wings2006-07Senators2007-08Red Wings★2008-09Red Wings2009-10Blackhawks★2010-11Canucks2011-12Kings★2012-13Blackhawks★2013-14Bruins2014-15Rangers2015-16Penguins★2016-17Capitals2017-18Capitals★2018-19Lightning2019-20Lightning★2020-21Lightning★2021-22Avalanche★2022-23Bruins2023-24Panthers★2024-25Panthers★2025-26Hurricanes★
A star marks a season where the best-rated team also won the Stanley Cup. It happens in 64 of 106 finished seasons.
When the best team lost
42 seasons ended with the Stanley Cup somewhere other than the top of the ratings.
How this is measured
The rating is where a team finished the season, so this is not hindsight about a bad night: it is the league's best side over a whole year losing a short series. That is the sport working as designed, and the list is what a best-of-seven costs the better team.
- 2022-23Bruins rated top, Golden Knights won it
- 2018-19Lightning rated top, Blues won it
- 2016-17Capitals rated top, Penguins won it
- 2014-15Rangers rated top, Blackhawks won it
- 2013-14Bruins rated top, Kings won it
- 2010-11Canucks rated top, Bruins won it
- 2008-09Red Wings rated top, Penguins won it
- 2006-07Senators rated top, Ducks won it
- 2005-06Red Wings rated top, Hurricanes won it
- 2003-04Red Wings rated top, Lightning won it
- 2002-03Senators rated top, Devils won it
- 1999-00Blues rated top, Devils won it
- 1995-96Red Wings rated top, Avalanche won it
- 1992-93Penguins rated top, Canadiens won it
- 1990-91Flames rated top, Penguins won it
- 1989-90Flames rated top, Oilers won it
- 1985-86Oilers rated top, Canadiens won it
- 1979-80Canadiens rated top, Islanders won it
- 1974-75Canadiens rated top, Flyers won it
- 1973-74Bruins rated top, Flyers won it
- 1970-71Bruins rated top, Canadiens won it
- 1966-67Black Hawks rated top, Maple Leafs won it
- 1961-62Canadiens rated top, Maple Leafs won it
- 1960-61Canadiens rated top, Black Hawks won it
- 1952-53Red Wings rated top, Canadiens won it
- 1950-51Red Wings rated top, Maple Leafs won it
- 1946-47Canadiens rated top, Maple Leafs won it
- 1944-45Canadiens rated top, Maple Leafs won it
- 1941-42Bruins rated top, Maple Leafs won it
- 1939-40Bruins rated top, Rangers won it
- 1937-38Rangers rated top, Black Hawks won it
- 1934-35Maple Leafs rated top, Maroons won it
- 1933-34Maple Leafs rated top, Black Hawks won it
- 1931-32Canadiens rated top, Maple Leafs won it
- 1930-31Bruins rated top, Canadiens won it
- 1929-30Bruins rated top, Canadiens won it
- 1928-29Canadiens rated top, Bruins won it
- 1927-28Canadiens rated top, Rangers won it
- 1925-26Senators rated top, Maroons won it
- 1923-24Senators rated top, Canadiens won it
- 1921-22Senators rated top, St. Patricks won it
- 1917-18Canadiens rated top, Arenas won it
The champion, season by season
A star marks a season the top-rated team also won.
How this is measured
Top rated is the highest rating at the end of the season, which is not the same as champion. Reading key: the champion is the Stanley Cup winner. Two seasons have none: 1918-19, when the final was abandoned, and 1924-25, when Victoria of the WCHL won the Cup. Until 1926 the Cup was decided against the PCHA and WCHL champions, so an early runner-up can be a non-NHL club.
in progress
1585
32 teams
Carolina Hurricanes
1611
32 teams
Florida Panthers
1601
32 teams
Florida Panthers
1600
32 teams
Vegas Golden Knights
1636
32 teams
Colorado Avalanche
1629
32 teams
Tampa Bay Lightning
1597
31 teams
Tampa Bay Lightning
1604
31 teams
St. Louis Blues
1607
31 teams
Washington Capitals
1594
31 teams
Pittsburgh Penguins
1595
30 teams
Pittsburgh Penguins
1585
30 teams
Show all 109 seasons
Chicago Blackhawks
1579
30 teams
Los Angeles Kings
1593
30 teams
Chicago Blackhawks
1593
30 teams
Los Angeles Kings
1572
30 teams
Boston Bruins
1580
30 teams
Chicago Blackhawks
1595
30 teams
Pittsburgh Penguins
1600
30 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1619
30 teams
Anaheim Ducks
1595
30 teams
Carolina Hurricanes
1604
30 teams
Tampa Bay Lightning
1580
30 teams
New Jersey Devils
1591
30 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1612
30 teams
Colorado Avalanche
1619
30 teams
New Jersey Devils
1582
28 teams
Dallas Stars
1608
27 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1607
26 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1605
26 teams
Colorado Avalanche
1634
26 teams
New Jersey Devils
1596
26 teams
New York Rangers
1582
26 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1610
24 teams
Pittsburgh Penguins
1575
22 teams
Pittsburgh Penguins
1587
21 teams
Edmonton Oilers
1599
21 teams
Calgary Flames
1648
21 teams
Edmonton Oilers
1625
21 teams
Edmonton Oilers
1617
21 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1632
21 teams
Edmonton Oilers
1643
21 teams
Edmonton Oilers
1647
21 teams
New York Islanders
1629
21 teams
New York Islanders
1659
21 teams
New York Islanders
1631
21 teams
New York Islanders
1613
21 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1666
17 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1713
18 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1719
18 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1675
18 teams
Philadelphia Flyers
1616
18 teams
Philadelphia Flyers
1624
16 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1646
16 teams
Boston Bruins
1649
14 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1637
14 teams
Boston Bruins
1606
12 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1601
12 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1585
12 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1573
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1590
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1554
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1559
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1578
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1598
6 teams
Chicago Black Hawks
1589
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1611
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1602
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1606
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1591
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1616
6 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1609
6 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1580
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1595
6 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1636
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1595
6 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1565
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1551
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1594
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1590
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1615
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1645
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1632
6 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1570
6 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1560
7 teams
Boston Bruins
1615
7 teams
New York Rangers
1603
7 teams
Boston Bruins
1621
7 teams
Chicago Black Hawks
1565
8 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1549
8 teams
Detroit Red Wings
1549
8 teams
Montreal Maroons
1564
9 teams
Chicago Black Hawks
1555
9 teams
New York Rangers
1547
9 teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
1553
8 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1589
10 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1592
10 teams
Boston Bruins
1544
10 teams
New York Rangers
1540
10 teams
Ottawa Senators
1536
10 teams
Montreal Maroons
1529
7 teams
no champion
1525
6 teams
Montreal Canadiens
1525
4 teams
Ottawa Senators
1522
4 teams
Toronto St. Patricks
1508
4 teams
Ottawa Senators
1503
4 teams
Ottawa Senators
1488
4 teams
no champion
1444
3 teams
Toronto Arenas
1398
4 teams
Where these numbers come from
Weekly ratings are Neil Paine’s NHL Elo series. Era names, honours, records and brackets are maintained in the project’s NHL workbook and refresh when it is updated. The 2004-05 lockout season has no page.