Can Canada Defy the Odds and Bring the Stanley Cup Home?

It’s been 22 years since the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, which was the last time a Canadian NHL team earned the Championship. Currently, a Canadian team has a +331 odds of winning the Stanley Cup, while U.S. based teams are set at -519.

(UPDATE: Canadian team winning the Stanley Cup odds moved to +263 April 16. US team moved to -418)

The Canadian team with the best odds of winning are the Canadiens. As the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division, Montreal was one of the best teams in the league in the regular season. Last year, they made a deep run in the playoffs, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins in rounds one and two before losing to the New York Rangers in the Semi-Finals. This year, they’ve looked poised to make another deep run and have +550 odds to win a Championship.

Vancouver has the next best odds of winning the Cup at +1300. The Canucks missed the playoffs last year for the first time in the last nine years. After wholesale changes in the front office and to much of the roster, Vancouver is hoping to make it back to the Finals for a shot at their first Championship in franchise history.

The Ottawa Senators also missed the post season last year and will face Montreal in the first round of play, making their odds of winning the Cup +1700. The Senators had a rough start to their regular season, but were able to turn it around and grab a Wild Card spot. Every last game mattered to Ottawa in securing their playoff spot, meaning they are coming into the playoffs having already felt playoff-like intensity, which could mean trouble for Montreal.

No one thought the Calgary Flames would still be in the conversation come playoff time, but they were able to punch their ticket this year. The Flames are an upstart team, with a roster full of young talent that plays a grind ‘em out game. Despite a lack of playoff experience, Calgary could prove be a handful for the Canucks in the first round, who have a strong veteran presence. The chances of the Flames’ youth and determination overpowering the rest of the playoff field are +1800.

The Winnipeg Jets also have +1800 odds of winning a Championship. It’s been 19 years since Winnipeg has seen the playoffs and advancing against the Anaheim Ducks will not be easy. Few expect the Jets to win, which takes the pressure off but the city of Winnipeg will be hungry to see their team perform after the team was moved in 1996 only to be brought back in 2011.