Will the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Be Stacked with Canadian Teams?

If the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs began today, there would be four Canadian teams (out of seven total) on the right side of the standings for the first time since the 2005-06 season. The Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames are all likely to qualify for the 2014-15 playoffs.

There’s a possibility that a fifth Canadian team could sneak in, as the Ottawa Senators, who are tied in points with the Boston Bruins, have two games remaining and are trailing the New York Islanders by just three points with two games remaining against the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. The Islanders also have two games remaining against Pittsburgh and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams have to face one playoff team in their remaining games.

Bet on the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The last time five Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs was in the 2004-05 season when the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver all made the cut. The 2004-05 season was also the last time two Canadian teams faced each other in the playoffs as Calgary and Vancouver went head to head in the conference quarterfinals. Calgary went on to play Tampa Bay in the Finals, but lost.

Out of this season’s field of Canadian qualifying teams, the Canadiens have the highest seed, sitting at no. 1 in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern standings. The Jets are currently a wildcard team in the Western division while the Canucks have clinched the no. 2 seed. Calgary rounds out the group holding on to the no. 3 seed in the West.

The end of the regular season is this Saturday, April 11th with a likely playoff start date of April 15th. The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was in 1993 when the Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings. It will be interesting to see if one of the four likely Canadian teams can make a real run at bringing Lord Stanley back home. As it stands, the Canadian team with the best odds to win the Stanley Cup this year are the Montreal Canadiens.