The Edmonton Oilers' first-round exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs has dealt a fresh blow to Canadian hockey hopes, leaving the Montreal Canadiens as the nation's last remaining hope to end a 33-year championship drought.
When the Oilers fell short, it meant only one Canadian team remains in contention: the Montreal Canadiens, who now carry the weight of a nation's expectations. The last time a Canadian franchise hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup was back in 1993—fittingly, it was the Canadiens themselves who did it.
That championship run was a classic underdog story. After finishing third in the Adams Division, coach Jacques Demers guided the Habs past the Quebec Nordiques, swept the Buffalo Sabres, and conquered the New York Islanders in the conference finals. They finished the job by defeating the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final, with Patrick Roy earning the Conn Smythe Trophy behind a stellar .929 save percentage. Even Wayne Gretzky, who led all playoff scorers with 40 points, couldn't stop Montreal's magic.
Since that historic moment, the NHL landscape has transformed dramatically. The league has grown from 24 to 32 teams, welcoming franchises like the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, and Anaheim Ducks. Meanwhile, the Quebec Nordiques relocated to become the Colorado Avalanche, the Hartford Whalers morphed into the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Minnesota North Stars moved south to become the Dallas Stars.
The Oilers, led by generational superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, came agonizingly close to ending Canada's drought. They reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025, only to be denied both times by the Florida Panthers.
This season, many expected Edmonton to make a third consecutive run—some even predicted a championship. Instead, the team struggled throughout the year with inconsistent goaltending and a lack of scoring depth. A controversial trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins sent goaltender Stuart Skinner—who had backstopped those two Finals appearances—out for Tristan Jarry. The move backfired spectacularly, as Jarry tied an Edmonton franchise record for the lowest save percentage (.856) in a single season.
With the Oilers' early exit, all eyes now turn to Montreal. Can the Canadiens channel that 1993 magic and finally bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada? For hockey fans north of the border, the wait continues—but at least one Canadian team is still in the fight.