For a Stanley Cup Final to be among the best, it must require a seventh and deciding game. While that rule isn’t set in stone, it’s my unwavering belief.
That rules out the 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes. As the Stanley Cup odds at the BetMGM sportsbook bounced back and forth like the ball in a rally between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it deserves an honourable mention.
Let’s look at the best Stanley Cup Finals in NHL history.
Best Stanley Cup Final Series of All Time
| Rank | Teams | Year | Result |
| 7 | Hurricanes vs. Oilers | 2006 | 4-3 Oilers |
| 6 | Oilers vs. Flyers | 1987 | 4-3 Oilers |
| 5 | Bruins vs. Blues | 2019 | 4-3 Blues |
| 4 | Canucks vs. Bruins | 2011 | 4-3 Bruins |
| 3 | Penguins vs. Red Wings | 2009 | 4-3 Penguins |
| 2 | Oilers vs. Panthers | 2024 | 4-3 Panthers |
| 1 | Rangers vs. Canucks | 1994 | 4-3 Rangers |
7. Hurricanes vs. Oilers (2006)
The Hurricanes shot out to a 3-1 lead in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final before the Edmonton Oilers stormed back to force a Game 7 in Raleigh, N.C.
The Hurricanes won Game 7, securing the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. Each team had a blowout shutout, a 2-1 win, and a two-game winning streak.
Three of the final five games were decided by one goal, and Game 7 would have been decided if Justin Williams hadn’t buried the insurance marker into an empty net.
6. Oilers vs. Flyers (1987)
Despite losing the 1987 Stanley Cup Final, Ron Hextall became one of the youngest Conn Smythe winners in NHL history.
Hextall didn’t allow the high-powered Oilers to score more than four goals. The Oilers took a 2-0 and 3-1 series lead, and the Flyers came all the way back to tie the series at three.
The Oilers won 3-1 in Game 7. Wayne Gretzky scored 11 points over three Stanley Cup Finals.
5. Bruins vs. Blues (2019)
The St. Louis Blues, among those with the most road wins by one team in an NHL playoff year, won three of four games in Boston.
The Blues were up 3-2 in the series and had a chance to win the Stanley Cup on home ice, but lost 5-1 in Game 6. It was the second time the Blue lost by four goals or more.
That didn’t faze Craig Berube and Co., who marched into Boston for Game 7 and won 4-1. It was the widest margin of victory for the Blues in the final.
4. Canucks vs. Bruins (2011)
The Bruins went down 2-0 in the first round and the Stanley Cup Final against Canadian teams. They famously overturned both deficits, beating the Montreal Canadiens in the first round and the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Bruins were down 3-2 in the final, but won the last two games, including a 4-0 win in Game 7 in Vancouver.
Each team shut the other out twice, and all four of the Bruins’ victories were by at least three goals.
3. Penguins vs. Red Wings (2009)
The Pittsburgh Penguins lost the first two games of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final on the road against the Detroit Red Wings before winning Games 3 and 4 at home.
Marc-André Fleury was yanked from Game 5 in the 5-0 setback, with the Penguins losing for the third straight time in Detroit. Pittsburgh rebounded at home in Game 6, forcing a decider back in Motown.
The Pens conjured their only road win of the final, winning 2-1 to secure the Stanley Cup. Fleury allowed two goals in the last two games, turning aside 48 of 50 shots.
2. Oilers vs. Panthers (2024)
No team has overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers came close to doing one better.
They lost the first three games of the 2024 final by a combined 11-4 before reeling off three consecutive victories to, almost miraculously, force Game 7 in Sunrise, Fla.
In Games 4 through 6, the Oilers outscored the Panthers 18-5. But their comeback bid failed at the final hurdle.
Connor McDavid was on pace to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s record of 13 points in a final, but his points and the Oilers’ offence dried up in Game 7.
The Panthers prevailed 2-1.
1. Rangers vs. Canucks (1994)
Canucks fans won’t love this list, as their beloved team is on it twice in a losing cause.
The Rangers jumped out to a 3-1 series lead after winning one at home and both in Vancouver. The Canucks counterpunched, winning Games 5 and 6 by a combined 10-4.
Cue Game 7 in arguably the most storied venue in North American sports, Madison Square Garden. The Rangers eked out a 3-2 victory in the decider, with Mark Messier scoring the game-winning goal at 13 minutes, 29 seconds of the second period.
Trevor Linden scored both Canucks’ goals, one on the penalty kill and the other on the power play.
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