Has a Wild Card Team Ever Won the Stanley Cup?

Anyone who has bet on hockey at the BetMGM online sportsbook knows that upsets and underdog stories are a huge part of what makes the Stanley Cup playoffs such a spectacle. 

And with so much parity in the league today, it’s not uncommon to see lower seeds take down the top teams with the best NHL playoff odds.

Below, I’ll break down the NHL’s playoff format and detail the best postseason runs by wild card teams.

NHL Wild Card Teams to Reach the Stanley Cup Final

A wild card team has never won the Stanley Cup, and the Nashville Predators are the only club to reach a Stanley Cup Final as a wild card.

The Predators finished as the second wild card team in the Western Conference in 2016-17 and advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, where they ultimately fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

When Did the NHL Wild Card Format Begin?

The NHL’s wild card format began in 2013-14 when the league realigned its divisions to the current configuration.

Before the wild card format, the NHL used a simple seeding system based on total points, with the top eight teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs.

How Many Wild Card Teams Make the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Four wild card teams qualify for the playoffs: two from the Eastern Conference and two from the Western Conference.

What’s the Lowest-Seeded Team To Win the Stanley Cup?

The 2012 Los Angeles Kings are the lowest-seeded team to win the Stanley Cup after finishing eighth in the Western Conference en route to their first championship.

The only other No. 8 seeds to reach the Stanley Cup Final are the 2023 Florida Panthers, who finished as the second wild card in the East, and the 2006 Edmonton Oilers, who finished eighth in the West.