It’s that time of year again; summer is winding down, the lengthy offseason is nearly over, and training camps across the NHL are set to begin in the coming weeks. The beginning of a new season is exciting for all hockey fans as every team opens with a clean slate and a shot at putting together a Stanley Cup championship campaign. It seems each season, an unlikely franchise takes the league by storm and surprises with its performance. Last season, the Florida Panthers rode the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference to a Stanley Cup Final appearance against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Final was highly entertaining; however, TV ratings dropped compared to other recent Final matchups. The series-clinching Game 5 had the lowest rating at 2.73 million since the 1994 Stanley Cup Final between the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks (from ‘Stanley Cup Final had record-low viewership for Golden Knights-Panthers series’, Christian Arnold, NY Post, June 15, 2023). The 1994 Final was aired exclusively on ESPN and was the last time the series aired only on cable.
While it’s no secret that the NHL’s viewership ranks lower than any of the other four major North American sports leagues, there are some dream Stanley Cup meetings that hockey fans and even the average viewer would love to see. Today, we look at five purely hypothetical Stanley Cup Final matchups that the hockey world needs.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Edmonton Oilers
An all-Canadian Stanley Cup Final would mark the first time since the 1989 Stanley Cup Final between the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens. This potential series could be the most realistic on our list, as both teams enter the 2023-24 season as serious Cup contenders. While having two Canadian clubs in the Final may lose some interest from the fans in the United States, the series would take over headlines north of the border. The series would turn the casual viewer into a follower of biblical proportions, as Canada is known for supporting any team that goes on a lengthy playoff run.
To say that the series could lose interest from US fans may also be incorrect, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers boast two of the game’s biggest stars in Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. The American fans could buy into the possible USA vs. Canada side plot as Matthews is one of the biggest American-born stars the game has ever witnessed. Imagine the first overall pick from the 2015 NHL Entry Draft going head-to-head with the number one pick from the 2016 Draft. The results would be colossal for the NHL, generate huge revenue, and potentially bring in many new fans of the game.
Beyond the McDavid vs. Matthews storyline, the Maple Leafs and Oilers feature exceptional supporting casts for their stars, including Leon Draisatl, Mitch Marner, Evander Kane, and William Nylander. There’s also the Zach Hyman and Jack Campbell factors. Since opting to leave the Maple Leafs and sign with the Oilers, Hyman has elevated his game to levels many never would have expected from the hard-nosed winger. Campbell didn’t exactly have the most successful season in his debut with the Oilers, but you can be sure that the storyline of the two “leaving” Toronto for Edmonton would be another subplot in the Final.
Overall, the Leafs and Oilers would give the hockey world one of the greatest Stanley Cup Final matchups in recent history with everything a fan could ask for. Matthews vs. McDavid, USA vs. Canada, the former Maple Leafs taking on their old team, and even a political battle of sorts would be represented with the Oilers representing the generally more Conservative Western Canada and the Maple Leafs representing the typically more Liberal Eastern Canada.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks
In a much less practical matchup, the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks would have two of the most history-rich franchises in the NHL going head to head in the Stanley Cup Final. While drawing massive attention across North America, the two franchises would give fans the first meeting between two Original Six teams since the Boston Bruins took on the Blackhawks in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. The Bruins-Blackhawks series was the most-watched Stanley Cup Final (averaging 5.762 million viewers) throughout NBC’s 16 years of coverage from 2006 to 2021. The Canadiens and Blackhawks have met in three Cup Finals, and in 1971, their Game 7 ranks as the highest-watched game in Final history with 12.41 million viewers on CBS.
The allure of an Original Six matchup brings an exciting storyline to many hockey fans, both young and old. However, with the current alignment of the NHL, these matchups are a very rare occasion because the Blackhawks are the only Original Six team left in the Western Conference. While fans were fortunate enough to see it happen in 2013, it had been a long time in the making, as it hadn’t happened since the 1979 Stanley Cup Final between the Canadiens and the Rangers. The prospect of having the Canadiens take on the Blackhawks could set new records for viewership and help put the game on the map for the casual fan.
Related: The Last Original Six Stanley Cup Finals
Aside from the major storyline of the Original Six meeting, the hypothetical series could be a perfect mix with the many views the Canadiens would draw north of the border. Despite a relatively low rating when the Canadiens met the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Final during the pandemic, the Habs broke records for viewers in Canada, as the series marked the first time a Canadian team appeared in the Final since 2011. The series averaged 3.6 million viewers on CBC and Sportsnet (from ‘This is how it ends for the NHL on NBC — a small ratings bump for the Stanley Cup Final’, The Athletic, July 9, 2021). As for the Blackhawks, throughout their three recent Stanley Cup wins, they regularly generated huge numbers. Game 6 in 2010 against the Philadelphia Flyers ranks eighth all-time with 8.28 million viewers watching the game.
With the Blackhawks and Canadiens in the midst of their rebuilds, this matchup would need to wait a few seasons before becoming a potential reality. However, with solid drafting and promising younger players, both franchises have set themselves up for success in the near future. The Blackhawks landing generational talent Connor Bedard will help speed up the process while the Habs’ first overall selection at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Juraj Slafkovsky, looks to make his mark with “Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.” While we haven’t seen Bedard take the ice at the NHL level, if he lives up to the hype, the potential star in the making would also be a reason for the series to draw huge ratings. Cole Caufield, another star in the making, adds to the potential excitement level of the matchup. For now, it may be a pipedream, but perhaps one day, the two clubs can give hockey fans a Stanley Cup Final that will generate great exposure for the NHL.
Boston Bruins vs. Vegas Golden Knights
In the third Stanley Cup Final that the hockey world needs, the Bruins meet the Golden Knights. The Bruins have one of the largest fan bases in the NHL. According to Statista, they have the second largest number of Facebook fans, with 2.1 million, only sitting behind the Blackhawks, who have 2.68 million. Conversely, the Golden Knights have become a hot ticket in Sin City and have delivered their growing fan base plenty of success since joining the NHL during the 2017-18 season.
The Bruins have historically generated tremendous ratings when they are part of the Final. Seven of the top ten most-watched Cup Final games have involved the Black and Gold. Most recently, Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final against the St.Louis Blues drew 8.72 million viewers, making it the second most-viewed Game 7 in NHL history. The Bruins’ Game 7 win against the Vancouver Canucks ranks just behind in third place with 8.54 million viewers.
So, what makes the Golden Knights such a good opponent for the Bruins? For starters, the series would have the storyline of Bruce Cassidy coaching against the team that kicked him to the curb. After six seasons and six straight playoff appearances in Boston, Don Sweeney fired Cassidy shortly after their first-round exit in 2022. Cassidy won his long-awaited first Stanley Cup, while the Bruins hired Jim Montgomery, who set his own records during the historic 2022-23 regular season.
Related: Bruce Cassidy’s Stanley Cup Win A Long Time In the Making
The series would also boast the superstar factor to create a highly entertaining on-ice product. Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Jonathan Marchessault going head-to-head against David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Charlie McAvoy would combine for some thrilling hockey. Eichel, a North Chelmsford, Massachusetts native, would be going up against his hometown Bruins, making for another exciting story for the media to pick up on. Despite undergoing some significant roster turnover, the Bruins will likely remain a competitive team, while the Golden Knights will be looking to run it back this season. Fans will have to wait and see if this matchup can become a reality in the near future.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche
If you were a hockey fan during the late 1990s and early 2000s, you already know the incredible rivalry the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche had throughout the time. The two clubs met several times as both franchises were perennial Stanley Cup contenders. Unfortunately, the Red Wings’ move to the Eastern Conference has brought the once-boiling rivalry down to a simmer, as the two clubs only get the opportunity to play twice each season.
Although plenty of time has passed since the peak of the rivalry, you can be sure that a Stanley Cup Final matchup between the two would help restore the mutual dislike between the organizations. Former captains and Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman now reside in the press box, holding down front-office positions with their respective teams. The potential matchup would be huge among the generation that watched the Red Wings and Avalanche battle through so many iconic playoff series, even luring back fans who may not follow the game as much as they did 20-plus years ago.
The Red Wings fanbase is starving for a return to playoff success, as they’ve essentially been in rebuild mode since the retirements of Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, and Pavel Datsyuk. The club has yet to make a playoff appearance since moving from the iconic Joe Louis Arena in 2017. A run to the Stanley Cup Final would have fans blowing the roof off Little Caesar’s Arena. Furthermore, the Red Wings being an Original Six franchise also creates a large draw for fans worldwide.
The Avalanche are just a year removed from a Stanley Cup championship, as they denied the Lightning of a three-peat in the 2022 Playoffs. With a star-studded cast including Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar, the Avs bring an electrifying brand of hockey to watch. Although the series wouldn’t feature the likes of Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Red Wings public enemy number one, Claude Lemieux, the entertainment factor still would have fans at the edge of their seats.
New York Rangers vs Vancouver Canucks
A rematch of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final between the Rangers and Canucks would also be a success for the league. In 1994, the Rangers ended their 54-year drought with a Game 7 win. That series was entertaining and generated plenty of views, considering streaming wasn’t available back then. CBC said in a 2002 Canadian Free Press article that Game 7 was their highest-rated sports show up until the 2002 Salt Lake City Gold Medal game between Canada and the USA (from ‘Record number of viewers tune in hockey game’, Canadian Press, Feb 26, 2002).
More recently, the Rangers played the Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 Final, and the matchup had a strong reception. Game 1 was the second-largest audience since the 1999 Final between the Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars. Ultimately, the Rangers fell short as the Kings went on to win their second Cup in three seasons. The fanbase is still waiting for another Stanley Cup, as the club has returned to contender status over the past few seasons. Being one of the marquee cities in America and an Original Six franchise, New York would pull in many viewers from across the country.
The Canucks, similar to our other hypothetical series featuring Canadian teams, would be a massive draw for Canadian fans. Their most recent Final appearance in 2011 averaged 4.564 million viewers, culminating with the previously mentioned Game 7 drawing 8.54 million viewers. The franchise is still looking to win its first championship after joining the NHL 53 years ago in 1970.
In 1994, both teams featured star lineups. While the Rangers entered as heavy favorites led by Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, and goaltender Mike Richter, the Canucks roster included one of the greatest goal scorers ever in Pavel Bure. Fast forward to the current renditions of each franchise, and it would once again be a highly entertaining matchup. The Rangers are loaded with talents such as world-class goaltender Igor Shesterkin, perennial Norris Trophy candidate Adam Fox, Mike Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and promising youth Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. Elias Pettersson had a monumental breakout campaign for the Canucks last season with a supporting cast that includes former Ranger J.T. Miller, newly named captain Quinn Hughes, and Thatcher Demko in between the pipes. The rematch of the 1994 Final would be a welcomed matchup for the NHL’s hopes of growing the game.
Stanley Cup Final Ratings Would Benefit From Division Re-Alignment
When looking at the five hypothetical series, there is a common theme that each matchup presents. Every matchup includes at least one Original Six franchise. As previously stated, the Blackhawks are the only Original Six franchise in the Western Conference. Changing the current playoff format or a possible divisional re-alignment could help bring the NHL higher ratings in the Stanley Cup Final.
As rumors continue to create speculation of additional expansion teams, such as Salt Lake City joining the NHL one day, that may be when the league can move a team like the Red Wings back into the Western Conference. In general, teams currently in the West don’t seem to draw as large of an audience, and moving the historic franchise back could make sense in the future. Another option may be to revisit the current playoff format in a way that would create these types of monumental Stanley Cup Final matchups; however, for now, as the 2023-24 campaign approaches, all we can do is hope for an exciting season that will give the hockey world one of these much-needed matchups.
