Top 5 NHL Teams in History

The NHL is a very popular a sport. It might not have the vast fan base that the NFL does or the betting popularity of the NBA, but it does have loyal fans who love it like crazy. 

Plenty of betting does happen for the NHL as well, and there are plenty of bets you can place on Fanduel’s hockey betting lines. 

Fans are always debating who is the best team of all time, or which game was the closest call of all time, or who is the best player. We are going to join those debates today, but today, we are focusing on the top teams in NHL history. 

Not only are we going to be focusing on the best teams in NHL history, but also on the years of which really made them shine through. 

Every team will have years when they do better than others, but some years teams do so well, they are remembered for these astounding feats. So, who are these teams?

Top 5 NHL Teams Ever

#1. The Edmonton Oilers, 1984-1985. 

The first is the 1984-1985 Edmonton Oilers. Okay, so, the Edmonton Oilers were already a legendary team, and they have been legendary since this season too. However, this hits the top of the list, as they sailed past their competition-winning second championship in 1985. 

They had a 15-3 record in the Stanley Cup playoffs, including a five-game smash win against the Flyers in the finals. 

It’s no real surprise with the Oilers, though, not with Wayne Gretzky on their team. Of course, Gretzky also set NHL records for points and assists in a single postseason. So, there is no shock that the Oilers make the top of this list, however, in the 80s they were simply smashing it! 

#2. The Pittsburgh Penguins, 1991-1992.

The Penguins also had their moment of glory too, in the early 90s. They snagged their second Stanley Cup in a row, sweeping the Blackhawks, who made their first appearance in the Finals since ‘73. 

Both the Blackhawks and Penguins had an 11-game streak in the playoffs, which tied them for the longest of one post-season in NHL history, alongside the Canadiens. At the Finals, the Penguins took the Cup with a 5-4 victory against the Blackhawks, a tense but exhilarating game! 

#3. The Montreal Canadiens, 1976-1977.

The Montreal Canadiens have had their fair share of glory too, with plenty of wins and successes. In 76-77, they went 60-8-12 in their regular season, and in the playoffs, they decimated the Boston Bruins 12-2. 

This was the first time they had played them since 1958, and they really went for it. However, when we look back it was no real surprise since it was their sixth straight victory against the Bruins by the final. 

Jacques Lemaire who scored the winning goal in overtime was one of the few players to ever score more than a single goal in Cup Final overtime play, alongside Maurice Richard and Don Raleigh. 

#4. The Edmonton Oilers, 1987-1988.

Yes, it’s the OIlers again, but, as we said, the 80s were their era of success. They won their fourth Stanley Cup title in five years this time. They secured a 4-0 victory over the Bruins, who hadn’t made an appearance at the finals in a decade. That’s got to hurt! 

#5. Colorado Avalanche, 2000-01

The Avs were a team that lost superstar center Peter Forsberg after the second round of the playoffs, but still managed to knock off the defending Cup champion New Jersey Devils in seven games. The Avs were a powerhouse team, with a top line of Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay, Patrick Roy in goal and a top 3 on defense of Adam Foote, Rob Blake and Ray Bourque.

Bourque, of course, won the final game of his 22-year career, lifting the Cup over his head for the first time.