Alan Greenberg, FHN Sr. Writer
Once again, this year winning the NHL Presidents’ Trophy proved to be more of a curse than an honor for the Colorado Avalanche.
Fans of the Florida Panthers are well aware of this phenomenon, the Panthers having the best record in the NHL and winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022 — only to lose in the second round of the playoffs.
In the Panthers’ case, it proved to be a valuable lesson.
Bill Zito’s bold moves turned the team around, leading to three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Finals and two championships.
Colorado registered a franchise-record 121 points this year, besting runner-up Carolina by seven points.
After sweeping Los Angeles in Round 1 and dominating Minnesota by a 4-1 margin in Round 2, the Avalanche were not ready for the refurbished Golden Knights with new coach John Tortorella.
Tortorella has a history of magic when first taking over a team and the Knights are the latest high-profile example.
Sweeping the Avalanche out of the Western Conference final may just be the start for these Golden Knights.
The last time a Presidents’ Trophy winner won the Stanley Cup was back in 2013 when Chicago did it.
No winner has even made the Final since that season.
There are many sidebars to Colorado’s defeat:
- It was probably the last shot at a Stanley Cup for 41-year-old Brent Burns. Burns played 1,579 regular season games. He is also the current active iron man with 1,007 consecutive games played.
- Nathan MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 53 goals this season, was held without a goal by Vegas. Martin Necas, who registered 38 goals, was likewise held without a marker.
- Carter Hart, who joined the team after a PTO and started only 18 regular season games, held Colorado to seven goals in the four games. He is a very impressive 2.16/.924 in the playoffs to date. Colorado was the highest scoring team in the NHL this year.
- With the win, Vegas has won more division titles, more playoff games and more series than any other team since their entrance to the league way back in 2017.
- The Knights have never won the Presidents’ Trophy — in fact, with 39 wins, six teams in the Eastern Conference (including the Panthers) had more but did not make the playoffs.
History has not been kind to Presidents’ Trophy winners.
Last season the Winnipeg Jets were a surprise NHL points leader. In the first round they barely escaped second wild card St. Louis, with a seven-game double overtime win.
They then were eliminated by Dallas.
This year they didn’t make the playoffs.
In 2024, the Rangers captured the trophy. They bested Washington and Carolina before Florida eliminated them in 6.
They went into a tailspin after that loss and haven’t made the playoffs in the two following seasons, while at the same time jettisoning some of their veterans.
Every Panther fan knows what happened in 2022-23.
The Presidents’ Trophy winning Boston Bruins set a league record with 135 points. The Panthers were the final seed in the playoffs, backing in on the next to last day of the season.
Carter Verhaeghe’s overtime goal in Game 7 sent shock waves through the NHL. It was of the biggest upsets in NHL history.
In 2022, Florida won the Trophy with a franchise record 122 points but was swept in the second round by Tampa Bay.
This precipitated the changes in management and on ice personnel. The results were dramatic.
In 2021 and 2020 it was Colorado and Boston winning the trophy, but not getting past the second round.
The Tampa Bay Lightning were hockey’s best team during the 2018-19 season, but got swept by Sergei Bobrovsky, Tortorella, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Tampa Bay rebounded and went on to win the Cup the following two covid-shortened seasons.
The list of Presidents’ Trophy winners who didn’t win the Cup goes on and on.
The trophy has been awarded 37 times — but only eight went on to win the Cup.
The Avalanche were one of the few teams to achieve this.
In 2000-01, it had 118 points with Bob Hartley behind the bench and beat the New Jersey Devils in a seven-game Final with Patrick Roy in goal.
Will the Knights’ roll continue against either Montreal or Carolina?
If you are superstitious, the Knights made sure not to touch the Clarence S. Cambell Bowl, symbolic of Western Conference champions.
In the two previous seasons, the Florida Panthers did not touch their Prince of Wales Trophy and went on to win the Cup.
In 2023 they celebrated with the trophy and lost in the Final.
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFSEASON
- IIHF World Championship, Switzerland: Through May 31
- NHL Draft (9th in First Round, Seven Overall): June 26-27; KeyBank Center, Buffalo
- NHL Free Agency: Opens July 1
- Panthers Development Camp: Late June/Early July; IcePlex, Fort Lauderdale
- Panthers Rookie Camp/Tournament: Late August/Early Sept.; Site TBA
- Panthers Training Camp: Early/Mid September; Fort Lauderdale
- 2026-27 NHL Season Opens: Late September; Site, Opponent TBA