Who are the 5 biggest betting long shots to have won Stanley Cup?

Todd Dewey, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Oct 15, 2024

Published in Hockey

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LAS VEGAS — The 2022-23 Golden Knights had preseason odds of 18-1 before winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship.

But the Knights are not among the biggest betting long shots to win the Cup, according to Sportsoddshistory.com, which has tracked NHL title odds since the 1984-85 season.

In fact, the 2023-24 Florida Panthers had longer preseason odds at 20-1 last year after losing the 2023 Final to the Knights. The Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in June to win their first championship.

Here are the four longest shots in the last 40 years to win the Stanley Cup:

2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning, 25-1

Tampa Bay — two years removed from a five-season stretch in which it averaged only 54.6 points — beat Calgary, 2-1, in Game 7 to lift the Cup, becoming just the second team in 33 years to overcome a 3-2 series deficit in the Final.

1990-91 Pittsburgh Penguins, 30-1

The Penguins won the first Cup in franchise history a year after missing the playoffs. Center Mario Lemieux missed the first half of the season recovering from a back injury and Pittsburgh started slow before picking it up down the stretch. The Penguins overcame a 3-2 series deficit to the New Jersey Devils in the first round before beating the Minnesota North Stars in six games in the Final.

2018-19 St. Louis Blues, 30-1

The Blues won the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history with a dramatic Game 7 victory at Boston. St. Louis also won a Game 7 in the second round in double overtime against the Dallas Stars. The Blues were in last place in the standings in January but rallied to make the playoffs with a 30-10-5 run to finish the season.

2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes, 60-1

Carolina won Eastern Conference Final over the Buffalo Sabres and the Stanley Cup Final over the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

Rookie goaltender Cam Ward won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP to help the Hurricanes become the first team to lift the Cup since the 2004-05 NHL lockout.