List of Stanley Cup Finals appearances

This is a list of Stanley Cup Finals appearances, which ranks those teams that have played in the Stanley Cup Final series since the modern play-off format was adopted in 1915. Prior to this time, from 1894 to 1914, the Cup was won by challenge or league championship. Since 1927, the Stanley Cup Final series also determines the National Hockey League (NHL) championship.

History
In 1914, the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association (NHA) won the league championship. By agreement with the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), the Blueshirts played a series with the Victoria Aristocrats. The series was played without a formal challenge made to the Stanley Cup trustees by Victoria, the procedure followed until that time. If the Aristocrats had won the series, the team may not have been recognized as Cup champions. The trustees agreed after the series to make the final series playoff between the two leagues' champions the format to contest the Stanley Cup. The procedure continued after the NHA became the NHL.

From 1921, another league, the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) entered the play-offs, and a three-way playoff was used. The WHL and the PCHA merged and the final series became a two-team series again in 1924. The last final series that the WCHL competed in was in 1926, when the Victoria Cougars played off against the Montreal Canadiens. The WCHL was bought by the NHL after the series, and since the 1927, the Final series has been between two NHL teams.

Teams played in the NHL exclusively at the time they competed for the Stanley Cup unless marked otherwise. Bolded years denote Stanley Cup win.

Active Franchises

 * Most consecutive appearances: Montreal Canadiens (10 in 1951—1960)
 * Most consecutive wins: Montreal Canadiens (5 in 1956—1960)
 * Most consecutive losses: St. Louis Blues (3 in in 1968—1970)
 * Most appearances without a loss: Montreal Canadiens (9 from 1968 to 1986)
 * Most appearances without a win: Detroit Red Wings (6 from 1956 to 1995)
 * Most seasons between wins: New York Rangers (53 between 1940 and 1994)
 * Most seasons between appearances: Toronto Maple Leafs (52 between 1967 and present)