Players who just missed out on winning the Stanley Cup

[GRob83]

Karl Alzner played parts of 9 seasons with Washington and didn't miss a game his last 7 seasons with the team. He signed as a free agent with Montreal in 2017 and the Capitals won the 2018 Stanley Cup. He was a 20 minute a night defenseman so not just a role player. Who else can you think of?

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[Bear of Bad News]

Mike Gartner?

 

[BadgerBruce]

Norm Ullman joined the Red Wings at the end of their 50s dynasty run and the beginning of the Habs 5-cup run (56-60), so no Cups for Normie in Motown. Did make the finals 5 times (56, 61, 63, 64, 66).

He then joined the Leafs one season after their ‘67 cup win, and they never came close again.

 

[Mandar]

Mike Gartner?

yep....both him and Tony Amonte

 

[JianYang]

Chris nilan stayed in school and joined the Habs in 1980... right after the dynasty ended. Then he retired as a Habs player in 1992. The habs won the cup in 1993.

He did win with Montreal in 1986, but its unique how his start and finish was just one year misaligned from being a 3 time cup champion.

Another one I think of is Rhett warrener. He played on three teams and they all went to the finals. Swept in 1996, then on the wrong side of the controversial Brett Hull winner.... then lost in game 7 on his last team... a series where people wonder to this day whether his team actually scored the cup winner in game 6 OT

 

[MadLuke]

Bernie Nicholls flirted with the cups a bit.

A NY Rangers in 91-1992, a Devils players in 1994.

Ryan Smyth travelled quite a bit trying to win the cup for a moment, in 2010-2011 he was still on the Kings, they won in 2012

 

[Dr Pepper]

It must be such a bitter pill to swallow, traded away from a team right before they win it all.

 

[DickSmehlik]

Scotty Bowman tried hard to get Mike Ramsey a Cup towards the end of his career.

After spending 13 seasons on mostly disappointing Sabres teams (stopped me if you've heard that one before), he acquired Ramsey with the Penguins during the '92-'93 season, and would stay with the Pens the following season. The Pens had won the Cup the 2 prior seasons but had no such luck when Ramsey played there.

Later Bowman would reacquire him with the Red Wings during the '94-'95 season, where Detroit would get close the next 2 years, but no Cup. He retired during the '96-'97 season before the Red Wings would go on to win the Cup later on that year, and the following season.

 

[CaptBrannigan]

Chris nilan stayed in school and joined the Habs in 1980... right after the dynasty ended. Then he retired as a Habs player in 1992. The habs won the cup in 1993.

He did win with Montreal in 1986, but its unique how his start and finish was just one year misaligned from being a 3 time cup champion.

Another one I think of is Rhett warrener. He played on three teams and they all went to the finals. Swept in 1996, then on the wrong side of the controversial Brett Hull winner.... then lost in game 7 on his last team... a series where people wonder to this day whether his team actually scored the cup winner in game 6 OT

Ah, the fish keeps getting bigger every time the story is retold. The alleged Game 6 goal wasn’t in OT. And nobody who understands physics wonders if it was in.


To the point of the thread, Vinny Prospal left the Lightning for one season between his first and second stint with the team, missing the Cup. His replacement was a one and done Cory Stillman who went on to win two in a row as he signed with Carolina for 2005-06. Some of my favorite hockey memories are playing with him so it’s a personal bummer he didn’t get that ring.