Winnipeg Jets clinch Presidents' Trophy

When was the last time a 2 seed or 3 seed or the 16th seed. There’s 16 teams that make the playoffs, everyone has bad odds
Awhile back, I went back 24 seasons to check which team in the standings has won the Cup. Interesting numbers.

1st place - (4)
2nd place - (3)
3rd place (3)
4th place (6)
5th place (0)
6th place (1)
7th place (1)
8th place (3)
9th place (1)
10th place (0)
11th place (0)
12th place (0)
13th place (2)
14th place (0)
15th place (0)
16th place (0)
 
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Ok? I don't really see what that has anything to do with winning the President's trophy. The fans and players cheer during the regular season because they want to qualify for the playoffs to have a chance to win the cup.

And the President’s Trophy represents the team that has had the greatest success at qualification with the greatest chance to win the Cup. That’s worth some respect and recognition — which is why there’s a trophy and a banner for it.

More to the point, there’s a LOT more going on in this league than just winning the Cup. You’re missing 99.9% of the story if you’re just focusing on the outcome of the last game of the year.
 
And the President’s Trophy represents the team that has had the greatest success at qualification with the greatest chance to win the Cup. That’s worth some respect and recognition — which is why there’s a trophy and a banner for it.

More to the point, there’s a LOT more going on in this league than just winning the Cup. You’re missing 99.9% of the story if you’re just focusing on the outcome of the last game of the year.
That's fine if you value something like that. It's also fine that other people feel that's it's relatively meaningless in the big scheme of things.

That's like the Canadiens only putting up Stanley cup banners while other teams will celebrate absolutely anything. Some organizations have different standards just like fans have different ones.
 
And the President’s Trophy represents the team that has had the greatest success at qualification with the greatest chance to win the Cup. That’s worth some respect and recognition — which is why there’s a trophy and a banner for it.

More to the point, there’s a LOT more going on in this league than just winning the Cup. You’re missing 99.9% of the story if you’re just focusing on the outcome of the last game of the year.
My recurring statement in threads like this, that watching hockey and being a fan is supposed to be fun, is oddly contentious to some people.

I had fun this regular season. The Jets won a bunch of games and earned the most points in the regular season. Fans of 31 teams will not win the Stanley Cup. Hopefully they managed to find joy in something else, so following hockey wasn't just void of fun all season.
 
That's fine if you value something like that. It's also fine that other people feel that's it's relatively meaningless in the big scheme of things.

Which brings me back to what I said in the first place — the culture of shitting on other people’s celebrations is odd.

Montreal might very well regard themselves as being “above” this level of achievement, but they’ve never even won the President’s Trophy as it didn’t exist last time they finished in first place 47 years ago. “Different standards” is a backhanded compliment in this context.
 
Which brings me back to what I said in the first place — the culture of shitting on other people’s celebrations is odd.

Montreal might very well regard themselves as being “above” this level of achievement, but they’ve never even won the President’s Trophy as it didn’t exist last time they finished in first place 47 years ago. “Different standards” is a backhanded compliment in this context.
If it brings the fans joy more power to 'em. But the players play for the real trophy, the Stanley Cup. The President's Trophy is nothing more than the highest seeded qualifier for the real tournament, and winning that isn't all that more impressive than finishing 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.

The issue I have with celebrating it as a serious accomplishment is that quite frankly, not every team is competing for it. Teams that know how to get it done come playoff time (Colorado and Florida come to mind) have been resting players for the last week or so already. Teams also aren't going all out for every game of the season like they would be in the playoffs.

Ultimately it's a lot like winning a foot race, but some of the guys you beat were using the race as a warmup jog for the real one. Sure you were the fastest, but it's kinda meaningless when some of your toughest competition wasn't taking it seriously.
 
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Fair enough.

I'm always pissed in seasons where the Avs smoke the league and fall flat in the playoffs.

We will all be pissed too, if it goes that way again. But that won't diminish this. 2 separate things. 2 separate accomplishments.

Every team tries to win the PT - until they don't. Then it is meaningless.
 
This is what chatgbt told me. I’m pretty sure the mainframe for this AI is located in Texas.


As of April 13, 2025, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are approaching, and several teams are considered strong contenders. Here’s an overview of the top favorites based on recent betting odds:


🏒 Top Stanley Cup Contenders


  1. Dallas Stars – +600
    The Stars are currently the favorites, but their path to the finals may include challenging matchups against teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets.
  2. Florida Panthers – +650
    As the defending champions, the Panthers aim to repeat their success but face tough early opponents in the playoffs.
  3. Colorado Avalanche – +750
    The Avalanche are strong contenders with a talented roster, though they may encounter formidable opponents early in the playoffs.
  4. Edmonton Oilers – +850
    Led by stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers are considered serious contenders for the Cup.
  5. Carolina Hurricanes – +1000
    The Hurricanes have bolstered their lineup with the addition of Russian defenseman Alexander Nikishin, aiming to strengthen their playoff performance.
  6. Vegas Golden Knights – +1000
    With playoff experience and a favorable projected path, the Golden Knights are poised for a deep run.
  7. Toronto Maple Leafs – +1100
    The Maple Leafs are among the top contenders from the Eastern Conference, seeking to capitalize on their strong regular-season performance.


🧊 Notable Teams to Watch

  • Winnipeg Jets – +1300
    The Jets have clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, positioning themselves as formidable opponents in the playoffs.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning – +1800
    Known for their playoff experience and strong roster, the Lightning remain a team to watch.
  • Los Angeles Kings – +2000
    The Kings have solidified their standing in the Pacific Division and aim to make a significant impact in the postseason.
 
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Yeah, they really do. It is the best way to get to the SC.
You're telling me Washington, the team that was within striking distance of Winnipeg for the PT before losing B2B to Columbus, gives a shit?? One of those teams was playing for their ticket to the playoffs, one of them was on cruise control.

The reality is, teams only push it as far as they have to. Washington doesn't care, they've had 1st in the east locked up so they get to play the weakest seed in the east, that's all they care about. Teams like Vegas, Colorado, Florida, Tampa.. they don't care at all so long as they make the playoffs. They're confident they can beat anyone.

I guarantee you teams would handle the regular season differently if the real trophy was handed out after game 82.
 
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