Winning awards at the end of the season is usually celebrated, but in the NHL, there’s one accolade that teams dread—the Presidents Trophy. Given to the team with the strongest regular season performance, this trophy has a notorious reputation, often seen as a “curse” that signifies a team’s downfall, cutting off any aspirations for the Stanley Cup.
On Tuesday night, the latest victim of this curse was the Colorado Avalanche. They were defeated 4-0 by the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals, which means another year has passed without them having a shot at Lord Stanley’s Cup. This marks the 13th consecutive year since a Presidents Trophy-winning team has lifted the Stanley Cup, and teams winning the trophy now hold a 8-32 record in the Cup Final.
What happened to the Colorado Avalanche?
The Avalanche ended the regular season with an impressive 55-16-11 record, racking up 121 points. They not only dominated the regular season but are also acknowledged as one of the best teams historically. Additionally, they rank 11th in scoring all-time and fourth in the last two decades, allowing only 16 goals in regulation—one of the best numbers in 40 years.
So, they definitely had the makings of a championship team, bolstered by star players like Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Cale Makar. They appeared poised to easily secure the Cup once they advanced past the tough Central Division, which included the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. However, once they met the Golden Knights, who seemed weaker on paper, they faltered unexpectedly.
Makar’s injury surfaced at a critical time, and both MacKinnon and Necas seemed to be out of form compared to their regular season performances. This allowed the Vegas team, under coach John Tortarella, to decisively take control and win.
While the reasons for the loss might seem clear-cut, the Avalanche’s downfall was unexpected and disappointing.
Is the disparity concerning the Presidents Trophy unique in sports?
Indeed. It’s quite unusual to witness the top regular season teams falter in the playoffs like what happens in the NHL. Over the past two decades, the overall records of the best teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL paint a striking picture.
- NFL: 7-13
- NBA: 7-13
- MLB: 7-13
- NHL: 2-18
In general, top teams in sports tend to lose more than they win during the postseason. This is particularly pronounced in hockey, where leading teams in the regular season win about 35 percent of the time, while in the NHL, it’s a mere 10 percent. Clearly, there’s something fundamentally different between how the regular season and playoffs play out in hockey.
What distinguishes regular play from postseason play?
In hockey, regular-season success often hinges on depth, consistency, and high-end talent, rather than strategic maneuvering. Teams generally focus less on countering opponents’ strategies and more on imposing their own game during the extensive 82-game schedule.
Once the playoffs arrive, however, everything changes. The heightened stakes test a team’s resolve, and in a best-of-seven series, there’s ample opportunity to adapt after an early game. This is illustrated by the Eastern Conference Finals, where Montreal initially defeated Carolina 6-2, but the Hurricanes had to make significant changes as the series progressed. They’re currently leading 2-1, but Montreal seems to be struggling with their shooting.
Another factor is the goaltending approach; teams often use a rotation during the regular season to manage workload, but in the playoffs, they generally rely on their starting goaltender. This shift can present challenges as opponents exploit goaltender weaknesses, leaving coaches with tough decisions if their goalie struggles—whether to stick with them or try a less prepared alternative.
All these factors contribute to the phenomenon where teams may perform well in the regular season but underperform in the playoffs—or vice versa, as we’ve seen with Las Vegas.
So, is the Presidents Trophy curse a real thing?
Well, it’s not entirely straightforward. The teams that won the Presidents Cup have claimed victory just eight times out of 40 tries, yet they’ve also lost to the eventual Stanley Cup winners 14 times. This indicates that teams topping the regular season have a better than 50% chance of being among the best or falling short against the top competition.
Moreover, no other player has attained a playoff seed exceeding that, which suggests with more teams winning playoff matches than Presidents Trophy victors, the phenomenon signals more about the NHL’s competitive balance and the challenges of playoff hockey rather than an actual curse. Still, it’s quite fascinating that consistent regular season champions have gone this long without finally securing the Cup.
