Profitable the Stanley Cup is a tall process for each group, even the Presidents’ Trophy winner. Actually, typically it looks as if the Presidents’ Trophy winners are cursed, and the Boston Bruins are attempting to not turn into the subsequent sufferer.
The Presidents’ Trophy was first awarded to one of the best common season group in 1985-86, and within the years since, it has garnered an unsavory fame. Previous to the 2022-23 season, the Presidents’ Trophy had been handed out 37 occasions, and solely eight of these groups went on to win the Stanley Cup.
The legend of the Presidents’ Trophy curse hasn’t all the time been as prevalent as it’s right this moment. There have been runs of success for the winners up to now. Two of the primary 4 groups to earn the Presidents’ Trophy hoisted the Cup, and three of the 4 winners from 1998-99 to 2001-02 had been topped NHL champions.
Within the award’s first 23-years of existence, seven winners went on to win the Stanley Cup, and two extra groups reached the Stanley Cup Remaining. That is not precisely curse-worthy given the parity within the NHL, however the current historical past of the Presidents’ Trophy has been fairly ugly.
Because the 2007-08 season, just one President’s Trophy winner has received the Cup, and only one extra group reached the Cup Remaining. From 2008-2009 to 2011-2012, three of the 4 Presidents’ Trophy winners had been eradicated within the first spherical. The one exception was the 2010-11 Vancouver Canucks, who misplaced to the Bruins within the Cup Remaining.
The 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks had been the final group to beat a Presidents’ Trophy victory and win the Stanley Cup. Since then, the winners have all been tripped up on their path to glory, usually earlier than they even attain the convention finals.
Final 10 Presidents’ Trophy winners
The Bruins, who simply set the NHL report for wins and factors in an everyday season, are the Presidents’ Trophy winner to finish all Presidents’ Trophy winners. This Boston group will probably be an fascinating take a look at case in simply how sturdy the alleged curse is.
The Bruins are at the moment in a first-round battle with the Florida Panthers by two video games. The collection is tied 1-1 because it shifts to Dawn, Fla. for Video games 3 and 4, and Florida has appeared like the higher group for a lot of the primary two video games.
To make issues worse, the Bruins are coping with some personnel points. Captain Patrice Bergeron bought injured within the final sport of the common season and has but to play within the collection. It appears to be like like he is perhaps on observe to play in Sport 5, however that also leaves a significant void in Boston’s lineup for the subsequent two video games.
Goaltender Linus Ullmark, who’s a favourite to win the Vezina Trophy, was coping with an sickness forward of Sport 1 and will probably be a game-time determination for Sport 3. The Bruins have a really succesful backup in Jeremy Swayman, however Ullmark has performed on one other degree this season.
The Bruins have the flexibility to beat any form of curse or voodoo that comes with profitable the Presidents’ Trophy, however as we have seen within the final 15 years, they’ve their work lower out for them.