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The Stanley Cup is the trophy awarded to the winning team at the end of the post season playoffs, and the most prestigious accolade in the National Hockey League. The cup itself has been in existence longer than the National Hockey League, having been awarded since 1893 throughout the challenge era.

Since the NHL's establishment, the trophy has been used as the prize for the team that wins the playoffs after the regular season. Over the years, as the number of teams to win the Stanley Cup increased, the trophy itself changed dramatically, and it is now one of only two sports trophies to have all names of the winning team members engraved into it.

For any team to actually win the Stanley Cup, they must first complete a successful regular season in the NHL and earn a playoff spot in the post season. The top eight teams from each Conference (sixteen franchises in total) earn post season seedings based on the number of points they accumulated during the regular season.

The Stanley Cup playoffs then begin, with teams facing off against each other in a best-of-seven series. The first team to win four matches in a series progresses on to the next round of the playoffs. This continues through Conference Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals, and eventually the Stanley Cup Final.

Last season, the Philadelphia Flyers (who finished 7th in the Eastern Conference) faced off against the Chicago Blackhawks (who finished 2nd in the Western Conference). Heading into the sixth game of the series, Chicago were leading the Flyers by three games to two. The Blackhawks managed to clinch the Stanley Cup in that sixth match, and earned Chicago their fourth Stanley Cup title of all time.

In all, 17 of the 30 teams that currently contest the NHL have won the trophy at least once since the league's inception. The Montreal Canadiens lead the championship trophy tally, while the Detroit Red Wings are the most successful team from the United States.

Total Stanley Cup Titles

• Montreal Canadiens: 24
• Toronto Maple Leafs: 13
• Detroit Red Wings: 11
• Boston Bruins: 5
• Edmonton Oilers: 5
• Chicago Blackhawks: 4
• New York Islanders: 4
• New York Rangers: 4
• New Jersey Devils: 3
• Pittsburgh Penguins: 3
• Colorado Avalanche: 2
• Philadelphia Flyers: 2
• Anaheim Ducks: 1
• Calgary Flames: 1
• Carolina Hurricanes: 1
• Dallas Stars: 1
• Tampa Bay Lightning: 1

If you are looking for more information on the NHL competition, Olympic ice hockey, or simply the sport of ice hockey itself, just click on the appropriate links. For our article on ice hockey betting, including the best places to wager and what sort of bets you can expect to find, visit our ice hockey betting page.