Home United States USA — Sport Five people remaining in NHL playoffs who need a Stanley Cup the...

Five people remaining in NHL playoffs who need a Stanley Cup the most

258
0
SHARE

The late Bud Poile was in the NHL four seasons as a Toronto Maple Leafs player before he won a Stanley Cup in 1947. His…
The late Bud Poile was in the NHL four seasons as a Toronto Maple Leafs player before he won a Stanley Cup in 1947. His son David has been an NHL team executive 46 years and he’s still waiting to win his first Cup.
David Poile, the Nashville Predators franchise’s only general manager, began working in management when he was hired by the Atlanta Flames in 1972. He boasts the most wins (1,333) of any GM in NHL history, but he never reached the Stanley Cup Final until last season when the Predators lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
If the Predators can beat the Winnipeg Jets in Thursday’s Game 7 and then win it all, there would be three generations of Poiles engraved on the Cup. David’s son Brian is the Predators’ director of hockey operations.
With five teams still alive in this postseason, Poile leads our list of people who most need a Stanley Cup ring.
Here are those from the other teams still left:
Left wing Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals: When you mention the greatest players never to win a Stanley Cup, Ovechkin, 32, is at the top of the list. He has been in the NHL since 2005, and this is the first season he has reached the conference final. Ovechkin is the most dangerous goal scorer of this generation, and a Stanley Cup triumph would make his career more complete.
Center Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning: It might seem too early to worry that Stamkos, 28, won’t win a Cup, but you never know how many opportunities you will have. Stamkos, who reached the 2015 Final, is an elite player, and this current team might be the best chance he will ever have to win one.
Cente r Paul Stastny, Winnipeg Jets: His Hall of Fame father, Peter, played in the NHL from 1980-95 without winning a Stanley Cup, and now Paul, 32, has played 12 seasons without one. A hard-working, two-way forward, Paul has long been the kind of valuable player you win with.
Coac h Gerard Gallant, Vegas Golden Knights: At 54, Gallant has an 11-season playing career and a seven-season coaching career without reaching the Stanley Cup Final. He was always admired for the work he did as a gritty goal scorer on Steve Yzerman’s line in Detroit. He had four consecutive seasons in which he scored 30 or more goals and registered 200 or more penalty minutes. He has done an impressive job transforming the expansion Golden Knights into a conference finalist.

Continue reading...