Will there ever be another time in NHL history where 2 teams win back-to-back 4 consecutive year terms of Stanley Cup championships?  The first question that needs to be answered is ‘Will there ever be another team that will win the Stanley Cup championship for 4 consecutive years?’

If you think about it, the Montreal Canadiens of the late 1970s and the New York Islanders of the early 1980s were truly magnificent teams coached by the best in the business, Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour, respectively.  Yes, the Habs have won the Cup many times including 5 in a row back in the late 50s, but this was when the NHL consisted of only 6 teams.  After the expansion of 1967, and when the Canadiens started their 4 time championship run in 1975, the league consisted of 18 teams; that’s 3 times the number of teams and certainly less of a chance of winning the Cup 4 consecutive years.

The Islanders may have been even more amazing; having joined the NHL in 1972 and winning just 12 games that first year, they started their 4 year term of Stanley Cup ownership in 1980, and immediately after Montreal had ended their reign.  It took the Islanders only 8 years to go from bottom to top and then have the experience and composure to maintain that position for 4 consecutive years!

Since the end of the Islander reign, no team has won more than 2 consecutive Stanley Cup championships.  The last team to achieve this honor was the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.  Nowadays, your franchise maybe considered a dynasty if your team wins two consecutive championships or perhaps three in four years.