List of Every Stanley Cup Final Series to Go Seven Games

Karl Rasmussen | Jun 16, 2025

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is one of the most exhilarating scenes in sports, and NHL fans will certainly be hoping to see the championship clash between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers go the distance this year.

Throughout Stanley Cup Playoff history, seven-game series have been a fairly regular occurrence. Since 1939, when the NHL adopted the best-of-seven format, there have been 201 game sevens. Included in that tally is 18 Game Sevens in the Stanley Cup Final, and eight since the turn of the century.

We'll take a look at each of the 18 seven-game series in Stanley Cup Final history:

Every Stanley Cup Final Series to Go Seven Games

YEAR	MATCHUP
1942	Toronto Maple Leafs def. Detroit Red Wings, 3–1
1945	Toronto Maple Leafs def. Detroit Red Wings, 2–1
1950	Detroit Red Wings def. New York Rangers, 4–3 (2OT)
1954	Detroit Red Wings def. Montreal Canadiens, 2–1 (OT)
1955	Detroit Red Wings def. Montreal Canadiens, 3–1
1964	Toronto Maple Leafs def. Detroit Red Wings, 4–0
1965	Montreal Canadiens def. Chicago Black Hawks, 4–0
1971	Montreal Canadiens def. Chicago Black Hawks, 3–2
1987	Edmonton Oilers def. Philadelphia Flyers, 3–1
1994	New York Rangers def. Vancouver Canucks, 3–2
2001	Colorado Avalanche def. New Jersey Devils, 3–1
2003	New Jersey Devils def. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 3–0
2004	Tampa Bay Lightning def. Calgary Flames, 2–1
2006	Carolina Hurricanes def. Edmonton Oilers, 3–1
2009	Pittsburgh Penguins def. Detroit Red Wings, 2–1
2011	Boston Bruins def. Vancouver Canucks, 4–0
2019	St. Louis Blues def. Boston Bruins, 4–1
2024	Florida Panthers def. Edmonton Oilers, 2–1

The last time the Stanley Cup Final went the distance was just last year, when the Panthers defeated the Oilers in Game 7, 2–1, courtesy of goals from Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart. There's a chance we see our 19th Game 7 in Stanley Cup Final history, with the sequel series reaching overtime in three of the first five games.

Of the 18 winner-take-all games since 1939 in the Stanley Cup Final, only twice has the game-winning goal occurred in overtime. Both of the two overtime goals were scored by the Detroit Red Wings, in 1950 and '54, respectively. The Red Wings were involved in each of the first six Game 7s under the current format of the Stanley Cup Final, winning three of them.

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