In Honor Of Blackhawks' Cup Title, 10 Legendary NHL Dynasties

By Daniel Friedman
» More Columns

What is a dynasty?

It's a question that's open to much debate, and has been asked again now that Chicago's won three Stanley Cups in the last six years. To me, it's a concept that evolves over time, just as many others have. For example, political power was once defined by the size of a ruler's empire, whereas now, such empires no longer exist and have been replaced (in most cases) by democratic governments.

In sports, free agency is much more prevalent, salaries are constantly on the rise and salary caps have been put into place to try to level the playing field. Thus, the concept of a dynasty has changed. You're unlikely to see a team win four straight championships anymore, or anything of that nature. In this day and age, what the Blackhawks accomplished on Monday night made them a dynasty.

Who else has reached that status in the NHL? Let's take a look back and find out:

1) Toronto Maple Leafs (1942-1951)

Led by stars such as Ted Kennedy, Max Bentley and Turk Broda, the Leafs captured six Stanley Cups in a 10-year span.

2. Detroit Red Wings (1950-1955)

From what I understand, that Gordie Howe fellow was pretty decent at hockey. He, along with Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel and Terry Sawchuk, helped Detroit win four Stanley Cups in six years.

3. Montreal Canadiens (1956-1960)

Get used to seeing the Habs on this list, because they're on it quite a few times. Montreal became the first NHL franchise to win more than three Stanley Cups in a row, and ended up winning five straight before being dethroned in 1961.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs (1962-1967)

Apparently, the Leafs reached their maximum output of Stanley Cup titles in the 60s, because they won four in six years and haven't done it since.

5. Montreal Canadiens (1968-1973)

Montreal continued to rack up silverware, winning four Stanley Cups in six years. The Habs would take a brief hiatus from their reign at the top, and upon their return, would increase their stranglehold on the Stanley Cup.

6. Montreal Canadiens (1976-1979)

The Philadelphia Flyers won twice in a row, but the Canadiens were back in the saddle by 1976. They went on to win four consecutive Stanley Cups.

7. New York Islanders (1980-1983)

The Islanders, led by a Hall of Fame nucleus, went on to win four straight Cups and 19 consecutive playoff series. No pro sports franchise in North America has accomplished either feat since.

8. Edmonton Oilers (1984-1990)

Unlike the Islanders -- the team they finally defeated in '84, after losing to them the previous year -- the Oilers never won more than three Cups in a row. However, they did win five in a seven-year span, and were able to earn the fifth without the services of Wayne Gretzky, thanks to their strong core of superstars.

9. Detroit Red Wings (1997-2002)

The Red Wings are a dynasty for two reasons: they won three Stanley Cups in six years, and they've made the playoffs for 24 consecutive seasons. Detroit captured a fourth championship in 2008. In today's NHL, with rising salaries and the nature of free agency, what the Wings have been able to accomplish is incredible.

10. Chicago Blackhawks (2010-2015)

The Blackhawks won their third Stanley Cup in six years on Monday night, and have done so despite having to shed key players because of salary-cap constraints, among other factors. I believe that as the times change, so to must our definitions of certain concepts. A dynasty used to mean something different, but now it refers to what Chicago has achieved over the past six seasons.