NHL Presidents’ Trophy Race Could Be Tightest Ever

This year’s race to the Presidents’ Trophy looks to be tighter than any other history, but when all’s said and done, winning the award means very little.
NHL Presidents’ Trophy Race Could Be Tightest Ever
New York’s Jesper Fast celebrates his goal against Anaheim on March 22, 2015 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The New York Rangers defeated the Anaheim Ducks 7–2 in a battle of Presidents’ Trophy hopefuls. Elsa/Getty Images
Rahul Vaidyanath
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This year’s race to the Presidents’ Trophy looks to be tighter than any other in history, but when all’s said and done, winning the award means very little.

Awarding a trophy to the team that finishes the regular season atop the standings isn’t all that meaningful as teams eye the playoffs and the quest for hockey’s greatest prize—the Stanley Cup.

The Presidents’ Trophy arguably should mean more after a grueling 82-game regular season lasting over six months, but the NHL has always been about the Stanley Cup. Getting through four best-of-seven series to win the Cup means leaving the regular season firmly in the rear-view mirror.

Some truly fantastic teams won the Presidents’ Trophy, but didn’t go all the way to lift the Cup. In fact, since the Presidents’ Trophy has been awarded starting in 1986, only seven (out of 28) teams have won both it and the Stanley Cup.

After games on Monday night, just two points separated the top five teams in the NHL.
Rahul Vaidyanath
Rahul Vaidyanath
Journalist
Rahul Vaidyanath is a journalist with The Epoch Times in Ottawa. His areas of expertise include the economy, financial markets, China, and national defence and security. He has worked for the Bank of Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., and investment banks in Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles.
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