The Winnipeg Jets, winner of the President’s Trophy for best regular season record, hope to pull off a rare feat: winning both that and the Stanley Cup.
The National Hockey League is coming off a banner regular season that for the first time included the Utah Hockey Club. Midway through the year, the entire sports world was treated to the thrilling 4 Nations Face-Off, which Canada won with an overtime victory over the United States. Finally, in the last full week of the season, Alexander Ovechkin broke the hallowed all-time goals record of Wayne Gretzky, a record that many thought would never be broken.
The playoffs begin this weekend, culminating in the Stanley Cup Finals in roughly two months. Here are some of the biggest postseason storylines.
Will the Presidents’ Trophy Curse End?
The Presidents’ Trophy is awarded to the team with the best overall record during the regular season, with the Winnipeg Jets (56-22-4) receiving the honor this year. However, fans of the Jets may wish they hadn’t won this trophy as
it’s been a dozen years since the team with the best record actually hoisted the Stanley Cup. In fact, none of the last 11 winners of the award even made the Stanley Cup Finals, with nine of the 11 getting bounced in the first or second round.
