NHL Presidents’ Trophy Curse Takes Down Boston Bruins
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images. Pictured: Jeremy Swayman.
It happened again. The Boston Bruins, playing on home ice, fell to the Florida Panthers in overtime in Game 7 of their NHL playoff first-round series to extend the Presidents' Trophy curse.
The last time a Presidents' Trophy winner won the Stanley Cup was the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2013. The now 10-year drought is the longest since the inception of the award — and it may have happened to one of the best teams of all time.
Boston is the first team to hold both the points and wins records since the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings overtook the Montreal Canadiens with 62 wins.
The Bruins finished the regular season with 135 points and 65 wins. Both single season-records.
They were the Stanley Cup favorite (+325) before the start of the playoffs.
They had a 3-1 series lead against the Panthers and end up losing in 7 games.
A historic collapse. pic.twitter.com/RPYbhtaEDU
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 1, 2023
There have been seven Presidents' Trophy winners with 120+ points — four lost in the first round, two made it to the second round and one reached the Conference Finals.
Not only that, but each of the last eight Presidents' Trophy winners have failed to make it past the second round, the longest stretch in the history of the award. The last to do so was the New York Rangers in 2015.
Highest NHL Preseason Odds — To Win Presidents' Trophy
 2000 St. Louis Blues (+3000) — Lost in First Round |
 2023 Boston Bruins (+2800) — Lost in First Round |
 1992 New York Rangers (+2500) — Lost in Second Round |
 2022 Florida Panthers (+2200) — Lost in Second Round |
 2003 Ottawa Senators (+1600) — Lost in Second Round |
2015 New York Rangers (+1600) — Lost in Conference Finals |
 2018 Nashville Predators (+1550) — Lost in Second Round |
The Presidents' Trophy Curse is a recent phenomenon. Since the Blackhawks won in 2013, the 10 winners have only won a total of nine playoff series combined.
If you look at Presidents' Trophy winners who have been taken to a Game 7 in the opening round, the Bruins join the Washington Capitals (2010) and St. Louis Blues (2000) as the only three to lose the series.
Speaking of the Blues … if you are looking for a reason why this year gave us more of the same, look no further than the odds.
Boston entered the 2023 regular season with +2800 odds to win the Stanley Cup. In the 37-year history of the Presidents' Trophy, only one team opened the season with higher than +2800 odds and ended up winning the prestigious regular season award — that was the 2000 Blues, who also lost in seven games in the first round (to the San Jose Sharks).
If you look through history, only seven teams have won the Presidents' Trophy with higher than +1500 preseason odds and each of those teams won a total of six playoff series, with only one even making the Conference Finals.
Historical odds history via Sports Odds History.
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