List of Stanley Cup champions

This is a list of Stanley Cup champions, including finalists and challengers. The Stanley Cup, donated by former Governor General of Canada Lord Stanley of Preston in 1892, is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. Originally inscribed the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup", the trophy started out as an award for Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. Today, it is awarded to the top team in the National Hockey League, a professional ice hockey league.
Challenge era.
A. Although the Montreal Victorias won the AHAC title in 1895, the Stanley Cup trustees had already accepted a challenge from the 1894 Cup champion Montreal HC and Queen's University. As a compromise, the trustees decided that if the Montreal HC won the challenge match, the Victorias would become the Stanley Cup champions. The Montreals eventually won the game, 5–1, and their crosstown rivals were awarded the Cup.
B. Intended to be a best-of-three series, Ottawa Capitals withdrew their challenge after the first game.
C. The January 31 (a Saturday) game was tied 2–2 at midnight and the Mayor of Westmount refused to allow play to continue on the Sunday. The game was played on February 2 (a Monday) and the January 31 game was considered to be void.
D. For most of 1904, the Ottawa Senators were not affiliated with any league.
E. The Montreal Wanderers were disqualified as the result of a dispute. After game one ended tied at the end of regulation, 5–5, the Wanderers refused to play overtime with the current referee, and then subsequently refused to play the next game of the series in Ottawa.
F. Victoria did not formally challenge for the Stanley Cup with the Stanley Cup trustees. Toronto accepted the challenge directly.
NHL champion.
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the player who is judged to be the most valuable player to his team during the playoffs. It was first awarded during the 1964–65 playoffs.