Many current NHL players were either not yet born or too young to remember the last time a Canadian team hoisted the Stanley Cup. The drought now stands at 26 years after all three Canadian teams were eliminated in the opening round of the 2018-19 playoffs.
The Boston Bruins defeated Toronto 5-1 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal on Tuesday night, sending the Maple Leafs into the offseason alongside the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. The other four Canadian teams did not reach the postseason this year.
The last Canadian team to win the Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
Winnipeg Jets NHL hockey team head coach Paul Maurice speaks to media at their closing press conference after losing in the first round of the playoffs, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Monday, April 22, 2019. (John WoodsThe Canadian Press via AP)
The inauspicious streak has been threatened a few times — Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver each made it to Game 7 of a Cup Final before being eliminated, while Ottawa also made it to a Final — but this season will mark the eighth straight time two American teams will compete for the iconic trophy. In 2016, not one of Canada's seven teams even qualified for the playoffs.
What was life like the last time a Canadian team won the Cup? Nokia was the top manufacturer of mobile phones, personal computers were running the Windows 3.1 operating system, social media didn't exist, "Unforgiven" had just won best picture at the Academy Awards, Janet Jackson's "The Way Love Goes" topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Tiger Woods was two months away from winning his third straight U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
For the Maple Leafs, it was more heartbreak for a franchise that has failed to advance to the second round of the playoffs since 2004 and has not won the Stanley Cup since 1967.
Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) hangs his head near the end of the third period of Game 5 of the team's NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, April 19, 2019, in Calgary, Alberta. The Avalanche won 5-1, knocking the Flames out of the playoffs. (Larry MacDougalThe Canadian Press via AP)
"It's the same (awful) feeling as last year," said Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner. The Bruins have beaten Toronto in Game 7 in the opening round of the playoffs three of the last seven seasons, including last year.
Calgary entered the postseason as the top team in the Western Conference. Winnipeg had reached the West finals a year ago.
In the end, the Canada curse lived on. Calgary was dumped by Colorado in five games after shutting out the Avalanche in the series opener. Winnipeg lost three times at home in falling to rising St. Louis in six games. The Maple Leafs led their series 3-2 before being ousted.
"You get so used to just being in it every day, competing and keep finding ways to get better and keep pushing forward," Tavares said. "It's still sinking in that we won't be doing that (on Wednesday). That's the hardest part."
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WADI AD-DAWASIR, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Nani Roma overcame three punctures to lead the Dakar Rally for the first time in 12 years after a dramatic stage nine on Tuesday.
Five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah held the lead since Friday until four-time winner Carlos Sainz took over after Al-Attiyah got lost. Then 2014 champion Roma seized it at the very end after Sainz also lost his way and was penalized for speeding.
The motorbikes took a different, slightly longer northwest route out of Wadi ad-Dawasir and, without the benefit of bike tracks to follow, the cars struggled to stay on course.
The 410-kilometer first half of a marathon stage was claimed by Eryk Gozcal for his maiden major stage win, made even more special by his uncle Michal finishing second nearly eight minutes back. Eryk's father Marek, who heads their family-run team driving Toyotas, was 26th. Marek inspired Eryk to become the youngest ever Dakar driver in 2023 at 18.
Saood Variawa, following his stage victory on Monday, opened the way and was soon joined by Toyota Gazoo teammate Henk Lategan. But Lategan, third overall at the start of the day, lost 14 minutes at the 183-kilometer pit stop to fix his power steering. Ford's Mitch Guthrie, the stage three winner, was also stalled at the pit stop to repair an oil leak. He finished the stage more than an hour behind.
Sébastien Loeb’s Dacia, running fifth, lost power steering at 220 kilometers. Teammate Lucas Moraes, who had been leading the stage for over 200 kilometers, struck navigation problems and, at around 280, Dacia leader Al-Attiyah and Ford’s Mattias Ekström lost their way.
Al-Attiyah's provisional overall lead of nearly seven minutes over Ekström and more than 13 minutes over Roma evaporated in the dust.
Sainz, hanging in the top five for the past week, suddenly led the provisional general standings, followed by Roma and Al-Attiyah. Then a 70-second speeding penalty cost him. The Fords of Spaniards Sainz and Roma finished the stage in seventh and eighth within five seconds of each other.
“Everyone had problems today,” Roma said. “Now we cross the fingers. We must be humble and quiet and try to arrive in Bisha tomorrow well.”
Roma rose from fourth overnight to first overall by 57 seconds over Sainz, followed by Al-Attiyah (1:10 down), Lategan (6:13) and Ekstrom (11:19).
It's the closest top five ever this deep into a Dakar. The second half of the marathon stage to Bisha is on Wednesday and the race ends on Saturday.
The motorbike lead also changed, reverting to defending champion Daniel Sanders after KTM teammate Luciano Benavides became lost early while opening the way.
Sanders recovered to overtake Benavides and pick up time bonuses. Sanders was eventually caught himself by Honda's Tosha Schareina, who went on to win his third stage of this Dakar. Sanders was second, 4 1/2 minutes back, and Michael Docherty a surprising third to keep Honda's Ricky Brabec off the podium.
Overall, Sanders has a six-minute lead over Brabec, and seven minutes over Benavides. Schareina cut his deficit to 15 1/2 minutes.
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Driver Carlos Sainz gives a phone call at the end of the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally between Wadi Ad Dawasir and Bisha, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan.13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Driver Guillaume de Mevius and co-driver Mathieu Baumel change a tire of their car at the end of the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally between Wadi Ad Dawasir and Bisha, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan.13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Driver Mattias Ekstrom and co-driver Emil Bergkvist check their car at the end of the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally between Wadi Ad Dawasir and Bisha, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan.13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Driver Simon Vitse and co-driver Max Delfino check their car at the end of the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally between Wadi Ad Dawasir and Bisha, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan.13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Journalists film driver Carlos Sainz, center, and co-driver Lucas Cruz at the end of the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally between Wadi Ad Dawasir and Bisha, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan.13, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
