The NHL conference finals have seen hockey’s most iconic moments, including notable players such as Jari Kurri and Wayne Gretzky and dynasties such as the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers. Since its beginning in the 1981-82 season as a conference finals format and later as the Eastern and Western Conferences, this round of the playoffs has provided classic performances, statistical achievements, and historic showdowns.
Traditional NHL conference finals moments and marks
The NHL conference finals have witnessed some of the best players and team performances in the annals of the sport. Wayne Gretzky, popularly referred to as ‘The Great One’, leads the way with the most assists (14) and points (18) in a single conference finals series—both of which were accomplished in 1985 in their series against the Chicago Blackhawks. The same set witnessed Jari Kurri collect a record 12 goals, the most by any player in a playoff set until now.Another standout was Paul Coffey, who not only recorded the most points (six) in one conference finals game but also holds the shared assist record in a game together with Glenn Anderson and Montreal Canadiens icon Toe Blake, with five assists.
Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers top recent conference finals achievements
This past year, the Florida Panthers swept the Eastern Conference Finals and made it to the Stanley Cup Final for three straight years from 2023 to 2025. With a gritty core at the helm, the Panthers swept twice against the Carolina Hurricanes and swept once against the New York Rangers and emerged as one of the most frequent playoff hopefuls of the 2020s.
A legacy of excellence based on high-stakes performances
From Michael Leighton’s three shutouts in 2010 with the Philadelphia Flyers to the Los Angeles Kings’ 2014 record-breaking run, there is a treasure in every NHL era of historic conference final runs. The New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks are other teams that have felt their share of this round as well, adding to the playoff lore of elegance. Whether a blowout, such as the Edmonton Oilers’ 11-goal game in 1985, or a closely fought seven-game war, such as the 1994 war of the New York Rangers against the New Jersey Devils, the conference finals are the center of NHL playoff suspense. Also read: Carolina Hurricanes set unwanted NHL record with 15 straight Eastern Conference Finals lossesThe NHL conference finals are just a prelude to the Stanley Cup—these are trial grounds for dynasties and legends. It was either Wayne Gretzky’s mystic tears with the Edmonton Oilers or the Florida Panthers’ contemporary rebirth, but the round always introduced hockey in its best form. While teams fight for a berth in the Stanley Cup Final, history continues to be written on this storied ground.
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