NHL playoffs begin Saturday as 4 Canadian teams look to end 31-year drought

The year was 1993 and Brian Mulroney was Canada’s prime minister, Bill Clinton was in the White House and the Montreal Canadiens were Stanley Cup champions.

That was 31 years ago and it was the last time that a Canadian team has hoisted hockey’s holy grail, an infamous drought that four teams are looking to break this spring.

On Saturday, the NHL playoffs will get underway and a quarter of the 16 teams that made the postseason are Canadian clubs.

That includes the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference, and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference.

Who will ascend to Lord Stanley's throne? 🏆

Fill out your #StanleyCup Playoffs Bracket Challenge presented by @betwayusa at https://t.co/qVplXtRsyL, and don't forget to tune in to the #StanleyCup Playoffs starting tomorrow on @espn and @tntsports!

(🎨: @GrantGruenhaupt) pic.twitter.com/EelKyIgjE9

— NHL (@NHL) April 19, 2024

The Canucks are riding high entering the playoffs as Pacific Division champions following a 50-win season that even the most diehard fans of the team did not expect.

They will take on the Nashville Predators in round one in a series that will begin at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Sunday night.

Vancouver won all three games against Nashville during the regular season, but they all took place before the all-star break and the Preds have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL down the stretch.

Opponent set. We’re ready.#AllTogether. All In. pic.twitter.com/rwwVdwPcWJ

— Y - Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 18, 2024

While the Preds have been the league’s hottest team since the all-star break, the Oilers have been hot as a pistol since before Christmas after a horrific start to the season in October.

They will begin the playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings for a third consecutive season in a series that will begin at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Monday night.

Not only has Edmonton won three of four meetings with Los Angeles this season, they also triumphed over the Kings in the first round of the playoffs in 2023 and 2022.

It'll be #Oilers vs. Kings in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row with Game 1 scheduled for Monday night at @RogersPlace!

Full schedule & series details ⤵️ https://t.co/9QzqZOMFEj

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 19, 2024

Continuing our journey from west to east, the Winnipeg Jets are preparing to take on the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the playoffs.

It’s a tough matchup for Winnipeg, as Colorado won the Stanley Cup two years ago and have three of the league’s top players in Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen.

However, the Jets won all three matchups against the Avs during the regular season and will look to keep that streak going when the series begins Sunday afternoon at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.

A midnight release to reveal your plans for the next four games ❄️ pic.twitter.com/bCLF5rApix

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 19, 2024

Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be taking on a familiar foe in the first round as they’ve drawn another playoff matchup with the big bad Boston Bruins.

The last time the Leafs beat the Bruins in the playoffs was all the way back in 1959, as Boston has won six straight series between the two teams since then.

If Toronto wants to advance past the first round for the second straight year, they will need to find a way to overcome their demons in a series that begins at the TD Garden in Boston on Saturday evening.

Round One 📅 pic.twitter.com/qRDrWvZCzP

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 19, 2024

While half of the NHL’s first-round series involve Canadian teams, there are also four other series that will be played over the next two weeks and change.

The Dallas Stars go up against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Florida Panthers meet the Tampa Bay Lightning in a battle of Florida, the New York Rangers take on the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes will face off against the New York Islanders.

It’s the best time of year for hockey fans and it all begins on Saturday, with two months of playoff action set to come your way on Rogers Sportsnet.