13 Have, 3 Have Not —NHL ‘Offs Notes

The “technicalities” regarding the three NHL ‘offs qualifying franchises, that have not won a previous Stanley Cup title are seemingly worth noting.

13 “qualifiers” have won the crown before, none this year are U.S. based original 6 teams while once dominant teams from Canada, Toronto (Maple Leafs) and Montreal (Canadiens) did qualify. (Channeling Sydney Greenstreet’s “Ferrari” in the classic film, “Casablanca” “carrying charges or the similar, however, not humorous, tariffs).

The Minnesota Wild, whose likely retiring, now backup netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, he on 3 title teams with the Pittsburgh Penguins (’09,’16 and ’17), played in an essentially meaningless OT in the game “Minne” clinched an ‘offs spot, Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets, this year’s top points team, are the three “qualifiers” never to have “titled” in previous NHL annals.

Minnesota’s North Stars moved to Dallas where they reside as the Stars, having won it all in 1999. Way back as another Ottawa incarnation, also called the Senators, Ottawa won numerous titles as a dominant 1920’s team.

Meanwhile Winnipeg (this team nee Atlanta Thrashers) once had the W.H.A. Jets with Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nillson, garnering 2 of that defunct league’s titles.

Ottawa made the 2007 NHL final, losing to Anaheim (Ducks) in 5 games, while neither the Wild or Jets have made an NHL Final appearance.

The great actor, Sydney Greenstreet, pictured above. “Carrying charges.”