Which NHL teams have the longest postseason streaks?

There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and the Boston Bruins making the NHL playoffs.

With Hall of Famers Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Johnny Bucyk leading the way early on and then passing the torch to fellow Hall of Famers Ray Bourque, Cam Neely and Adam Oates, the Bruins qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs every year from 1968 to 1996. That run of 29 consecutive postseason appearances remains the NHL record for the longest playoff streak.

Now, with team captain Brad Marchand at the helm, Boston's playoff run will likely continue. The Bruins entered the 2024-25 season with eight straight postseason appearances, tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the league's longest active playoff streak.

Here's a look at the NHL teams with the most consecutive playoff appearances -- both active and all time:

Active

• Boston Bruins: 8 (since 2017)


• Toronto Maple Leafs: 8 (since 2017)


• Colorado Avalanche: 7 (since 2018)


• Tampa Bay Lightning: 7 (since 2018)


• Carolina Hurricanes: 6 (since 2019)


• Edmonton Oilers: 5 (since 2020)


• Florida Panthers: 5 (since 2020)


• Dallas Stars: 3 (since 2022)


• Los Angeles Kings: 3 (since 2022)


• New York Rangers: 3 (since 2022)

All time

• Boston Bruins: 29 (1968-1996)


• Chicago Blackhawks: 28 (1970-1997)


• Detroit Red Wings: 25 (1991-2016)


• St. Louis Blues: 25 (1980-2004)


• Montreal Canadiens: 24 (1971-1994)


• Montreal Canadiens: 21 (1949-1969)


• Detroit Red Wings: 20 (1939-1958)


• Philadelphia Flyers: 17 (1973-1989)


• Pittsburgh Penguins: 16 (2007-2022)


• Toronto Maple Leafs: 15 (1931-1945)

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