The stories of Stanley Cup lore are celebrated in vignettes and recollected fondly for decades afterward. But what about those who fail in the journey? Save a tear for them if you will.
Hall of Fame defenseman Harry Howell played 1411 NHL games and never suited up for a team that won a single playoff series. Norm Ullman joined the defending Detroit Red Wings and played with them through five losses in the Stanley Cup final.
In the 1965-66 final, when Detroit squandered a 2-0 series lead and fell in six games to the Montreal Canadiens, Ullman’s Red Wings teammates included three players who skated through at least 20 seasons without winning the Cup – defensemen Bill Gadsby and Leo Boivin and forward Dean Prentice.
In 1968, the Wings traded Ullman to the Toronto Maple Leafs, one year after the Leafs won their most recent Cup.
Most NHL Games Played Without Winning The Stanley Cup
| Player | Games Played | Stanley Cup Close Call |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Marleau | 1657 | Lost in 2016 final |
| Joe Thornton | 1566 | Lost in 2016 final |
| Jarome Iginla | 1544 | Lost in 2004 final |
| Shane Doan | 1540 | Lost in 2012 Western Conference final |
| Phil Housley | 1495 | Lost in 1998 final |
| Mike Gartner | 1432 | Traded by Cup champion Rangers at 1994 deadline |
| Scott Mellanby | 1431 | Lost in 1987 and 1996 Cup finals |
| Luke Richardson | 1417 | Lost in 1992 Western Conference final |
| Harry Howell | 1411 | Never won a playoff series in 21 NHL seasons |
| Norm Ullman | 1410 | Lost in five Stanley Cup finals |
