Which players left in the playoffs have gone the longest without a Stanley Cup?

Credit: Nov 20, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter (20) and center Joe Pavelski (16) and left wing Jamie Benn (14) celebrates a goal scored by Pavelski against the New York Rangers during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing beats watching that first lift of the Stanley Cup as the captain takes the handoff from commissioner Gary Bettman every June. Except – sometimes one moment does. It’s that second handoff, from the captain to a teammate of his choice, if the captain has previously won it. Typically, that second pass goes to a long-grinding veteran who has never won a championship before. No handoff was more iconic than Joe Sakic to Ray Bourque in 2001 when the Colorado Avalanche captured the Cup.

The remaining four teams in the Stanley Cup playoff field include some grizzled veterans who have come close but never won in their storied careers. Which of them have endured the longest waits among the Cup-less players on the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Florida Panthers?

Here are the top five, with regular-season game totals in brackets.

Ryan Suter, Dallas Stars (1,444 games)

Not only is Suter the active leader in NHL regular season games played without lifting a Cup, but he has put in a TON of minutes across that game total. He led all NHLers in average ice time during the 2010s at 27:10 per game. Suter has never played in a Stanley Cup Final but his past two playoff runs with the Stars are the two deepest of his career. Now 39, he’s merely a depth player on Dallas’ third pair. He wouldn’t be a lock to take the first handoff from teammate Jamie Benn given the Stars have a large contingent of deserving veterans.

Joe Pavelski, Dallas Stars (1,332 games)

If we were to rank the veterans on the vibe of who feels most deserving of the Stanley Cup handoff, Pavelski is probably No. 1, right? He has reached a Stanley Cup Final twice. He’s one of the better playoff performers of his generation, sitting fifth in NHL history with 18 game-winning goals. Now 39, he has mostly been a non-factor this postseason, with just one goal in 16 games. But the body of work is so strong that a Cup ring might clinch a Hall of Fame ticket.

Blake Wheeler, New York Rangers (1,172 games)

The fact that Wheeler has a chance to be on the ice, in skates, for a potential Stanley Cup handoff is a remarkable accomplishment. When he suffered a gruesome leg injury in February, it looked like his career might be over. But the Broadway Blueshirts have kept their playoff drive alive long enough for him to be back on the ice for full practices, ready to draw into the lineup should coach Peter Laviolette decide it’s time. Wheeler, the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets all-time scoring leader, was bought out last summer. Winning a Cup this spring would be pretty sweet revenge for him.

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars (1,112 games)

The Stars captain was a key cog on the team that reached the 2019-20 bubble Final as an underdog. This time around, Benn is still a crucial leader and top-nine forward, but he’s no longer the star on which his team relies. Still, compared to the other players on this list, Benn arguably carries the biggest load relative to his age in present day. It’s appropriate that he wears the ‘C’ for Dallas and would thus be the first player on this list to receive a Stanley Cup handoff.

Matt Duchene, Dallas Stars (1,056 games)

A few months ago, the Florida Panthers’ Kyle Okposo would’ve placed fifth on this list, and he sits at 1,051 games. But Duchene narrowly overtook him during the stretch run of the season. Duchene is easily the youngest player among this group at 33, so his presence on the list reflects the fact he debuted in the NHL as a teenager and that he has been pretty durable most of his career. He’s never come close to a Cup; before this season, Duchene had only ever reached the second round of the playoffs, and he’d done that once. He’s truly in uncharted territory on a Stars team leading the Western Conference Final 2-1.

BONUS: Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers (1,849 games coached)

The only two coaches to eclipse 800 wins and 1,500 games without winning a championship are Lindy Ruff and Maurice. The latter has come close, reaching the Final in 2001-02 and 2022-23, not to mention the Conference Final on numerous occasions. Maurice has been an institution in the game for so long, his media presence so memorably colorful, that it feels incongruous that he doesn’t have a ring. He arguably belongs higher than any player in the unofficial “Win one for Him” power rankings.

_____