The NHL has changed tremendously since its founding in 1917, expanding to the Original Six in 1942 before commencing the Expansion Era in the late-60s, and now we have salary cap control.
As such, there was an obvious advantage for players in the former eras when counting up Stanley Cup wins by an NHL player. Even so, those atop these rankings boast tremendous careers in the sport.
On this page, you’ll find the player with the most Stanley Cup wins, the players with the most wins among active players, and the list of the most Stanley Cup wins by NHL players.
Which NHL Player has the Most Stanley Cup Wins?
Henri Richard has the most Stanley Cups wins of any player in NHL history, with a haul of 11 Cups. The prolific center won all of these trophies with the Montréal Canadiens from the 1955/56 season to 1972/73.
You may not be on board with backing the Habs for each game in the betting online these days, but throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s, Montréal claimed 16 Stanley Cup wins, with Richard spearheading the effort for 11 of those.
Richard, who won five of his 11 Cups alongside brother Maurice, was born in Montréal and ended his illustrious career with 1,258 games and 1,046 points in the regular season, as well as 129 points in 180 playoff contests.
The next two in line for the most Stanley Cup Wins by an NHL player are Jean Béliveau and Yvan Cournoyer, who also won all of their Stanley Cups with the Canadiens.
Béliveau’s first came alongside Richard in 1956, sharing the trophy with the all-time Stanley Cup wins leader until his retirement after the 1971 triumph, leaving him with ten wins.
The next Cup win for the Canadiens, in 1973 would be Richard’s last but only Cournoyer’s sixth. The right wing from Québec would add another four titles to draw level with Béliveau.
All three of these Habs legends were included in the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players list. It seems incredibly unlikely that another player will ever repeat the feat of winning ten or more Cups.
Which Active NHL Player has the Most Stanley Cup Wins?
The crown for the active NHL player with the most Stanley Cup wins is split between six players right now: Sidney Crosby, Marc-André Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Maroon.
All six of these active NHL players have their names on the Stanley Cup three times. Fleury, Malkin, and Crosby were the backbone of the Penguins team that won it in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
Similarly, Toews and Kane were the stars of the Chicago Blackhawks dynasty that formed at the turn of the 2010s, winning the Cup in 2010, 2013, and again in 2015 under Joel Quenneville.
Patrick Maroon, however, was a part of the St. Louis Blues side that won the Cup in 2019 and then joined the Tampa Bay Lightning for their successful campaigns in 2019/20 and 2020/21.
By virtue of the wing’s move after winning the championship, Maroon became the first player in the NHL to win three Stanley Cups in a row during the Salary Cap Era (since 2005) and since the early 80s overall.
He’s still on the books for the Bolts, has scored 14 points in 75 games to date this season, and is part of a team that’s only out at +1200 to win the Stanley Cup in the NHL betting.
So, Maroon and the Lightning are dark horses to get him that coveted fourth Cup, which sets him ahead of his closest competitors on this list: Fleury and the Wild at +1700 or Crosby and Malkin with the Penguins at +3500.
Only two Cups to go till we can call him Maroon 5 pic.twitter.com/PpUng5JAv3
— x - Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 15, 2021
Complete List of NHL Players with the Most Stanley Cup Wins
Here’s the list of all of the NHL players with the most Stanley Cups, including all skaters and goaltenders who have won the trophy at least six times:
11 Stanley Cup Wins
- Henri Richard, Center (MTL): 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973
10 Stanley Cup Wins
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Jean Béliveau, Center (MTL): 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970
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Yvan Cournoyer, Wing (MTL): 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
9 Stanley Cup Wins
- Claude Provost, Wing (MTL): 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
8 Stanley Cup Wins
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Maurice Richard, Wing (MTL): 1944, 1946. 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
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Red Kelly, Defenseman (DET, TOR): 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967
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Jacques Lemaire, Center (MTL): 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
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Serge Savard, Defenseman (MTL): 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
7 Stanley Cup Wins
- Jean-Guy Talbot, Defenseman (MTL): 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966
6 Stanley Cup Wins
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Jacques Plante, Goaltender (MTL): 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
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Charlie Hodge, Goaltender (MTL): 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966
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Ken Dryden, Goaltender (MTL): 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
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Bernie Geoffrion, Wing (MTL): 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
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Doug Harvey, Defenseman (MTL): 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
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Tom Johnson, Defenseman (MTL): 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
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Dickie Moore, Wing (MTL): 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
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Larry Hillman, Defenseman (DET, TOR, MTL): 1955, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1969
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Ralph Backstrom, Center (MTL): 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
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Dick Duff, Wing (TOR, MTL): 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
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Frank Mahovlich, Wing (TOR, MTL): 1962, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1971, 1973
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Jacques Laperrière, Defenseman (MTL): 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973
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Guy Lapointe, Defenseman (MTL): 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
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Larry Robinson, Defenseman (MTL): 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986
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Bryan Trottier, Center (NYI, PIT): 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1992
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Glenn Anderson, Wing (EDM, NYR): 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1994
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Kevin Lowe, Defenseman (EDM, NYR): 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1994
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Mark Messier, Center (EDM, NYR): 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1994
As you can see, the Montréal Canadiens were so dominant with a few cycles of their roster that several players got to hoist the Stanley Cup multiple times in their careers.
Certainly not to belittle the achievement, but as the league filled out and controls like the salary cap were put in place, similar dynastic runs have become less and less likely.
Now, it’s a grand achievement to net one Stanley Cup even while playing for the consensus best team in the NHL.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 5th April 2023
