The Maple Leafs have clinched their ninth consecutive Stanley Cup playoff berth, giving Toronto sole possession of the longest active streak in the NHL. The Leafs had been tied with the Boston Bruins, who will miss the playoffs this season.
As part of our analysis for Ontario betting sites customers, we wondered where the Leafs stand among the most consistent playoff teams in the traditional four “major” sports leagues – the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL. Here’s what we found:
Team | League | Years |
Los Angeles Dodgers | MLB | 12 |
Boston Celtics | NBA | 11* |
Kansas City Chiefs | NFL | 10 |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 9* |
Milwaukee Bucks | NBA | 9* |
Houston Astros | MLB | 8 |
Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 8* |
Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 8* |
Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 7* |
Denver Nuggets | NBA | 7* |
Atlanta Braves | MLB | 7 |
*Includes spot in 2025 playoffs. Chart updated through April 15, 2025, includes 2024-25 playoff teams in NFL, NHL and NBA and 2024 in MLB.
You can track Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup odds with us to get ready as the NHL playoffs begin this weekend.
Toronto is behind only three teams for the longest current postseason streak among MLB, NFL, NBA or NHL teams.
Only baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers (12 straight seasons), the NBA’s Boston Celtics (11) and the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs (10) have longer active streaks than the Leafs (if we included Major League Soccer, the New York Red Bulls would top the charts with their 15-year playoff streak). The Milwaukee Bucks are also headed to the postseason for the ninth consecutive year, tying Toronto for fourth.
The NHL betting trends seem to be looking up for Toronto. But one thing is missing in The Six compared to all those other teams. Leafs fans don’t need to be reminded, but we will remind them anyway.
The Dodgers have won the National League West 11 times and the World Series twice during their 12-year playoff streak. In two other years they won the NL pennant but lost the World Series. The Celtics have been to the NBA Finals twice in their 11-year run and are the defending champions. The Chiefs, nine-time defending AFC West champs, have been to five Super Bowls and won three during their decade of dominance.
The Leafs, famously, have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967 and have not even reached the final since then. BetMGM Ontario Sportsbook has Toronto listed at +1200 odds to finally end that Cup championship drought in 2025.
The Bucks won the NBA title in 2021 and all three teams just below the Leafs for postseason consistency, at eight seasons apiece, also have all won championships during their current run. The Houston Astros have won the World Series twice and the Tampa Bay Lightning own two Stanley Cups during this span. The Lightning lost the 2022 Cup final to the other team in this group, the Avalanche.
The Bruins (eight straight years) and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers (seven) have fallen off this list after being eliminated from postseason contention this spring.
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USA Today photo by James Guillory
Author
Jim Tomlin is an editor and writer specializing in sports, gambling and the intersection of those industries. He has 30+ years of journalism experience and his work has appeared in the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition.
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