Presidents' Trophy Curse?

The Presidents' Trophy

Do the Boston Bruins really want to win the Presidents’ Trophy?

Entering the last couple weeks of the regular season, the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets are all in the hunt for the Presidents’ Trophy. The Presidents’ Trophy is awarded every year to the team with the most points at the end of the 82-game regular season schedule. The history of this prestigious trophy has not been kind to its’ winners. In the last 12 seasons, only 2 teams have gone on to win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup. Additionally, only 8 teams have won both the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup since it’s installment as a trophy in the NHL in the 1985-1986 season. This leads people to believe that there is a curse spelled upon the winner of this trophy each year. A curse that makes it seem like every team is out to eliminate you (the winner of the trophy) from the playoffs, but isn’t that what the playoffs are all about?

For a year-by-year look at the Presidents’ Trophy “curse” check out this link.

 

The 2014 Presidents' Trophy Winners

As an avid hockey fan, I think the curse is bogus. The NHL playoffs are the most competitive playoffs in professional sports. 16 teams separated by a difference of about 10-20 points get a fresh start in hope to lift the Stanley Cup. The difference between the #1 seed and the #8 seed in both conferences is so minimal that every team has a chance to win. I believe that the Presidents’ Trophy gives a team momentum and confidence entering the playoffs. A team can ride confidence in the playoffs, which often leads to good bounces and lucky breaks. In a game that lasts 60 minutes and a series that lasts up to 7 games, it may seem like a lot of time to recover from mistakes. However, one bad break can send your team to the golf course just a month earlier than they had hoped.