Arguably the toughest trophy to win in all of pro sports, lots of super star's have spanned 20-year careers without ever winning the holy grail of hockey.
Here are the top 5 active NHL players to never win the Stanley Cup.
5. Brent Burns
Burns is in his 18th active NHL season at 36 years old, and has been consistently one of the league's best defenseman since breaking out offensively in 2013-14.
He has recorded 741 career points (220 goals, 521 assists) in 1201 games under two teams, the Minnesota Wild and his current team the San Jose Sharks.
Burns signed an 8 year / $64,000,000 contract extension in the 2016-17 season which will make him an Unrestricted Free Agent in 2025.
The window of opportunity for him to win the Stanley Cup with San Jose is beginning to close as his Sharks team is currently sitting outside the 2nd wild card spot.
4. Jason Spezza
Spezza is a borderline NHL hall-of-famer with 981 career points (358 goals, 623 assists) in 1,203 games with the Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars and currently the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He is currently in his 19th season in the NHL and has only came close to winning the Stanley Cup one time in 2007 with the Ottawa Senators. His last shot is with the currently surging Toronto Maple Leafs who look like a potential Cup contender this season.
At 38-years-old, Spezza is still leaving his mark in the NHL with 7 goals in 26 games for Toronto so far in 2021-22. He brings great leadership for the young players on this Toronto roster, and all this for a cap hit of only $750,000.
3. Erik Karlsson
Erik Karlsson, now 31-years-old, continues to prove himself as one of the greatest defensemen in the NHL. With 21 points in 26 games with San Jose this season, he has found his game again following multiple surgeries to his foot over the past four seasons.
However, his defensive skills come with a hefty price. Karlsson signed a massive 8-year / $92,000,000 contract with the Sharks in 2019-20, which is going to expire in 2027.
With the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks, Karlsson has 646 career points (151 goals, 495 assists) in 814 games.
Karlsson has two Norris trophies under his belt, once in 2011-12 and again in 2014-15.
The closest Erik Karlsson has been to winning the Stanley Cup was in 2017 with the Ottawa Senators, where they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Final to the Penguins in 7 games.
2. Carey Price
Carey Price has been a major component to the success of the Montreal Canadiens over the years. In 14 seasons, Price has a 360-257-79 record with a SV% .917 and 49 shutouts.
He took his Canadiens to the Stanley Cup final in the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 games.
As well, his team has advanced to the Eastern Conference Final two times before being eliminated. Once in 2010 with Price as a back-up goaltender, and again in 2014.
Carey price, now 34-years-old, has yet to play a game in the current 2021-22 season, and is expected to return to the lineup soon following rehabilitation for substance abuse.
He signed an 8-year / $84,000,000 contract extension in 2018 which has him with the Canadiens until 2025-26.
1. Joe Thornton
At 42-years-old, with his 4th team in his 25th season in the NHL, nobody is more deserving of a Stanley Cup championship than the future hall-of-famer Joe Thornton.
over 1,698 career games, he has amassed a total of 1,534 points (428 goals, 1,106 assists). His assist total is 7th all-time among NHL players.
He is locked up with the Florida Panthers with a 1-year / $750,000 contract which may be his last opportunity to win the Stanley Cup.
His Florida Panthers are second best in the NHL behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning, and this season may be his best opportunity ever to win the Hockey Holy Grail.
His International accolades include 4 gold medals representing Canada. (During the 1997 World Juniors, the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 2010 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.)
In 2016, he led his Sharks team to the Stanley Cup final, where they were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games.
