What Is The Longest Losing Streak In NHL History?

The NHL regular season is 82 games long.
That gives teams a lot of opportunities to rack up wins, but also to suffer through losing streaks.
So what is the longest losing streak in NHL history?

The NHL’s Longest Losing Streaks

The NHL’s Longest Losing Streaks franchise has seen some bad times. In fact, they’ve had some of the longest losing streaks in NHL history. Here’s a look at the top five:

1. 1992-93 San Jose Sharks: 17 games
The Sharks hold the title for the longest losing streak in NHL history. They set the record during the 1992-93 season, when they lost 17 games in a row. The streak spanned from January 5 to February 7 and included 14 losses in regulation and three in overtime or shootout.

2. 1974-75 Washington Capitals: 15 games
The Capitals’ 15-game losing streak is the second longest in NHL history. It came during the 1974-75 season and spanned from December 27 to January 24. The Capitals lost 12 games in regulation, two in overtime and one in a shootout during the streak.

3. 1981-82 Winnipeg Jets: 14 games
The Jets’ 14-game losing streak is the third longest in NHL history. It came during the 1981-82 season and spanned from December 5 to January 6. The Jets lost 12 games in regulation, one in overtime and one in a shootout during the streak.

4. 1999-00 Tampa Bay Lightning: 12 games
The Lightning’s 12-game losing streak is tied for the fourth longest in NHL history. It came during the 1999-00 season and spanned from February 4 to March 5. The Lightning lost eight games in regulation, three in overtime and one in a shootout during the streak.

5 (tied). 1992-93 Ottawa Senators: 12 games
The Senators’ 12-game losing streak is tied for the fourth longest in NHL history. It came during the 1992-93 season and spanned from December 26 to January 22. The Senators lost nine games in regulation, two in overtime and one in a shootout during the streak.

The NHL’s Most Memorable Losing Streaks

While any team hopes to avoid a long losing streak, they are bound to happen from time to time. In fact, some of the most memorable moments in NHL history have come about as a result of a team surrendering a seemingly insurmountable lead. Here are some of the longest and most impressive losing streaks in NHL history.

The Philadelphia Flyers set the record for the longest losing streak in NHL history when they dropped 20 straight games during the 1970-71 season. It was a tough year for the Flyers, as they also holds the dubious distinction of surrendering the most goals in a single season (466).

The Chicago Blackhawks also had a tough season in 2002-03, as they set the record for the longest home losing streak at 20 games. It was part of a larger 29-game winless streak that spanned nearly two months and included both home and away games.

The Florida Panthers put together an impressive 28-game winless streak during the 1999-2000 season, which is still the longest such streak in NHL history. The skid began on January 8th with a 4-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes and didn’t end until March 10th, when they finally got back into the win column with a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The NHL’s Most Notable Losing Streaks

The longest losing streak in NHL history is held by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost 17 consecutive games during the 2003-04 season. The Los Angeles Kings come in a close second, with 16 consecutive losses during the 1974-75 season.

Other notable losing streaks include:
-The New York Rangers lost 15 games in a row during the 1992-93 season
-The Chicago Blackhawks lost 14 games in a row during the 1999-00 season
-The Washington Capitals lost 14 games in a row during the 2007-08 season

While these streaks are certainly impressive, they pale in comparison to the record for the longest losing streak in professional sports, which is held by the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers lost 28 consecutive games during the 2014-15 season.

The NHL’s Longest Losing Streaks by Team

With 82 games in an NHL regular season, even the best teams will go through stretches where they lose more games than they win. But there have been a few teams throughout NHL history that have gone through extraordinarily long stretches of losses, setting league records in the process.

Here are the NHL teams with the longest losing streaks in history:

1. Philadelphia Flyers – 20 games
2. Pittsburgh Penguins – 18 games
3. Tampa Bay Lightning – 17 games
4. Washington Capitals – 16 games
5. Chicago Blackhawks – 15 games

The NHL’s Most Costly Losing Streaks

The NHL’s most costly losing streaks not only take their toll on a team’s record, but they can also have serious negative consequences on morale, fan support and even a team’s bottom line. A long losing streak can make it difficult for a team to recover and make the playoffs, and it can also lead to major changes in the front office or coaching staff.

The longest losing streak in NHL history belongs to the 1974-75 Washington Capitals, who lost an astonishing 17 games in a row. The Capitals’ streak began on November 22, 1974 with a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and continued through December 17, when they finally won again, 5-4 over the Winnipeg Jets. The Capitals would go on to finish the season with a forgettable 8-67-5 record, still the worst in NHL history.

Other teams that have suffered lengthy and costly losing streaks include the 1992-93 Ottawa Senators (16 games), the 1981-82 Winnipeg Jets (15 games), the 1983-84 Pittsburgh Penguins (15 games) and the 1995-96 San Jose Sharks (15 games).

The NHL’s Most Controversial Losing Streaks

In 1982, the NHL had two teams on pace to finish the season with a then-record 20-game losing streak. The Los Angeles Kings were the first to reach that mark, and they actually extended their streak to 23 games before finally winning again.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were the second team to reach 20 losses, and they too extended their streak, eventually finishing the season with a 21-game losing streak. However, there was some controversy surrounding the Penguins’ streak, as four of their losses came in overtime or shootout.

At the time, overtime losses counted as half a win and half a loss in the standings. However, many people argued that if a team couldn’t even manage to get a single point in overtime or shootout, then they should just be counted as a loss. As a result of this controversy, the NHL changed its overtime rules for the following season so that all overtime and shootout losses would count as regulation losses.

The Kings’ 23-game losing streak still stands as the NHL record for longest losing streak. The Penguins’ 21-game streak is now the second-longest, followed by the Calgary Flames’ 20-game losing streak in 1999-2000.

The NHL’s Most Unusual Losing Streaks

Throughout its 100-year history, the National Hockey League has seen some truly remarkable winning and losing streaks. The longest winning streak belongs to the 1992-1993 Pittsburgh Penguins, who won 17 games in a row. But what about losing streaks? The NHL’s most unusual losing streaks are as follows:

The 1992-1993 San Jose Sharks holds the record for the longest losing streak in a single season, dropping 26 games in a row.
The 1974-1975 Washington Capitals set the mark for the longest overall losing streak at 27 games, spanning parts of two seasons.
The 1981-1982 Winnipeg Jets own the dubious distinction of recording the league’s longest home stand losing streak, dropping 12 straight on home ice.
Finally, the 2006-2007 Philadelphia Flyers hold the record for longest road trip without a win, going 0-8-2 over a 10-game stretch away from home.

The NHL’s Most Unfortunate Losing Streaks

While no team wants to lose, sometimes a losing streak is inevitable. In the National Hockey League, there have been a few teams who have gone through some tough stretches. Here are some of the longest losing streaks in NHL history:

The Pittsburgh Penguins hold the record for the longest losing streak in NHL history. During the 1983-1984 season, they lost 17 straight games.

The Philadelphia Flyers aren’t far behind, with a 16-game losing streak during the 2006-2007 season.

The Chicago Blackhawks also had a 16-game losing streak during the 2002-2003 season.

The Edmonton Oilers had a 15-game losing streak during the 1995-1996 season.

The New York Islanders had a 14-game losing streak during the 1992-1993 season.