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If you let them, sports can test your loyalties like nothing else and severely impact your overall mental well-being.

But the beauty of sports is whether you’re looking to get hurt (emotionally) or simply for bandwagon comfort, there’s something for everyone.

Thus, here are the 16 hardest teams to cheer for in the NHL, if you’re looking for something to really test your humanity.

This list is based on the following:

1. Heartbreak over the past decade,
2. The team’s current outlook over the next five years, and
3. How recently they’ve won, which determines the validity (or lack thereof) of trash talk from opposing fans.

I’ve also provided each team’s best name as a little bonus for you all.

Cheer hard 😉

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16. New York Rangers

I’m starting with the Rangers because I don’t know how to feel.

On one hand, the Rangers have made the playoffs in 11 of the past 14 seasons (excluding this year), making it as far as the Cup Final in 2014 (and multiple conference finals in the years that followed).

On the other hand, they just can’t seem to win.

And while fans get to see playoff hockey almost every year, it hasn’t ended well for a very long time, which can take a toll on those who never stop cheering.

So I’ll just say this: despite missing the playoffs this year, the Rangers will inevitably become good again (and probably relatively soon); when they do, cheer at your own risk.

Best Player: Artemi Panarin

Best Name: Urho Vaakanainen

Last Won The Cup: 1994

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15. Los Angeles Kings

For the fourth year in a row, the Kings will play Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs.

And for the fourth year in a row, the Kings will lose to Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs!

…well, maybe not.

The two teams seem to take turns having good regular seasons, but they can never avoid each other come playoffs, which has been much to Kings fans’ demise.

But this year may be different.

The Oilers will be missing Mattias Ekholm for the entirety of the first round, who is arguably their best (and only?) defensive defenseman, and the Oilers are objectively a less deep team on the whole than they were last year, so anything is possible.

That said, the Kings have a weak D core who have never been able to contain the Oilers’ two-headed monster of McDavid and Draisaitl, so if they want anything to change, it will have to start with their D (hehe).

With all that said, the Kings won the cup in 2012 and 2014 and have made the playoffs countless times since, so it’s not too hard to be a fan.

But as long as McDavid’s an Oiler, it may just be hard to stay one.

Best Player: Adrian Kempe

Best Name: Warren Foegele

Last Won The Cup: 2014

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14. San Jose Sharks

Once a west coast wagon, the Sharks have been bad for quite a while. This year marks the 6th season in a row that the Sharks have missed the playoffs; that said, the team’s vibes actually seem to be pretty good, in large part due to rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

The two rookies are very close and have become incredibly well-liked around the league; it’s fun to watch kids be kids.

And not only that, it’s equally fun to watch kids be extremely good at hockey (which they are); thus, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the sun will soon shine in San Jose, where their young stars should excel in the limelight.

But not yet.

Best Player: Macklin Celebrini

Best Name: Macklin Celebrini

Last Won The Cup: Never

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13. Minnesota Wild

The Wild have been the definition of mid for the past decade or so. Since 2012, they’ve made the playoffs nearly every year but have not made it past Round One since 2014-15. They have consistently been outmatched in each series, and while they haven’t been necessarily bad in a long time, their inability to be great outweighs their playoff appearances as they continue to land in mediocre draft positions without playing much meaningful hockey.

That said, young phenom Kirill Kaprizov has singlehandedly brought life back to the organization in recent times, along with draft picks like Brock Faber and Zeev Buium; yet, I wonder how big of a difference they’ll make. The team missed the playoffs last year and will only squeak in this year, so the argument could still be made that they’re falling back into their old ways.

However, for the sake of the State of Hockey, I hope that they don’t; the Middesota allegations have gone on far too long.

And it’s because they’ve always been true.

Best Player: Kirill Kaprizov

Best Name: Zeev Buium

Last Won The Cup: Never

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12. Ottawa Senators

The Senators are a funny one; the tumultuous relationship between fans, players and management has been a spectacle ever since the team lost in the Conference Final to the Penguins in 2017.

Since then, the team hasn’t made the playoffs until this year (they just recently clinched), but they’ve had a talented young core which fans assumed would carry them to the postseason.

(It only took a little longer than they thought)

Regardless, they’ve now made it, but we must acknowledge a couple of things: 1) before getting here, fans have had to deal with multiple owners, relocation rumours and incompetent management, and 2) the team’s culmination of talent as it stands will not win them a Stanley Cup.

So it hasn’t been easy, and the work is only beginning.

That said, if the Sens are smart, they’ll be happy to play the Leafs in the first round; it will be their best chance at a series win.

But if I were a betting man, they wouldn’t go much further.

Best Player: Brady Tkachuk

Best Name: Artem Zub

Last Won The Cup: Never

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11. Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks have undergone a similar transformation to the Sharks; this year marks the 7th in a row that Anaheim will miss the playoffs, despite having consistently made the playoffs for 6 years prior.

For Ducks fans, the future should be coming around at any moment now; a series of high draft picks and gradually improved seasons sound like they should translate to success soon enough.

That said, there have been questions surrounding the ceilings of young players like Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish (particularly whether they will be able to take the team to the next level).

However, before every team gets somewhere, there are always questions.

And I want to believe that a team as skilled as the Ducks should be able to answer them; like the Sharks, it will just take time.

But how much time will be the Ducks’ ultimate question.

Best Player: Leo Carlsson

Best Name: Jansen Harkins

Last Won The Cup: 2007

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10. Montreal Canadiens

In 2021, the Canadiens made a cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final, and it was one to watch (and for Leafs fans, one to forget).

Defying all odds, the Canadiens knocked out division-winners Toronto before sweeping the Winnipeg Jets and beating the Vegas Golden Knights in 6 games to make the Final, where they eventually lost to Tampa Bay.

Unfortunately, though, after that anomaly of a season, the team has been bad.

Quite bad.

But it looks as though they’ll finally make the playoffs again (assuming they can secure a point tonight), and fans are hoping they can consistently be a playoff team and re-establish their pedigree from the early 2010s.

And with the addition of young studs like Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov, you never know.

But the current state of their D core tells me fans shouldn’t hold their breath.

Best Player: Nick Suzuki

Best Name: Arber Zhekaj

Last Won The Cup: 1993

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9. Seattle Kraken

The Kraken have only been around since the 2021-22 season, so this one was hard to gauge.

While they missed the playoffs in their first year, they made it in 2022-23 and proceeded to knock out the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. While they lost in the second round (in 7 games, might I add), the future was looking bright as they’d certainly exceeded expectations, with young guns in the organization like Matty Beniers and Shane Wright on the rise.

But then they missed the playoffs last year.

And things took a turn.

Now, Seattle’s depth is aging, and since Shane Wright took a while to establish himself in the NHL, their success from 2023 is beginning to look more like an anomaly.

(Not to be that guy, but signing Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year deal at age 30 probably didn’t help)

Regardless, they’re going to miss the postseason again this year, and looking at their roster, fans can only hope that either their high-end talent pool grows significantly or that their player development shines; if neither are the case, it will be bad news for Kraken fans.

Best Player: Jared McCann

Best Name: Kaapo Kakko

Last Won The Cup: Never

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8. Calgary Flames

Being a Flames fan has been a rollercoaster over the past decade; at some points, they’ve been pushing for the top of the league, while scratching the bottom at others.

That said, the departures of Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau truly turned the Flames franchise into one that lacked high-end talent and any hope for a Cup in the near future.

Looking at their current roster, their record is astonishing; on paper, they have arguably one of the worst rosters in the league, and if you’d asked me at the beginning of the year, I would not have expected them to be battling for a playoff spot (which they were up until last night).

And while it may not have been ideal for the team’s long-term goals to lower their draft position and still miss the postseason, it probably made the fan experience a bit more fun before the team’s impending rebuild.

And that should count for something.

(But not much)

Best Player: Dustin Wolf

Best Name: Yegor Sharangovich

Last Won The Cup: 1989

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7. Columbus Blue Jackets

This year, the Blue Jackets’ season was overshadowed by the passing of forward Johnny Gaudreau, which, if anything, probably made it easier for casual fans to become a fan of the team.

It’s interesting; the Blue Jackets are easy to cheer for from a human standpoint, and from a hockey standpoint, they are incredibly entertaining to watch, but there still seems to be something missing.

The Blue Jackets of recent memory have not been one we associate with success; they’ve never won a trophy of any kind in the NHL (division, conference, or Cup Final), and they’ll miss the playoffs again this year if Montreal secures a point in their final game tonight.

So for loyal fans, it has been anything but easy, and losing Johnny only made things worse.

But if they can somehow make the playoffs this year, that may just make it all worth it.

For now, at least.

Best Player: Sean Monahan

Best Name: Elvis Merzlikins

Last Won The Cup: Never

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6. Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have had their fair share of PR nightmares over the past 5 years. First, the hiring of Rick Tocchet (and firing of Bruce Boudreau) sparked outrage among the hockey community; Canucks’ management’s lack of respect for the veteran coach was jarring as reports of Boudreau’s firing came before he was ever given a call.

More recently, rumoured rifts among teammates – particularly J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson – led the fanbase to focus on problems away from those on the ice, which is never what you want. While Miller has now been traded, the team still won’t make the playoffs, so not much changed.

As for the team itself, they have a plethora of talent in the likes of Quinn Hughes, Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, etc., but the team seems to hit a road block at every turn.

After making the second round last year, this year was forgettable; Pettersson had a terrible year by his standards, Demko’s year was plagued by injuries and Boeser likely won’t re-sign with the team this offseason.

While Quinn Hughes is consistently the team’s brightest spark, he can’t do it all himself, and you wonder what else might have to change for the Canucks to develop a winning culture (or any culture, for that matter).

Best Player: Quinn Hughes

Best Name: Kiefer Sherwood

Last Won The Cup: Never

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5. Philadelphia Flyers

Recently, the Flyers made headlines by firing John Tortorella, a coach notorious for making players uncomfortable (with the supposed thought that they will play better because of it).

Interestingly enough, this method doesn’t always work (shocking, I know); while the Flyers had a bit of a cinderella run last year (which for them meant almost making the playoffs), their team is ultimately short on talent and comprised of players that simply aren’t very good.

As a result, the Flyers have only made the playoffs twice in the last 9 years, and while Matvei Michkov is an incredible young rookie who may represent a new era, a lot will have to go right before the team is back in contending territory again.

That said, fans can be at least a bit optimistic as step one was letting Tortorella go.

But I’m not so sure about step two.

Best Player: Travis Konecny

Best Name: Jett Luchanko

Last Won The Cup: 1975

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4. Detroit Red Wings

The term Yzerplan was coined to signify a new beginning for the Red Wings after Steve Yzerman was appointed GM of the team in 2019. The team hadn’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, and the fond memories of the Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Lidstrom era felt very far in the past.

So Yzerman came in, and people were excited; having been GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2010-2018, Yzerman had proven he could make a team consistently good.

…but he must’ve lied on his resume; since Yzerman was hired in April 2019, the Red Wings have missed the playoffs for 5 straight years (and it’s about to be 6).

It’s hard to blame the players; while there are young talents in the organization, few have been given the opportunity to make strides big enough to lead the team to the playoffs, which, in most cases, is only the first step in becoming a contender.

(Signing Justin Holl was also a hilarious decision, but we won’t get into that)

Regardless, Yzerman still has plenty of work to do, and Wings fans are well-aware.

Best Player: Lucas Raymond

Best Name: Moritz Seider

Last Won The Cup: 2008

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3. New York Islanders

For lack of a better word, the Islanders are boring in almost every facet. With a lack of high-end talent, a defense-oriented system and a reluctance to move on from outdated veterans, the outdated veteran himself – GM Lou Lamoriello – has had a difficult time adapting to the new age of hockey (signing Pierre Engvall to a 7-year deal was the icing on the cake).

John Tavares was the best player the Islanders have had this century; yet, he moved on when a better opportunity came along. While this left a bitter taste in the mouths of most fans, it also should’ve come as a warning that the organization’s measure of success was not trending in a direction that could convince Tavares to stay.

(AKA: downward)

Thus, it’s hard to see a bright future in Isles land, where, based on the age and talent of their current roster (and general manager), there isn’t much for fans to be excited about in the coming years.

Best Player: Mathew Barzal

Best Name: Hudson Fasching

Last Won The Cup: 1983

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2. Toronto Maple Leafs

In terms of the cardiovascular impact that a sport can have on a person, the Leafs would arguably be #1 on this list. However, this list is not that.

Plus, the Leafs have made the playoffs every year since 2016-17 (counting the play-in in 2020), so it’d be hard to say their fans have it worse than the team at #1.

That said, the Toronto Maple Leafs are professionals in consistently breaking their fans’ hearts in the most excruciating ways. While they’ve made the playoffs for 9 straight years, they have won just one playoff round in that span (and were eliminated after their sole win in 5 games by the Florida Panthers).

Here’s a little breakdown of how the Leafs have made their fans go numb:

2013 (shortened season): The 8-seed Leafs lose to the 1-seed Boston Bruins in Game 7 of Round One, blowing a 4-1 lead in the final 10 minutes of the game and losing in overtime, after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit.

2013-2016: The team is impressively bad and manages to draft Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews in back-to-back drafts; a new era is born.

2016-17: The Leafs lose to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in Round One, which was respectable given they weren’t even expected to make the playoffs.

2017-18: The Leafs lose to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of Round One, imitating history as they came back from a 3-1 series deficit before blowing a lead in the 3rd period of Game 7…again.

2018-19: The Leafs lose to the Bruins for the third time in Game 7 of Round One (are we sensing a trend here).

2019-20 (shortened season): The Leafs lose to Columbus in Game 5 of a 5 game play-in series, which was merely just to get into the playoffs.

2020-21: The North Division champion Leafs lose to historic rival Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of Round One, blowing a 3-1 series lead in the process (surely they trade a player from their precious “core four” at this point, right?).

(Wrong)

2021-22: The Leafs lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of Round One.

2022-23: The Leafs finally win a series, beating the Lightning in Game 6 of Round One to advance to the next round…only to be stomped by the Florida Panthers in 5 games.

2023-24: The Leafs lose to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of Round One, after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit and blowing a third period lead in Game 7 (fans laugh maniacally).

2024-25: Who knows…but if history tells us anything, it’s that no team is better than the Leafs at gaslighting their fans into thinking this is the year.

Fans can only hope that, eventually, surely, it has to be.

With all of that said, I’ll also add that a friend of mine told me the Leafs are arguably an easier team to cheer for because Matthew Knies is hot.

And I don’t disagree.

So take with that what you will.

Best Player: Auston Matthews

Best Name: Pontus Holmberg

Last Won The Cup: 1967

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1. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres just recently tied the New York Jets for the longest active playoff drought in professional sports (14 years). In that span, they’ve had 8 coaches (which, in case you were wondering, is not a recipe for success). They’ve also had 2 first overall draft picks (one of whom has lived up to the hype while the other has not) and 2 second overall selections, Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, both of whom have grown into first-overall pick talents (and both of whom are no longer with the organization).

It’s comical, and it’s depressing; for the Sabres, regardless of whether the future looks bright or hazy, the present always feels bleak.

Thus, it’s safe to say: the Sabres are a prime example of incompetent management with an inability to develop young talent, and there seems to be no end in sight.

Best Player: Tage Thompson

Best Name: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Last Won The Cup: Never