2 NHL Teams at Stanley Cup Finals During Their 1st Season

When the NHL hockey season began last fall, the odds were 500-1 against the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup. After all, only one expansion team had ever even made it to the Stanley Cup finals in its inaugural season. Last week, however, the Golden Knights became the second expansion team to play in the finals.[1]

If the Golden Knights win the Cup, the gambling losses for Vegas bookies could total millions of dollars.

In many ways, the Golden Knights' story is even more stunning than the 1968 St. Louis Blues' trip to the finals. For the 1967-68 season, the NHL expanded from six to 12 teams. All six of the new teams were put in a new conference, so the only question was which expansion team would make the finals.

The Blues were swept in four straight games by the Montreal Canadiens in 1968. However, all four games were decided by just one goal (two in overtime). While the Canadiens dominated, Glenn Hall, the Blues’ goalie, was sensational. Despite his team being swept, he was named the playoff MVP.

1. USA Today, "Vegas cheering, dreading a Stanley Cup title for Golden Knights," May 20, 2018

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Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.