Which team holds the record for worst season start ??

[Shoot da Puck]

Glad you asked 😇

The worst losing streak to start a season in NHL history was set by the 43-44 Rangers at 11 games.The San Jose Sharks tied the record with 11  in 2023. The 3rd worst losing streak to start a season was set by the Columbus Blue Jackets 2015-16 , 8 games. 

Edited Wednesday at 10:30 PM by Shoot da Puck

[Night Train]

If the Sabres put in the effort we expect ... they can break it ! 

[PerreaultForever]

The 74/75 Washington Capitals were the worst team I ever remember watching. I looked it up to get the year right and they only won 8 out of 80 games that year. 

Interestingly, since I had forgotten this. In the tank year we actually had 3 more points than the year before. 

Also interesting in a sad way, when you look back to 2013/14 bottoming out we were 8th in the division and Florida was 7th. What a tale of contrast there. 

[matter2003]

The 1943-44 Rangers and the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks both are tied for the worst start with 11 consecutive losses. At least the Rangers happened with only 6 teams, not the watered down 30+ as there are now. 

San Jose set a dubious record with most losses to start a season in consecutive years when they lost 9 straight games last year, meaning between 2023-24 and 2024-35 they lost 20 consecutive games to start the season.

[Pimlach]

10 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

The 74/75 Washington Capitals were the worst team I ever remember watching. I looked it up to get the year right and they only won 8 out of 80 games that year. 

Interestingly, since I had forgotten this. In the tank year we actually had 3 more points than the year before. 

Also interesting in a sad way, when you look back to 2013/14 bottoming out we were 8th in the division and Florida was 7th. What a tale of contrast there. 

That Caps team was terrible.  The KC Scouts and the Cleveland Barons has some terrible teams too.  Same with the Seals.  Same 

Don't forget the Sabres recent 91 point season, Florida edged us out by a point on the strength of the play of backup goalie Alec Lyon who beat us late in the season in a game were we outplayed Florida.   This was the year after their 122 point Presidents Trophy season and they squeaked in with a 92 point season.  Florida rode that WC#2 spot all the way to the Cup final, losing to Vegas.  They have since won the last two Cups.   

 

 

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

That Caps team was terrible.  The KC Scouts and the Cleveland Barons has some terrible teams too.  Same with the Seals.  Same 

Don't forget the Sabres recent 91 point season, Florida edged us out by a point on the strength of the play of backup goalie Alec Lyon who beat us late in the season in a game were we outplayed Florida.   This was the year after their 122 point Presidents Trophy season and they squeaked in with a 92 point season.  Florida rode that WC#2 spot all the way to the Cup final, losing to Vegas.  They have since won the last two Cups.   

 

 

You know with all their injuries Florida might be an on the bubble team this year too (and then might still win the cup). They are beatable without their stars and other injuries. 

I'd say the California Golden Seals were the stupidest franchise ever. How many times they dealt their picks to Montreal and made Montreal into a dynasty. Pollock would trade for those first rounders down the line and then they'd finish dead last. Hard to believe, but the Seals were actually worse managed than the current Sabres.

[Taro T]

11 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

You know with all their injuries Florida might be an on the bubble team this year too (and then might still win the cup). They are beatable without their stars and other injuries. 

I'd say the California Golden Seals were the stupidest franchise ever. How many times they dealt their picks to Montreal and made Montreal into a dynasty. Pollock would trade for those first rounders down the line and then they'd finish dead last. Hard to believe, but the Seals were actually worse managed than the current Sabres.

Charlie Finley and the Gund brothers were the owners; both sets were horrible hockey owners.  (Their 1st owner was bad too.  His name escapes at the moment.)

There was a bumper sticker in Minnesota in the 90's.  People don't kill hockey, Gunds kill hockey.  They failed in Oakland, Cleveland, AND Minneapolis of all places, before going back to the bay area and eventually selling.  (Htf do you get run out of Minnesota when running a hockey team?  Well, they figured out a way.)

And, yeah, this is about the best time to have to play the Swamp Cats.  Hopefully they can pull it off.

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

You know with all their injuries Florida might be an on the bubble team this year too (and then might still win the cup). They are beatable without their stars and other injuries. 

I'd say the California Golden Seals were the stupidest franchise ever. How many times they dealt their picks to Montreal and made Montreal into a dynasty. Pollock would trade for those first rounders down the line and then they'd finish dead last. Hard to believe, but the Seals were actually worse managed than the current Sabres.

I know.  I have referred to the Sabres as the Seals many times.   

Someone in the NHL Front Office had the bright idea to move Seals into the Adams division, which essentially put them in the East Division and the East Conference.  As if the travel wasn't hard enough for them, they loaded them up with more games against many of the better teams.   

Looking back they had cool jerseys but their wacky owner (Charles Finley) made them wear white skates one season.   The players hated it. 

[Taro T]

49 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I know.  I have referred to the Sabres as the Seals many times.   

Someone in the NHL Front Office had the bright idea to move Seals into the Adams division, which essentially put them in the East Division and the East Conference.  As if the travel wasn't hard enough for them, they loaded them up with more games against many of the better teams.   

Looking back they had cool jerseys but their wacky owner (Charles Finley) made them wear white skates one season.   The players hated it. 

They hosed all 3 western teams (LA, California, and Vancouver).  Vancouver played in the Smythe, LA in the Norris, and the Seals in the Adams.  Guess they didn't want to hose Minny, KC, nor St. Louis by putting them in an all Pacific division.

And they did kind of split the footprint between the 2 conferences.  The Adams (Buffalo, TO, Boston, and CA) was with the Norris (Moe-ray-all, Washington, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and LA) in the Wales Conference and the Patrick (NY, NY, Filly, and Atlanta) were with the Smythe (Chicago, St. Louis, Minny, KC, and Vancouver) in the Campbell Conference.  So the Wales got the Eastern Great Lakes teams plus Washington, Moe-Ray-All, and Boston and the California teams; the Campbell got the Central TZ teams; teams near Joisey; Atlanta; and Vancouver.

Everybody except those 3 were either in the Eastern or Central Time Zones and there were only 4 in even the Central Time Zone.  Everybody was East Coast or Great Lakes and NOBODY wanted 3 trips out west.

Back then, much like now, the owners really didn't care whether or if their rivals could compete.  Heck, if Vegas didn't give $500MM to join and Seattle even more, they'd've been just as successful out of the gate as all the other expansion teams that came before them.