Winnipeg Jets look to join others that defied Presidents' Trophy curse - ESPN

Will the Presidents' Trophy curse claim a new victim this year?

For the past 11 NHL seasons, the winner of the trophy — awarded to the team with the most regular-season points — has failed to win the Stanley Cup. In fact, none of the last 11 Presidents' Trophy winners have even played in the Stanley Cup Final.

All told, of the 38 seasons when the trophy has been awarded, just eight of its victors have also lifted the Stanley Cup. With the Winnipeg Jets' series against the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs knotted at two games apiece, could the curse be looming large again?

Here's a look at the eight squads the Jets will be hoping to emulate that defied the curse:

Chicago Blackhawks, 2012-13

The most recent team to take home both the Presidents' Trophy and Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks earned the regular-season crown in a campaign that didn't start until January due to lockout. Patrick Kane would go on to earn Conn Smythe Trophy honors after a postseason in which he posted nine goals (tied for second on the team) and 10 assists (third on the team).

Detroit Red Wings, 2007-08

Winning the Central Division by an impressive 24-point margin, the Red Wings bolstered the best goals-against record in the league and raced to an impressive 115-point regular season. Henrik Zetterberg, the team's top goal scorer in the regular season, won the Conn Smythe after a 27-point postseason.

Detroit Red Wings, 2001-02

Not to be outdone by their franchise counterparts six years later, the Red Wings turned in a regular season that not only saw them win the Central Division by 18 points, but top the overall league standings by a 15-point margin as well. The Conn Smythe went to Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidström, capping