The top two have finished with nothing at all between them in eight NHL races, most recently the 2020-21 East race. Below, every division and league race charted since 1917-18, ranked three ways: by final margin, by lead changes, and by days spent within two points. How each list is computed is spelled out under the tables.
Companion page: Biggest NHL comebacks and collapses.
| Rank | Race | Result | Margin (points) | Lead changes | First place for good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-06 Atlantic | New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, level | 0 | 10 | |
| 2 | 1917-18 NHL | Montréal Canadiens and Toronto Arenas, level | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 | 1932-33 American | Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings, level | 0 | 17 | |
| 4 | 2020-21 West | Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, level | 0 | 13 | |
| 5 | 2020-21 East | Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, level | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | 1969-70 East | Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks, level | 0 | 6 | |
| 7 | 1929-30 Canadian | Montreal Maroons and Montréal Canadiens, level | 0 | 5 | |
| 8 | 2010-11 Atlantic | Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, level | 0 | 9 | |
| 9 | 2015-16 Pacific | Anaheim Ducks over Los Angeles Kings | 1 | 19 | April 10, 2016 |
| 10 | 2003-04 Northeast | Boston Bruins over Toronto Maple Leafs | 1 | 17 | April 4, 2004 |
| Rank | Race | Result | Lead changes | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-08 Northwest | Minnesota Wild over Colorado Avalanche | 34 | 3 |
| 2 | 2017-18 Metropolitan | Washington Capitals over Pittsburgh Penguins | 33 | 5 |
| 3 | 1992-93 Norris | Chicago Blackhawks over Detroit Red Wings | 31 | 3 |
| 4 | 1998-99 Northeast | Ottawa Senators over Toronto Maple Leafs | 30 | 6 |
| 5 | 2007-08 Pacific | San Jose Sharks over Anaheim Ducks | 29 | 6 |
| 6 | 2021-22 Metropolitan | Carolina Hurricanes over New York Rangers | 29 | 6 |
| 7 | 2023-24 Central | Dallas Stars over Winnipeg Jets | 28 | 3 |
| 8 | 2025-26 Atlantic | Buffalo Sabres over Montréal Canadiens | 28 | 3 |
| 9 | 2024-25 Metropolitan | Washington Capitals over Carolina Hurricanes | 26 | 12 |
| 10 | 2016-17 Metropolitan | Washington Capitals over Pittsburgh Penguins | 24 | 7 |
| Rank | Race | Result | Days within two points | Playing days | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-15 Atlantic | Montréal Canadiens over Tampa Bay Lightning | 128 | 166 | 2 |
| 2 | 2025-26 Pacific | Vegas Golden Knights over Edmonton Oilers | 128 | 156 | 2 |
| 3 | 2025-26 Atlantic | Buffalo Sabres over Montréal Canadiens | 127 | 157 | 3 |
| 4 | 2018-19 Central | Nashville Predators over St. Louis Blues | 121 | 160 | 1 |
| 5 | 2022-23 Central | Colorado Avalanche over Dallas Stars | 121 | 168 | 1 |
| 6 | 2007-08 Atlantic | Pittsburgh Penguins over New Jersey Devils | 121 | 150 | 3 |
| 7 | 1993-94 Northeast | Pittsburgh Penguins over Boston Bruins | 121 | 174 | 4 |
| 8 | 2011-12 Pacific | Phoenix Coyotes over San Jose Sharks | 119 | 154 | 1 |
| 9 | 2007-08 Northwest | Minnesota Wild over Colorado Avalanche | 119 | 154 | 3 |
| 10 | 2023-24 Central | Dallas Stars over Winnipeg Jets | 115 | 164 | 3 |
Everything on this page comes from the same day-by-day season files the charts draw, with standings read as each day ended. All 308 charted NHL races from 108 finished seasons enter: every division and league race from 1917-18 to 2025-26. Wild card races are not ranked; their story is the playoff cutoff, not first place.
Tightest finishes ranks races by the final gap between first and second place, in points. Ties are broken by how late the winner took first place for good, then by lead changes, then oldest first. Two teams the standings cannot separate are shown as level, with no winner named; where the league settled such a race another way, the linked race page tells that story.
Most lead changes counts a change only when a new team passes the leader outright. A day spent tied on top stays with the team already leading, so a tie can never inflate the count.
Most days within two points counts the days on which this race's teams played and the top two ended the day within two points of each other, the most a single result can make up. Days a league stood idle (a strike, a pause) are not counted: a frozen gap says nothing about a race.
Only finished seasons are ranked. Seasons shortened by strikes or other stoppages count as played; every irregularity in the record is listed in the data notes.