The deepest hole an NHL winner has climbed out of is 18 points: the Detroit Red Wings sat that far behind in the 1993-94 Central on November 22, 1993, and won it by 2 points. The biggest lead lost: the Florida Panthers led the 1999-00 Southeast by 16 points as late as January 15, 2000, and finished behind the Washington Capitals. Every charted race since 1917-18 is ranked below; how the numbers are read is spelled out under the tables.
Companion page: Closest NHL races.
| Rank | Race | Winner | Deficit (points) | Deepest on | Won by (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-94 Central | Detroit Red Wings | 18 | November 22, 1993 | 2 |
| 2 | 2015-16 Atlantic | Florida Panthers | 17 | November 28, 2015 | 6 |
| 3 | 1999-00 Southeast | Washington Capitals | 16 | January 15, 2000 | 4 |
| 4 | 2015-16 Pacific | Anaheim Ducks | 16 | January 11, 2016 | 1 |
| 5 | 1990-91 Patrick | Pittsburgh Penguins | 15 | December 1, 1990 | 3 |
| 6 | 1992-93 Adams | Boston Bruins | 15 | March 1, 1993 | 5 |
| 7 | 1999-00 Atlantic | Philadelphia Flyers | 15 | February 15, 2000 | 2 |
| 8 | 2007-08 Southeast | Washington Capitals | 14 | November 17, 2007 | 2 |
| 9 | 2022-23 Central | Colorado Avalanche | 14 | January 12, 2023 | 1 |
| 10 | 1940-41 NHL | Boston Bruins | 13 | December 15, 1940 | 5 |
| Rank | Race | Team that led | Lead (points) | Held as late as | Eventual winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-00 Southeast | Florida Panthers | 16 | January 15, 2000 | Washington Capitals |
| 2 | 1999-00 Atlantic | New Jersey Devils | 15 | February 18, 2000 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 3 | 1993-94 Central | Toronto Maple Leafs | 12 | December 3, 1993 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 4 | 2007-08 Northeast | Ottawa Senators | 12 | December 27, 2007 | Montréal Canadiens |
| 5 | 2015-16 Pacific | Los Angeles Kings | 12 | January 20, 2016 | Anaheim Ducks |
| 6 | 1963-64 NHL | Chicago Blackhawks | 11 | November 30, 1963 | Montréal Canadiens |
| 7 | 1980-81 Norris | Los Angeles Kings | 11 | February 2, 1981 | Montréal Canadiens |
| 8 | 1984-85 Patrick | Washington Capitals | 11 | February 8, 1985 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 9 | 1996-97 Atlantic | Florida Panthers | 11 | November 29, 1996 | New Jersey Devils |
| 10 | 2003-04 Northeast | Toronto Maple Leafs | 11 | December 27, 2003 | Boston Bruins |
| Rank | Race | Winner | First place for good | Charted days left | Days in first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-16 Pacific | Anaheim Ducks | April 10, 2016 | 0 | 13 of 187 |
| 2 | 2022-23 Central | Colorado Avalanche | April 14, 2023 | 0 | 12 of 190 |
| 3 | 2002-03 Northwest | Colorado Avalanche | April 6, 2003 | 0 | 2 of 180 |
| 4 | 2003-04 Northeast | Boston Bruins | April 4, 2004 | 0 | 65 of 180 |
| 5 | 1986-87 Norris | St. Louis Blues | April 5, 1987 | 0 | 16 of 179 |
| 6 | 1985-86 Norris | Chicago Blackhawks | April 6, 1986 | 0 | 94 of 179 |
| 7 | 2011-12 Pacific | Phoenix Coyotes | April 6, 2012 | 1 | 24 of 185 |
| 8 | 1963-64 NHL | Montréal Canadiens | March 21, 1964 | 1 | 49 of 167 |
| 9 | 1983-84 Adams | Boston Bruins | March 31, 1984 | 1 | 89 of 181 |
| 10 | 2012-13 Northeast | Montréal Canadiens | April 27, 2013 | 1 | 61 of 100 |
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. A team's comeback or collapse is counted once per season, at its deepest, whichever of its charted races it came in.
Biggest comebacks: the deepest end-of-day deficit the eventual winner faced, in points behind that day's leader, dated to the first day it reached that depth. These are the same numbers the turning points on each race page state.
Biggest collapses: the largest end-of-day lead over second place held by a team that did not finish first, dated to the last day the team still held that full lead. A comeback and a collapse read the same race from opposite ends, so they can disagree about one summer.
Latest deciding day ranks winners by how few charted days remained when they took first place for good; a day spent tied on top stays with the team already leading. Races whose top two the standings cannot separate appear on none of these lists: the data cannot name a winner. Only finished seasons are ranked; every irregularity in the record is listed in the data notes.