Most consecutive losses in NHL: What are the longest losing streaks in history?

In the NHL, losing can arrive quietly, then grow impossible to escape. Certain seasons spiraled beyond bad luck, turning nightly defeats into historic stretches that reshaped franchises and lingered long after the final buzzer.

Some extended skids weren’t always the result of a single flaw. Injuries, thin rosters, expansion growing pains and organizational missteps often converged, creating moments where losses became part of the routine.

The league’s longest losing streaks now live as cautionary tales, remembered not just for their length but for what followed. Within those numbers lie turning points, rebuilds, and chapters that helped define NHL history.

Which teams have the longest losing streaks in NHL history?

The record books point to two franchises tied at the top for futility. Both the 1974–75 Washington Capitals and the 1992–93 San Jose Sharks endured 17 straight losses, marking the longest losing streaks in NHL regular-season history.

Those stretches came during formative years for each club, when roster instability and performance struggles compounded night after night. For the Capitals, the skid unfolded as a brutal winter stretch that defined an otherwise difficult inaugural era.

In San Jose, expansion-era growing pains were on full display, with a young Sharks roster unable to find consistency despite flashes of effort. These lengthy droughts now stand as stark reminders of the challenges new or rebuilding teams face in a league where parity can be unforgiving.

More recently, the Buffalo Sabres experienced a 14-game run without a win in the 2014–15 season. Even as game designs, skill levels and structures have changed, the persistence of prolonged losing streaks shows how difficult it can be to halt a downward spiral once it starts.

Team	Streak	Season
Washington Capitals	17	1974-75
San Jose Sharks	17	1992-93
Philadelphia Quakers	15	1930-31
Kansas City Scouts	14	1975-76
Detroit Red Wings	14	1981-82
Quebec Nordiques	14	1990-91
Ottawa Senators	14	1992-93
Buffalo Sabres	14	2014-15
Pittsburgh Pirates	13	1929-30
Washington Capitals	13	1981-82
San Jose Sharks	13	1991-92
San Jose Sharks	13	1992-93
San Jose Sharks	13	1992-93
Tampa Bay Lightning	13	1997-98
Florida Panthers	13	1997-98
Pittsburgh Penguins	13	2003-04
Montreal Canadiens	12	1925-26
Chicago Blackhawks	12	1950-51
New York Islanders	12	1972-73
Washington Capitals	12	1975-76
New York Islanders	12	1988-89
San Jose Sharks	12	2023-24
Boston Bruins	11	1924-25
New York Rangers	11	1943-44
Detroit Red Wings	11	1976-77