Let’s step into the wayback machine and remember when Guy Carbonneau accepted the Stanley Cup from National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman to the raucous cheers of 18,000 fans in the Montreal Forum. The Montreal Canadiens’ captain and his teammates then took their traditional victory laps carrying aloft the most iconic trophy in professional sport.

Fans across the country had a reason to NHL 18 Coins exult as the Canadiens celebrated the country’s 27th Stanley Cup in 38 seasons on June 9, 1993. With championship banners already hanging in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary, the country’s good fortune seemed destined to continue. But no Canadian team has sipped from Lord Stanley’s mug since. Worse, the seven franchises have frequently missed the playoffs, including one year, 2015-16, when they all failed to qualify.

The financial costs of missing the Stanley Cup playoff tournament are enormous. Teams lose out on lucrative gate revenues as ticket prices are substantially raised each round the team advances, unencumbered by player salaries, which are only paid until the end of the regular season. Add in the adversity of a 75 or 80 cent Canadian dollar in a league where all players are paid in U.S. dollars, and it looks like a recipe for financial trouble.