NHL Makes ‘Cream of the Crop’ Announcement Before Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Winnipeg Jets are the NHL’s regular-season champions for the first time in franchise history, and the NHL made sure to recognize the accolade.

The league praised the Jets’ achievement on Sunday as Winnipeg clinched the 2024–25 Presidents’ Trophy, earning the most points across the league.

That will also have an impact in the postseason, as the Jets are now guaranteed home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The NHL’s official account on X posted, “THE CREAM OF THE CROP! The @NHLJets take home the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history as the team with the highest point total this season!”

THE CREAM OF THE CROP! 🙌

The @NHLJets take home the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history as the team with the highest point total this season!

📺: The #StanleyCup Playoffs start on April 19 on @NHL_On_TNT, @espn, @Sportsnet and @TVASports! pic.twitter.com/KxAuQ6Q2CI

— NHL (@NHL) April 14, 2025

Winnipeg didn’t need to do anything on Sunday as their achievement was confirmed earlier in the day after the Washington Capitals lost 4–1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Entering play with the Presidents’ Trophy already in their bag, the Jets fell 4–1 to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night, wrapping up the weekend with a 55–22-4 record and 114 points in 81 games.

Head coach Scott Arniel rested several regulars against Edmonton, including starting goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, as well as Josh Morrissey, Adam Lowry, Neal Pionk, and Luke Schenn.

Alex Iafallo scored the lone goal for Winnipeg, while backup goalie Eric Comrie stopped 35 shots.

The Jets have made the postseason seven times in the last eight years but were eliminated in the first round in each of the past two.

This season, Winnipeg will open the playoffs against one of Minnesota, St. Louis, or Calgary, depending on final seeding with all three teams still fighting for the first and second wild-card berths.

In more ominous news for the Jets, the last team to win both the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same year was the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks.