The NHL's Original Six era forged the league's deepest rivalries and most legendary moments, from Stanley Cup heroics to iconic goals that still echo through hockey history. Fans of the Rangers, Bruins, Canadiens, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, and Red Wings have passionately debated which moments truly define that golden age. Now it's your turn to weigh in—cast your vote and help crown the greatest Original Six moment of all time.
What counts: The crowd's votes decide the order — seeded neutral.
Canadiens' 24 Cups▲ Rising
Twenty-four Stanley Cups isn't a stat, it's a geological era — from the Rocket to the Roadrunners, Montreal built a dynasty so complete that other Original Six teams were essentially fighting for the right to lose to them. No franchise in any major sport has matched this density of dominance, and it's the bedrock argument for the Canadiens as hockey's ultimate measuring stick.
added by IJR
Red Wings' Production Line▲ Rising
Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, and Sydney Abel didn't just form a line, they invented a blueprint — brutal physicality married to surgical scoring touch, powering Detroit to four Cups in the early '50s. Howe's ability to lead the league in points and penalty minutes in the same era captured exactly what made this trio terrifying, and their legacy still defines what a truly complete forward looks like.
added by IJR
Bruins' Orr flight▲ Rising
May 10, 1970: Bobby Orr scores in overtime to beat the Blues, and Ray Lussier's camera catches him horizontal, arms outstretched, flying through the air after being tripped by Noel Picard. It's the single most reproduced image in hockey history, a photo that turned one goal into the sport's Mona Lisa and cemented Orr as the player who redefined what a defenseman could be.
added by IJR
Rangers 1994▼ Falling
Same issue: Mark Messier's guarantee and the Cup that ended a 54-year drought is one of hockey's great redemption sagas, but it happened well after the Original Six era closed — this belongs on a 'greatest Rangers moments' list, not this one.
added by IJR
Blackhawks 2010s run▼ Falling
Wait — this doesn't belong here. The Original Six era ended with the 1967 expansion, and Chicago's three Cups under Toews and Kane happened decades later in a 30-team league; it's a great dynasty, just the wrong ranking entirely.
added by IJR
Maple Leafs' 1967 (last one)▼ Falling
An aging, patchwork Toronto squad—dubbed the 'Over the Hill Gang'—shocked the high-flying Canadiens in six games to win the last Cup before expansion shattered the six-team world forever. It's the perfect closing chapter: an unlikely champion earning the final word just before the league doubled in size, making 1967 both an ending and a punctuation mark on everything that came before it.
added by IJR
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The eye test and the stats finally agree on this one.
No debate for me — Canadiens' 24 Cups at the top is exactly right.
You can't compare eras like this, but here we are, and I love it.
Put some respect on the defensive end of this argument.