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The Winningest Franchise In Hockey

A very short time ago, the Edmonton Oilers were the losingest franchise in all of sports. Not only was the NHL team in last place, their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons held up the bottom of the standings. Even the Oilers-owned junior team, the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, were in last place.

Fast forward two years and the Oklahoma City Barons are the top team in the entire AHL. The Oilers, though currently playing over their heads, have life. Even the Oil Kings sit comfortably in a playoff spot and have a roster filled with NHL draft picks and sure-fire 2012 picks.

Things are so good, thanks mostly to the Barons' early-season dominance, that the Edmonton Oilers are the winningest franchise in hockey. The second-place team is even more unexpected. It's like someone flipped professional hockey upside down.

Below is a list of all 60 NHL and AHL teams, sorted by combined winning percentage to eliminate Bruce McCurdy's hated and dreaded Bettman point.

AHL Team GP W PTS W %
NHL Team GP W PTS W %
PTS W %
Oklahoma City Barons 21 15 31 0.714
Edmonton Oilers 24 12 26 0.500
57 0.600
Toronto Marlies 20 12 27 0.600
Toronto Maple Leafs 24 14 30 0.583
57 0.591
Connecticut Whale 19 11 25 0.579
New York Rangers 20 12 27 0.600
52 0.590
Adirondack Phantoms 19 11 23 0.579
Philadelphia Flyers 23 13 29 0.565
52 0.571
Houston Aeros 20 11 28 0.550
Minnesota Wild 24 14 31 0.583
59 0.568
WBS Penguins 21 11 27 0.524
Pittsburgh Penguins 24 14 32 0.583
59 0.556
Portland Pirates 19 10 22 0.526
Phoenix Coyotes 22 12 27 0.545
49 0.537
Chicago Wolves 18 9 20 0.500
Vancouver Canucks 23 13 27 0.565
47 0.537
Rochester Americans 20 10 23 0.500
Buffalo Sabres 23 13 27 0.565
50 0.535
Milwaukee Admirals 17 10 21 0.588
Nashville Predators 23 11 26 0.478
47 0.525
Albany Devils 20 10 23 0.500
New Jersey Devils 22 12 25 0.545
48 0.524
Norfolk Admirals 21 12 25 0.571
Tampa Bay Lightning 23 11 24 0.478
49 0.523
Manchester Monarchs 22 12 25 0.545
Los Angeles Kings 24 12 28 0.500
53 0.522
Hershey Bears 19 9 23 0.474
Washington Capitals 22 12 25 0.545
48 0.512
Grand Rapids Griffins 19 7 15 0.368
Detroit Red Wings 22 14 29 0.636
44 0.512
Rockford IceHogs 19 8 17 0.421
Chicago Blackhawks 24 14 31 0.583
48 0.512
Abbotsford Heat 21 13 27 0.619
Calgary Flames 22 9 19 0.409
46 0.512
Texas Stars 19 8 17 0.421
Dallas Stars 24 14 29 0.583
46 0.512
Peoria Rivermen 22 10 22 0.455
St. Louis Blues 23 13 28 0.565
50 0.511
Worcester Sharks 17 6 17 0.353
San Jose Sharks 21 13 27 0.619
44 0.500
Providence Bruins 23 8 18 0.348
Boston Bruins 22 14 29 0.636
47 0.489
St. John's IceCaps 20 12 28 0.600
Winnipeg Jets 23 9 22 0.391
50 0.488
San Antonio Rampage 20 9 18 0.450
Florida Panthers 23 12 28 0.522
46 0.488
Charlotte Checkers 21 13 28 0.619
Carolina Hurricanes 25 8 20 0.320
48 0.457
Lake Erie Monsters 20 9 20 0.450
Colorado Avalanche 24 10 21 0.417
41 0.432
Binghamton Senators 21 7 16 0.333
Ottawa Senators 23 11 24 0.478
40 0.409
Bridgeport Sound Tigers 21 10 24 0.476
New York Islanders 21 6 16 0.286
40 0.381
Hamilton Bulldogs 19 6 14 0.316
Montreal Canadiens 24 10 24 0.417
38 0.372
Springfield Falcons 20 10 20 0.500
Columbus Blue Jackets 23 6 15 0.261
35 0.372
Syracuse Crunch 18 9 21 0.500
Anaheim Ducks 23 6 16 0.261
37 0.366

Unless the Barons somehow win a larger percentage of their games, this lofty perch is destined to be short-lived. Edmonton is still outplaying the percentages and working with 3 NHL defensemen. But the Barons, they've got something cooking in Oklahoma City. As long as the Oilers don't poach the talent due to injuries, the Barons could be in for a deep playoff run.

One last item for those of you that take delight in the Habs' misery, how about that Canadiens franchise?