It is often discussed who are the best National Hockey League teams of all time. It’s hard to compare the 1930 Boston Bruins to the 1977 Montreal Canadiens when the rules, conditions, equipment, training and number of teams change at a constant rate.

What we see here in this article is the best NHL team of each decade since the 1920s based solely on single-season winning percentage. The number of games played in a season has gone from 24 to 82 in just 80 years, and winning percentage is the only true measure of a team’s success during the regular season.

1920

The 1919-20 Ottawa Senators played in a young NHL with only 3 other teams and only a 24-game schedule. The team won 19 of 24 games and had no ties for a .792 winning percentage. The Senators won the Stanley Cup that season, which is, as we shall see, a rarity among teams that excel at extreme levels of success during the regular season.

1930

The 1929-30 Boston Bruins had the highest single-season winning percentage of all time. In the 44-game schedule, the Bruins had 38 wins and 1 draw to go along with their 5 losses for a winning percentage of .875. This was the era before the ‘Original 6’ and the NHL consisted of two 5-team divisions. The Bruins were easily the best team in the American Division. However, the Montreal Canadiens of the Canadian Division would go on to be the eventual winners of the Stanley Cup that season.

1940

The 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens would post a winning percentage of .830 with 38 wins, 5 losses, and 7 ties in a 50-game season. The league consisted of 6 teams and the Canadians were crowned Stanley Cup champions.

1950

The Detroit Red Wings had a winning percentage of .721 in 1950-51 with 44 wins, 13 losses, and 13 ties in 70 games. The league still consisted of the original 6 teams. Despite Detroit’s success, the Toronto Maple Leafs stole the Stanley Cup.

1960

The 1961-62 Montreal Canadiens had a winning percentage of .700 in 42 wins, 14 losses, and 14 ties in 70 games. The league was in its final decade of just 6 teams and expansion came in 1967-68. Once again, the Toronto Maple Leafs snatched the Stanley Cup from the regular season league leader.

1970

The team that is considered by many to be the greatest of all time had a winning percentage of .825 in 1976-77. The Montreal Canadiens lost just 8 games, won 60, and tied 12 in 80 games in the 18-team league. The Canadiens would go on to win the Stanley Cup that season.

1980

Wayne Gretzky and his Edmonton Oilers controlled the 1983-84 season with a .744 winning percentage in 57 wins, 18 losses, and 5 ties in 80 games. The Oilers would not only lead the 21-team league during the regular season, they would also take down the Stanley Cup.

1990

In 1995-96, the Detroit Red Wings set the record for most wins in a single season with 62, a record that stands today. The Wings posted a .799 winning percentage over the 82-game schedule, losing 13 and tying 7. The league had expanded to 26 teams at this point. Despite the record number of wins, Detroit would fall to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final.

2000

Ten years after his record-breaking performance, the Detroit Red Wings posted a decade-best record with a .756 winning percentage. The feat was achieved with a record of 58 wins, 16 losses and 8 draws. At this point, the league reached 30 teams and it remains at that number today. Once again, the Wings would not take home the Stanley Cup, as the Carolina Hurricanes would go on to win the first.