Ranking the best sports dynasties of the last 25 years

5 of 9

DETROIT, MI – JUNE 13: Commissioner Gary Bettman presents the Stanley Cup to captain Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings with his daughter Isabella after eliminating the Carolina Hurricanes during game five of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals on June 13, 2002 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The Red Wings won 3-1. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI) /

NHL – Detroit Red Wings (1994-95-1997-98)

While the Bulls were busy running the NBA during this same time, the men from the Motor City were being the greatest show on ice and bringing their old friend Lord Stanley back for a couple visits with the team.

Now, that doesn’t mean it was all that easy for Detroit. The first season of this span, they got swept out of the Stanley Cup Finals by the New Jersey Devils…while the second season ended in the Western Conference Finals with a series loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

The 1996-97 season is where everything came together for the Red Wings, as the swept the Philadelphia Flyers and won the first Stanley Cup for the franchise since the 1954-55 season. Detroit must have really enjoyed that since they again won the cup the following season with a sweep over the Washington Capitals.

Detroit would take a couple more seasons off before again winning the Stanley Cup three seasons later, but there is no doubt that this four-year span was not just the best era of the last quarter century, but maybe the best era in the history of the franchise.

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