Sunshine on Ice
Florida has become home to one of the most unexpected streaks in professional sports history.
For decades there has been a direct correlation between the population rise in Florida and the fall in New York. Florida has gone from being the winter escape for New York retirees and socialites, to, as of 2014, surpassing New York as the third most populous state in the nation according to data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Throngs of New York snowbirds permanently traded in their four seasons, overcrowded cities, and major league sports teams en masse for warm weather, low taxes and pro sports pastimes like golf, jai alai, dog racing.
But starting with the founding of the AFL’s Miami Dolphins in 1966 and then with the expansion boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the State of Florida experienced a meteoric rise in pro sports successes. From the 1972 Perfect Dolphins, to the two-time champion Marlins, Shaq and Penny’s Magic, LeBron’s ‘Heatles’ four straight trips to the NBA Finals, and Tom Brady’s home Super Bowl victory with the Buccaneers, the list goes on and on. The only current major pro sports team in the state that has failed to reach its championship round is the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that did reach the AFC title game in just its second season of existence. But right now, we’re in the midst of one of the least expected sports streaks for any state, especially one that has rarely sees naturally forming ice.
After beating the Carolina Hurricanes four-games-to-one to advance to their third straight Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers are in search of a second straight title. That era of success comes directly on the heels of three straight Final trips by the cross-state Tampa Bay Lightning. In fact, as of right now, the Lightning are the only team to win back-to-back titles south of Philadelphia. Somehow Florida has stolen the title of “Center of the Hockey World” (and by some odd twist of fate, no Canadian-based team has raised the Cup since the NHL admitted the Lightning to the league in 1992-93).
The six straight trips to the Final by Florida’s finest matches the longest streak for any state (sorry Canadian friends, we’re not considering provinces) in Stanley Cup Playoff history. The old standard was set by the Empire State which sent the New York Rangers to the Final in 1979 (loss to the Canadiens) one year before the upstart Islanders went on a dynastic five Cup Final run from 1980 through 1984, capturing titles in their first four tries.
New York’s successful streaks weren’t contained to the rink. In the 10-year period from 1949 through 1958 on the baseball diamond, the New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants hosted the World Series each time, winning eight. During six of those years, not a single World Series game was played outside of the New York City limits. That’s by far the longest stretch in World Series history for any state, let alone city. Next longest streak of this kind was also by New Yorkers, with the Brooklyn Robins, the Giants and Yankees reaching five straight Fall Classics from 1920 through 1924.
The longest streak for consecutive trips to the Super Bowl belongs to the pride of Western New York, the Buffalo Bills. Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith & Co. dominated the AFC from 1990 through 1993, but fell short in each to NFC teams from Texas, Washington D.C. and…New Jersey. Four states have had streaks of three straight Super Bowl appearances: Missouri (2022-24 Chiefs), Massachusetts (2016-18 Patriots) California (1979 Rams, 1980 Raiders, 1981 49ers) and Florida (1971-73 Dolphins). And in the pre-Super Bowl NFL, the Cleveland Browns were kings, making it to the NFL Championship Game six straight seasons from 1950 through 1955.
And then there’s the Boston Celtics who had a streak of 10 NBA Finals appearances from 1957 through 1966 representing Massachusetts. However, the Commonwealth’s record came at the expense of New York which had held the distinction by sending either the Syracuse Nats or New York Knicks to the Finals every year during the six-year span of 1950 to 1955.
