New data reveals which NHL teams bounce back best after hitting the road.
For years, it’s been a common belief in the NHL world that teams need a game – or even two – to shake off the wear and tear of road trips.
Travel fatigue, unfamiliar environments, and tough away crowds are all seen as hurdles that affect post-trip performance.
But what if that long-held assumption doesn’t quite hold up?
New research from NHL betting site Betway dives into the numbers to uncover the teams that defy this narrative – those that not only recover quickly from away games but thrive in their immediate return to home ice.
Top NHL Teams That Shake Off the Road With Ease
Leading the charge are the Colorado Avalanche, whose recovery stats are nothing short of elite.
Over the last three NHL seasons, the Avs have averaged 15.3 wins at home immediately following away games, making them the undisputed kings of bounce-back performances.
Their most dominant season in this regard came in 2021/2022, when they posted an incredible 22 home wins directly after returning from the road.
Hot on their heels are the New York Rangers, showing remarkable consistency with 14, 13, and 14 return-wins over the past three seasons.
Despite the hustle and bustle of travel in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers have managed to maintain sharpness on home turf time and again.
Not far behind are the Carolina Hurricanes, who boast an average of 13.67 return-wins since 2021.
Their ability to regroup and refocus post-travel puts them firmly in the upper tier of recovery-savvy squads.
|
Team |
Return-Wins 2023/2024 |
Return-Wins 2022/2023 |
Return-Wins 2021/2022 |
Travel Recovery Score |
|
Avalanche |
16 |
8 |
22 |
15.33 |
|
Rangers |
14 |
13 |
16 |
14.33 |
|
Hurricanes |
11 |
17 |
13 |
13.67 |
|
Maple Leafs |
9 |
11 |
20 |
13.33 |
|
Stars |
13 |
14 |
13 |
13.33 |
|
Oilers |
18 |
10 |
11 |
13.00 |
|
Panthers |
11 |
15 |
13 |
13.00 |
|
Golden Knights |
12 |
17 |
8 |
12.33 |
|
Lightning |
8 |
9 |
18 |
11.67 |
|
Islanders |
13 |
15 |
7 |
11.67 |
|
Red Wings |
13 |
12 |
8 |
11.00 |
|
Devils |
6 |
17 |
9 |
10.67 |
|
Canucks |
14 |
14 |
3 |
10.33 |
|
Blues |
11 |
7 |
13 |
10.33 |
|
Flames |
10 |
6 |
12 |
9.33 |
|
Senators |
10 |
11 |
7 |
9.33 |
|
Minnesota Wild |
7 |
9 |
11 |
9.00 |
|
Jets |
11 |
9 |
7 |
9.00 |
|
Kings |
10 |
9 |
6 |
8.33 |
|
Flyers |
13 |
5 |
7 |
8.33 |
|
Washington Captials |
9 |
6 |
7 |
7.33 |
|
Kraken |
4 |
11 |
3 |
6.00 |
|
Ducks |
4 |
5 |
7 |
5.33 |
|
Canadians |
5 |
6 |
4 |
5.00 |
|
Utah Hockey Club |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.00 |
Who Struggles Most After the Road?
At the other end of the spectrum, it’s been a tough few seasons for the Montreal Canadiens, who rank last in the study.
With an average of just five home wins following away trips per season, they’ve had a much harder time finding their rhythm after hitting the road.
Whether it’s the toll of long-distance travel or deeper squad issues, the numbers don’t lie—the Habs struggle more than most when returning to home ice.
Breaking the Myth
This data doesn’t just give us insight into team performance, it challenges a long-held assumption in hockey culture.
While many believe travel fatigue inevitably leads to sluggish home returns, teams like the Avalanche, Rangers, and Hurricanes prove that strong recovery is possible, and even predictable.
So next time your team comes home from a rough road trip, don’t automatically brace for a loss.
If they’re anything like Colorado, a homecoming might just be the start of another win streak.
Methodology
Researchers counted the number of home wins registered by each NHL team in their next game following an away contest.
This data was collected for the three most recent seasons, added together and divided by three to find each team’s average number of return-wins.
This number is labelled as Travel Recovery Score in the table shown above.