And then there were two.
Though the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning are more than 12 months into a hockey season that began with training camps last summer, there's still some work to do before either of them take a celebratory lap and pose for team pictures at Edmonton's Rogers Place.
As for the other 29 teams wishing they were spending their Septembers in Northern Alberta, there's no shortage of work for them to do either, as they put pieces in place to make a run at their own banner-hanging event next year.