How many teams are there in the NHL?

Modified Feb 17, 2023 17:31 GMT

The National Hockey League (NHL) consists of 32 teams, 24 of which are in the United States and seven in Canada. The league was founded in 1917 and is widely considered the world's premier professional ice hockey league.

The NHL season runs from October to June, with the Stanley Cup playoffs taking place at the end of the regular season to determine the league champions.

It is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, each further divided into two divisions. Here's a detailed breakdown of each conference and division:

Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference consists of 16 teams and is divided into two divisions:

a. Atlantic Division

The Atlantic Division consists of eight teams, all of which are based in the Eastern Time Zone. The teams are:

Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs

b. Metropolitan Division

The Metropolitan Division also consists of eight teams, which are spread across the Eastern and Atlantic Time Zones. The teams are:

Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

2. Western Conference

The Western Conference also consists of 16 teams and is divided into two divisions:

a. Central Division

The Central Division consists of eight teams, all of which are based in the Central Time Zone. The teams are:

Arizona Coyotes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets

b. Pacific Division

The Pacific Division also consists of eight teams that are spread across the Pacific, Mountain, and Central Time Zones. The teams are:

Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Seattle Kraken
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights

Total games played by NHL teams in a season

Each team plays a total of 82 regular-season games, with 41 games at home and 41 games away. At the end of the regular season, the top three teams from each division, plus two wild-card teams from each conference, advance to the playoffs.

The playoffs consist of four rounds of best-of-seven series, with the winner of the final round being awarded the Stanley Cup, the most prestigious trophy in hockey.

The NHL regular season usually starts in early October and runs through early to mid-April. Each team plays against the other teams in their division and conference a certain number of times, besides playing a limited number of games against teams from the other conference.

It's worth noting that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL has had to change its schedule and format in recent years. For example, in the 2020-2021 season, the NHL reduced the number of games played to 56 per team to accommodate a later start to the season and a more condensed schedule.

Edited by Piyush Bisht