In North America, there are 32 teams in the National Hockey League, 25 of which are from the United States and 7 from Canada. The Stanley Cup, North America's oldest and most prestigious professional sports trophy, is awarded to the league playoff champion each year.
The NHL is regarded as the most prestigious professional ice hockey league in the world and is one of the top professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. According to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), one of the "most important championships available to the sport" is the Stanley Cup.
After the National Hockey Association (NHA), established in 1909 in Renfrew, Ontario, ceased operations, the National Hockey League was established at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal on November 26, 1917.
The NHL instantly replaced the NHA as one of the leagues that participated in an annual interleague struggle for the Stanley Cup before a succession of league mergers and foldings left the NHL as the sole league competing for the Stanley Cup in 1926.
Following the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the English Premier League (EPL), the NHL is the fifth-richest professional sports league in the world by earnings.
Since 1989, when the league's head office relocated from Montreal, it has been located in Midtown Manhattan. In NHL history, there have been four league-wide work stoppages, all of which took place after 1992.
Typically, the NHL's regular season runs from October to April, during which time each team plays 82 games. Sixteen clubs make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs after the regular season, a four-round tournament that lasts through June and determines the league champion.
The Montreal Canadiens have amassed the most total NHL titles since the league's foundation in 1917, with 25 winning three NHL championship series prior to the league's full exclusivity of the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 22 Stanley Cups thereafter.
National Hockey League (NHL) Teams
The National Hockey League had four Canadian-based clubs when it first began, hence the word "national" in the league's name. Since the Boston Bruins joined the league in 1924, when it was expanded to include American clubs, both American and Canadian teams were included.
The league's solely six-team span between 1942 and 1967 was referred to as the "Original Six" collectively. During the 1967 NHL expansion, the NHL gained six new teams, doubling its size. Following that, the league expanded to 18 teams by 1974 and to 21 teams in 1979. The NHL added another 30 teams between 1991 and 2000. In 2017 and 2021, respectively, the 31st and 32nd teams were added.
The National Hockey League (NHL) will operate and play in its 107th and 106th seasons, respectively, in 2023–24. The scheduled dates for the regular season are October 10, 2023, through April 18, 2024. The Stanley Cup Finals are scheduled to take place in June 2024, following the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
List of NHL Teams
The 32 NHL teams are split up into the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, with the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions in the Eastern Conference and the Central and Pacific Divisions in the Western Conference, with each division having eight teams.
The remaining details for teams are given below:
Eastern Conference
The NHL's Eastern Conference is one of the two major conferences and is primarily made up of teams from the eastern area of North America. The Eastern Conference was divided into two more sections.
The Atlantic Division comprises teams from the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Metropolitan Division teams are frequently found in the eastern and southeastern United States.
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Founded/Joined |
| Atlantic | Boston Bruins | Boston, Massachusetts | TD Garden | 1924 |
| Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo, New York | KeyBank Center | 1970 | |
| Detroit Red Wings | Detroit, Michigan | Little Caesars Arena | 1926 | |
| Florida Panthers | Sunrise, Florida | Amerant Bank Arena | 1993 | |
| Montreal Canadiens | Montreal, Quebec | Bell Centre | 1909/1917 | |
| Ottawa Senators | Ottawa Ontario | Canadian Tire Centre | 1992 | |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Tampa, Florida | Amalie Arena | 1992 | |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto, Ontario | Scotiabank Arena | 1917 | |
| Metropolitan | Carolina Hurricanes | Raleigh, North Carolina | PNC Arena | 1972/1979 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Columbus, Ohio | Nationwide Arena | 2000 | |
| New Jersey Devils | Newark, New Jersey | Prudential Center | 1974 | |
| New York Islanders | Elmont, New York | UBS Arena | 1972 | |
| New York Rangers | New York City, New York | Madison Square Garden | 1926 | |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Wells Fargo Center | 1967 | |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | PPG Paints Arena | 1967 | |
| Washington Capitals | Washington, D. C. | Capital One Arena | 1974 |
Western Conference
The Western Conference is the NHL's other major conference and is primarily made up of teams from the western half of North America. The Western Conference was divided into two more sections.
The Central Division- teams in this division were dispersed throughout North America's central region, including both the United States and Canada.
The Pacific Division- teams in this division were mainly from the western United States and Canada.
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Founded/Joined |
| Central | Arizona Coyotes | Tempe, Arizona | Mullett Arena | 1972/1979 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago, Illinois | United Center | 1926 | |
| Colorado Avalanche | Denver, Colorado | Ball Arena | 1972/1979 | |
| Dallas Stars | Dallas, Texas | American Airlines Center | 1967 | |
| Minnesota Wild | Saint Paul Minnesota | Xcel Energy Center | 2000 | |
| Nashville Predators | Nashville, Tennessee | Bridgestone Arena | 1998 | |
| St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Missouri | Enterprise Center | 1967 | |
| Winnipeg Jets | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Canada Life Center | 1999 | |
| Pacific | Anaheim Ducks | Anaheim, California | Honda Center | 1993 |
| Calgary Flames | Calgary, Alberta | Scotiabank Saddledome | 1972 | |
| Edmonton Oilers | Edmonton, Alberta | Rogers Place | 1972/1979 | |
| Los Angeles Kings | Los Angeles, California | Crypto.com Arena | 1967 | |
| San Jose Sharks | San Jose, California | SAP Center | 1991 | |
| Seattle Kraken | Seattle, Washington | Climate Pledge Arena | 2021 | |
| Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver, British Columbia | Rogers Arena | 1945/1970 | |
| Vegas Golden Knights | Paradise, Nevada | T-Mobile Arena | 2017 |
FAQs
A. There are 32 teams in the NHL, with 25 based in the United States and seven in Canada.
A. The Stanley Cup is North America's oldest professional sports trophy, awarded to the NHL playoff champion each season.
A. The NHL was established on November 26, 1917, at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal, Canada.
A. The NHL regular season typically runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games.
A. The NHL stands for National Hockey League.
A. An NHL team is a professional ice hockey franchise representing a city or region in North America, competing in the National Hockey League (NHL).
