List of NHL seasons facts for kids
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league that started in 1917. Before the NHL, there was a league called the National Hockey Association (NHA). Some teams from the NHA joined the NHL.
Only two teams from the very beginning of the NHL still exist today: the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs were first known as the Toronto Arenas and then the Toronto St. Patricks. The Quebec Bulldogs were also a founding team but took a break before joining the NHL's third season. They later moved to Hamilton and then stopped playing in 1925. The original Ottawa Senators played until 1935. After one season in St. Louis, that team was dissolved. The current Ottawa Senators team honors the history of the original Senators, even retiring some of their numbers.
This article lists the seasons of both the NHA and the NHL, divided into different time periods, just like the articles about the history of the National Hockey League.
Contents
How Champions Were Decided
In the early days of hockey, including the NHA, the team with the best record at the end of the regular season was usually crowned champion. Playoffs only happened if two or more teams had the same best record.
This changed in 1917 with a new idea called the "split-season." The season was divided into two halves. The champion was then decided by a playoff game between the winners of each half. The NHL continued this split-season and playoff system. Except for the 1919–20 season (when Ottawa won both halves, so no playoff was needed), the NHL champion has always been the winner of the playoffs.
The NHA champion was awarded the O'Brien Cup. The NHL continued this tradition. Until 1927, the NHL champion received the O'Brien Cup. From 1925, they also got the Prince of Wales Trophy. To win the famous Stanley Cup, the NHL champion had to play against and beat the champions from other leagues, like the Pacific Coast or Western Canada leagues. After 1927, the NHL playoff champion directly won the Stanley Cup. The O'Brien Cup and Prince of Wales Trophy then became awards for division champions or playoff runner-up teams.
National Hockey Association Seasons
Hockey seasons used to start in January and end in March. But the 1910–11 season was the first to begin before the new year. In the 1911–12 season, a big change happened: the "rover" position was removed. This meant teams played with six skaters instead of seven. Also, games changed from two 30-minute periods to three 20-minute periods.
The 1916–17 season introduced the "split schedule," an idea from Toronto NHA owner Eddie Livingstone. The NHA champion was given the O'Brien Cup. This trophy was donated by the O'Brien family, who owned silver mines (which is where the silver for the trophy came from!) and also owned several NHA teams, including the original Montreal Canadiens.
| Season | Final | No. of Teams |
Reg. season games |
Start (begin reg. season) |
Finish (incl. NHA playoffs) |
Top record | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1910 | 7 | 12 | January 5 | March 15 | Montreal Wanderers (11–1–0) | Montreal Wanderers |
| 1910–11 | 1911 | 5 | 16 | December 31 | March 10 | Ottawa Hockey Club (13–3–0) | Ottawa Hockey Club |
| 1911–12 | 1912 | 4 | 18 | December 30 | March 5 | Quebec Bulldogs (10–8–0) | Quebec Bulldogs |
| 1912–13 | 1913 | 6 | 20 | December 25 | March 5 | Quebec Bulldogs (16–4–0) | Quebec Bulldogs |
| 1913–14 | 1914 | 6 | 20 | December 27 | March 11 | Toronto Blueshirts, Montreal Canadiens (13–7–0) | Toronto Blueshirts |
| 1914–15 | 1915 | 6 | 20 | December 26 | March 13 | Ottawa Senators, Montreal Wanderers (14–6–0) | Ottawa Senators |
| 1915–16 | 1916 | 5 | 24 | December 18 | March 18 | Montreal Canadiens (16–7–1) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1916–17 | 1917 | 6/4 | 20 | December 27 | March 10 | Montreal Canadiens (7–3–0) (1st half) Ottawa Senators (8–2–0) (2nd half) |
Montreal Canadiens |
Early NHL Years (1917–1942)
The NHL began with three teams from the NHA: the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, and Ottawa Senators. A new Toronto team, run by the Toronto Arena Co., also joined, using players from the Toronto Blueshirts. Soon after the first season started, the Wanderers team stopped playing, leaving only three teams.
The same three teams played in the 1918–19 season. Then, Quebec rejoined for the 1919–20 season, moving to Hamilton the next year. This group of four teams stayed the same until the 1924–25 season, when the Montreal Maroons and the Boston Bruins joined the league. More teams joined in other cities until the 1930s, when some teams had to close down.
At first, the new NHL didn't have its own championship trophy. The O'Brien Cup was brought back in November 1921 and was the league's championship trophy until 1927. The new Prince of Wales Trophy, given in 1925, was also awarded to the league champion until 1927. After that, these trophies were used for winning divisions, and the Stanley Cup became the main trophy for the league champion.
| No. | Season | Playoffs | Stanley Cup Finals |
No. of teams |
Reg. season games |
Start (reg. season) |
Finish (incl. NHL playoffs) |
Top record | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1917–18 | 1918 | 1918 | 4/3 | 22 | December 19 | March 13 | Montreal Canadiens (10–4–0) (1st half) Toronto Hockey Club (5–3–0) (2nd half) |
Toronto Hockey Club |
| 2 | 1918–19 | 1919 | 1919 | 3 | 18 | December 19 | March 6 | Montreal Canadiens (7–3–0) (1st half) Ottawa Senators (7–1–0) (2nd half) |
Montreal Canadiens |
| 3 | 1919–20 | 1920 | 1920 | 4 | 24 | December 23 | March 10 | Ottawa Senators (9–3–0) (1st half) Ottawa Senators (10–2–0) (2nd half) |
Ottawa Senators |
| 4 | 1920–21 | 1921 | 1921 | 4 | 24 | December 22 | March 15 | Ottawa Senators (8–2–0) (1st half) Toronto St. Pats (10–4–0) (2nd half) |
Ottawa Senators |
| 5 | 1921–22 | 1922 | 1922 | 4 | 24 | December 17 | March 13 | Ottawa Senators (14–8–2) | Toronto St. Pats |
| 6 | 1922–23 | 1923 | 1923 | 4 | 24 | December 16 | March 9 | Ottawa Senators (14–9–1) | Ottawa Senators |
| 7 | 1923–24 | 1924 | 1924 | 4 | 24 | December 15 | March 11 | Ottawa Senators (16–8–0) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 8 | 1924–25 | 1925 | 1925 | 6 | 30 | November 29 | March 13 | Hamilton Tigers (19–10–1) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 9 | 1925–26 | 1926 | 1926 | 7 | 36 | November 28 | March 27 | Ottawa Senators (24–8–4) | Montreal Maroons |
| 10 | 1926–27 | 1927 | 1927 | 10 | 44 | November 18 | April 13 | Ottawa Senators (30–10–4) | Ottawa Senators |
| 11 | 1927–28 | 1928 | 1928 | 10 | 44 | November 15 | April 14 | Montreal Canadiens (26–11–7) | New York Rangers |
| 12 | 1928–29 | 1929 | 1929 | 10 | 44 | November 15 | March 29 | Montreal Canadiens (22–7–15) | Boston Bruins |
| 13 | 1929–30 | 1930 | 1930 | 10 | 44 | November 14 | April 3 | Boston Bruins (38–5–1) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 14 | 1930–31 | 1931 | 1931 | 10 | 44 | November 11 | April 14 | Boston Bruins (28–10–6) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 15 | 1931–32 | 1932 | 1932 | 8 | 48 | November 12 | April 9 | Montreal Canadiens (25–16–7) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 16 | 1932–33 | 1933 | 1933 | 9 | 48 | November 10 | April 13 | Boston Bruins (25–15–8) | New York Rangers |
| 17 | 1933–34 | 1934 | 1934 | 9 | 48 | November 9 | April 10 | Toronto Maple Leafs (26–13–9) | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 18 | 1934–35 | 1935 | 1935 | 9 | 48 | November 8 | April 9 | Toronto Maple Leafs (30–14–4) | Montreal Maroons |
| 19 | 1935–36 | 1936 | 1936 | 8 | 48 | November 7 | April 11 | Detroit Red Wings (24–16–8) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 20 | 1936–37 | 1937 | 1937 | 8 | 48 | November 5 | April 15 | Detroit Red Wings (25–14–9) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 21 | 1937–38 | 1938 | 1938 | 8 | 48 | November 4 | April 12 | Boston Bruins (30–11–7) | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 22 | 1938–39 | 1939 | 1939 | 7 | 48 | November 3 | April 16 | Boston Bruins (36–10–2) | Boston Bruins |
| 23 | 1939–40 | 1940 | 1940 | 7 | 48 | November 2 | April 13 | Boston Bruins (31–12–5) | New York Rangers |
| 24 | 1940–41 | 1941 | 1941 | 7 | 48 | November 3 | April 12 | Boston Bruins (27–8–13) | Boston Bruins |
| 25 | 1941–42 | 1942 | 1942 | 7 | 48 | November 1 | April 18 | New York Rangers (29–17–2) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
The Original Six Era (1942–1967)
Before the 1942–43 season, the New York Americans team stopped playing. This left only six teams in the league, starting what is known as the 'Original Six' era. During this time, the NHL had just one division with these six teams. Each season, four of the six teams would make it to the playoffs to compete for the Stanley Cup and the NHL championship.
| No. | Season | Playoffs | Finals | Reg. season games |
Start (reg. season) |
Finish (incl. playoffs) |
Top record | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1942–43 | 1943 | 1943 | 50 | October 31 | April 8 | Detroit Red Wings (25–14–11) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 27 | 1943–44 | 1944 | 1944 | 50 | October 30 | April 13 | Montreal Canadiens (38–5–7) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 28 | 1944–45 | 1945 | 1945 | 50 | October 28 | April 22 | Montreal Canadiens (38–8–4) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 29 | 1945–46 | 1946 | 1946 | 50 | October 24 | April 9 | Montreal Canadiens (28–17–5) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 30 | 1946–47 | 1947 | 1947 | 60 | October 16 | April 19 | Montreal Canadiens (34–16–10) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 31 | 1947–48 | 1948 | 1948 | 60 | October 15 | April 14 | Toronto Maple Leafs (32–15–13) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 32 | 1948–49 | 1949 | 1949 | 60 | October 13 | April 16 | Detroit Red Wings (34–19–7) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 33 | 1949–50 | 1950 | 1950 | 70 | October 12 | April 23 | Detroit Red Wings (37–19–14) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 34 | 1950–51 | 1951 | 1951 | 70 | October 11 | April 21 | Detroit Red Wings (44–13–13) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 35 | 1951–52 | 1952 | 1952 | 70 | October 11 | April 15 | Detroit Red Wings (44–14–12) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 36 | 1952–53 | 1953 | 1953 | 70 | October 9 | April 16 | Detroit Red Wings (36–16–18) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 37 | 1953–54 | 1954 | 1954 | 70 | October 8 | April 16 | Detroit Red Wings (37–19–14) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 38 | 1954–55 | 1955 | 1955 | 70 | October 7 | April 14 | Detroit Red Wings (42–11–11) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 39 | 1955–56 | 1956 | 1956 | 70 | October 6 | April 10 | Montreal Canadiens (45–15–10) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 40 | 1956–57 | 1957 | 1957 | 70 | October 11 | April 16 | Detroit Red Wings (38–20–12) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 41 | 1957–58 | 1958 | 1958 | 70 | October 8 | April 20 | Montreal Canadiens (43–17–10) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 42 | 1958–59 | 1959 | 1959 | 70 | October 8 | April 18 | Montreal Canadiens (39–18–13) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 43 | 1959–60 | 1960 | 1960 | 70 | October 7 | April 14 | Montreal Canadiens (40–18–12) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 44 | 1960–61 | 1961 | 1961 | 70 | October 5 | April 16 | Montreal Canadiens (41–19–10) | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 45 | 1961–62 | 1962 | 1962 | 70 | October 11 | April 22 | Montreal Canadiens (42–14–14) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 46 | 1962–63 | 1963 | 1963 | 70 | October 12 | April 18 | Toronto Maple Leafs (35–23–12) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 47 | 1963–64 | 1964 | 1964 | 70 | October 8 | April 25 | Montreal Canadiens (36–21–13) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 48 | 1964–65 | 1965 | 1965 | 70 | October 12 | May 1 | Detroit Red Wings (40–23–7) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 49 | 1965–66 | 1966 | 1966 | 70 | October 23 | May 5 | Montreal Canadiens (41–21–8) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 50 | 1966–67 | 1967 | 1967 | 70 | October 19 | May 2 | Chicago Black Hawks (41–17–12) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL Expansion Years (1967–1992)
After 1967, the NHL grew and changed its structure many times. In 1967, the league divided into two divisions. The winners of each division would then play each other for the NHL championship. As the league got bigger, the championship format changed to allow teams from different divisions to play each other. Later, it changed again to a system where division champions played, which then led to conference champions playing for the Stanley Cup.
In 1985, the Presidents' Trophy was created. This award goes to the team with the best record in the regular season, no matter which division or conference they are in.
| No. | Season | Playoffs | Finals | No. of teams |
Reg. season games |
Start (reg. season) |
Finish (incl. playoffs) |
Top record | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 1967–68 | 1968 | 1968 | 12 | 74 | October 11 | May 11 | Montreal Canadiens (42–22–10) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 52 | 1968–69 | 1969 | 1969 | 12 | 76 | October 11 | May 4 | Montreal Canadiens (46–19–11) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 53 | 1969–70 | 1970 | 1970 | 12 | 76 | October 11 | May 10 | Chicago Black Hawks (45–22–9) | Boston Bruins |
| 54 | 1970–71 | 1971 | 1971 | 14 | 78 | October 9 | May 18 | Boston Bruins (57–14–7) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 55 | 1971–72 | 1972 | 1972 | 14 | 78 | October 8 | May 11 | Boston Bruins (54–13–11) | Boston Bruins |
| 56 | 1972–73 | 1973 | 1973 | 16 | 78 | October 7 | May 10 | Montreal Canadiens (52–10–16) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 57 | 1973–74 | 1974 | 1974 | 16 | 78 | October 10 | May 19 | Boston Bruins (52–17–9) | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 58 | 1974–75 | 1975 | 1975 | 18 | 80 | October 9 | May 27 | Philadelphia Flyers (51–18–11) | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 59 | 1975–76 | 1976 | 1976 | 18 | 80 | October 7 | May 16 | Montreal Canadiens (58–11–11) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 60 | 1976–77 | 1977 | 1977 | 18 | 80 | October 5 | May 14 | Montreal Canadiens (60–8–12) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 61 | 1977–78 | 1978 | 1978 | 18 | 80 | October 12 | May 25 | Montreal Canadiens (59–10–11) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 62 | 1978–79 | 1979 | 1979 | 17 | 80 | October 11 | May 21 | New York Islanders (51–15–14) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 63 | 1979–80 | 1980 | 1980 | 21 | 80 | October 9 | May 24 | Philadelphia Flyers (48–12–20) | New York Islanders |
| 64 | 1980–81 | 1981 | 1981 | 21 | 80 | October 9 | May 21 | New York Islanders (48–18–14) | New York Islanders |
| 65 | 1981–82 | 1982 | 1982 | 21 | 80 | October 6 | May 16 | New York Islanders (54–16–10) | New York Islanders |
| 66 | 1982–83 | 1983 | 1983 | 21 | 80 | October 5 | May 17 | Boston Bruins (50–20–10) | New York Islanders |
| 67 | 1983–84 | 1984 | 1984 | 21 | 80 | October 4 | May 19 | Edmonton Oilers (57–18–5) | Edmonton Oilers |
| 68 | 1984–85 | 1985 | 1985 | 21 | 80 | October 11 | May 30 | Philadelphia Flyers (53–20–7) | Edmonton Oilers |
| 69 | 1985–86 | 1986 | 1986 | 21 | 80 | October 10 | May 24 | Edmonton Oilers (56–17–7) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 70 | 1986–87 | 1987 | 1987 | 21 | 80 | October 9 | May 31 | Edmonton Oilers (50–24–6) | Edmonton Oilers |
| 71 | 1987–88 | 1988 | 1988 | 21 | 80 | October 8 | May 26 | Calgary Flames (48–23–9) | Edmonton Oilers |
| 72 | 1988–89 | 1989 | 1989 | 21 | 80 | October 6 | May 25 | Calgary Flames (54–17–9) | Calgary Flames |
| 73 | 1989–90 | 1990 | 1990 | 21 | 80 | October 5 | May 24 | Boston Bruins (46–25–9) | Edmonton Oilers |
| 74 | 1990–91 | 1991 | 1991 | 21 | 80 | October 4 | May 25 | Chicago Blackhawks (49–23–8) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 75 | 1991–92 | 1992 | 1992 | 22 | 80 | October 3 | June 1 | New York Rangers (50–25–5) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
The Modern NHL Era (1993–Present)
In 1993, when Gary Bettman became the new commissioner, the league changed its structure again. It was divided into Eastern and Western Conferences, each with two divisions based on geography. The playoff format was updated so that conference champions would play for the Stanley Cup, rather than divisional playoff champions.
A new period of growth began, with more teams joining. By the 2000–01 season, the NHL had grown to 30 teams and six divisions. This modern era has seen five seasons where the schedule was changed. Three of these changes were due to disagreements between the NHL and the players' union. Two others were because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For example, the 1994–95 and 2012–13 seasons were shortened to only 48 games, played only against teams within the same conference. The entire 2004–05 season was cancelled. The 2019–20 season was stopped early (after 68–71 games) because of the pandemic. This led to a special playoff format with 24 teams. The next season, 2020–21, was also shorter (56 games) and teams were temporarily regrouped into new divisions, with a modified playoff format.
Even with these changes, the NHL officially counts the 2004–05 season in its total number of seasons. For instance, the 2011 NHL Guide says the Tampa Bay Lightning were in their 19th 'NHL Season', even though they had only played 18 seasons of games by then.
| No. | Season | Playoffs | Finals | No. of teams |
Reg. season games |
Start (reg. season) |
Finish (incl. playoffs) |
Top record | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 1992–93 | 1993 | 1993 | 24 | 84 | October 6 | June 9 | Pittsburgh Penguins (56–21–7) | Montreal Canadiens |
| 77 | 1993–94 | 1994 | 1994 | 26 | 84 | October 5 | June 14 | New York Rangers (52–24–8) | New York Rangers |
| 78 | 1994–95 | 1995 | 1995 | 26 | 48 | January 20 | June 24 | Detroit Red Wings (33–11–4) | New Jersey Devils |
| 79 | 1995–96 | 1996 | 1996 | 26 | 82 | October 6 | June 10 | Detroit Red Wings (62–13–7) | Colorado Avalanche |
| 80 | 1996–97 | 1997 | 1997 | 26 | 82 | October 4 | June 7 | Colorado Avalanche (49–24–9) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 81 | 1997–98 | 1998 | 1998 | 26 | 82 | October 1 | June 16 | Dallas Stars (49–22–11) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 82 | 1998–99 | 1999 | 1999 | 27 | 82 | October 9 | June 19 | Dallas Stars (51–19–12) | Dallas Stars |
| 83 | 1999–00 | 2000 | 2000 | 28 | 82 | October 1 | June 10 | St. Louis Blues (51–19–11–1) | New Jersey Devils |
| 84 | 2000–01 | 2001 | 2001 | 30 | 82 | October 4 | June 9 | Colorado Avalanche (52–16–10–4) | Colorado Avalanche |
| 85 | 2001–02 | 2002 | 2002 | 30 | 82 | October 3 | June 13 | Detroit Red Wings (51–17–10–4) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 86 | 2002–03 | 2003 | 2003 | 30 | 82 | October 9 | June 9 | Ottawa Senators (52–21–8–1) | New Jersey Devils |
| 87 | 2003–04 | 2004 | 2004 | 30 | 82 | October 8 | June 7 | Detroit Red Wings (48–21–11–2) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 88 | 2004–05 | Season not played due to lockout | |||||||
| 89 | 2005–06 | 2006 | 2006 | 30 | 82 | October 5 | June 19 | Detroit Red Wings (58–16–8) | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 90 | 2006–07 | 2007 | 2007 | 30 | 82 | October 4 | June 6 | Buffalo Sabres (53–22–7) | Anaheim Ducks |
| 91 | 2007–08 | 2008 | 2008 | 30 | 82 | September 29 | June 4 | Detroit Red Wings (54–21–7) | Detroit Red Wings |
| 92 | 2008–09 | 2009 | 2009 | 30 | 82 | October 4 | June 12 | San Jose Sharks (53–18–11) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 93 | 2009–10 | 2010 | 2010 | 30 | 82 | October 1 | June 9 | Washington Capitals (54–15–13) | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 94 | 2010–11 | 2011 | 2011 | 30 | 82 | October 7 | June 15 | Vancouver Canucks (54–19–9) | Boston Bruins |
| 95 | 2011–12 | 2012 | 2012 | 30 | 82 | October 6 | June 11 | Vancouver Canucks (51–22–9) | Los Angeles Kings |
| 96 | 2012–13 | 2013 | 2013 | 30 | 48 | January 19 | June 24 | Chicago Blackhawks (36–7–5) | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 97 | 2013–14 | 2014 | 2014 | 30 | 82 | October 1 | June 13 | Boston Bruins (54–19–9) | Los Angeles Kings |
| 98 | 2014–15 | 2015 | 2015 | 30 | 82 | October 8 | June 15 | New York Rangers (53–22–7) | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 99 | 2015–16 | 2016 | 2016 | 30 | 82 | October 7 | June 12 | Washington Capitals (56–18–8) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 100 | 2016–17 | 2017 | 2017 | 30 | 82 | October 12 | June 11 | Washington Capitals (55–19–8) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 101 | 2017–18 | 2018 | 2018 | 31 | 82 | October 4 | June 7 | Nashville Predators (53–18–11) | Washington Capitals |
| 102 | 2018–19 | 2019 | 2019 | 31 | 82 | October 3 | June 12 | Tampa Bay Lightning (62–16–4) | St. Louis Blues |
| 103 | 2019–20 | 2020 | 2020 | 31 | 68–71 | October 2 | September 28 | Boston Bruins (44–14–12) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 104 | 2020–21 | 2021 | 2021 | 31 | 56 | January 13 | July 7 | Colorado Avalanche (39–13–4) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 105 | 2021–22 | 2022 | 2022 | 32 | 82 | October 12 | June 26 | Florida Panthers (58–18–6) | Colorado Avalanche |
| 106 | 2022–23 | 2023 | 2023 | 32 | 82 | October 7 | June 13 | Boston Bruins (65–12–5) | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 107 | 2023–24 | 2024 | 2024 | 32 | 82 | October 10 | June 24 | New York Rangers (55–23–4) | Florida Panthers |
Teams with the Best Regular Season Records
This table shows how many times NHL and NHA teams have had the best record during the regular season. This list does not count Stanley Cup wins, only the best performance before the playoffs.
The Presidents' Trophy is the award given to the team with the best regular season record today. It started being awarded in the 1985–86 NHL season. Before that, from 1938 to 1967, the Prince of Wales Trophy was given to the team with the best regular season record. After the big expansion in 1967–68, no award was given for the best regular season record until the Presidents' Trophy was created.
| Total | Team | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Montreal Canadiens | 1977–78 |
| 18 | Detroit Red Wings | 2007–08 |
| 14 | Boston Bruins | 2022–23 |
| 9 | Ottawa Senators (original) | 1927–28 |
| 6 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1962–63 |
| 4 | Chicago Blackhawks | 2012–13 |
| 4 | New York Rangers | 2014–15 |
| 3 | Colorado Avalanche | 2020–21 |
| 3 | Edmonton Oilers | 1986–87 |
| 3 | New York Islanders | 1981–82 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1984–85 |
| 3 | Washington Capitals | 2016–17 |
| 2 | Calgary Flames | 1988–89 |
| 2 | Dallas Stars | 1998–99 |
| 2 | Vancouver Canucks | 2011–12 |
| 2 | Quebec Bulldogs (NHA) | 1912–13 |
| 1 | Buffalo Sabres | 2006–07 |
| 1 | Florida Panthers | 2021–22 |
| 1 | Hamilton Tigers | 1924–25 |
| 1 | Montreal Wanderers (NHA) | 1910 |
| 1 | Nashville Predators | 2017–18 |
| 1 | Ottawa Senators | 2002–03 |
| 1 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1992–93 |
| 1 | San Jose Sharks | 2008–09 |
| 1 | St. Louis Blues | 1999–00 |
| 1 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 2018–19 |
| 1 | Toronto Blueshirts (NHA) | 1913–14 |
Images for kids
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The Montreal Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1938
See also
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- History of organizational changes in the NHL
- List of WHA seasons
