National Hockey League facts for kids
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| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 26, 1917, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Inaugural season | 1917–18 |
| Commissioner | Gary Bettman |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Countries | Canada (7 teams) United States (25 teams) |
| Headquarters | One Manhattan West 395 Ninth Avenue New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Continent | North America |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Florida Panthers (2nd title) (2024–25) |
| Most titles | Montreal Canadiens (25 titles) |
| TV partner(s) |
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| Streaming partner(s) |
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The National Hockey League (NHL) is a super exciting professional ice hockey league in North America. It has 32 teams, with 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Many people think the NHL is the best professional ice hockey league in the world!
At the end of each season, teams battle for the Stanley Cup. This is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) calls the Stanley Cup one of the most important championships in hockey. The NHL's main office is in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
The NHL started in Montreal, Canada, on November 26, 1917. It took over from an older league called the National Hockey Association (NHA). The NHL quickly became one of the top leagues competing for the Stanley Cup. By 1926, it was the only league left playing for the Cup.
When it began, the NHL had four teams, all from Canada. That's why it's called "National." In 1924, the Boston Bruins joined, making it the first American team. The league grew a lot over the years. From 1942 to 1967, it had only six teams, known as the "Original Six".
The NHL kept expanding, adding more teams in 1967, 1974, and 1979. By 2000, there were 30 teams. In recent years, the league added the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and the Seattle Kraken in 2021. In 2024, a new team started in Salt Lake City, keeping the total at 32 teams.
The NHL is one of the top-earning sports leagues globally. Its main office moved from Montreal to Manhattan in 1989. Sometimes, there have been work stoppages in the league, but they always found a way to get back on the ice. As of 2023, players from 17 different countries play in the NHL.
The regular season usually runs from October to April. Each team plays 82 games. After that, 16 teams make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is a big tournament that goes until June to find the champion. The Montreal Canadiens have won the most NHL titles with 25. The Florida Panthers are the current champions, winning in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
Contents
- NHL History: How It All Started
- NHL Teams: Who Plays Where?
- How the NHL is Organized
- NHL Rules: What Makes It Unique?
- How the NHL Season Works
- The NHL Entry Draft
- NHL Trophies and Awards
- Where NHL Players Come From
- NHL Sponsors and Partners
- How to Watch NHL Games
- NHL in International Competitions
- How Popular is the NHL?
- See also
NHL History: How It All Started
Early Days of the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL) began in 1917. It replaced the National Hockey Association (NHA), which started in 1909. The NHA was one of the first big professional ice hockey leagues. But, problems with one team owner, Eddie Livingstone, led other team owners to create the NHL.
On November 26, 1917, the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Quebec Bulldogs formed the NHL. Frank Calder became the first president. The Quebec Bulldogs couldn't play at first, so the Toronto Arenas joined. The first NHL games were played on December 19, 1917.
The NHL quickly became a league that competed for the Stanley Cup. Toronto won the first NHL title in 1918. They then beat the Vancouver Millionaires to win the 1918 Stanley Cup Final. In 1919, the Stanley Cup Final was stopped because of the Spanish Flu. Montreal won their first Stanley Cup as an NHL team in 1924.
The Stanley Cup became the official NHL championship trophy in 1926. This happened after another league, the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), stopped playing. The NHL grew quickly in the 1920s. The Boston Bruins joined in 1924, becoming the first American team. More teams like the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings joined soon after.
In 1926, Taffy Abel, a Native American player, became the first non-white player in the NHL. He played for the New York Rangers. The first NHL All-Star Game was held in 1934 to help a player named Ace Bailey after a serious injury.
The "Original Six" Era
The Great Depression and World War II made it tough for the league. Many teams struggled and some even folded. By the 1942–43 season, only six teams were left: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. These teams are famously known as the "Original Six". This group stayed the same for 25 years!
In 1947, the NHL took full control of the Stanley Cup. This meant only NHL teams could play for the trophy. In 1945, Maurice Richard became the first player to score 50 goals in a 50-game season. He later led the Canadiens to win five Stanley Cups in a row!
In 1948, Larry Kwong became the first Asian player in the NHL. Ten years later, in 1958, Willie O'Ree made history as the first black player in the league. He played for the Boston Bruins.
The NHL Expands!
By the mid-1960s, the NHL wanted to grow. They added six new teams in 1967, doubling the league's size to 12 teams. These new teams included the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers. Canadian fans were upset that all new teams were in the U.S. So, the league added the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres in 1970.
A new league, the World Hockey Association (WHA), started in the 1970s. This led the NHL to add more teams like the New York Islanders to compete. By 1974, the NHL had 18 teams. The NHL and WHA fought over players, but eventually, some WHA teams joined the NHL in 1979.
One famous player, Wayne Gretzky, played in the WHA before joining the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers. Gretzky led the Oilers to win four Stanley Cups. He set many scoring records that still stand today! In 1988, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. This trade made hockey much more popular in the United States.
The NHL continued to grow, adding nine more teams between 1991 and 2000. Some teams also moved to new cities. In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights joined as the 31st team. Then, in 2021, the Seattle Kraken became the 32nd team. In 2024, the Arizona Coyotes' players moved to a new team in Salt Lake City, keeping the league at 32 teams.
Work Stoppages in the NHL
The NHL has had four times when games stopped because of disagreements between the league and the players. These are called work stoppages or lockouts. All of them happened after 1992.
The first was a short strike in 1992. In 1994–95, a lockout shortened the season from 84 games to 48. The biggest lockout happened in the 2004–05 season. The entire season was cancelled! This was because the league wanted to control team spending, and the players didn't want a salary cap (a limit on how much teams could spend on players).
Finally, in July 2005, they agreed on a new deal that included a salary cap. The league started playing again in the 2005–06 season. Another lockout happened in 2012–13, which also shortened the season to 48 games. These stoppages were tough, but the league always found a way to keep going.
Player Safety in Hockey
Player safety is a big deal in the NHL, especially when it comes to concussions. These are brain injuries from hard hits to the head. The league cares about this because concussions can affect players even after they stop playing. Famous players like Sidney Crosby have missed many games due to concussions.
To make the game safer, the NHL has changed some rules. For example, they changed the icing rule in 2013–14. Icing is when a player shoots the puck all the way down the ice from their own half. Before, players would race to the puck, which caused dangerous collisions. Now, a linesman stops play if a defending player reaches a certain line first, making it safer.
Women in the NHL
Women have made important contributions to the NHL! From 1952 to 1955, Marguerite Norris was the president of the Detroit Red Wings. She was the first female NHL executive and the first woman to have her name on the Stanley Cup.
In 1992, Manon Rhéaume became the first woman to play in a game for any major professional North American sports league. She was a goalie for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game. In 2016, Dawn Braid became the first full-time female coach in the NHL, working as a skating coach for the Arizona Coyotes. The NHL even hired its first female referees for a test run in 2019.
The NHL has also hosted special events for women's hockey. In 2016, they had the 2016 Outdoor Women's Classic, an exhibition game between two women's professional teams. In 2019, Kendall Coyne Schofield became the first woman to officially compete in the NHL's All-Star skills competition. This led to a 3-on-3 women's game at the 2020 All-Star Game.
NHL Teams: Who Plays Where?
The National Hockey League has 32 teams. Twenty-five teams are in the United States, and seven are in Canada. These teams are split evenly into two main groups called Eastern and Western conferences.
Each conference has two smaller groups called divisions. So, there are 16 teams in each conference and 8 teams in each division. The Eastern Conference has the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions. The Western Conference has the Central and Pacific divisions.
The number of teams stayed at 30 from 2000 until 2017. Then, the Vegas Golden Knights joined, making it 31 teams. In 2021, the Seattle Kraken joined as the 32nd team. In April 2024, a new team started in Salt Lake City, Utah, after the Arizona Coyotes' players moved there. This kept the NHL at 32 teams.
According to Forbes magazine, in 2024, the most valuable NHL teams were:
These teams are very popular and worth a lot of money!
List of NHL Teams
Notes:
- An asterisk (*) means the team moved from another city.
- The Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes (formerly Hartford Whalers), Colorado Avalanche (formerly Quebec Nordiques), and the original Winnipeg Jets (now Arizona Coyotes) joined the NHL in 1979.
NHL Team Timeline
How the NHL is Organized
Board of Governors: The NHL's Leaders
The Board of Governors is like the main boss of the NHL. Each team has a Governor, usually the team owner, who sits on this Board. The current chairman is Jeremy Jacobs, who owns the Boston Bruins.
The Board of Governors makes all the big decisions for the league. They decide on rules, hire and fire the commissioner, and approve if a team can be bought, sold, or moved. They also set the salary cap, which is how much money teams can spend on players. The Board meets twice a year to discuss these important topics.
NHL Executives: Who Runs the Show?
The main leader of the NHL is the commissioner, Gary Bettman. Other important people help run the league, like Bill Daly who handles legal matters. These leaders work together to make sure the NHL runs smoothly.
NHL Rules: What Makes It Unique?
The NHL has its own set of rules for ice hockey. These rules are different from the ones used in international games, like the Olympics. International rules come from early Canadian amateur hockey. NHL rules grew from the very first organized indoor hockey game in Montreal in 1875.
The NHL hockey rink is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide. This is about the same length but narrower than international rinks. There's a special trapezoid-shaped area behind each goal net. The goalie can only play the puck behind the goal line if they are inside this trapezoid. If they play it outside, their team gets a penalty. This rule is sometimes called the "Martin Brodeur rule" because he was so good at playing the puck behind the net.
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The league often changes rules to make the game better. For example, they changed the "offside" rule in 2005 to help teams score more goals. They also changed the "icing" rule in 2013 to make it safer for players.
Fighting in the NHL leads to major penalties. But in international and amateur rules, players who fight are usually kicked out of the game. If two players fight, both teams get penalties, but they stay at full strength.
The NHL also has rules about player behavior. Players are not allowed to gamble on games. The league has a strict anti-doping policy to prevent players from using banned substances. If a player tests positive, they get a long suspension.
If a game is tied after regular time, it goes into overtime. In the regular season, overtime is five minutes long, with three players per team. The first team to score wins! If it's still tied, they have a shootout. Three players from each team take a penalty shot. The team with more goals wins. The winning team gets two points, and the losing team gets one point.
In the playoffs, there are no shootouts. Instead, teams play 20-minute overtime periods with five players per team until someone scores. Some playoff games have gone on for a very long time!
How the NHL Season Works
The NHL season has three main parts: preseason, regular season, and postseason (the playoffs).
Teams start with a preseason in September and early October. This is when they play practice games. The regular season then runs from early October to mid-April. During this time, each team plays 82 games. They play games against teams in their own division, other teams in their conference, and teams from the other conference.
Teams earn points based on their game results. A win gives two points, an overtime or shootout loss gives one point, and a regulation loss gives zero points. The team with the most points in each division wins the division title. The team with the most points in the entire league wins the Presidents' Trophy.
The Stanley Cup playoffs start in April and end in June. Sixteen teams make it to the playoffs: the top three teams from each division, plus two other teams from each conference with the most points. Teams play in a "best-of-seven" series. This means the first team to win four games moves on. The last two teams play in the Stanley Cup Final to decide the champion. The team with the better record usually gets to play more games at home.
The NHL Entry Draft
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The NHL Entry Draft is an exciting event held every June. It's where NHL teams pick young amateur players to join their organizations. These players come from junior leagues, colleges, or European leagues.
The teams that didn't make the playoffs get to pick first. The team that finished last has the best chance to get the very first pick. After the first few picks are decided by a lottery, the rest of the draft order is based on how teams finished in the regular season and how far they went in the playoffs. The Stanley Cup champions pick last in each round.
NHL Trophies and Awards
Team Awards
| Team | Titles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 24* | ||||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 | ||||
| Detroit Red Wings | 11 | ||||
| Boston Bruins | 6 | ||||
| Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | ||||
| Edmonton Oilers | 5 | ||||
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 5 | ||||
| New York Islanders | 4 | ||||
| New York Rangers | 4 | ||||
| Colorado Avalanche | 3 | ||||
| New Jersey Devils | 3 | ||||
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 3 | ||||
| Florida Panthers | 2 | ||||
| Los Angeles Kings | 2 | ||||
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2 | ||||
| Anaheim Ducks | 1 | ||||
| Calgary Flames | 1 | ||||
| Carolina Hurricanes | 1 | ||||
| Dallas Stars | 1 | ||||
| St. Louis Blues | 1 | ||||
| Vegas Golden Knights | 1 | ||||
| Washington Capitals | 1 | ||||
| * Includes one pre-NHL championship. Further information:
List of Stanley Cup champions |
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The most important team award is the Stanley Cup. This trophy goes to the team that wins the playoffs and becomes the league champion. The team with the most points during the regular season wins the Presidents' Trophy.
The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful team in NHL history. They have won 25 NHL championships since the league started in 1917. They also have won the Stanley Cup 24 times. The Toronto Maple Leafs are next with 13 Stanley Cups. The Detroit Red Wings are the most successful American team with 11 Stanley Cups.
The Stanley Cup is special because the same trophy is used every year. The names of the winning teams and players are engraved on it. Other sports trophies are often new each year, but the Stanley Cup is passed down.
Player Awards
Many trophies are given to players for their great performance during the season.
- The Art Ross Trophy goes to the player with the most points (goals plus assists).
- The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy is for the player who scores the most goals.
- The William M. Jennings Trophy is for the goaltender(s) on the team that allows the fewest goals.
Other player awards are voted on by hockey writers or team general managers. These awards are given out at a special ceremony after the playoffs.
- The Hart Memorial Trophy is the most important individual award. It goes to the player who is most valuable to their team.
- The Vezina Trophy is for the best goaltender.
- The James Norris Memorial Trophy is for the league's best defenseman.
- The Calder Memorial Trophy is for the best rookie (first-year player).
- The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is for the player who shows great skill and sportsmanship.
After the playoffs, the Conn Smythe Trophy is given to the most valuable player during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The best coach in the league wins the Jack Adams Award.
Players, coaches, and officials who have amazing careers can be voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. This is a special place that honors the greatest people in hockey history.
Where NHL Players Come From
Most NHL players have always come from Canada and the United States. But the NHL also has many players from other countries where hockey is popular. After the Soviet Union broke up, many players from countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia joined the NHL. Players from Sweden and Finland also came to the league in larger numbers.
Many top players in recent years are from Europe, like Alexander Ovechkin (Russia) and Erik Karlsson (Sweden). The addition of European players has changed the style of play in the NHL, making it more skilled and offensive.
As of the 2017–18 season, NHL players come from 17 different countries. About 46% are from Canada and 26% are from the United States. The rest come from other countries. The table below shows the main countries where NHL players are born.
| Country | Players (2023–24) |
% | Players (2017–18) |
% | Players (2010–11) |
% | Players (2006–07) |
% | Players (2002–03) |
% | Players (1988–89) |
% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Canada |
434 | 42.5 | 444 | 45.1 | 521 | 53.3 | 495 | 52.7 | 488 | 49.8 | 553 | 75.6 |
 United States |
288 | 28.2 | 269 | 27.3 | 234 | 23.9 | 182 | 19.3 | 140 | 14.3 | 112 | 15.3 |
 Sweden |
101 | 9.9 | 98 | 9.9 | 63 | 6.4 | 49 | 5.2 | 58 | 5.9 | 23 | 3.1 |
 Russia |
66 | 6.5 | 39 | 4.0 | 32 | 3.3 | 35 | 3.7 | 57 | 5.8 | 1 | 0.1 |
 Finland |
48 | 4.7 | 42 | 4.3 | 30 | 3.1 | 42 | 4.5 | 38 | 3.9 | 18 | 2.5 |
 Czech Republic |
32 | 3.1 | 37 | 3.8 | 42 | 4.3 | 65 | 6.9 | 73 | 7.4 | 10 | 1.4 |
 Slovakia |
11 | 1.1 | 13 | 1.3 | 14 | 1.4 | 26 | 2.8 | 36 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Total | 1,022 | 100.0 | 985 | 100.0 | 978 | 100.0 | 942 | 100.0 | 980 | 100.0 | 731 | 100.0 |
NHL Sponsors and Partners
The NHL works with many companies as official partners. These partners help support the league. For example, Discover Card is the official credit card in the U.S., while Visa is the official sponsor in Canada. Also, Tim Hortons is the official coffee and doughnut chain in Canada, and Dunkin' Donuts is the sponsor in the U.S.
One cool program is Kraft Hockeyville, sponsored by Kraft Heinz. Communities compete to show how much they love hockey. The winning community gets money to improve their local hockey arena and even gets to host an NHL preseason game!
Some of the NHL's partners have connections to team owners. For example, the Molson family, who own the Montreal Canadiens, also founded Molson Brewery. Since the 2020–21 NHL season, teams have been allowed to put ads on their helmets and, starting in the 2022–23 season, on the front of their jerseys.
How to Watch NHL Games
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Watching in Canada
In Canada, hockey is a huge part of the culture! Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) on CBC has been a tradition since 1952.
Currently, Rogers Communications has the main rights to show NHL games in Canada. Most national English-language games are on Sportsnet. Hockey Night in Canada still airs on Saturday nights. Quebecor Media shows French-language games on TVA Sports. If a game isn't shown nationally, it's usually available on regional Sportsnet or TSN channels.
Watching in the United States
In the United States, the NHL has grown a lot in popularity. Since the 2021–22 NHL season, games are shown on ESPN and TNT (formerly Turner) Sports. ESPN shows about 25 regular season games on ABC or ESPN, and many more games are streamed on ESPN+ and Hulu. TNT shows up to 72 regular season games.
During the playoffs, games are split between ESPN and TNT. ABC shows the Stanley Cup Final in even-numbered years, and TNT shows it in odd-numbered years. Games not shown nationally are usually available on regional sports channels in each team's local area.
NHL Network
The NHL also has its own TV channel called the NHL Network. It's all about the NHL, with shows like NHL Tonight. It also shows live games, often by showing the broadcast from one of the team's local channels.
Watching Games Online and Out-of-Market
If you want to watch games that aren't shown in your local area, there are special subscription packages. In Canada, it's called NHL Live, which is part of Sportsnet Now Premium. In the United States, the NHL's out-of-market streaming is part of ESPN+.
Watching Internationally
NHL games are also broadcast in many countries around the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and parts of the Americas. In most countries, you can watch games online through NHL.tv. However, some countries have special deals, so you might watch on ESPN platforms or Viaplay.
NHL in International Competitions
NHL Teams Playing Internationally
Sometimes, NHL teams play against teams from other countries. These games are usually set up by the NHL. For example, between 1976 and 1991, NHL teams played exhibition games against teams from the Soviet Union in a series called the Super Series.
More recently, NHL teams have played exhibition games against European clubs before the NHL season starts. These games are known as the NHL Global Series. NHL teams have also played in tournaments organized by the IIHF, like the Victoria Cup.
NHL Players in International Tournaments
The NHL also lets its players play for their home countries in international tournaments. The annual Ice Hockey World Championships happen in May, at the same time as the Stanley Cup playoffs. So, NHL players usually only join their country's team if their NHL team is out of the playoffs.
From 1998 to 2014, the NHL paused its season every four years to let players go to the Winter Olympics and play for their countries. The NHL did not send players to the 2018 or 2022 Olympics. However, the NHL, the players' union, and the IIHF have agreed that NHL players can play in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics.
The NHL and its players' union also organize the World Cup of Hockey. This tournament is special because it uses NHL rules, not international rules.
The "Triple Gold Club" is a special group of players and coaches. To be in this club, you must have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup. It's a very rare achievement!
How Popular is the NHL?
The NHL is one of the four biggest professional sports leagues in North America. The others are Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. In Canada, hockey is the most popular of these four leagues.
The NHL has a very dedicated fan base. Many fans are highly educated. Also, many NHL fans buy season tickets, which shows how much they love their teams. The NHL has worked hard to connect with fans using digital technology.
The NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor game played on New Year's Day, has been a huge success since it started in 2008. These big events and online content have helped the NHL grow its viewership and revenue. The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs had the largest audience in the sport's history! This success has led to more advertising and sponsorship money for the league.
See also
- List of NHL records (individual)
- List of NHL records (team)
- List of NHL players with the most games played by franchise
- List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
- List of American and Canadian cities by number of major professional sports franchises
- List of TV markets and major sports teams
- List of National Hockey League attendance figures
- List of National Hockey League arenas
- NHL All-Rookie team
- NHL All-Star team
