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) |
| Most titles | Montreal Canadiens (25 titles) |
| TV partner(s) |
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| Streaming partner(s) |
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The National Hockey League (often called the NHL) is a major professional ice hockey league in North America. It has 32 teams, with 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Many people consider the NHL to be the best professional ice hockey league in the world. At the end of each season, the winning team receives the Stanley Cup. This is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America and is seen as one of the most important awards in hockey. The NHL's main office is in 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). At first, several leagues competed for the Stanley Cup. By 1926, the NHL became the only league playing for this famous trophy.
When it began, the NHL had four teams, all from Canada. This is why it's called "National." In 1924, the Boston Bruins joined, making it a league with teams from both the U.S. and Canada. For many years, from 1942 to 1967, there were only six teams, known as the "Original Six." The league grew a lot over time, adding more and more teams. In 2024, a new team in Salt Lake City joined, keeping the total number of teams at 32.
The NHL is one of the top professional sports leagues in the world in terms of money earned. Its main office moved to New York City in 1989. Sometimes, there have been disagreements that stopped games for a while. As of the 2023-24 season, players from 17 different countries played in the NHL.
The NHL season usually runs from October to April. Each team plays 82 games. After the regular season, 16 teams compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is a tournament that ends in June, where teams battle to become the league champion. The Montreal Canadiens have won the most NHL titles since 1917, with 25 championships. The Florida Panthers are the current champions, having won the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
Contents
The NHL's Exciting History
How the NHL Started
The National Hockey League (NHL) was created in 1917. It replaced the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had started in 1909. The NHA was one of the first big professional ice hockey leagues.
Some team owners had disagreements with the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts. Because they couldn't solve these issues within the old league, they decided to start a new one. So, on November 26, 1917, they formed the National Hockey League. Frank Calder was chosen as the NHL's first president and served until 1943.
The Quebec Bulldogs couldn't play in the new league. The other owners then created the Toronto Arenas to play against the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, and Ottawa Senators. The very first games were played on December 19, 1917. Sadly, the Montreal Arena burned down in January 1918, which caused the Wanderers team to stop playing. The NHL continued with three teams until the Bulldogs returned in 1919.
The NHL took the NHA's place in competing for the Stanley Cup. At that time, teams from different leagues could challenge for the Cup. Toronto won the first NHL title and then beat the Vancouver Millionaires for the 1918 Stanley Cup. The Canadiens won the league title in 1919. However, the Stanley Cup Final that year was stopped because of a widespread illness. In 1924, Montreal won their first Stanley Cup as an NHL team.
In 1925, the Hamilton Tigers won the regular season but refused to play in the championship unless they received extra money. The league said no, and the Canadiens were named champions after winning another series. Montreal then lost to the Victoria Cougars in 1925. This was the last time a non-NHL team won the trophy. By 1926, the Stanley Cup became the official NHL championship trophy.
The NHL grew quickly in the 1920s. The Montreal Maroons and the Boston Bruins joined in 1924. The Bruins were the first American team in the league. More teams like the New York Americans, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings joined soon after. In 1927, the Toronto St. Patricks became the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 1926, Taffy Abel, a Native American player, made history by becoming 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 Ace Bailey, whose career ended due to an injury. Another All-Star game in 1937 supported the family of Howie Morenz, who passed away after an injury during a game.
The "Original Six" Teams
During the Great Depression and World War II, many teams struggled. Some teams, like the Philadelphia Quakers and St. Louis Eagles, folded after only a year. The Montreal Maroons and New York Americans also stopped playing.
By the 1942-43 season, the NHL had only six teams left. These teams were the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. They became known as the "Original Six" and played together for the next 25 years. In 1947, the league took full control of the Stanley Cup, meaning only NHL teams could compete for it.
In 1945, Maurice Richard, nicknamed "Rocket," was the first player to score 50 goals in a single season. He also led the Canadiens to win five Stanley Cups in a row, a truly amazing feat!
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, playing for the Boston Bruins.
Growing the League: More Teams Join!
By the mid-1960s, the NHL wanted to grow and reach more fans, especially through television. They also wanted to make sure they remained the top hockey league. So, in 1967, the NHL expanded for the first time in many years. The league doubled in size to 12 teams, adding the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, California Seals, and St. Louis Blues.
Canadian fans were upset that all the new teams were in the United States. To fix this, the league added the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres in 1970. Later, to compete with a new league called the World Hockey Association (WHA), the NHL added the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames in 1972. In 1974, the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts joined, bringing the league to 18 teams.
The NHL faced competition from a new league called the World Hockey Association (WHA). Many players, like Bobby Hull, joined the WHA. This competition led to changes in how players could sign with teams, making it fairer for them. Wayne Gretzky played one season in the WHA before his team, the Edmonton Oilers, joined the NHL in 1979. Gretzky led the Oilers to win four Stanley Cups and set many scoring records. In 1988, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, which made hockey much more popular in the United States.
By the year 2000, nine more teams had joined the NHL, including the San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Ottawa Senators. Some teams also moved to new cities, like the Quebec Nordiques becoming the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. In 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg and became the Winnipeg Jets again. In 2016, the Vegas Golden Knights joined as the 31st team. Then, in 2018, the league announced the 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken, which started playing in 2021. In April 2024, the Arizona Coyotes' hockey operations moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, forming a new team, the Utah Mammoth, and keeping the total number of teams at 32.
Times When Games Stopped
There have been four times in NHL history when games stopped due to disagreements between the league and the players. All of these happened after 1992.
The first time games stopped was in April 1992. This was a short disagreement with the players' union that lasted ten days, and all the games were later played.
Another disagreement at the start of the 1994-95 season meant fewer games were played that year. The league and players eventually agreed on new rules for how they would work together.
In the 2004-05 season, a big disagreement between the league and the players' union led to the entire season being canceled. This was a very long stop in games. They finally reached a new agreement in July 2005, which included rules about how much teams could spend on player salaries. Games started again for the 2005-06 season.
Another disagreement happened in 2012, causing more games to be canceled, including the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend. A new agreement was reached in January 2013, and a shorter season began soon after.
Keeping Players Safe
Player safety is very important in the NHL. A big concern is head injuries, like concussions, which can have long-lasting effects. The league works hard to protect players from these injuries. For example, Sidney Crosby, a famous player, was out of the game for a long time because of concussions.
In 2009, Brendan Shanahan was hired to focus on player safety. He started giving out penalties for dangerous hits. To make the game safer, especially during high-speed plays, the league changed the "icing" rule for the 2013-14 season. This change helps prevent players from crashing into the boards.
In 2013, some former NHL players filed a lawsuit against the league, saying it didn't do enough to protect them from concussions. This happened after a similar lawsuit in the National Football League.
Women in the NHL
Women have also 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 played as a goaltender 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 also 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 held the 2016 Outdoor Women's Classic, an exhibition game between two women's teams. In 2019, four women from the U.S. and Canadian Olympic teams showed off their skills at the NHL All-Star competition. Kendall Coyne Schofield even competed in the Fastest Skater event, making her the first woman to officially compete in the NHL All-Star festivities. This led to a 3-on-3 women's game being included in the 2020 All-Star Game.
Teams in the League
The NHL has 32 teams. 25 of these teams are in the United States, and 7 are in Canada. The teams are split evenly into two main groups called Eastern and Western conferences. Each conference then has two smaller groups called divisions, with 8 teams in each. 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. During the 1990s, the league grew a lot, adding nine new teams and moving four teams to different cities. The league has not removed any teams since 1978. In 2017, the league added the Vegas Golden Knights, making it 31 teams. Then, in 2021, the Seattle Kraken joined, bringing the total to 32. In April 2024, a new team in Utah was created. This happened after the Arizona Coyotes' hockey operations were sold to Ryan Smith, the owner of the Utah Jazz. This kept the NHL at 32 teams.
According to Forbes, in 2024, the five most valuable teams were four of the "Original Six" teams and the Los Angeles Kings:
- Toronto Maple Leafs – US$3.8 billion
- New York Rangers – US$3.5 billion
- Montreal Canadiens – US$3 billion
- Los Angeles Kings – US$2.9 billion
- Boston Bruins – US$2.7 billion
The other "Original Six" teams, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings, were also very valuable.
List of 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 (which later became the Arizona Coyotes) all joined the NHL in 1979.
Timeline of NHL Teams
How the NHL is Organized
Board of Governors
The Board of Governors is the main group that runs the NHL. Each team in the league chooses a Governor, usually the team owner, and two backups. The current chairman of the Board is Jeremy Jacobs, who owns the Boston Bruins.
The Board of Governors sets the rules and makes sure the league follows its own guidelines. Some of their jobs include:
- Reviewing and approving any changes to the league's rules.
- Hiring and firing the commissioner.
- Approving when a team is bought, sold, or moves to a new city.
- Setting the salary cap, which is a limit on how much teams can spend on player salaries.
- Approving any changes to the game schedule.
The Board of Governors meets twice a year, in June and December.
League Leaders
The top leader of the NHL is Commissioner Gary Bettman. Other important leaders include Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and Senior Vice President of Player Safety George Parros. A special committee, led by Commissioner Bettman and Chairman Jeremy Jacobs, helps decide on new team owners, player agreements, and league expansion.
NHL Rules Compared to International Hockey
The NHL has its own set of rules for professional ice hockey. The other main set of rules is used by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for tournaments like the Olympics. The IIHF rules come from early Canadian amateur hockey. The NHL rules grew from the very first organized indoor hockey game in Montreal in 1875. NHL rules are used by most professional and junior hockey leagues in North America.
An NHL hockey rink is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide. This is about the same length but narrower than rinks used in IIHF games. There is a special trapezoid-shaped area behind each goal net. The goalie can only play the puck in this trapezoid or in front of the goal line. If a goalie plays the puck behind the goal line but outside the trapezoid, their team gets a two-minute penalty. This rule is sometimes called the "Martin Brodeur rule" because he was very good at playing the puck behind the net. Since the 2013-14 season, the league also made the goal frames smaller and reduced the size of goalies' leg pads.
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The league often changes its rules to make the game better. For example, the penalty shot rule was added to make sure players had a fair chance to score. For the 2005-06 season, the league changed some rules about being offside. They removed the "two-line pass" rule and brought back "tag-up offside." These changes were made to help teams score more goals. Since 2005, if a team commits icing, they cannot change their players on the ice before the next face-off. Since 2013, the league uses "hybrid icing," which helps prevent injuries from players racing to the puck.
Fighting in the NHL results in major penalties. In IIHF rules and most amateur games, fighting players are usually ejected. If two players fight, both teams get penalties, but they usually stay at full strength (meaning they don't play with fewer players). Major penalties must be served for their full duration, even if a goal is scored.
The league also has rules about player behavior. Players are not allowed to bet on games. There are also strict rules against using performance-enhancing drugs. Players who test positive for these substances face long suspensions.
If a game is tied after regular time, it goes into overtime. During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute period where three players from each team play. The first team to score wins. If it's still tied, the game goes to a shootout. Three players from each team take a penalty shot. The team with more goals wins. If it's still tied, the shootout continues until one team scores. The winning team gets an extra goal added to their score and two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or a shootout gets one point.
There are no shootouts in the playoffs. Instead, teams play multiple 20-minute overtime periods with five players each until one team scores. Two playoff games have gone to six overtime periods, but none have gone longer.
NHL Season Structure
The National Hockey League season has three parts: a preseason (September and early October), a regular season (October to April), and a postseason (the Stanley Cup playoffs) that runs until June.
Teams usually have a summer camp for young players in July. Full training camps begin in September, with six to eight exhibition games before the regular season starts.
During the regular season, all teams play 82 games. They play 41 games at home and 41 away. The schedule includes 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. Two points are given for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regular time. At the end of the regular season, 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 run from April to June. 16 teams qualify: the top three teams from each division, plus the two teams with the next highest points in each conference. Teams play in a best-of-seven series, meaning they need to win four games to advance. The two conference champions then play in the Stanley Cup Final. The team that finished higher in the regular season gets to play more games at home.
NHL Entry Draft
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Each year, the NHL holds an entry draft in June. This is where teams pick young amateur players from junior, college, or European leagues. The draft has seven rounds.
The order of selection is decided by how teams finished in the regular season and playoffs, and by a special lottery. The 16 teams that did not make the playoffs enter a lottery to determine the first few picks. The team that finished last has the best chance to win the top pick. After the lottery, the remaining non-playoff teams pick in order of their regular season standings. Teams that made the playoffs pick later, with the Stanley Cup champions picking last.
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, given to the league champion after the playoffs. The team with the most points in the regular season wins the Presidents' Trophy.
The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful team in the league's history. They have won 25 NHL championships since 1917, including 24 Stanley Cups. Only the New York Yankees in baseball have won more championships among major North American sports teams.
The Canadiens also hold the record for winning the Stanley Cup five years in a row, from 1956 to 1960. Their 1977 team is considered one of the greatest sports teams ever.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the next most successful team with 13 Stanley Cup championships. The Detroit Red Wings, with 11 Stanley Cups, are the most successful American team.
The Stanley Cup trophy is unique because the same trophy is used every year. The names of the winning teams and players are engraved on it each time. Other NHL trophies are also reused and engraved annually.
Player Awards
Many trophies are given to players based on their performance during the regular season. These include the Art Ross Trophy for the player with the most points (goals and assists), the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the player who scores the most goals, and the William M. Jennings Trophy for the goaltenders on the team that allowed the fewest goals.
Other player trophies are voted on by hockey writers or team general managers. These awards are presented at a special ceremony after the playoffs. The most important individual award is the Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the player judged most valuable to his team during the regular season. The Vezina Trophy goes to the best goaltender. The James Norris Memorial Trophy is for the top defenseman, the Calder Memorial Trophy for the best rookie, and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the player who shows the best skill and sportsmanship.
After the playoffs, the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The best coach in the league wins the Jack Adams Award.
Players, coaches, officials, and team builders who have had amazing careers can be voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Players usually have to wait three years after their last professional game. Famous players like Wayne Gretzky have had this waiting period waived because of their huge impact on the game.
Where NHL Players Come From
Most NHL players have always come from Canada and the United States. However, the league also has many players from other countries where hockey is popular. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many players from countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia joined the NHL. More players from Sweden and Finland also came to the league.
Many top players in recent years have come from Europe, such as Daniel Alfredsson, Erik Karlsson, Jaromír Jágr, and Alexander Ovechkin. These European players have helped change the style of play in the NHL.
As of the 2017-18 season, NHL players came from 17 different countries. About 46% were from Canada and 26% from the United States. The remaining 26.4% came from 15 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's Popularity
The NHL is one of the four biggest professional sports leagues in North America, along with baseball (MLB), football (NFL), and basketball (NBA). In Canada, hockey is the most popular of these leagues. While it has a smaller fan base than some other leagues, it is still very important.
The NHL has a dedicated fan base. A study in 2004 found that NHL fans in the United States were often highly educated. Many fans buy season tickets, showing their strong support. The NHL also has a mostly white audience, and in 2010, many fans were males aged 18–34.
The NHL knows that many fans support teams outside their local area. So, since 2008, the league has used digital technology to connect with these fans.
The NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor regular season game held on New Year's Day, started in 2008 and became very popular. It is now a yearly event. Special TV coverage like "Hockey Day in America" also helps bring more attention to the sport. These efforts have boosted TV viewership and increased the league's advertising and sponsorship money.
Images for kids
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Logos of corporate sponsors are visible on the boards and ice in an NHL hockey rink.
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Members of the media interviewing players on ice after a game in 2009
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Challenge Cup Trophy for the 1979 Challenge Cup series between NHL All Stars and the Soviet national team
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The NHL Network's television panel at the 2019 NHL entry draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver
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See also
In Spanish: National Hockey League para niños
- 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
