How Many Hockey Teams Are In The NHL?
The NHL is made up of 31 teams, with 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada.
Introduction
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Founded in November 1917 with five teams, the NHL has expanded several times over the years, most recently in 2017 when the league added a 31st team, the Vegas Golden Knights. Today, the NHL is composed of two conferences (the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference), each of which is made up of 15 teams.
History of the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 member clubs: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Founded in 1917, the NHL is the oldest professional sports league in North America and today is widely considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world.
The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the NHL’s playoff champion at the end of each season.
Current NHL Teams
As of the 2019-20 NHL season, there are 31 NHL teams, with one more on the way in 2021.
The most recent expansion team to join the NHL was the Vegas Golden Knights, who began play in the 2017-18 season. Prior to that, the last NHL expansion team was the Columbus Blue Jackets, who joined the league in 2000.
Here is a list of the current NHL teams, listed alphabetically by their city:
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Future of the NHL
As of the 2019–20 season, there are 31 teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). The most recent expansion team is the Vegas Golden Knights, who began play in the 2017–18 season. Prior to that, the most recent expansion team was the Columbus Blue Jackets, who began play in the 2000–01 season.
There has been speculation about further NHL expansion, particularly into Europe and other markets outside of North America. However, as of 2019 no formal plans have been announced by the NHL.
