Who Were the 6 Original NHL Teams?

The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in 1917 with six original teams: the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs, Toronto Arenas, and Toronto St. Patricks. These teams were all located in Canada, which remains the country with the most NHL teams to this day.

The Original Six

The National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917 with six teams: the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs, Toronto Arenas, and the Montreal Shamrocks. These “Original Six” teams played each other until the league doubled in size in 1967.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team has been in existence since 1924, making them the oldest active NHL team.

The Bruins were one of the “Original Six” teams in the NHL, along with the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. These teams made up the league from 1942 until 1967 when six more teams were added.

The Bruins have won six Stanley Cup championships, tied for fourth most of any team. They are one of only two NHL teams to win a Stanley Cup championship in every decade since the 1920s (the other team being the Montreal Canadiens).

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the original six NHL teams. They were founded in 1926 and have won six Stanley Cups, most recently in 2015. The Blackhawks are based in Chicago, Illinois, and play their home games at the United Center.

Detroit Red Wings

Originally founded in 1926 as the Detroit Cougars, the Detroit Red Wings are one of the Original Six NHL teams. The franchise was purchased in 1932 by James Norris and renamed the Red Wings, after his amateur team in Montreal. The Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups, most recently in 2008. They have also won 6 Conference Championships and 23 Division Championships.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The club’s official name is le Club de hockey Canadien. The team is frequently referred to in English and French as the Habs. French nicknames for the team include Les Canadiens (or Le Canadien), Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge, La Sainte-Flanelle, Le Tricolore, Les Glorieux (or Nos Glorieux), and Les Habitants (or Les Habs).

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are one of the Original Six teams that made up the National Hockey League (NHL) when it was formed in 1926. The Rangers, along with the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, were all part of the NHL’s first season. The Rangers have won four Stanley Cup championships (1928, 1933, 1940 and 1994) and are one of the most successful teams in NHL history.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs were one of the six founding teams of the National Hockey League (NHL). They played their first game on February 17, 1917, and have won thirteen Stanley Cups, more than any other team in the NHL. The Maple Leafs are also one of the “Original Six” teams, along with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks. The Maple Leafs were originally known as the Toronto Arenas before changing their name in 1919 to the Toronto St. Patricks. In 1927, they changed their name again to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Expansion

The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in 1917 with just four teams: the Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Senators, and the Toronto Arenas. By 1926, the league had doubled in size to eight teams. In 1967, the NHL expanded again, this time to 12 teams. And in 2017, the NHL welcomed its newest team, the Vegas Golden Knights. So, who were the six original NHL teams?

The “Original” Six Plus Six

The Original Six era of the National Hockey League (NHL) began in 1942 with the suspension of operations for the league’s two California-based teams, the New York Americans and Brooklyn Americans. When play resumed in 1946, the NHL had only six teams: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. These “Original Six” teams dominated the league for the next 25 years.

In 1967, the NHL doubled in size when it added six expansion teams: the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues and original version of the Calgary Flames (the Atlanta Flames). These “New” Six teams increased competition and helped to grow hockey’s popularity across North America.

The “New” NHL

On November 26, 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL) was formed with only five members: the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Athletic Club, and Toronto Arenas. Just over a month later, on December 19, 1917, the NHL admitted its first expansion team: the Montreal Shamrocks. The Quebec Bulldogs joined the NHL in 1919 followed by the Hamilton Tigers in 1920. These six teams would go on to be known as the “Original Six.”

The Merger

On November 26, 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL) was formed as a result of a merger between the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). The NHL’s first president was Frank Calder, who was also the president of the NHA. The six original NHL teams were the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs, Toronto Arenas, and the Vancouver Millionaires.

The NHL and the WHA

In the early 1970s, the National Hockey League (NHL) was facing serious competition from a rival major league, the World Hockey Association (WHA). The WHA was founded in 1971 and initially consisted of 12 teams, many of which were located in NHL cities. In an effort to compete with the WHA, the NHL expanded from 12 to 14 teams for the 1974-75 season.

The WHA ceased operations in 1979, and four of its teams – the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets – joined the NHL. These four teams became known as the “Original Six”, as they were the only NHL teams at that time.