How Many Hockey Teams are in the NHL?

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league. There are currently 30 teams in the NHL: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada.

Introduction

How Many Hockey Teams are in the NHL? is a total of 31 teams as of the 2019-2020 season. The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league consisting of 31 teams: 24 in the United States and seven in Canada.

The Number of Teams in the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) is made up of 30 teams: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada. As of the 2020-21 season, the league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

The Original Six

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams: 24 in the United States and 6 in Canada. The NHL is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the North American major professional sports leagues. It was founded in 1917 as the successor to the National Hockey Association (NHA), which ceased operations when its owners lost a court battle over disputes with Eddie Livingstone, the owner of the rival Toronto Blueshirts of the NHA.

In its early years, the NHL competed with two other major leagues—the Western Hockey League (WHL) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA)—for players and fans. The WHL folded in 1926, while the PCHA ceased operations after winning just one Stanley Cup championship in 1915; these two leagues were quickly replaced by minor leagues like the American Hockey Association (AHA). The NHL expanded rapidly throughout North America during the 1920s, adding new teams almost every year. By 1942, there were only six teams remaining in what was then a 12-team league:

The Original Six:
-Boston Bruins
-Chicago Blackhawks
– Detroit Red Wings
-Montreal Canadiens
-New York Rangers
-Toronto Maple Leafs

Expansion Teams

The NHL is made up of 31 teams as of the 2018-2019 season. These teams are located in the United States and Canada. There are 23 teams in the United States and 7 in Canada.

The 31 teams are divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference has three divisions.

The Eastern Conference has 16 teams and is made up of the Atlantic Division, Metropolitan Division, and Eastern Division.

The Western Conference has 15 teams and is made up of the Central Division, Pacific Division, and Western Division.

Relocated Teams

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams: 24 in the United States and 6 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded to the NHL playoff champion at the end of each season.

The NHL was founded in 1917 as the result of a series of disputes between the owners of the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909, and Lester Patrick, who had been brought in to help run the failing NHA. After a series of one-year suspensions, Patrick was given control of the NHA and renamed it the National Hockey League.

Since its inception, the NHL has undergone several expansions and name changes. In 1942, when World War II broke out, the league was forced to suspending operations for three years. When it returned in 1945, it was expanded from six to seven teams with the addition of the Montreal Canadiens. In 1967, when the NHL doubled in size to fourteen teams with the addition of six expansion teams, it became known as the “Original Six.” The most recent expansion occurred in 2017 when Las Vegas was added as an expansion team making it 31 teams total. However, following this expansion, one team moved-the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix becoming the Arizona Coyotes- so there are currently 30 teams.

Defunct Teams

As the National Hockey League gains popularity, the number of teams has increased throughout the years. Currently, there are 31 teams in the NHL—24 in the United States and 7 in Canada.

However, this was not always the case. In fact, the NHL has seen several teams come and go since its establishment in 1917. Here is a list of all the defunct NHL teams:

-Boston Bruins (1924-1925)
-Montreal Maroons (1924-1938)
-New York Americans (1925-1942)
-Pittsburgh Pirates (1925-1930)
-St. Louis Eagles (1934-1935)
-Ottawa Senators (1992-1993, 2017)

Conclusion

As of the 2019-2020 season, there are 31 total teams in the NHL- 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. 30 of the teams are part of the National Hockey League, while 1 (‘the Vegas Golden Knights’) is part of the NHL’s minor league system.