When Did the NHL Start?

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, founded in 1917. The NHL is composed of 30 teams: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada.

Introduction

The National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917, when four Canadian teams joined forces to create a professional hockey league. The first game was played on December 19, 1917, between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators.

The NHL quickly became the premier professional hockey league in North America, and by 1926 it was the only major league left standing. In 1942, the NHL expanded from six to seven teams with the addition of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The NHL today is made up of 31 teams from across North America: 23 in the United States and 8 in Canada.

The Early Days of Professional Hockey

The National Hockey League was established in 1917, but professional hockey actually started long before that. The first professional hockey team was the Montreal Shamrocks, who were formed in 1887. The Shamrocks were followed by theOttawa Hockey Club in 1883. These two teams dominated the early days of professional hockey.

The National Hockey Association

In 1910, the National Hockey Association (NHA) was formed in Montreal. The NHA would eventually become the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHA was formed by five Canadian businessmen: George Kenna, Samuel Lichtenhein, Ernest Manderville, Ambrose O’Brien, and Cyril Quinn. George Kennedy was the owner of the Cobalt Silver Kings, while Ambrose O’Brien owned both the Renfrew Creamery Kings and the Les Canadians teams. Ernest Manderville served as the manager of arrangement for Stanley Cup games and was a key player in getting players to sign on with the new league. Cyril Quinn was a referee for NHA games.

The Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.

The Stanley Cup was first presented in 1893 by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston (1841-1908), the Governor General of Canada, who purchased it with his own money for 10 guineas ($50.00 at that time) as a prize for Canada’s top-ranking amateur hockey team.

professional hockey teams in Canada challenged for Lord Stanley’s Cup as early as 1894. In 1926, the NHL assumed control of the Cup, and from then on, only NHL teams have competed for it.

The NHL is Born

The First NHL Season

The National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917 with five Canadian teams: the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs, and Toronto Arenas. In 1926, the NHL began to expand into the United States with the addition of the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers.

The original NHL consisted of two divisions: the Canadian Division and the American Division. The league expanded again in 1974 when it absorbed six teams from the World Hockey Association (WHA): the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets, Birmingham Bulls, and Cincinnati Stingers.

Today, the NHL is made up of 31 teams: 23 in the United States and 8 in Canada.

The Original Six

The Original Six is the group of six teams that made up the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 25 years between 1942 and 1967. The Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Boston Bruins were all members of the NHL from its inception in 1917 until the league’s expansion in 1967. These six teams were also members of the NHL’s predecessor league, the National Hockey Association (NHA).

Expansion

The National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917 with the replacement of the National Hockey Association (NHA). After the NHA’s suspension of operations, the Canadian Arenas Company (owned by Eddie Livingstone) was issued a temporary decree to operate the league. The first half of the 20th century saw little expansion and the only notable event was the absorption of the Quebec Bulldogs in 1920.

The WHA

The World Hockey Association (WHA) was a professional ice hockey league that operated from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competitor to the National Hockey League (NHL) since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926. Although the WHA was not initially successful, it caused the NHL to expand, adding six teams from 1974 to 1979.

The 1980s

In the 1980s, the National Hockey League (NHL) experienced a period of great change. The league expanded from 18 to 21 teams, and new franchises in Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Hartford joined the league. The New York Islanders won four Stanley Cups in a row from 1980 to 1983, while the Montreal Canadiens won three times in a row from 1986 to 1988. In 1985, the NHL held its first All-Star Game in Montreal.

Conclusion

ice hockey as we know it today is thought to have originated in Montreal, Canada in 1875. It is one of the oldest professional sports leagues in North America.

The NHL was formed in 1917, and the first official games were played in 1918. The league initially consisted of five teams: the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Ottawa Senators, the Quebec Bulldogs, and the Montreal Wanderers.

Today, the NHL is made up of 30 teams from across Canada and the United States. It is divided into two conferences (the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference) and further divided into three divisions (the Atlantic Division, the Metropolitan Division, and the Central Division).