When Did The Blues Join The NHL?
Contents
A look at the history of the NHL and how the Blues joined the league as one of the original six teams.
The NHL is Founded
The National Hockey League is founded in 1917
On November 26, 1917, the National Hockey League is founded in Montreal, Canada. The new league would be made up of four Canadian teams: the Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ottawa Senators. In 1918, the NHL expands to include two more Canadian teams: the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. In 1924, the first American team joins the League: 1924 expansion franchise the Boston Bruins. The NHL then slowly begins to expand into American markets over the next several decades.
The First Stanley Cup
The Blues joined the NHL in 1967 as an expansion team. Two years later, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but lost to the Boston Bruins. In 1970, the Blues made it to the Finals again and this time, they won the Stanley Cup.
The first Stanley Cup is won by the Montreal Canadiens in 1915
The first Stanley Cup was won by the Montreal Canadiens in 1915. The team that won it was the National Hockey Association’s champion, and the trophy was donated by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of the Governor General of Canada. The NHL took control of the Cup in 1926, and it has been awarded to the league’s champion ever since.
The original Cup was retired in 1892 because it had become too battered and dented. A new silver bowl with a capacity of 14 pints (8.1 L) was donated by Lady Byng of Vimy, England, widow of Field Marshal Viscount Byng of Vimy, who had served as Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926.
The First Professional Team
On September 25th, 1967, the NHL made an unprecedented move and allowed six teams to enter the league- among them were the Blues. This decision was made in order to follow the rival league, the WHA, who had just been formed and had already snapped up some of the NHL’s biggest stars.
The first professional team is the Montreal Canadiens in 1909
The Canadiens were the first professional team in the NHL. They were founded in 1909 and became one of the Original Six teams when the NHL was founded in 1917. The Blues were not founded until 1967 and did not join the NHL until 1968.
The First American Team
The Blues were the first American team in the NHL, joining in 1967. However, they were not the first American hockey team. The first American team was actually the Philadelphia Flyers, who joined in 1967 as well.
The first American team is the Boston Bruins in 1924
In 1924, theBoston Bruinsjoined the NHL as the first American team. At the time, the NHL was an all-Canadian league. The Bruins were later followed by the New York Rangers in 1926 and the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks in 1927. By 1942, all seven of today’sOriginal Six teams were in place. The Bruins were also the first American team to win the Stanley Cup, doing so in 1929.
The First Black Player
Willie O’Ree made history when he joined the Boston Bruins in 1958, becoming the first black player in the NHL. But O’Ree’s story goes beyond just being the first black player in the NHL. He is also a pioneer for racial equality and inclusion in the sport of hockey.
The first black player is Willie O’Ree in 1958
Willie Eldon O’Ree (born October 15, 1935), nicknamed “The Richard Bennett of Hockey” is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a winger with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL), and is notable for being the first black player in the league.
On January 18, 1958, O’Ree made his NHL debut for the Bruins, becoming the first black player in league history. In joining the Bruins, O’Ree also became the first black player in any major North American professional sport. He played 44 games over parts of two seasons with Boston. When he retired in 1979 he had played in a total of 1,068 games in pro hockey’s minor and major leagues.
