NHL, or National Hockey League, is the largest professional ice hockey league in North America and also in the world. Stanley Cup marks the end of each season when the winner of the NHL playoffs lifts the trophy. On this page you will find up-to-date schedules and odds for upcoming games. We will also explain the leagues structure with conferences, divisions and much more.
The NHL is by far the most popular ice hockey league in the world. The total league revenue of season 2018/19 was over 5 billion US dollars and players salaries are the highest in the world. NHL is followed by fans all over the world but Canada and USA is where the most dedicated fans can be found.
NHL´s conferences and divisions explained
The NHL consists of 31 teams, 24 of which from the United States and 7 from Canada. The teams in NHL are divided into two conferences with two divisions each. During a standard season each team play 82 games each. Because the different total numbers of teams in each division, the distribution of whom each team plays against varies.
In the Eastern Confernence each team plays 28 within division, 24 within conference (non-divisional), 30 inter-conference. In the Western Confernence the distribution is 26/29 within division, 24/21 within conference (non-divisional), 32/32 inter-conference (CD/PD).
Western Conference
Pacific Division
Central Division
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Calgary Flames
Chicago Blackhawks
Edmonton Oilers
Colorado Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings
Dallas Stars
San Jose Sharks
Minnesota Wild
Seattle Kraken
Nashville Predators
Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis Blues
Vegas Golden Knights
Winnipeg Jets
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Boston Bruins
Carolina Hurricanes
Buffalo Sabres
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
New Jersey Devils
Florida Panthers
New York Islanders
Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Pittsburgh Penguins
Toronto Maple Leafs
Washington Capitals
Regular season rules in the NHL
During the regular season, each full time win (inluding overtime or shoot out) is awarded with 2 points. A loss in overtime or shootout is awarded with 1 point, and a loss i regular full time gives 0 points. Losing in overtime with a pulled goaltender also gives 0 points.
The record for most NHL overtime goals is 20 and is held by Alex Ovechkin.
Regular season overtime
In regular season 1 x 5 minutes overtime period is added to a tied game. The OT-period is played with sudden death rules and 3 skaters per team. If the OT-period is tied there extends to a shootout.
Shootout rules
The shootout is played in three rounds. If the game still is tied after three rounds, they are followed by an unlimited numbers of tiebreaker rounds. All players on each team (except the goaltenders) must shoot once before a player can have a second shot.
The NHL rink
The rink in the NHL measures 200 feet (60.96 m) by 85 feet (25.91 m), which is smaller compared to the international standards.
The history of ice hockey and the NHL
The history of hockey pretty much starts in Canada with the founding of The National Hockey Association (NHA) in 1909. The NHA introduced the new sport “six man hockey” which later in 1911 became the “five man hockey” as we know it today. The NHA was a hockey organization for teams in Ontario and Quebec.
Due to disagreements between the NHA owners, all NHA operations were suspended in 1917. Meanwhile, a splinter group of owners started the NHL in parallel during the suspension. A year went by and the owners conflict couldn’t reach a solution, which led to a permanent suspension of the NHA. The rules, constitution and trophies were passed on to the NHL and a new era in ice hockey begins.
The early years
After the owner debacle in 1917, the league could finally start over. The newly founded NHL consisted of 5 teams, all from Canada.
NHL teams in 1917
Montreal Wanderers
Ottawa Senators
Quebec Athletic Club
Toronto Hockey Club (today Maple Leafs)
Montreal Canadiens
The Stanley Cup finals during this period, was held between the winner of the NHL and the winner of PCHA (The Pacific Coast Hockey Association). The PCHA was another professional ice hockey league based on the US west coast which over the years led to PCHL and WHL. We will come back to WHL later on.
By 1927 the league had expanded very rapidly over the past 10 years and consisted of 12 teams. The league also included the first American teams.
NHL teams in 1927
Montreal Wanderers
Boston Bruins
Quebec Athletic Club
New York Americans
Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Pirates
Ottawa Senators
New York Rangers
Toronto Hockey Club (today Maple Leafs)
Chicago Blackhawks
Montreal Maroons
Detroit Cougars (later Red Wings)
The original six
The Great Depression and World War II struck the NHL really bad, which meant the end to many of the teams. Before the beginning of 1942-43 season, the league was reduced to only six teams. However this was a milestone for the league as we know it today.
“The original six” teams of the NHL
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Black Hawks
New York Rangers
Detroit Red Wings
Toronto Maple Leafs
“The original six” constellation was consistent for 25 years and all teams still play in the NHL today.
The 1967 expansion of the NHL
During the 1960’s ice hockey had grown into a popular sport in the US and Canada. The demand for television broadcasting of the NHL was huge. At the time, the minor league WHA was planning on declare itself as a major league to take up the competition with the NHL. This led to the decision to the expansion of the National Hockey League. In 1967, the league welcomed 6 brand new teams to play in the 1967-68 season.
Teams of the NHL in 1967
“The original six”
New teams
Boston Bruins
Los Angeles Kings
Chicago Black Hawks
Minnesota North Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Philadelphia Flyers
Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Rangers
California Seals
Toronto Maple Leafs
St. Louis Blues
After the 1967 expansion Canadian fans were disappointed that there were no new Canadian teams added to the league. This led to the addition of Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres in 1970.
The NHL and WHA merger agreement 1979
In 1972 a new major ice hockey league was founded, the WHA (World Hockey Association). To stand the competition NHL added another 4 teams over the years 1972-74, New York Islanders, Atlanta Flames, Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts. NHL now consisted of 18 teams.
The competition between NHL and WHA was harsh and NHL lost many players to the new and upcoming WHA.
The most controversial player transfer was Bobby Hull, who signed a 10 year contract with the Winnipeg Jets worth $2.5 million. At the time, this was the largest contract in history.
The competition was so hard that both of the leagues were financially damaged. The leagues agreed on a merger in 1979 which led to the addition of Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques to the NHL.
NHL in the 1980’s and 1990’s
After the merger in 1979 the NHL started blossoming in the 1980’s and 1990’s. New teams that were added over the two decades was
Edmonton Oilers (1979)
San Jose Sharks (1991)
Tampa Bay Lightning (1992)
Ottawa Senators (1992)
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993)
Florida Panthers (1993)
Nashville Predators (1998)
Atlanta Thrashers (1999, now Winnipeg Jets)
Minnesota Wild (2000)
Columbus Blue Jackets (2000)
Latest additions to the NHL
In 2017 Vegas Golden Knights made a grand entrance in the NHL, by winning the Pacific Division and make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately they lost the finals against Washington Capitals. The following season wasn’t to bad either as they ended up in 3rd place in the Pacific Division but was knocked out in the first round of the play-offs.
Last but not least…
There is only one number in NHL that is retiread and can not be used. That number is 99 and it belonged to Wayne Gretzky. It´s in the Skyreach Centre Arena and raised to the rafters by Edmonton Oilers. So all other numbers between 1 and 98 is still avaiable in the NHL.
