Central Division Title

Lore & Background

After the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights to the Pacific Division in 2017, the Central Division was one of two divisions (alongside the Pacific) with seven teams until the 2020–21 NHL season, when the COVID-19 pandemic compelled a radical re-alignment of the divisions, including the temporary abolition of the Eastern and Western conferences. The Central Division was not uniquely retained for the 2020–21 season; all four division names (East, Central, West, North) were kept.

Only three of the eight Central Division teams for 2020–21 were members of the division in the previous season. In 2021–22, the Seattle Kraken joined the Pacific Division, and the Arizona Coyotes played in the Central Division for that season before returning to the Pacific. In 2024–25, the Coyotes franchise was deactivated, and an expansion team in Salt Lake City, the Utah Hockey Club, was placed in the Central Division, forming the present members of the Central.

Reader's Guide

The Central Division has sent five teams to the Stanley Cup playoffs on seven occasions. In the first three seasons after the realignment of 2013, Central Division teams occupied both Wild Card playoff spots in the Western Conference. This occurred again in the 2018–19 season, for the fourth time in six seasons. In the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 season, all Central Division teams made the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs due to the 24-team format.

Did You Know?

• The Chicago Blackhawks have been a member of the Central Division in all of its seasons since the original 1993 realignment.
• The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues were original members of the division, and the Stars moved from the Pacific to the Central Division in 1998.
• Three of its teams—the Nashville Predators (1998), Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets (1999), and Minnesota Wild (2000)—joined the NHL during a league expansion phase between 1998 and 2000.