National Hockey League
Premier professional ice hockey league in North America.
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America with 32 teams—25 based in the United States and 7 in Canada. It ranks among the continent’s major professional sports leagues and is widely regarded as the top ice hockey league globally. Each season, the league’s playoff champion receives the Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, which the International Ice Hockey Federation considers one of the sport’s most important championships. The NHL’s headquarters have been in New York City since 1989, when they moved from Montreal; additional offices are located in Toronto and Montreal.
The league was founded on November 26, 1917, at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal, following the suspension of its predecessor, the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been established in 1909 in Renfrew, Ontario. The NHL initially took the NHA’s role in competing for the Stanley Cup through an annual interleague competition. By 1926, after a series of league mergers and closures, the NHL became the sole league vying for the trophy.
At its start, the NHL had four teams, all in Canada, which gave the league its “National” name. It expanded into the United States in 1924 with the addition of the Boston Bruins, and has since included both American and Canadian teams. From 1942 to 1967, the league consisted of just six teams, known as the “Original Six.” The 1967 expansion doubled that number to twelve, and the league grew to 18 teams by 1974 and 21 by 1979. Between 1991 and 2000, the NHL expanded further to 30 teams, then added its 31st and 32nd teams in 2017 and 2021. In 2024, Salt Lake City received an expansion franchise, acquiring the hockey assets of the deactivated Arizona Coyotes to form the Utah Hockey Club (later the Utah Mammoth), keeping the total at 32 teams.
The NHL ranks fifth among professional sports leagues worldwide in revenue. Since 1992, the league has experienced four work stoppages. As of the 2024–25 season, players from 18 countries were active in the NHL.
The regular season typically runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. After the regular season, 16 teams enter the Stanley Cup playoffs, a four-round tournament that concludes in June. The Montreal Canadiens hold the most NHL titles with 25—three from NHL championship series before the league gained exclusive control
- founded
- November 26, 1917
- headquarters
- New York City (since 1989)
- number_of_teams
- 32
- most_championships
- Montreal Canadiens (25 NHL titles)
- reigning_champion
- Carolina Hurricanes (2026)
Lore & Background
The NHL was organized at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal on November 26, 1917, after the suspension of operations of its predecessor, the National Hockey Association (NHA). At its inception, the NHL had four teams, all in Canada. The league expanded to the United States in 1924 when the Boston Bruins joined. From 1942 to 1967, the NHL had only six teams, collectively nicknamed the 'Original Six'. The league added six new teams in 1967, then increased to 18 teams by 1974, and to 21 teams due to the 1979 expansion. Between 1991 and 2000, the NHL further expanded to 30 teams, adding its 31st and 32nd teams in 2017 and 2021. Salt Lake City was awarded an expansion franchise in 2024, maintaining the total number of teams at 32.
Reader's Guide
The NHL is the fifth-highest grossing professional sports league in the world by revenue. Its regular season is typically held from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. Following the regular season, 16 teams advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs, a four-round tournament that runs into June. The Montreal Canadiens have won the most NHL titles with 25, including 22 Stanley Cups after the league took full exclusivity of the trophy in 1926. The league has experienced four work stoppages since 1992. As of the 2024–25 season, the NHL had players from 18 countries. The league's headquarters have been in New York City since 1989, with additional offices in Toronto and Montreal.
Did You Know?
- The NHL was founded on November 26, 1917, at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal.
- The Stanley Cup became the de facto NHL championship in 1926 after the Western Canada Hockey League ceased operation.
- The first non-white player in the NHL was Native American Taffy Abel, who played for the New York Rangers in 1926.
- The league added its 31st and 32nd teams in 2017 and 2021.
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