Why Is It Called National Hockey League If There Are Teams From Two Countries? Find Out

The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, and it is regarded as the best professional ice hockey league in the world.

By Blesson Daniel

Published on May 15, 2024 | 06:34 PM IST | 101.1K

Colorado Avalanche celebrates with teammates after scoring the game winning goal during OT against the Dallas Stars [Credit-Getty Images]

In this Article

Why is it called a “National” league if teams are from two countries?
The “Original Six”

The National Hockey League is a men's professional ice hockey league in North America with 33 clubs (32 of which are active): 26 in the United States (the Arizona operation is dormant) and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional sports trophy, is given yearly to the league playoff champion at the end of the season.

Why is it called a “National” league if teams are from two countries?

The NHL began with four teams, all of which were from Canada, thus the "National" in the league's name. The league moved to the United States in 1924, with the Boston Bruins joining, and has subsequently included both American and Canadian clubs.

The National Hockey League was formed on November 26, 1917, at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal, following the suspension of operations by its predecessor, the National Hockey Association (NHA), which was founded in 1909 in Renfrew, Ontario.

The NHL immediately replaced the NHA as one of the leagues vying for the Stanley Cup in an annual interleague competition, until a sequence of league mergers and foldings left the NHL as the only league left participating in 1926.

The “Original Six”

From 1942 to 1967, the league was made up of only six clubs, known as the "Original Six". In 1967, the NHL expanded to include six more clubs, doubling its size. The league expanded to 18 clubs in 1974 and 21 teams in 1979.

Between 1991 and 2000, the NHL expanded to thirty teams. It added its 31st and 32nd teams in 2017 and 2021, respectively, with a 33rd in 2024.

The NHL is the world's fifth-highest-grossing professional sports league in terms of revenue, trailing only the National Football League (NFL), Indian Premier League (IPL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and English Premier League.

The league's offices have been in Manhattan since 1989 when it relocated from Montreal. The NHL has had four league-wide labor stoppages, all of which occurred after 1992.

The NHL's regular season normally runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. Following the end of the regular season, 16 clubs progress to the Stanley Cup playoffs, a four-round competition that lasts until June to decide the league champion.

Since the league's inception in 1917, the Montreal Canadiens have won the most combined NHL titles (25), winning three NHL championship series before the league gained complete exclusivity of the Stanley Cup in 1926, and 22 Stanley Cups since. The Vegas Golden Knights are the reigning league champions after they beat the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

Also Read: Who Are the Teams Which Haven’t Won Stanley Cup Ever? Here’s the List