The NHL was organized at theWindsor Hotel inMontreal on November 26, 1917, after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, theNational Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909 atRenfrew, Ontario.[8] The NHL immediately took the NHA's place as one of the leagues that contested for the Stanley Cup in an annual interleague competition before a series of league mergers and foldings left the NHL as the only league competing for the Stanley Cup in 1926.
At its inception, the NHL had four teams, all in Canada, thus the adjective "National" in the league's name. The league expanded to the United States in 1924, when theBoston Bruins joined, and has since consisted of both American and Canadian teams. From 1942 to 1967, the NHL had only six teams, collectively nicknamed the "Original Six". The league added six new teams to double its size as a result of the1967 NHL expansion, then increased to 18 teams by 1974, and to 21 teams due to the1979 NHL expansion. Between 1991 and 2000, the NHL further expanded to 30 teams. It added its 31st and 32nd teams in 2017 and 2021, respectively.Salt Lake City was awarded anexpansion franchise in 2024; it acquired the hockey assets of theArizona Coyotes, which were deactivated, and established the Utah Hockey Club (now theUtah Mammoth), thus maintaining the total number of teams at 32.
The league's regular season is typically held from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. Following the conclusion of the regular season, 16 teams advance to theStanley Cup playoffs, a four-round tournament that runs into June to determine the league champion. Since the league's founding in 1917, theMontreal Canadiens have won the most NHL titles with 25, winning three NHL championship series before the league took full exclusivity of the Stanley Cup in 1926, and 22 Stanley Cups afterwards.[nb 1] The reigning league champions are theFlorida Panthers, who defeated theEdmonton Oilers in the2025 Stanley Cup Final.
The National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917 as the successor to theNational Hockey Association (NHA). Founded in 1909, the NHAbegan play in 1910 with seven teams inOntario andQuebec, and was one of the first major leagues in professional ice hockey. However, by itseighth season, a series of disputes withToronto Blueshirts ownerEddie Livingstone led team owners of theMontreal Canadiens, theMontreal Wanderers, theOttawa Senators, and theQuebec Bulldogs to hold a meeting to discuss the league's future.[13] Realizing the NHA constitution left them unable to force Livingstone out, the four teams voted instead to suspend the NHA, and, on November 26, 1917, formed the National Hockey League.Frank Calder was chosen as the NHL's first president, serving until his death in 1943.[14]
The Bulldogs were unable to play in the NHL, and the remaining owners founded theToronto Arenas to compete with the Canadiens, Wanderers and Senators.[15] The first games were played on December 19, 1917.[16] TheMontreal Arena burned down in January 1918, causing the Wanderers to cease operations,[17] and the NHL continued on as a three-team league until the Bulldogs returned in 1919.[18]
TheStanley Cup in 1930, several years after it became thede facto championship trophy for the NHL
The NHL replaced the NHA as one of the leagues that competed for the Stanley Cup, an interleague competition at the time. Toronto won the first NHL title, and then defeated theVancouver Millionaires of thePacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) for the1918 Stanley Cup.[19] The Canadiens won the league title in 1919, but the series in the Stanley Cup Final against the PCHA'sSeattle Metropolitans was abandoned due to theSpanish Flu epidemic.[20] In 1924, Montreal won their first Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL.[21] TheHamilton Tigers won the regular season title in1924–25, but refused to play in the championship series unless they were given aC$200 bonus.[22] The league refused and declared the Canadiens the league champion after they defeated theToronto St. Patricks (formerly the Arenas) in the two-game, total-goals NHL championship series. Montreal was then defeated by theVictoria Cougars of theWestern Canada Hockey League (WCHL) in1925. It was the last time a non-NHL team won the trophy,[23] as the Stanley Cup became thede facto NHL championship in 1926, after the WCHL ceased operation.[24]
The NHL embarked on a rapid expansion in the 1920s, adding theMontreal Maroons and theBoston Bruins in 1924, the latter being the first American team to join the league.[25] TheNew York Americans began play in 1925 after purchasing the assets of the Hamilton Tigers, and they were joined by thePittsburgh Pirates.[26] TheNew York Rangers were added in 1926,[27] and theChicago Black Hawks (later changed to Blackhawks) andDetroit Cougars (later known as the Red Wings) were added after the league purchased the assets of the defunct WCHL.[28] A group purchased the Toronto St. Patricks in 1927 and renamed them theToronto Maple Leafs.[29]
In 1926, Native AmericanTaffy Abel became the first non-white player in the NHL and broke the league's colour barrier by playing for the New York Rangers.[30]
In 1934, the firstNHL All-Star Game was held, to benefitAce Bailey, whose career ended on a vicious hit byEddie Shore.[31] The second was held in 1937, in support ofHowie Morenz's family when he died of a coronary embolism after breaking his leg during a game.[32]
TheGreat Depression and the onset ofWorld War II took a toll on the league. The Pirates became thePhiladelphia Quakers in 1930, then folded a year later. The Senators likewise became theSt. Louis Eagles in 1934, also lasting only a year.[33] The Maroons did not survive, as they suspended operations in 1938.[34] The Americans were suspended in 1942 due to a lack of available players, and they were never reactivated.[35]
For the1942–43 season, the NHL was reduced to six teams: the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Black Hawks, the Detroit Red Wings, the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, a line-up, often referred to as the "Original Six", that would remain constant for the next 25 years. In 1947, the league reached an agreement with the Stanley Cup trustees to take full control of the trophy, allowing it to reject challenges from other leagues that wished to play for the Cup.[36]
In 1945,Maurice "Rocket" Richard became the first player to score50 goals, doing so in a50-game season.[37] Richard later led the Canadiens to five consecutive titles between 1956 and 1960, a record no team has matched.[38]
In 1948, Asian CanadianLarry Kwong became the first Asian player in the NHL by playing for the New York Rangers.[39][40] In 1958,Willie O'Ree became the first black player in the league's history when he made his debut with the Boston Bruins.[41]
The NHL fought the WHA for players, losing 67 to the new league in its first season of1972–73,[45] including the Chicago Black Hawks'Bobby Hull, who signed a 10-year, $2.5 million contract with theWinnipeg Jets, then the largest in hockey history. The league attempted to block the defections in court, but a counter-suit by the WHA led to a Philadelphia judge ruling the NHL'sreserve clause to be illegal, thus eliminating the elder league's monopoly over the players.[46]Wayne Gretzky played one season in the WHA for theIndianapolis Racers (eight games) and theEdmonton Oilers (72 games) before the Oilers joined the NHL for the1979–80 season.[47] Gretzky went on to lead the Oilers to win four Stanley Cup championships in1984,1985,1987 and1988, and set single-season records for goals (92 in1981–82), assists (163 in1985–86) and points (215 in 1985–86), as well as career records for goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857).[47] In 1988, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in a deal that dramatically improved the league's popularity in the United States. By the turn of the century, nine more teams were added to the NHL: theSan Jose Sharks, theTampa Bay Lightning, theOttawa Senators, theMighty Ducks of Anaheim, theFlorida Panthers, theNashville Predators, theAtlanta Thrashers, and, in 2000, theMinnesota Wild and theColumbus Blue Jackets.[48] Also, in the mid to late 1990s, the Quebec Nordiques, original Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers, and Minnesota North Stars relocated to Denver, Phoenix, Raleigh, and Dallas, respectively. In 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg, and theWinnipeg Jets were revived. On July 21, 2015, the NHL confirmed that it had received applications from prospective ownership groups inQuebec City andLas Vegas for possible expansion teams,[49] and on June 22, 2016, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the addition of a 31st franchise, based in Las Vegas and later named theVegas Golden Knights, into the NHL for the2017–18 season.[50] On December 4, 2018, the league announced a 32nd franchise inSeattle, later named theSeattle Kraken, which joined in the2021–22 season.[51] On April 18, 2024, the Arizona Coyotes suspended operations and sold their hockey assets, including players and other personnel, to anew team inSalt Lake City,Utah.[52][53] Two months after Utah's foundation, the Coyotes ceased their efforts to re-activate within the five-year window granted to do so, bringing the NHL back to 32 franchises.[54]
Alockout at the start of the1994–95 season forced the league to reduce the schedule from 84 games to 48, with the teams playing only intra-conference games during the reduced season.[55] The resultingcollective bargaining agreement (CBA) was set for renegotiation in 1998, and extended to September 15, 2004.[56]
With no new agreement in hand when the contract expired, league commissionerGary Bettman announced alockout of the players union and closed the league's head office for the2004–05 season.[56] The league vowed to install what it dubbed "cost certainty" for its teams, but the Players' Association countered that the move was little more than a euphemism for asalary cap, which the union initially said it would not accept. The lockout shut down the league for 310 days, making it the longest in sports history, as the NHL became the first professional sports league to lose an entire season.[56] A new collective bargaining agreement was eventually ratified in July 2005, including a salary cap. The agreement had a term of six years with an option of extending the collective bargaining agreement for an additional year at the end of the term, allowing the league to resume as of the2005–06 season.[56]
On October 5, 2005, the first post-lockout season took to the ice with all 30 teams. The NHL received record attendance in the 2005–06 season, with an average of 16,955 per game.[57] However, its television audience was slower to rebound due to American cable broadcasterESPN's decision to drop its NHL coverage.[58] The league's post-lockout agreement withNBC gave the league a share of revenue from each game's advertising sales, rather than the usual lump sum paid up front for game rights. The league's annual revenues were estimated at $2.27 billion.[58]
On September 16, 2012, the labour pact expired, and the league againlocked out the players.[59] The owners proposed reducing the players' share of hockey-related revenues from 57 percent to 47 percent.[60] All games were cancelled up to January 14, 2013, along with the2013 NHL Winter Classic and the2013 NHL All-Star Weekend.[61][62][63][64] On January 6, a tentative agreement was reached on a 10-year deal.[65] On January 12, the league and the Players' Association signed a memorandum of understanding on the new deal, allowing teams to begin their training camps the next day, with a shortened 48-game season schedule that began on January 19.[66]
Player safety issues
Player safety has become a major issue in the NHL, withconcussions resulting from a hard hit to the head being the primary concern. Recent studies have shown how the consequences of concussions can last beyond player retirement.[67] This has significant effects on the league, as elite players have suffered from the aftereffects of concussions (such asSidney Crosby being sidelined for approximately ten and a half months), which adversely affects the league's marketability.[68] In December 2009,Brendan Shanahan was hired to replace Colin Campbell, and was given the role of senior vice-president of player safety. Shanahan began to hand out suspensions on high-profile perpetrators responsible for dangerous hits, such asRaffi Torres receiving 25 games for his hit onMarian Hossa.[69]
To aid with removing high-speed collisions on icing, which had led to several potential career-ending injuries, such as to Hurricanes' defencemanJoni Pitkanen, the league mandated hybrid no-touch icing for the2013–14 NHL season.[70]
On November 25, 2013, ten former NHL players (Gary Leeman, Rick Vaive, Brad Aitken, Darren Banks, Curt Bennett, Richie Dunn, Warren Holmes, Bob Manno, Blair Stewart, and Morris Titanic) sued the league for negligence in protecting players from concussions. The suit came three months after theNational Football League agreed to pay former players US$765 million due to a player safety lawsuit.[71]
Women in the NHL
From 1952 to 1955,Marguerite Norris served as president of theDetroit Red Wings, being the first female NHL executive and the first woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup. In 1992,Manon Rhéaume became the first woman to play a game in any of the major professional North American sports leagues, as a goaltender for theTampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game against theSt. Louis Blues, stopping seven of nine shots.[72][73] In 2016,Dawn Braid was hired as theArizona Coyotes' skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL.[74] The first female referees in the NHL were hired in a test-run during the league's preseason prospect tournaments in September 2019.[75]
The NHL consists of 32 teams—25 based in the United States and 7 in Canada. The teams are divided evenly between theEastern andWestern conferences. Each conference is split into twodivisions, with 16 teams per conference and 8 per division. The Eastern Conference consists of theAtlantic andMetropolitan divisions, while the Western Conference consists of theCentral andPacific divisions.
The number of teams held constant at 30 teams from the2000–01 season, when theMinnesota Wild and theColumbus Blue Jackets joined the league as expansion teams, until 2017. That expansion capped a period in the 1990s of rapid expansion and relocation, when the NHL added nine teams to grow from 21 to 30 teams, and relocated four teams mostly from smaller, northern cities to larger, more southern metropolitan areas (Minneapolis–Saint Paul toDallas,Quebec City toDenver,Winnipeg toPhoenix, andHartford toRaleigh). The league has not contracted any teams since theCleveland Barons were merged into theMinnesota North Stars in 1978. The league expanded for the first time in 17 years[80] to 31 teams with the addition of theVegas Golden Knights in 2017,[50] then to 32 with the addition of theSeattle Kraken in 2021.[51][81] In April 2024, anew expansion team in Utah was created, afterAlex Meruelo sold the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes toRyan Smith, owner of theUtah Jazz.[52][53] Meruelo was granted until 2029 to secure an arena in Arizona in order to re-activate the team, bringing the total number of franchises up to 33; however, these efforts were abandoned two months later, leaving the NHL at 32 franchises once again.[54]
According toForbes, in 2024, the top five most valuable teams were four of the "Original Six" teams and the Los Angeles Kings:[82]
The remaining members of the Original Six, theChicago Blackhawks and theDetroit Red Wings, respectively ranked seventh at US$2.45 billion and 10th at US$2.125 billion.[82] In 2023, the Maple Leafs surpassed the Rangers as the most valuable NHL team, and Los Angeles overtook both Chicago and Boston, making its way into the top five.[83]
The Board of Governors is the ruling and governing body of the NHL. In this context, each team is a member of the league, and each member appoints a Governor (usually the owner of the club), and two alternates to the Board. The current chairman of the Board is Boston Bruins ownerJeremy Jacobs. The Board of Governors exists to establish the policies of the league and to uphold its constitution. Some of the responsibilities of the Board of Governors include:[84]
The current markings of an NHL hockey rinkSize difference between a hockey rink used inIIHF-sanctioned games and an NHL hockey rink
The NHL's rules are one of the two standard sets of professional ice hockey rules in the world, the other being the rules of theInternational Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), as used in tournaments such as theOlympics. The IIHF rules are derived from the Canadian amateur ice hockey rules of the early 20th century,[87] while the NHL rules evolved directly from thefirst organized indoor ice hockey game in Montreal in 1875, updated by subsequent leagues up to 1917, when the NHL adopted the existing NHA set of rules. The NHL's rules are the basis for rules governingmost professional andmajor junior ice hockey leagues in North America.
The NHLhockey rink is 200 by 85 feet (60.96 m × 25.91 m),[88] approximately the same length but much narrower than IIHF standards. Atrapezoidal area appears behind each goal net.[89] The goaltender can play the puck only within the trapezoid or in front of the goal line; if the goaltender plays the puck behind the goal line and outside the trapezoidal area, atwo-minute minor penalty for delay of game is assessed.[90] The rule is unofficially nicknamed the "Martin Brodeur rule"; Brodeur at the time was one of the best goaltenders at getting behind the net to handle the puck.[91][92][93][94] Since the 2013–14 season, the league trimmed the goal frames by 4 inches (10 cm) on each side and reduced the size of the goalies' leg pads.[95]
New Jersey Devils goaltenderMartin Brodeur (top left) positions himself along the net during a 2008 game against theBoston Bruins. Brodeur's exploits led the NHL in 2005 to delineate the trapezoidal area behind the net to limit where the goaltender can legally play the puck behind the goal line.
The league has regularly modified its rules to counter perceived imperfections in the game. The penalty shot was adopted from thePacific Coast Hockey Association to ensure players were not being blocked from opportunities to score. For the 2005–06 season, the league changed some of the rules regarding being offside. First, the league removed the "offside pass" or "two-line pass" rule, which required a stoppage in play if a pass originating from inside a team'sdefending zone was completed on the offensive side of the centre line, unless the puck crossed the line before the player.[96] Furthermore, the league reinstated the "tag-up offside" which allows an attacking player a chance to get back onside by returning to the neutral zone.[96] The changes to the offside rule were among several rule changes intended to increase overall scoring,[96] which had been in decline since the expansion years of the mid-nineties and the increased prevalence of theneutral zone trap. Since 2005, when a team is guilty oficing the puck they are not allowed to make a line change or skater substitution of any sort before the followingface-off (except to replace an injured player or re-install apulled goaltender).[97] Since 2013, the league has usedhybrid icing, where alinesman stops play due to icing if a defending player (other than the goaltender) crosses the imaginary line that connects the two face-off dots in their defensive zone before an attacking player is able to. This was done to counter a trend of player injury in races to the puck.[97]
Fighting in the NHL leads tomajor penalties while IIHF rules, and most amateur rules, call for the ejection of fighting players.[98][99] Usually, a penalized team cannot replace a player that is penalized on the ice and is thusshort-handed for the duration of the penalty,[100] but if the penalties are coincidental, for example when two players fight, both teams remain at full strength. Also, unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play.[100]
The league also imposes a conduct policy on its players. Players are banned fromgambling and criminal activities have led to the suspension of players. The league and the Players' Association agreed to a stringent anti-doping policy in the 2005 collective bargaining agreement. The policy provides for a twenty-game suspension for a first positive test, a sixty-game suspension for a second positive test, and a lifetime suspension for a third positive test.[101]
At the end of regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time,overtime ensues. During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute, three-on-threesudden-death period, in which whoever scores a goal first wins the game. If the game is still tied at the end of overtime, the game enters ashootout. Three players for each team in turn take apenalty shot. The team with the most goals during the three-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the three shootout rounds, the shootout continues but becomes sudden-death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded one point.[102] Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.
There are no shootouts during theplayoffs. Instead, multiple sudden-death, 20-minute five-on-five periods are played until one team scores. Two games have reached six overtime periods, but none have gone beyond six.[103] During playoff overtime periods, the only break is to clean the loose ice at the first stoppage after the period is halfway finished.[104]
The National Hockey League season is divided into a preseason (September and early October), a regular season (from early October through early to mid-April) and a postseason (theStanley Cup playoffs) that runs until June.
Teams usually hold a summer showcase for prospects in July and participate in prospect tournaments, full games that do not feature any veterans, in September. Full training camps begin in mid-to-late September, including a preseason consisting of six to eightexhibition games. Split squad games, in which parts of a team's regular season roster play separate games on the same day, are occasionally played during the preseason.
During the regular season, clubs play each other in a predefined schedule. Since 2021, in the regular season, all teams play 82 games: 41 games each of home and road, playing 26 games in their own geographic division—four against five of their seven other divisional opponents, plus three against two others; 24 games against the eight remaining non-divisional intra-conference opponents—three games against every team in the other division of its conference; and 32 against every team in the other conference twice—home and road.[105]
The league's regular season standings are based on a point system. Two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion, and the league's overall leader is awarded thePresidents' Trophy.
The Stanley Cup playoffs, which go from April to the beginning of June, are an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win abest-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the Stanley Cup champion. Eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs: the top three teams in each division plus the two conference teams with the next highest number of points.[106] The two conference champions proceed to theStanley Cup Final. In all rounds, the higher-ranked team is awarded home-ice advantage, with four of the seven games played at this team's home venue. In the Stanley Cup Final, the team with the most points during the regular season has home-ice advantage.
The annual NHL entry draft consists of a seven-round off-seasondraft held in June on a date of the commissioner's choosing.[107] Early NHL drafts took place at theQueen Elizabeth (currently Fairmont) Hotel in Montreal.[108] Amateur players from junior, collegiate, or European leagues are eligible to enter the entry draft.[109] The selection order is determined by a combination of the standings at the end of the regular season, playoff results, and a draft lottery. The 16 teams that did not qualify for the playoffs are entered in a weighted lottery to determine the initial draft picks in the first round, with the last place team having the best chance of winning the lottery. Once the lottery determines the initial draft picks, the order for the remaining non-playoff teams is determined by the standings at the end of the regular season. For those teams that did qualify for the playoffs, the draft order is then determined by total regular season points for non-division winners that are eliminated in the first two rounds of the playoffs, then any division winners that failed to reach the Conference Finals. Conference finalists receive the 29th and 30th picks depending on total points, with the Stanley Cup runner-up given the 31st pick and the Stanley Cup champions the final pick.
The Stanley Cup, shown here on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, is awarded annually to the league champion.
The most prestigious team award is theStanley Cup, which is awarded to the league champion at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team that has the most points in the regular season is awarded thePresidents' Trophy.
The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful franchise in the league. Since the formation of the league in 1917, they have 25 NHL championships (three between 1917 and 1925 when the Stanley Cup was still contested in an interleague competition, twenty-two since 1926 after the Stanley Cup became the NHL's championship trophy). They also lead all teams with 24Stanley Cup championships (one as an NHA team, twenty-three as an NHL team). Of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, the Montreal Canadiens are surpassed in the number of championships only by theNew York Yankees ofMajor League Baseball, who have three more.
The longest streak of winning the Stanley Cup in consecutive years is five, held by the Montreal Canadiens from 1955–56 to 1959–60.[110] The 1977 edition of the Montreal Canadiens, the second of four straight Stanley Cup champions, was named by ESPN as the second greatest sports team of all time.[111]
The next most successful NHL franchise is the Toronto Maple Leafs with 13 Stanley Cup championships, most recently in 1967. The Detroit Red Wings, with 11 Stanley Cup championships, are the most successful American franchise.
The same trophy is reused every year for each of its awards. The Stanley Cup, much like itscounterpart in theCanadian Football League (CFL), is unique in this aspect, as opposed to theVince Lombardi Trophy,Larry O'Brien Trophy, andCommissioner's Trophy, which have new ones made every year for that year's champion. Despite only one trophy being used, the names of the teams winning and the players are engraved every year on the Stanley Cup. The same can also be said for the other trophies reissued every year.
Division titles
Apart from the NHL-sanctioned trophies, which teams often recognize by putting up banners in the rafters of their arenas, many teams also claim titles which are not represented by trophies, often also by putting up banners in their rafters. One example is the division title or division championship.[112] The term unambiguously refers to the team that received the most points in its division at the end of the regular season,[113] but in some previous seasons, for example, from 1926–27 to 1927–28 and from 1981–82 to 1992–93, when the playoffs where organized along divisions, the term without qualification could also refer to the team which won the corresponding playoff series.[114] The NHL has made clear in the past that it only allows teams to recognize regular season division titles.[115]
Players
There are numerous trophies that are awarded to players based on their statistics during the regular season; they include, among others, theArt Ross Trophy for the league scoring champion (goals and assists), theMaurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the goal-scoring leader, and theWilliam M. Jennings Trophy for thegoaltender(s) for the team with the fewest goals against them.
The other player trophies are voted on by theProfessional Hockey Writers' Association or the team general managers.[116] These individual awards are presented at a formal ceremony held in late June after the playoffs have concluded. The most prestigious individual award is theHart Memorial Trophy which is awarded annually to theMost Valuable Player; the voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to judge the player who is the most valuable to his team during the regular season. TheVezina Trophy is awarded annually to the person deemed the best goaltender as voted on by the general managers of the teams in the NHL. TheJames Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top defenceman, theCalder Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top rookie, and theLady Byng Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player deemed to combine the highest degree of skill and sportsmanship; all three of these awards are voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
In addition to the regular season awards, theConn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs. Furthermore, the top coach in the league wins theJack Adams Award, as selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association. The National Hockey League publishes the names of the top three vote getters for all awards, and then names the award winner during the NHL Awards Ceremony.[116]
Players, coaches, officials, and team builders who have had notable careers are eligible to be voted into theHockey Hall of Fame. Players cannot enter until three years have passed since their last professional game, currently tied with theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame[117] for the shortest such time period of any major sport. One unique consequence has been Hall of Fame members (specifically,Gordie Howe,Guy Lafleur, andMario Lemieux) coming out of retirement to play once more.[118] If a player was deemed significant enough, the three-year wait would be waived; only ten individuals have been honoured in this manner.[119] In 1999,Wayne Gretzky joined the Hall and became the last player to have the three-year restriction waived.[119] After his induction, the Hall of Fame announced that Gretzky would be the last to have the waiting period waived.
In addition to Canadian- and American-born and trained players, who have historically composed a large majority of NHL rosters, the NHL also draws players from an expanding pool of other nations where organized and professional hockey is played. Since thecollapse of the Soviet Bloc, political/ideological restrictions on the movement of hockey players from this region have disappeared, leading to a large influx of players mostly from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia into the NHL. Swedes, Finns, and Western European players, who were always free to move to North America, came to the league in greater numbers than before.
As of the 2017–18 season, the NHL has players from 17 countries, with 46.0% coming from Canada and 26.0% from the United States, while players from a further 15 countries make up 26.4% of NHL rosters.[123][124] The following table shows the seven countries that make up the vast majority of NHL players. The table follows theHockey Hall of Fame convention of classifying players by the currently existing countries in which their birthplaces are located, without regard to their citizenship or where they were trained.
Logos of corporate sponsors are visible on the boards and ice in an NHL hockey rink.
The NHL lists its several official corporate partners into three categories: North American Partners, USA Partners and Canada Partners.[132]Discover Card is the league's official credit card in the United States, while competitorVisa is an official sponsor in Canada.[133] Likewise,Tim Hortons is the league's officialcoffee and doughnuts chain in Canada, whileDunkin' Donuts is the NHL's sponsor in the United States.[134]
Among its North American corporate sponsors,Kraft Heinz sponsorsKraft Hockeyville, an annual competition in which communities compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport ofice hockey. The winning community gets a cash prize dedicated to upgrading their local home arena, as well as the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game. Two contests are held, one for communities across Canada and a separate competition for communities in the US.
At least two of the North American corporate sponsors have ties toNHL franchise owners: theMolson family, founders ofMolson Brewery, has owned the Montreal Canadiens for years, whileSAP was co-founded byHasso Plattner, the current majority owner of the San Jose Sharks.
Many of these same corporate partners become the title sponsors for the league's All-Star andoutdoor games.
Beginning in the2020–21 NHL season, the league allowed for advertising on its gameday uniforms for the first time, starting with helmet ads. The NHL has had advertising on the front of team jerseys starting from the 2022–23 season.[135]
On May 14, 2021, NHL and the sports-betting companyBetway announced a multi-year partnership in which Betway became the official sports betting partner to the NHL in North America.[136]
Members of the media interviewing players on ice after a game in 2009
Canada
Broadcasting rights in Canada have historically included theCBC'sHockey Night in Canada (HNIC), a Canadian tradition dating to 1952,[137][138] and even prior to that on radio since the 1920s.
The current national television and digital rightsholder isRogers Communications, under a 12-year deal valued atC$5.2 billion which began in the2014–15 season, as the national broadcast and cable television rightsholders. NationalEnglish-language coverage of the NHL is carried primarily by Rogers'Sportsnet group of specialty channels; Sportsnet holds national windows on Wednesday and Sunday nights.Hockey Night in Canada was maintained and expanded under the deal, airing up to seven games nationally on Saturday nights throughout the regular season. CBC maintains Rogers-produced NHL coverage during the regular season and playoffs.[139] Sportsnet's networks also air occasional games involving all-U.S. matchups.[140][141][142][143][144][145]
Games that are not broadcast as part of the national rights deal are broadcast by Sportsnet's regional feeds,TSN's regional feeds, andRDS. Regional games are subject toblackout for viewers outside of each team's designated market.[148]
Historically, the NHL has never fared well on American television in comparison to the other American professional leagues. The league's American broadcast partners had been in flux for decades prior to 1995. Hockey broadcasting on a national scale was particularly spotty prior to 1981;NBC,CBS, andABC held rights at various times during that period but with limited schedules during the second half of the regular season and the playoffs, along with some (but not all) of theStanley Cup Final. The NHL primarily was then only available oncable television after 1981, airing on theUSA Network,SportsChannel America, andESPN at various times. Since 1995, national coverage has been split between broadcast and cable, first withFox and ESPN from 1995 to 1999, then followed by ABC and ESPN from 1999 to 2004. The U.S. national rights were then held by NBC andOLN (later renamedVersus, thenNBCSN) between the2004–05 NHL lockout and 2021.
The2021–22 season marks the first year of seven-year agreements withESPN andTNT (formerly Turner) Sports.[149] ESPN's deal includes 25 regular season games on ABC or ESPN, and 75 exclusive games streamed onESPN+ andHulu.[150] Turner Sports' coverage includes up to 72 regular season games on TNT, with early round playoff coverage split between TNT andTBS.[151] The playoffs will be split between ESPN and TNT, with ABC televising the Stanley Cup Final during even years and TNT (simulcast with TBS andTruTV) televising the championship series during odd years.[149]
As in Canada, games not broadcast nationally are aired regionally within a team's home market and are subject toblackout outside of them. These broadcasters includeregional sports network chains. Certain national telecasts are non-exclusive, and may also air in tandem with telecasts of the game by local broadcasters. However, national telecasts of these games are blacked out in the participating teams' markets to protect the local broadcaster.
The league co-owns the NHL Network, a television specialty channel devoted to the NHL. Its signature show isNHL Tonight. The NHL Network also airs live games, but primarily simulcasts of one of the team's regional broadcasters.
The league originally launchedNHL GameCenter Live in 2008, allowing the streaming of out-of-market games over the internet.[154]MLB Advanced Media then took over of its day-to-day operations in 2016, renaming itNHL.tv.[155] Under its contract,Rogers Communications distributes the service in Canada asNHL Live;[156] it will be incorporated into Sportsnet Now Premium for the 2022–23 season.[157] UnderESPN's contract, the league's out-of-market streaming package was incorporated intoESPN+ for those viewers in the United States in 2021.[150]
International
Outside of Canada and the United States, NHL games are broadcast across Europe, in the Middle East, in Australia,[158] and in the Americas across Mexico, Central America, Dominican Republic, Caribbean, South America and Brazil, among others.[159]
NHL.tv is also available for people in most countries to watch games online, but blackout restrictions may still apply if a game is being televised in the user's country. For those in selected international markets where ESPN also holds the streaming rights, they must instead access games on the ESPN platform used in that particular country: ESPNPlayer, ESPN Play, the ESPN App, orDisney+ (previouslyStar+). And those in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom must useViaplay.[160]
NHL teams have occasionally participated in international club competitions. Most of these competitions were arranged by the NHL or NHLPA. The first international club competition was held in1976, with eight NHL teams playing against theSoviet Championship League'sHC CSKA Moscow, andKrylya Sovetov Moscow. Between 1976 and 1991, the NHL, and the Soviet Championship League would hold several exhibition games between the two leagues known as theSuper Series.[161] No NHL club had played a Soviet or Russian-based club from the end of the Super Series in 1991 to 2008 when the New York Rangers facedMetallurg Magnitogorsk in the2008 Victoria Cup.[162]
In addition to the Russian clubs, NHL clubs had participated in several international club exhibitions and competitions with various European-based clubs. The first exhibition game to feature an NHL team against a European-based team (aside from clubs based in the former Soviet Union) was in December 1977, when the New York Rangers facedPoldi Kladno of theCzechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. In the 2000s, the NHL organized fourNHL Challenge series between NHL and European clubs.[163] The NHL continued to organize exhibition games between NHL and European teams before the beginning of the NHL season; those games were known as the NHL Premiere from 2007 to 2011 and as the NHL Global Series since 2017.[164] The last exhibition game between an NHL and European club occurred during the2024 NHL Global Series.[165]
NHL clubs have also participated in IIHF-organized club tournaments. The most recent IIHF-organized event including an NHL club was the2009 Victoria Cup, between the SwissNational League A'sZSC Lions and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Permittance of NHL players in international competitions
The NHL has also permitted its players to participate in international competitions amongnational teams. The annualIce Hockey World Championships is held every May, at the same time as the Stanley Cup playoffs. Because of its timing, NHL players generally only join their respective country's team in the World Championships if their respective NHL team has been eliminated from Stanley Cup contention.[166]
From 1998 to 2014, during the year of the quadrennialWinter Olympics, the NHL suspended its all-star game and expanded the traditional all-star break to allow NHL players to participate in the Olympic ice hockey tournament. In 2018, the NHL did not schedule an Olympic break, resulting in their players not participating in that year's Olympic tournament.[167] An Olympic break was also not scheduled in 2022, with the NHL opting to not permit its players to participate due to a shortened NHL season that year, and concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.[168] The NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF have agreed to permit NHL players participate in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics.[169] The NHL and the NHLPA also organize theWorld Cup of Hockey. Unlike the Ice Hockey World Championships and the Olympic tournament, the World Cup of Hockey is played under NHL rules and not those of the IIHF.[170]
The NHL is considered one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, along withMajor League Baseball, theNational Football League, and theNational Basketball Association. The league is very prominent in Canada, where it is the most popular of these four leagues.[177] Overall, hockey has the smallest total fan base of the four leagues and receives the smallestannual revenue; the league earns the least from the television rights sale and has the lowest sponsorship.[178]
The NHL had been the sport holding the most affluent fan base of the top four,[178] but it slid behind the MLB and leveled off with the NFL in recent years.[179] A study done by theStanford Graduate School of Business in 2004, found that NHL fans in the United States were the most educated of the four major leagues. Further, it noted that season-ticket sales were more prominent in the NHL than the other three because of the financial ability of the NHL fan to purchase them.[178] The NHL has the most white-based audience among the four.[179] According toReuters, in 2010, the largest demographic of NHL fans was males aged 18–34.[180]The NHL estimates that half of its fan base roots for teams in outside markets. So, beginning in 2008, the NHL started to shift toward using digital technology to market to fans to capitalize on this.
The debut of theWinter Classic, an outdoor regular season NHL game held onNew Year's Day in2008, was a significant success for the league. The game has since become an annual staple of the NHL schedule. Coverage of "Hockey Day in America", later rebranded asHockey Weekend Across America with TNT, allowed for multiple games to be broadcast in the United States on the national rights holder.[181] These improvements led NBC and the cable channelVersus to sign a 10-year broadcast deal, paying US$200 million per year for both American cable and broadcast rights; the deal will lead to further increases in television coverage on the NBC channels.
This television contract has boosted viewership metrics for the NHL. The2010 Stanley Cup playoffs saw the largest audience in the sport's history "after a regular season that saw record-breaking business success, propelled largely by the NHL's strategy of engaging fans through big events and robust digital offerings."[182] This success has resulted in a 66 percent rise in NHL advertising and sponsorship revenue. Merchandise sales were up 22 percent, and the number of unique visitors on the NHL.com website was up 17 percent during the playoffs after rising 29 percent in the regular season.[183]
^abWhile the Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, this does not equal their number of NHL championships, as the Stanley Cup predates the NHL and was an inter-league championship prior to 1926. The Canadiens won a Stanley Cup championship in1916 as a member of theNational Hockey Association, and 23 Cups as a member of the NHL. Montreal also won the NHL championship twice without winning the Stanley Cup: in1918–19 when theSpanish flu caused the cancellation of the Stanley Cup Final against theSeattle Metropolitans ofPacific Coast Hockey Association and in1924–25 when they lost in the Stanley Cup Final to theWestern Canada Hockey League'sVictoria Cougars.
References
Footnotes
^Kreiser, John (November 25, 2017)."NHL turns 100 years old".NHL.com.Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. RetrievedMarch 29, 2018.Beginning on Nov. 24, 1917, the NHA's directors, George Kendall (better known as George Kennedy) of the Montreal Canadiens, Sam Lichtenhein of the Montreal Wanderers, Tom Gorman of Ottawa, M.J. Quinn of Quebec and NHA secretary-treasurer Frank Calder, held three days of meetings at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal and decided to start over. Gorman, seconded by Kendall, proposed, 'That the Canadiens, Wanderers, Ottawa and Quebec Hockey Clubs unite to comprise the National Hockey League.' The motion was carried, and the NHL was officially formed on Nov. 26, 1917.
^Podnieks, Andrew (March 25, 2008)."Triple Gold Goalies... not".International Ice Hockey Federation.Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. RetrievedJune 17, 2017.
^The National Hockey League Official Record Book & Guide 2009 77th Edition, p. 9. New York: National Hockey League (2008)
^Davis, David (February 19, 2013)."A Hockey Pioneer's Moment".The New York Times.Archived from the original on February 20, 2013. RetrievedJune 5, 2020.
^abCBC Sports (January 29, 2004)."We've been here before". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived fromthe original on April 9, 2005. RetrievedJune 9, 2006.
^Molinaro, John (April 20, 2006)."A season to remember". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived fromthe original on June 18, 2006. RetrievedJune 9, 2006.
^"Records NHL vs. Europe".webarchive.iihf.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. October 2, 2008.Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. RetrievedMarch 4, 2022.
^"PR & Media Activities".International Ice Hockey Federation.Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. RetrievedFebruary 8, 2009.
^Barnes, Don (February 25, 2002). "Welcome to the Triple Gold Club: Blake, Sakic, Shanahan: New members to elite club: Olympics, worlds, Stanley Cup".National Post.
^Scanlan, Wayne (February 24, 2002). "Triple Gold Club awaits Canadian trio".Edmonton Journal.
Ross, J. Andrew (2015).Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press.ISBN978-0-8156-3383-9.
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