Established in 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL) holds the esteemed Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, awarded annually to the league playoff champion. The league is presently headquartered in Midtown Manhattan and consists of 32 active teams, with 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada.
Originally comprising four Canadian teams, the NHL expanded to the United States in 1924 and now features teams from both countries. Moreover, the NHL is recognized as the top-ranked professional ice hockey league globally, attracting players from 17 countries.
Hockey Teams in the NHL
The NHL consists of 32 teams divided into two conferences, Eastern and Western, each containing two divisions.
In the Eastern Conference, the Metropolitan Division includes the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Division features the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals.
In the Western Conference, the Central Division comprises the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Utah NHL team, and Winnipeg Jets. The Pacific Division consists of the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights.
The following tables looks at the NHL’s hockey teams ( as of 2023-24 season):
| Conference | Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Joined | |
| Eastern | Atlantic | Boston Bruins | Boston, Massachusetts | TD Garden | 17,850 | 1924 | |
| Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo, New York | KeyBank Center | 19,070 | 1970 | |||
| Detroit Red Wings | Detroit, Michigan | Little Caesars Arena | 19,515 | 1926 | |||
| Florida Panthers | Sunrise, Florida | Amerant Bank Arena | 19,250 | 1993 | |||
| Montreal Canadiens | Montreal, Quebec | Bell Centre | 21,105 | 1917 | |||
| Ottawa Senators | Ottawa, Ontario | Canadian Tire Centre | 19,347 | 1992 | |||
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Tampa, Florida | Amalie Arena | 19,092 | 1992 | |||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto, Ontario | Scotiabank Arena | 18,819 | 1917 | |||
| Metropolitan | Carolina Hurricanes | Raleigh, North Carolina | PNC Arena | 18,680 | 1979 | ||
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Columbus, Ohio | Nationwide Arena | 18,144 | 2000 | |||
| New Jersey Devils | Newark, New Jersey | Prudential Center | 16,514 | 1974 | |||
| New York Islanders | Elmont, New York | UBS Arena | 17,255 | 1972 | |||
| New York Rangers | New York, New York | Madison Square Garden | 18,006 | 1926 | |||
| Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Wells Fargo Center | 19,500 | 1967 | |||
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | PPG Paints Arena | 18,387 | 1967 | |||
| Washington Capitals | Washington, D.C. | Capital One Arena | 18,573 | 1974 | |||
| Western | Central | Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago, Illinois | United Center | 19,717 | 1926 | |
| Colorado Avalanche | Denver, Colorado | Ball Arena | 17,809 | 1979 | |||
| Dallas Stars | Dallas, Texas | American Airlines Center | 18,532 | 1967 | |||
| Minnesota Wild | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Xcel Energy Center | 17,954 | 2000 | |||
| Nashville Predators | Nashville, Tennessee | Bridgestone Arena | 17,159 | 1998 | |||
| St. Louis Blues | St. Louis, Missouri | Enterprise Center | 18,724 | 1967 | |||
| Arizona Coyotes | Arizona, Phoenix | Mullett Arena | 4,600 | 1996 | |||
| Winnipeg Jets | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Canada Life Centre | 15,321 | 1999 | |||
| Pacific | Anaheim Ducks | Anaheim, California | Honda Center | 17,174 | 1993 | ||
| Calgary Flames | Calgary, Alberta | Scotiabank Saddledome | 19,289 | 1972 | |||
| Edmonton Oilers | Edmonton, Alberta | Rogers Place | 18,347 | 1967 | |||
| Los Angeles Kings | Los Angeles, California | Crypto.com Arena | 18,230 | 1967 | |||
| San Jose Sharks | San Jose, California | SAP Center | 17,562 | 1991 | |||
| Seattle Kraken | Seattle, Washington | Climate Pledge Arena | 17,151 | 2021 | |||
| Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver, British Columbia | Rogers Arena | 18,910 | 1945 | |||
| Vegas Golden Knights | Paradise, Nevada | T-Mobile Arena | 17,500 | 2017 | |||
Note: The Utah based team will be taking Arizona Coyotes’ place from the 2024-25 season. Moreover, they will be playing at the Delta Center which holds a capacity of 16,000 supporters.
List of Most Valuable NHL Franchises-
The list of most valuable NHL franchises are led by the New York Rangers with a valuation of $2.2 billion, followed closely by the Toronto Maple Leafs at $2 billion and the Montreal Canadiens at $1.85 billion. Other notable teams include the
Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Philadelphia Flyers.
The following table lists down all NHL Franchises based on their value:
| Team | Value | Revenue | Operating Income |
| New York Rangers | $2.2 billion | $249 million | $90 million |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | $2 billion | $248 million | $116 million |
| Montreal Canadiens | $1.85 billion | $239 million | $110 million |
| Chicago Blackhawks | $1.5 billion | $222 million | $92 million |
| Boston Bruins | $1.4 billion | $218 million | $57 million |
| Los Angeles Kings | $1.3 billion | $249 million | $88 million |
| Edmonton Oilers | $1.275 billion | $230 million | $87 million |
| Philadelphia Flyers | $1.25 billion | $190 million | $35 million |
| Washington Capitals | $1.2 billion | $192 million | $55 million |
| Seattle Kraken | $1.05 billion | $191 million | $67 million |
| Detroit Red Wings | $1.03 billion | $187 million | $61 million |
| New York Islanders | $1.02 billion | $181 million | $35 million |
| Vancouver Canucks | $1.01 billion | $187 million | $58 million |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | $1 billion | $187 million | $27 million |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | $0.99 billion | $187 million | $37 million |
| Vegas Golden Knights | $0.965 billion | $198 million | $64 million |
| New Jersey Devils | $0.96 billion | $191 million | $37 million |
| Dallas Stars | $0.925 billion | $187 million | $43 million |
| St. Louis Blues | $0.88 billion | $180 million | $56 million |
| Colorado Avalanche | $0.86 billion | $178 million | $43 million |
| Calgary Flames | $0.855 billion | $178 million | $41 million |
| Minnesota Wild | $0.85 billion | $169 million | $40 million |
| Nashville Predators | $0.81 billion | $169 million | $35 million |
| Ottawa Senators | $0.8 billion | $157 million | $47 million |
| San Jose Sharks | $0.74 billion | $150 million | $6.7 million |
| Anaheim Ducks | $0.725 billion | $158 million | $44 million |
| Winnipeg Jets | $0.65 billion | $149 million | $22 million |
| Carolina Hurricanes | $0.64 billion | $159 million | $18 million |
| Buffalo Sabres | $0.61 billion | $144 million | $31 million |
| Florida Panthers | $0.55 billion | $137 million | $4.7 million |
Note: The only exception in the table is of the Arizona Coyotes whose operations were suspended due to arena-related issues.
FAQ's On Hockey Teams in the NHL
Q. How many teams are in the NHL?
A. The NHL presently comprises 33 (32 of which are active) teams, with 26 located in the United States (Arizona remaining inactive) and 7 in Canada.
A. The NHL presently comprises 33 (32 of which are active) teams, with 26 located in the United States (Arizona remaining inactive) and 7 in Canada.
Q. When was the National Hockey League established?
A. The National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917.
A. The National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917.
Q. Which team has won the most NHL titles?
A. The Montreal Canadiens hold the record for the most NHL titles, with 24 championships.
A. The Montreal Canadiens hold the record for the most NHL titles, with 24 championships.
Q. How many teams are in each NHL conference?
A. Each NHL conference, Eastern and Western, consists of 16 teams.
A. Each NHL conference, Eastern and Western, consists of 16 teams.
Q. What is the newest NHL expansion team and when was it introduced?
A. The Seattle Kraken is the newest NHL expansion team introduced in 2021.
A. The Seattle Kraken is the newest NHL expansion team introduced in 2021.
