Print   Recommend

1918-1919 season -- 3 teams: The Quebec Bulldogs franchise do not operate in 1918 and the Montreal Wanderers' arena is destroyed in a fire.

1919-1920 season -- 4 teams: The Quebec Bulldogs franchise is reactivated and the Toronto Arenas change their name to the Toronto St. Patricks.

1920-1921 season -- 4 teams - First NHL franchise to be transferred, the Quebec Bulldogs move to Hamilton, Ontario.

1924-1925 season -- 6 teams -- The Boston Bruins are the first American NHL franchise (granted during the 1923-1924 season), and the Montreal Maroons also join the League (second Montreal team).

1925-1926 season -- 7 teams -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are incorporated into the NHL. The Hamilton franchise is dropped, and players are signed by the new New York Americans franchise.

1926-1927 season -- 10 teams -- The Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Cougars are granted franchises. The Toronto St. Patricks change their name to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

1930-1931 season -- 10 teams -- The Detroit Cougars change their name to the Detroit Falcons and the Pittsburgh Pirates are transferred to become the Philadelphia Quakers.

1931-1932 season -- 8 teams -- The Philadelphia Quakers and the Ottawa Senators drop out.

1932-1933 season -- 9 teams -- The Ottawa Senators make a comeback in the NHL. The Detroit Cougars become the Detroit Red Wings.

1934-1935 season -- 9 teams -- The Ottawa Senators move to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Eagles (they drop out the following year).

1941-1942 season -- 7 teams -- With the Ottawa Senators and the St. Louis Eagles gone, the New York Americans change their name to the Brooklyn Americans.

1942-1943 season -- 6 teams - The New York Americans drop. The six original teams are now in place: Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs. No team additions are made for 26 years.

1967-1968 season -- 12 teams - The Minnesota North Stars, the California Seals, the Los Angeles Kings, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the St. Louis Blues are a part of the NHL system.

1970-1971 season -- 14 teams -- The Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks are added.

1972-1973 season -- 16 teams - The Atlanta Flames and the New York Islanders join the League.

1974-1975 season -- 18 teams - The Kansas City Scouts and the Washington Capitals join the ranks. Furthermore, no NHL team drop occurred since 1943.

1976-1977 season -- 18 teams -- The California Seals are transferred to Cleveland and become the Cleveland Barons, and the Kansas City Scouts become the Colorado Rockies.

1978-1979 season -- 17 teams -- The Cleveland Barons are incorporated into the Minnesota team.

1979-1980 season -- 21 teams -- Four WHA League teams burst into the NHL: the Quebec Nordiques, the Hartford Whalers, the Winnipeg Jets, and the Edmonton Oilers.

1980-1981 season -- 21 teams -- The Atlanta Flames move to Calgary and keep the name.

1982-1983 season -- 21 teams -- The Colorado Rockies turn into the New Jersey Devils. No team modifications for nine years.

1991-1992 season -- 22 teams - The San Jose Sharks are the new kids on the block.

1992-1993 season -- 24 teams -- The Ottawa Senators are back since 1936. They share the spotlight with the Tampa Bay Lightning that year.

1993-1994 season -- 26 teams -- The Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Florida Panthers add some sunshine to the league. The Minnesota North Stars become the Dallas Stars.

1995-1996 season -- 26 teams -- The Quebec Nordiques are transferred to Colorado and are named Avalanche.

1996-1997 season -- 26 teams -- The Winnipeg Jets follow Quebec's path and are transferred to Phoenix and switch their name to Coyotes.

1997-1998 season -- 26 teams -- The Hartford Whalers move to Raleigh and are renamed the Carolina Hurricanes. Four team transfers in five years!

1998-1999 season -- 27 teams -- The Nashville Predators are now part of the League. Major modifications to the NHL divisions require new teams

1999-2000 season -- 28 teams - The Atlanta Thrashers agree on NHL terms.

2000-2001 season -- 30 teams -- The Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets are the newest additions to the NHL's loaded system.

We are far from the original six teams and quite different conditions compared to modern players. This view clearly demonstrates how the NHL evolved since 1917 and it can teach us a thing or two. Even if our favorite team is unique in our hearts, NHL history always lets us discover the uniqueness of others.

Ref.: neutralzonehockey.com, nhl.com, allnhl.com

Have something to say? Visit the message boards and discuss this article. Comments? Agree? Disagree? Send in your feedback about this article.