NHL Franchise Origins
Updated September 27, 2017 |
Infoplease Staff
Here is what the current 30 teams in the National Hockey League have to show for the years they have put in as members of the NHL, the early National Hockey Association (NHA) and the more recent World Hockey Association (WHA). League titles and Stanley Cup championships are noted by year won. The Stanley Cup has automatically gone to the NHL champion since the 1926-27 season. Following the 1992-93 season, the NHL renamed the Clarence Campbell Conference the Western Conference, while the Prince of Wales Conference became the Eastern Conference.
Western Conference
| First Season | League Titles | Franchise Stops | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim, Mighty Ducks of | 1993-94 (NHL) | None | â¢Anaheim, CA (1993- ) |
| Calgary Flames | 1972-73 (NHL) | 1 Cup (1989) | â¢Atlanta (1972-80) âCalgary (1980- ) |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 1926-27 (NHL) | 3 Cups (1934,38,61) | â¢Chicago (1926- ) |
| Colorado Avalanche | 1972-73 (WHA) | 1 WHA (1977) | â¢Quebec City (1972-95) |
| 2 Cups (1996, 2001) | âDenver (1995- ) | ||
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2000-01 (NHL) | None | â¢Columbus, OH (2000- ) |
| Dallas Stars | 1967-68 (NHL) | 1 Cup (1999) | â¢Bloomington, MN (1967-93) |
| âDallas (1993- ) | |||
| Detroit Red Wings | 1926-27 (NHL) | 10 Cups (1936-37,43,50,52,54-55,97,98, 2002) | â¢Detroit (1926- ) |
| Edmonton Oilers | 1972-73 (WHA) | 5 Cups (1984-85,87-88,90) | â¢Edmonton (1972- ) |
| Los Angeles Kings | 1967-68 (NHL) | None | â¢Inglewood, CA (1967-99) |
| âLos Angeles (1999- ) | |||
| Minnesota Wild | 2000-01 (NHL) | None | â¢St. Paul, MN (2000- ) |
| Nashville Predators | 1998-99 (NHL) | None | â¢Nashville, TN (1998- ) |
| Phoenix Coyotes | 1972-73 (WHA) | 3 WHA (1976, 78-79) | â¢Winnipeg (1972-96) |
| âPhoenix (1996- ) | |||
| St. Louis Blues | 1967-68 (NHL) | None | â¢St. Louis (1967- ) |
| San Jose Sharks | 1991-92 (NHL) | None | â¢San Francisco (1991-93) |
| âSan Jose (1993-) | |||
| Vancouver Canucks | 1970-71 (NHL) | None | â¢Vancouver (1970- ) |
Eastern Conference
| First Season | League Titles | Franchise Stops | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Thrashers | 1999-00 (NHL) | None | â¢Atlanta (1999- ) |
| Boston Bruins | 1924-25 (NHL) | 5 Cups (1929,39,41,70,72) | â¢Boston (1924- ) |
| Buffalo Sabres | 1970-71 (NHL) | None | â¢Buffalo (1970- ) |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 1972-73 (WHA) | 1 WHA (1973) | â¢Boston (1972-74) |
| âW. Springfield, MA (1974-75) | |||
| âHartford, CT (1975-78) | |||
| âSpringfield, MA (1978-80) | |||
| âHartford (1980-97 ) | |||
| âGreensboro, NC (1997-99) | |||
| âRaleigh, NC (1999-) | |||
| Florida Panthers | 1993-94 (NHL) | None | â¢Miami (1993-98) |
| âSunrise, FL (1998- ) | |||
| Montreal Canadiens | 1909-10 (NHA) | 2 NHA (1916-17) | â¢Montreal (1909- ) |
| 2 NHL (1924-25) | |||
| 24 Cups (1916,24,30-31,44,46,53,56-60,65-66,68-69,71,73,76-79,86,93) | |||
| New Jersey Devils | 1974-75 (NHL) | 3 Cups (1995, 2000,03) | â¢Kansas City (1974-76) |
| âDenver (1976-82) | |||
| âE. Rutherford, NJ (1982- ) | |||
| New York Islanders | 1972-73 (NHL) | 4 Cups (1980-83) | â¢Uniondale, NY (1972- ) |
| New York Rangers | 1926-27 (NHL) | 4 Cups (1928,33,40,94) | â¢New York (1926- ) |
| Ottawa Senators | 1992-93 (NHL) | None | â¢Ottawa (1992-1996) |
| âKanata, Ont. (1996- ) | |||
| Philadelphia Flyers | 1967-68 (NHL) | 2 Cups (1974-75) | â¢Philadelphia (1967- ) |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1967-68 (NHL) | 2 Cups (1991-92) | â¢Pittsburgh (1967- ) |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 1992-93 (NHL) | 1 Cup (2004) | â¢Tampa, FL (1992-93 ) |
| âSt. Petersburg, FL (1993-96) | |||
| âTampa, FL (1996- ) | |||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1916-17 (NHA) | 2 NHL (1918,22) | â¢Toronto (1916- ) |
| 13 Cups (1918,22,32,42,45,47-49,51,62-64,67) | |||
| Washington Capitals | 1974-75 (NHL) | None | â¢Landover, MD (1974-97 ) |
| âWashington, D.C. (1997- ) |
Note: The Hartford Civic Center roof collapsed after a snowstorm in January 1978, forcing the Whalers to move their home games to Springfield, Mass., for two years.
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