NHL Teams List A-Z

List of NHL Teams A To Z

Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets

Anaheim Ducks

Date Founded: 1993
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Pacific Division
Arena/Stadium: Honda Center
Location: Anaheim, California

The Anaheim Ducks’ first season in the NHL was in 1993 when the squad was referred to as the “Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.” The franchise held that name up until the 2005 season when ownership changed it to the Anaheim Ducks. In the first season under its current name in 2006-2007, the Ducks went on to win its first and only Stanley Cup. That team was led by forward Teemu Seläne, who had 48 goals and 94 points. The starting goalie for the Ducks that season was Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who gave up just over two goals per contest. The Ducks took down the Senators in five games to take home the Stanley Cup.

Arizona Coyotes

Date Founded: 1972
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Arena/Stadium: ASU Multi-Purpose Arena
Location: Tempe, Arizona

The Arizona Coyotes were founded as the Winnipeg Jets in 1972 in the World Hockey Association (WHA). When the WHA ceased operations, the Jets entered the NHL in 1979 as an expansion franchise. However, after the 1995-1996 season, the team moved to Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes.

It was not until 2014 that the Phoenix Coyotes became the Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes used to play in Gila River Arena in Glendale but are moving to Arizona State for the foreseeable future due to a nonrenewal of an agreement with the city of Glendale.

Boston Bruins

Date Founded: 1924
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Arena/Stadium: TD Garden
Location: Boston, Massachusetts

From Ray Bourque to Willie O’Ree to Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins are rich with history. Boston was one of the six original teams in the NHL when the league first came into existence in the early 1900s. The Bruins have won the Stanley Cup six times in its history and have had many Hall of Famers wear the black and yellow.

Ray Bourque leads the NHL in points from a defenseman all-time, forward Willie O’Ree was the first African-American player to skate for an NHL team, and forward Patrice Bergeron has won the Selke Award (the award for the best defensive forward) four times, which is tied for most in NHL history.

Buffalo Sabres

Date Founded: 1970
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Arena/Stadium: KeyBank Center
Location: Buffalo, New York

The Sabres joined the NHL in 1970 with the Vancouver Canucks and had success out of the gate. In the first fifteen years of the franchise’s existence, Buffalo made the playoffs in twelve of them. This includes a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1975 and a stretch from 1974 to 1984 where the Sabres made the playoffs every year.

Behind head coach Lindy Ruff and goalie Dominik Hasek, the Sabres returned to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 only to lose to the Dallas Stars in six games. Buffalo made the playoffs once in the 2010s (in 2011, the Sabres made the playoffs) but still did not win the Stanley Cup.

Calgary Flames

Date Founded: 1972
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Pacific Division
Arena/Stadium: Scotiabank Saddledome
Location: Calgary, Canada

The Flames’ first season in the NHL was 1972, and they were originally located in Atlanta. They spent eight seasons there before relocating to Calgary in 1980. The Flames made the playoffs in each of its first eleven seasons in southern Alberta and won the franchise’s only Stanley Cup in the 1988-1989 season.

The Flames took down the Canadiens in six games in that series and were led by Hall of Fame forwards Joe Mullen and Doug Gilmour. Mullen had a career-high 110 points that season, and Gilmour had 59 assists and 85 points. The Flames’ biggest rivals are the Oilers, as when both teams square off, it is referred to as “The Battle of Alberta.”

Carolina Hurricanes

Date Founded: 1972
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Metropolitan Division
Arena/Stadium: PNC Arena
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

The Hurricanes originated as the New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1972. When the franchise went to the NHL in 1979, it became the Hartford Whalers. The franchise did not have much success in Connecticut and relocated to North Carolina in 1997 as the rebranded Carolina Hurricanes.

In the 2005-2006 season, the Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup when they took down the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. Goalie Cam Ward won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the award that goes to the most valuable player in the playoffs. Ward became the fourth rookie to win the award.

Chicago Blackhawks

Date Founded: 1926
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Arena/Stadium: United Center
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is one of the original six teams in the NHL and has won five total Stanley Cups. The Blackhawks had a stretch in the 2010s where they won three Stanley Cups in six years. Head Coach Joel Quenneville was behind the bench for all of those championships, and they were led by forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, as well as defenseman Duncan Keith. In addition, forward Bobby Hull is a Blackhawks legend who has the most goals in franchise history with 603 goals. Hull led Chicago to a Stanley Cup in 1961 and led the team with 31 goals that season.

Colorado Avalanche

Date Founded: 1972
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Arena/Stadium: Ball Arena
Location: Denver, Colorado

The Colorado Avalanche started as the Quebec Nordiques in the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1972. In 1979, the Nordiques entered the NHL through the NHL-WHA merger and stayed in Quebec up until the 1995-1996 season. After moving to Colorado and rebranding as the Avalanche, the franchise won its first Stanley Cup in its history in its first year in Denver. This was the first major professional sports championship for the city of Denver.

Just five seasons later, the Avalanche won their second Stanley Cup. Both teams were led by forward Joe Sakic, who has the highest number of games, goals, assists, and points in franchise history. In 2022, the Avalanche completed a dominant season by winning their third Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Date Founded: 1997
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Metropolitan Division
Arena/Stadium: Nationwide Arena
Location: Columbus, Ohio

The Blue Jackets’ first season in the NHL was in 2000, and the team has only made the playoffs six times in its 22-year history. However, the Blue Jackets hold the second-largest win streak in NHL history with 16, and they are the only team in NHL history to sweep the Presidents’ Trophy winner, the team with the most regular-season points, in the playoffs (2019 against the Tampa Bay Lightning). Forward Rick Nash is all over Columbus’ franchise records, as he leads the team all-time in games, points, goals, and assists. Nash was also the leading goal scorer in the NHL in 2004 and won the 2009 NHL Foundation Player Award.

Dallas Stars

Date Founded: 1966
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Arena/Stadium: American Airlines Center
Location: Dallas, Texas

The Dallas Stars were not from Texas when they entered the NHL in 1967, but rather the Minnesota North Stars. After spending just over 20 years in Minnesota, where the squad only missed the playoffs nine times, the franchise moved to Dallas and became the Stars. With the move, the team went from the Central Division to the Pacific Division.

However, in 2013, there was another division realignment in the NHL, and the Stars moved back to the Central Division. In the 1998-1999 season, with coach Ken Hitchcock leading the charge, the Stars won a franchise-record 51 games in the regular season en route to its first and only Stanley Cup victory.

Detroit Red Wings

Date Founded: 1926
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Arena/Stadium: Little Caesars Arena
Location: Detroit, Michigan

The Red Wings were of the original six teams in the NHL and have had tons of history. Starting as the Cougars in the 1920s, Detroit played at Olympia Stadium before moving to Joe Louis Arena in 1979. In 2017, the Red Wings moved to Little Caesars Arena. In the early 1930s, the team was referred to as the Falcons before becoming the Red Wings in 1935.

In the early part of its history, Detroit won three Stanley Cups behind coach Jack Adams, who the current award for the NHL’s best coach is named after. The Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups and made the playoffs every year from 1990 to 2016. Detroit won four Stanley Cups in that span.

Edmonton Oilers

Date Founded: 1971
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Pacific Division
Arena/Stadium: Rogers Place
Location: Edmonton, Canada

The Oilers were first known as the Alberta Oilers in the World Hockey Association (WHA) before the NHL-WHA merger. The Oilers then were referred to as the Edmonton Oilers and won five Stanley Cups in their first ten years in the NHL. This was mainly due to forward Wayne Gretzky.

Beginning his NHL career with the Oilers, Gretzky leads the Oilers all-time in goals, assists, and points. Gretzky also leads the NHL in each of those three categories. Gretzky was only part of four of those five Stanley Cups, though, since he was traded to the Kings in the summer of 1988.

Florida Panthers

Date Founded: 1993
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Arena/Stadium: FLA Live Arena
Location: Sunrise, Florida

The Panthers are the most southern team in the NHL and became a part of the league in 1993. Florida, in its first playoff appearance in the 1995-1996 season, made it to the Stanley Cup Final only to lose to the Colorado Avalanche in four games. The Panthers had a stretch since that 1995-1996 season where they had not won a series until 2022 when they took down the Washington Capitals in the first round in six games. In the 2022 season, the Panthers won the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history behind 115 points from forward Jonathan Huberdeau.

Los Angeles Kings

Date Founded: 1967
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Pacific Division
Arena/Stadium: Crypto.com Arena
Location: Los Angeles, California

The Los Angeles Kings were a part of the second six teams to enter the NHL in its first wave of expansion. In the late 1980s, the Kings traded for Wayne Gretzky, who leads the NHL all-time in goals, assists, and points. However, the Kings did not win a Stanley Cup with Gretzky, and the franchise’s first championship came in the 2011-2012 season. Two years after that victory, the Kings won the Stanley Cup again, thus forming a dynasty. Head Coach Daryl Sutter led the group with forward Anze Kopitar putting up over 70 points in both of those cup-winning seasons.

Minnesota Wild

Date Founded: 1997
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Arena/Stadium: Xcel Energy Center
Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota

The Wild were founded in 1997 but did not play in the NHL until the 2000-2001 season. In the Wild’s third season of existence, Minnesota made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals behind forwards Marián Gáborík and Sergei Zholtok. Minnesota lost to the Ducks in four games. In 2022, the Wild had their best regular season, where they won 53 games and had 113 points. Forward Kirill Kaprizov led the team with 47 goals and 108 points, while goalie Cam Talbot had over 30 wins. Minnesota has yet to win a Stanley Cup or even get to the final round in franchise history.

Montreal Canadiens

Date Founded: 1909
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Arena/Stadium: Centre Bell
Location: Montreal, Canada

The Canadiens are one of the original six teams in the NHL and have the most Stanley Cup victories with 24. The Canadiens also have the most jerseys retired in the NHL with 14. Some of those players with their jerseys retired include Guy LaFleur, who leads the team all-time in assists and points, Henri Richard, who leads the franchise all-time in games played, and Maurice Richard, who leads the team all-time in goals scored. The most successful stretch of Canadiens hockey came in the middle of the 1950s when Montreal won five straight Stanley Cups. The Canadiens also won four straight Stanley Cups in the early 1970s.

Nashville Predators

Date Founded: 1997
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Arena/Stadium: Bridgestone Arena
Location: Nashville, Tennessee

The NHL expanded in the late 1990s, and Nashville was granted a team in the Predators. The first season of franchise history was 1998, with head coach Barry Trotz behind the bench. Trotz spent 15 seasons as the head coach and never made it past the second round of the playoffs. He was let go in 2014, and Peter LaViolette took over. While Laviolette never won a Stanley Cup, he took the Predators to their only Cup Final appearance, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. In Nashville’s 14 playoff appearances, the franchise has yet to win a Stanley Cup.

New Jersey Devils

Date Founded: 1974
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Metropolitan Division
Arena/Stadium: Prudential Center
Location: Newark, New Jersey

The Devils were first in Kansas City and referred to as the Scouts. Two years later, though, the franchise was sold and moved to Colorado and rebranded as the Rockies. The time in Colorado was short-lived, as just prior to the 1982-1983 season, the team became the New Jersey Devils.

Led by goalie Martin Brodeur, the Devils made the Stanley Cup Finals three times in four years in the early 2000s. New Jersey won the Stanley Cup twice in those three trips, once in 2000 and the other in 2003. The Devils later made the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 but lost to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.

New York Islanders

Date Founded: 1972
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Metropolitan Division
Arena/Stadium: UBS Arena
Location: Elmont, New York

The Islanders joined the league in 1972 and only won 12 games in their first season. However, New York did not have to wait long for success. Behind Hall of Famers Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, and Billy Smith, the Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the early 1980s.

In the season after the fourth Stanley Cup, the Islanders went to the final round only to lose to the Wayne Gretzky-led Oilers. New York holds the NHL record for most consecutive playoff series victories with 19. The Islanders have yet to reach the Stanley Cup Final since then but made it to two consecutive Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 and 2021.

New York Rangers

Date Founded: 1926
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Metropolitan Division
Arena/Stadium: Madison Square Garden
Location: New York, New York

The Rangers were one of the original six teams in the NHL and won multiple Stanley Cups early on in their history. In just its second season of existence, the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup. New York went on to win three Stanley Cups from 1927 to 1940. The Rangers would have to wait over 50 years for their next Stanley Cup in 1994.

Led by forwards Mark Messier, who scored 84 points that season, and Sergei Zubov, who put up 89 points in 1993-1994, the Rangers took down the Canucks in seven games to bring New York hockey’s beloved trophy. The Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Final again in 2014 but lost to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.

Ottawa Senators

Date Founded: 1990
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Arena/Stadium: Canadian Tire Centre
Location: Ottawa, Canada

In the Senators’ first three seasons in the NHL, they never won over 15 games. However, from 1996 to 2008, the Senators made the Stanley Cup Playoffs every season. This includes a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007, where the Senators were led by forwards Dany Heatley, who had 105 points, as well as Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, who each had 87 points.

The Senators lost to Anaheim in the Stanley Cup Final in five games. Ottawa has yet to win a Stanley Cup in its existence, nor has it reached the final round since that 2007 season. The Senators reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017 but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games.

Philadelphia Flyers

Date Founded: 1967
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Metropolitan Division
Arena/Stadium: Wells Fargo Center
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Flyers were one of the first expansion teams after the original six franchises and had immediate success in the NHL. Philadelphia made the playoffs in 20 of its first 22 seasons, including the Stanley Cup Final in six of those appearances. The Flyers won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons in 1974 and 1975. Philadelphia was led by Bobby Clarke both of those seasons, who scored 87 points in the 1973-1974 season and 116 points in the 1974-1975 season. In fact, Clarke leads the Flyers all-time in games, assists, and points. The Flyers have missed the playoffs just 14 times in its 54 years of existence but only have two Stanley Cups to show for it.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Date Founded: 1967
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Metropolitan Division
Arena/Stadium: PPG Paints Arena
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Penguins entered the NHL in 1967 and have won multiple Stanley Cups since then. In 1991 and 1992, the Penguins won back-to-back championships. The 1991 Penguins were led by Mark Recchi, who had 40 goals and 113 points that season. The 1992 Penguins were led by Mario Lemieux, who had 131 points, and Kevin Stevens, who had 123 points.

Those were Pittsburgh’s first Stanley Cups, but in 2005 the Penguins selected forward Sidney Crosby first overall in the NHL Draft. Crosby led Pittsburgh to Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016, and 2017. Plus, Crosby has only missed the playoffs once in his career, and that was his rookie season.

San Jose Sharks

Date Founded: 1990
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Pacific Division
Arena/Stadium: SAP Center at San Jose
Location: San Jose, California

The San Jose Sharks played their first season in the NHL in 1991, and while they only won 17 games, they made the playoffs for many years after that. The Sharks have made the playoffs in 21 of their 30 years being in the NHL. In 2016, San Jose made the Stanley Cup Final and lost to the Penguins in six games. The 2016 team was led by forwards Joe Thornton, who led the team with 82 points in the regular season, Joe Pavelski, and Brent Burns. That Stanley Cup Final appearance was the furthest the Sharks have gone in the playoffs.

Seattle Kraken

Date Founded: 2018
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Pacific Division
Arena/Stadium: Climate Pledge Arena
Location: Seattle, Washington

The Kraken played in their first NHL season in 2022 and missed the playoffs. Defenseman Mark Giordano was the first captain in team history, but he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline. Seattle was led in its inaugural season by forwards Jared McCann, Yanni Gourde, and Jordan Eberle. The three forwards each had over 20 goals and 20 assists. McCann led the team in points with 50, and Eberle represented the Kraken at the 2022 NHL All-Star Game. Dave Hakstol was behind the bench for the 2022 season and was the first coach in Kraken history.

St. Louis Blues

Date Founded: 1967
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Arena/Stadium: Enterprise Center
Location: St. Louis, Missouri

The Blues entered the NHL in 1967 and had immediate success. Behind head coach Scotty Bowman, St. Louis made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in each of its first three seasons. However, the Blues lost all three of those matchups and had to wait for their first Stanley Cup. The Blues waited decades, and it was not until 2019 that they hoisted their first Stanley Cup. The 2019 team featured a coaching change in the middle of the season, from Mike Yeo to Craig Berube, and was led by forward Ryan O’Reilly. The center led the Blues with 23 points in the playoffs, and St. Louis took down the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Date Founded: 1992
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Arena/Stadium: Amalie Arena
Location: Tampa, Florida

The Lightning are one of the more recent teams to be introduced to the NHL, but in their 29 seasons so far, they have won three Stanley Cups. The first of those Stanley Cups came in 2004 when forwards Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis led Tampa to a 4-3 series win over the Calgary Flames.

Over a decade later, the Lightning went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 behind goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, defenseman Victor Hedman, and forward Nikita Kucherov. The 2020 Stanley Cup came in a bubble environment in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Date Founded: 1917
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Arena/Stadium: Scotiabank Arena
Location: Toronto, Canada

The Maple Leafs are one of the six original teams in the NHL and have the most players representing Toronto in the Hall of Fame with 65. Toronto first started to be called the Arenas, then switched to the St. Patricks in 1919, and finally became the Maple Leafs in 1926.

At the beginning of the franchise’s existence, the Maple Leafs won many championships. Toronto had a stretch from 1947 to 1949, where it won three straight Stanley Cups, and the team had another stretch from 1962 to 1964, where it won three straight. Mats Sundin leads the Maple Leafs in all-time goals and points.

Vancouver Canucks

Date Founded: 1945
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Pacific Division
Arena/Stadium: Rogers Arena
Location: Vancouver, Canada

The Canucks first began as a team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL) in the 1940s before becoming a part of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1952. In 1970, The Canucks became an NHL franchise, and Vancouver missed the playoffs in each of its first four seasons.

The Canucks have only made the Stanley Cup Final three times, once in 1982, another time in 1994, and a third in 2011. The Canucks lost in all three of those appearances, and they are still searching for their first Stanley Cup title. Two prominent players are Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Daniel Sedin leads Vancouver in all-time goals, while Henrik Sedin leads the franchise all-time in games played, assists, and points.

Vegas Golden Knights

Date Founded: 2017
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Pacific Division
Arena/Stadium: T-Mobile Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

The Golden Knights were an expansion team in 2017 and put together an improbable season. Vegas won the Pacific Division and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, only to lose to the Washington Capitals in five games. Forwards William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault led the way for the Golden Knights as they each put up over 70 points that season. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury saved 93 percent of the shots he faced in the 2017-2018 season. After that miraculous year, Vegas went on to make the playoffs in each of the next three seasons but never returned to the Stanley Cup Final.

Washington Capitals

Date Founded: 1974
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Metropolitan Division
Arena/Stadium: Capital One Arena
Location: Washington, D.C.

In the Capitals’ first season in the NHL in 1974, the team put up only eight victories. Decades later, that would be forgotten since Washington has had multiple playoff appearances and won a Stanley Cup in 2018 when it took down the Golden Knights in five games.

A big reason for the change in success was when the Capitals drafted forward Alexander Ovechkin in 2004. Ovechkin went on to become the Capitals’ all-time leader in goals scored, points, and games played. The forward is also the franchise leader in hat tricks, shots, and power play goals. In the year Washington won the Stanley Cup, Ovechkin led the team in goals with 49 and points with 87.

Winnipeg Jets

Date Founded: 1999
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Central Division
Arena/Stadium: Canada Life Centre
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

In 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg and rebranded as the Jets, thus bringing a team back to Western Canada. In the Thrashers’ and Jets’ 22-year history, the franchise has only made the playoffs six times and has never made it to a Stanley Cup Final. The Jets did make the playoffs for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2021 but never made it past the Western Conference Finals. The all-time goal-scoring leader in Jets history is Ilya Kovalchuk with 328, while the all-time points leader is forward Blake Wheeler. Kovalchuk, though, never played for the Winnipeg Jets and only for the Atlanta Thrashers.

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