Nhl

NHL Expansion Through the Years

By lorcanm

  • The Original Six

    The Original Six
    The Original Six teams that were put into the NHL were the Boston Bruins, The Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

  • The Second Year of Expansion

    The Second Year of Expansion
    The NHL added six more teams to expand the league to twelve teams in total. These teams included the California Seals, Los Angeles KIngs, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues.

  • More Expansion

    More Expansion
    Between 1970 and 1980, the NHL added 9 new teams into the NHL which included the merging of the California Golden Seals and the North Stars, and they relocated to Dallas to become the Dallas Stars.

  • Taking a Bite out of the NHL

    Taking a Bite out of the NHL
    The San Jose Sharks were added to the NHL expanded the league to 22 teams.

  • Striking the NHL

    Striking the NHL
    The Tampa Bay Lightning made history becoming the first NHL franchise in Florida.

  • Even More Expansion

    Even More Expansion
    Between 1993 and 2000, the NHL added six more teams, which many thought would be the last year of expansion. The league now had 30 teams.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights

    The Vegas Golden Knights
    In 2016, the Las Vegas Golden Knights were announced as a new addition to the league. The Knights played their first season in 2017 and won their division title as well as breaking other records.