This is a list of seasons of the National Hockey League (NHL), a professional ice hockey league, since its inception in 1917. The list also includes the seasons of the National Hockey Association (NHA), the predecessor organization of the NHL, which had several teams that would continue play in the NHL. Only two franchises, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs (formerly the Arenas and St. Patricks), still exist from the founding of the league. The Quebec Bulldogs, which suspended after the last NHA season, returned to play in the third NHL season, although they were considered founding members of the NHL. The league would move the team to Hamilton in 1920 and dissolve the team in 1925. The original Ottawa Senators would continue in the league until 1935, where, after one season in St. Louis as the St. Louis Eagles, the franchise was dissolved by the league. The current Ottawa Senators franchise does recognize the history of the original Senators (through retired numbers and a heritage jersey).The list is sub-divided using the same eras as the series of articles on the history of the National Hockey League.
Like predecessor leagues, the champion of the NHA league since its founding was the team with the best regular season record, with a playoff used only if more than one team had the best win–loss record. This changed in 1917 with the invention of the split-season, whereby the champion became the winner of the annual playoff. The NHL continued the split-season and playoff format upon the winding up of the NHA organization. Except for the 1919–20 season, when there was no playoff because Ottawa won both halves of the season, the champion of the NHL has been the playoff champion.
The NHA champion was awarded the O'Brien Cup. This was continued by the NHL. Until 1927, the NHL champion was awarded the O'Brien Cup, supplemented by the Prince of Wales Trophy, starting in 1925. To win the Stanley Cup, the NHL champion had to play and win a "world's series" with the champion of the Pacific Coast or Western Canada leagues. After 1927, the NHL playoff champion was awarded the Stanley Cup, while the O'Brien Cup and Prince of Wales Trophy were reused as division championship and playoff runner-up awards.
Hockey seasons traditionally started in January and ended in March until the 1910–11 season which was the first to start before the new year. The 1911–12 season saw the elimination of the rover position, reducing number of skaters per side to six, and changing the game to three 20-minute periods from two 30-minute periods. The 1916–17 season saw the introduction of the split schedule, an innovation attributed to Toronto NHA owner Eddie Livingstone. To symbolize the league championship, the NHA champion was awarded the O'Brien Cup, donated by the O'Brien family, owners of silver mines (being the source of the silver in the trophy), owners of several of the NHA franchises, and original owner of the Montreal Canadiens.
Season | Final [4a, b, c] | No. of Teams | Reg. season games | Start (begin reg. season) | Finish (incl. NHA playoffs) | Top record | Champion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1910 | 1910 | 7 | 12 | January 5 | March 15 | Montreal Wanderers (11–1–0) | Montreal Wanderers |
1910–11 | 1911 | 5 | 16 | December 31 | March 10 | Ottawa Hockey Club (13–3–0) | Ottawa Hockey Club |
1911–12 | 1912 | 4 | 18 | December 30 | March 5 | Quebec Bulldogs (10–8–0) | Quebec Bulldogs |
1912–13 | 1913 | 6 | 20 | December 25 | March 5 | Quebec Bulldogs (16–4–0) | Quebec Bulldogs |
1913–14 | 1914 | 6 | 20 | December 27 | March 11 | Toronto Blueshirts, Montreal Canadiens (13–7–0) [2] | Toronto Blueshirts |
1914–15 | 1915 | 6 | 20 | December 26 | March 13 | Ottawa Senators, Montreal Wanderers (14–6–0) [2] | Ottawa Senators [1] |
1915–16 | 1916 | 5 | 24 | December 18 | March 18 | Montreal Canadiens (16–7–1) | Montreal Canadiens |
1916–17 | 1917 | 6/4 [3] | 20 | December 27 | March 10 | Montreal Canadiens (7–3–0) (1st half) Ottawa Senators (8–2–0) (2nd half) | Montreal Canadiens [1] [5] |
^ 1. All champion teams are also Stanley Cup champions unless marked.
^ 2. The league did not use tiebreakers to determine the top record. The two teams played off to determine the championship.
^ 3. Toronto and Battalion did not participate in the second half.
^ 4a. No Finals prior to 1914; Stanley Cup awarded to league winners and defended on a challenge basis.
^ 4b. Finals in 1915 and 1916 contested between top two teams of regular season.
^ 4c. Finals from 1917 through 1921 contested between qualifier from first half-season and qualifier from second half-season.
The NHL started with three of the six NHA clubs (Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers and Ottawa Senators) and a Toronto franchise run by the Toronto Arena Co., which leased the players of the Toronto Blueshirts. Almost immediately after starting the season, the Wanderers folded, leaving three teams to complete the season. The same three teams returned for 1918–19 before Quebec 'returned' for 1919–20, moving to Hamilton the following year. The same four-team configuration lasted until 1924–25 when the Montreal Maroons and the Boston Bruins joined the league. Expansion into other cities followed, lasting until the 1930s, when several teams folded.
The new NHL did not have a championship trophy at first. The O'Brien Cup was revived in November 1921, and served as the league championship trophy until 1927. The new Prince of Wales Trophy, donated in 1925, was also given to the league champion until 1927. Henceforth, the trophies were designated for divisional championships, and the Stanley Cup became the de facto league championship trophy.
^ 1. | All champion teams are also Stanley Cup champions unless marked. |
^ 4c. | Finals from 1917 through 1921 contested between qualifier from first half-season and qualifier from second half-season. |
^ 5. | Wanderers withdrew after six games (four completed, two forfeited). |
^ 6. | The Quebec Bulldogs started play. |
^ 7. | No playoffs. |
^ 8. | The Montreal Maroons and Boston Bruins started play. |
^ 9. | The New York Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates started play. Hamilton Tigers dissolved. |
^ 10. | The Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Cougars and New York Rangers started play. |
^ 11. | The Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Quakers suspended operations for the season. |
^ 12. | The Ottawa Senators resumed play. |
^ 13. | The St. Louis Eagles were dissolved. |
^ 14. | The Montreal Maroons were dissolved. |
Prior to the 1942–43 season, the New York Americans suspended operations. This reduced the number of teams to six, starting the 'Original Six' era. During the Original Six era, the NHL played in a single six-team division. Each season, four of the six teams qualified for the playoffs to determine the Stanley Cup and NHL champion.
Since 1967, the league re-organized several times as it grew. In 1967, the league played in two divisions, with the playoff winner of each division playing off for the NHL championship. As the league grew the league changed its championship format to allow cross-over seeding, then changed to a division-based championship, leading to conference-based championship, with conference champions playing off for the Stanley Cup. In 1985, the Presidents' Trophy was inaugurated to reward the team with the top regular season record, irrespective of division or conference.
^ 15. | The California Seals, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota North Stars and St. Louis Blues started play. |
^ 16. | The Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks started play. |
^ 17. | The Atlanta Flames and New York Islanders started play. |
^ 18. | The Kansas City Scouts and Washington Capitals started play. |
^ 19. | The California Golden Seals relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, renamed Cleveland Barons. Kansas City Scouts relocated to Denver, Colorado, renamed Colorado Rockies. |
^ 20. | The Cleveland Barons merge with the Minnesota North Stars. |
^ 21. | The Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets (1972–96) join the NHL. |
^ 22. | The Atlanta Flames relocated to Calgary, Alberta, renamed Calgary Flames. |
^ 23. | The Colorado Rockies relocated to East Rutherford, New Jersey, renamed New Jersey Devils. |
^ 24. | The San Jose Sharks started play. |
In 1993, coinciding with the naming of Gary Bettman as commissioner, the league re-organized into the Eastern and Western Conferences, with two divisions each, organized along geographical lines. The playoff format was changed to provide conference champions without divisional playoff champions. A new round of expansion began. By 2000–01, the number of teams increased to 30 and the number of divisions increased to six. This era has seen five seasons where the seasons were changed, three due to labour disputes between the NHL and the players' union, and two due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 1994–95 and 2012–13 seasons were shortened to 48 intraconference games, and the 2004–05 season's games were cancelled entirely. The 2019–20 season was stopped at 68–71 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and resulted in a one-time playoff format change involving 24 teams; the subsequent 2020–21 season was shortened to 56 intradivisional games, with teams temporarily realigned and the playoff format modified. According to the 2011 NHL Guide and Record Book, the NHL includes the 2004–05 season in its count of seasons. For example, the 2011 NHL Guide lists the Tampa Bay Lightning as entering their 19th 'NHL Season', although a count of the Lightning's seasons of play would determine the 2010–11 season to be their 18th season of play. [1]
^ 25. The Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning started play. |
^ 26. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Florida Panthers started play. Minnesota North Stars relocated to Dallas, Texas, renamed Dallas Stars. |
^ 27. Season shortened due to lockout. |
^ 28. The Quebec Nordiques relocated to Denver, Colorado, renamed Colorado Avalanche. |
^ 29. The Winnipeg Jets (1972–96) relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, July 1996, renamed Phoenix Coyotes. |
^ 30. The Hartford Whalers relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina, renamed Carolina Hurricanes. |
^ 31. The Nashville Predators started play. The league realigns into 3 divisions per conference, ultimately with 5 teams per division. |
^ 32. The Atlanta Thrashers started play. The Carolina Hurricanes move to their intended home of Raleigh, North Carolina. |
^ 33. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild started play. |
^ 34. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim rebrand as the Anaheim Ducks. |
^ 35. The Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, renamed Winnipeg Jets. |
^ 36. Season shortened due to lockout. Last season to have 5 teams per division. |
^ 37. League realigns back into 2 divisions per conference, with 16 teams in the Eastern Conference (8 teams per division) and 14 in the Western Conference (7 teams per division). |
^ 38. The Phoenix Coyotes rebrand as the Arizona Coyotes. |
^ 39. The Vegas Golden Knights started play. |
^ 40. Season shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12, 2020. Due to the uneven schedule, the Boston Bruins were awarded the top record in the regular season by points percentage. |
^ 41. Season shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to cross border travel restrictions, the league temporarily realigns into 4 divisions, with the 7 Canadian teams in the North Division and the 24 American teams equally divided among the East, Central, and West Divisions. |
^ 42. The Seattle Kraken started play. |
This table lists the number of times that NHL/NHA teams had the top record in the regular season (this list does not count Stanley Cup/League Champion wins). The Presidents' Trophy is the current award for the team with the best regular season record, which began being awarded starting with the 1985–86 NHL season. From 1938 to 1967 the Prince of Wales Trophy was the award for the team with the best record in the regular season. Following the expansion of 1967–68 no award was given until the inception of the Presidents' Trophy.
The National Hockey Association (NHA), initially the National Hockey Association of Canada Limited, was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor of today's National Hockey League (NHL) and much of the business processes of the NHL today are based on the NHA. Founded in 1909 by Ambrose O'Brien, the NHA introduced 'six-man hockey' by removing the 'rover' position in 1911. During its lifetime, the league coped with competition for players with the rival Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), the enlistment of players for World War I and disagreements between owners. The disagreements between owners came to a head in 1917, when the NHA suspended operations in order to get rid of an unwanted owner, Eddie Livingstone.
Joseph Georges Gonzague Vézina was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and nine in the National Hockey League (NHL), all with the Montreal Canadiens. After being signed by the Canadiens in 1910, Vézina played in 327 consecutive regular season games and a further 39 playoff games, before leaving early during a game in 1925 due to illness. Vézina was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and died on March 27, 1926.
The 1917–18 NHL season was the first season of the National Hockey League (NHL) professional ice hockey league. The league was formed after the suspension of the National Hockey Association (NHA). Play was held in two halves, December 19 to February 4, and February 6 to March 6. The Canadiens won the first half, and Toronto the second half. The season was contested by four teams, down from six in the previous season, finishing with only three, in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. The Montreal Wanderers withdrew early in January 1918 after their rink, the Westmount Arena, burned down. Toronto won the NHL playoff and then won the Stanley Cup, by defeating the PCHA's Vancouver Millionaires three games to two in a best-of-five series.
The 1918–19 NHL season was the second season of the National Hockey League (NHL). While at first it was uncertain that the NHL would operate, and the possibility that National Hockey Association (NHA) would be resumed, the unfinished business of Eddie Livingstone's Toronto and Ottawa's NHA franchise, led to the NHL owners suspending the NHA again. Livingstone would attempt to overthrow the NHA management, and failing that, attempt to operate a rival league. The pre-season was filled with legal actions, deceptions and public verbal attacks. Ultimately, the NHL operated with three teams, in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. However, the season ended early with Toronto suspending operations, leaving Montreal and Ottawa to play off for the championship. Montreal would win the playoff and travel to Seattle for the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the championship series was not completed due to influenza infecting the whole Montreal team and causing the eventual death of Montreal's Joe Hall.
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is a team award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL). Named for Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, it has been awarded for different accomplishments throughout its history.
The O'Brien Trophy, or O'Brien Cup, as labelled on the trophy itself, is a retired trophy that was awarded in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey leagues of North America from 1910 to 1950. It was originally donated to the NHA by Canadian Senator M. J. O'Brien in honour of his son, Ambrose O'Brien. The Cup was fabricated using silver from an O'Brien mine.
The 1919–20 NHL season was the third season of the National Hockey League (NHL). A Quebec team was activated by the NHL, increasing the number of teams to four. The four teams played 24 games in a split-schedule format. The Ottawa Senators won the league championship by winning both halves of the split-season. The Senators went on to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since the Cup challenge era ended and their eighth time overall, by defeating the PCHA's Seattle Metropolitans three games to two in a best-of-five series in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The 1920–21 NHL season was the fourth season of the National Hockey League (NHL). Four teams each played 24 games in a split season. The Quebec franchise was transferred to Hamilton, Ontario, to become the Hamilton Tigers. The Ottawa Senators won the league championship in a playoff with the Toronto St. Patricks. The Senators went on to win the Stanley Cup by defeating the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association three games to two in a best-of-five series. This would be the last split season before the NHL changed its regular season and playoff formats.
The 1923–24 NHL season was the seventh season of the National Hockey League. Four teams each played 24 games. The league champions were the Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the first-place Ottawa Senators in the league playoff. The Canadiens then defeated the Calgary Tigers of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) and Vancouver Maroons of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) to win their second Stanley Cup championship.
The 1924–25 NHL season was the eighth season of the National Hockey League. The NHL added two teams this season, a second team in Montreal, the Montreal Maroons and the first U.S. team, the Boston Bruins. Six teams each played 30 games.
The 1925–26 NHL season was the ninth season of the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHL dropped the Hamilton, Ontario, team and added two new teams in the United States (US), the New York Americans and the Pittsburgh Pirates, to bring the total number of teams to seven. The Ottawa Senators were the regular-season champion, but lost in the NHL playoff final to the Montreal Maroons. The Maroons then defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars of the newly renamed Western Hockey League three games to one in a best-of-five series to win their first Stanley Cup.
The 1927–28 NHL season was the 11th season of the National Hockey League. Ten teams played 44 games each. The New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup beating the Montreal Maroons, becoming the first NHL team based in the United States to win it.
The Ottawa Senators were an ice hockey team based in Ottawa, which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League (NHL) and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934. The club, which was officially the Ottawa Hockey Club, was known by several nicknames, including the Generals in the 1890s, the Silver Seven from 1903 to 1907 and the Senators dating from 1908.
The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey is the National Hockey League's (NHL) annual championship series. The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional sports trophy, and one of the "most important championships available to the sport [of ice hockey]" according to the International Ice Hockey Federation.
The 1916–17 NHA season was the eighth and final season of the National Hockey Association. Six teams were to play two half-seasons of ten games each, but this was disrupted and only four teams finished the season. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators in a playoff to win the NHA championship.
The 1914–15 NHA season was the sixth season of the National Hockey Association and played from December 26, 1914, until March 3, 1915. Each team played 20 games. The Ottawa Senators won the NHA championship in a two-game, total goal playoff against the Montreal Wanderers. The Senators, however fell to the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in the Stanley Cup championship. It was the second 'World's Series' between the NHA and the PCHA for the Stanley Cup.
The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in 1917 following the demise of its predecessor league, the National Hockey Association (NHA). In an effort to remove Eddie Livingstone as owner of the Toronto Blueshirts, a majority of the NHA franchises suspended the NHA and formed the new NHL. The Quebec Bulldogs, while a member, did not operate in the NHL for the first two years. Instead the owners of the Toronto Arena Gardens operated a new Toronto franchise. While the NHL was intended as a temporary measure, the continuing dispute with Livingstone led to the four NHA owners meeting and making the suspension of the NHA permanent one year later.
The 1924–25 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 16th season and eighth as a member of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canadiens once again made it to the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Victoria Cougars.
The 1910 NHA season was the first season of the National Hockey Association men's professional ice hockey league. The season started on January 5, but was suspended immediately and the league then absorbed the Ottawa and Shamrocks teams of the Canadian Hockey Association and the season continued from January 15 to March 15. Seven teams played 12 games each. The Ottawa Hockey Club played two Stanley Cup challenges during the season, but lost the Cup to their rivals the Montreal Wanderers who won the league championship and played a Cup challenge afterwards.
Media related to National Hockey League seasons at Wikimedia Commons