The six clubs that composed the NHL from 1942 to 1967 were the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers. A seventh team, the Philadelphia Flyers, entered the league as an expansion club in 1970. The Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association played one season in 1972-73 before suspending operations.
After the 1967 season, the Hawks left for Atlanta where they remain today. The Bruins moved to San Diego where they still play. The Maple Leafs moved to Toronto where they now play. The Rangers moved to Dallas where they now play. And the Canadiens... well, they've been in every year since 1942 except for 1944 when there was no season due to World War II.
As for their current locations, the Canadiens play in Montréal where they have done so since 1975. The Maple Leafs used to play in Toronto but moved to the "suburbs" of Toronto in 1971. The Bruins used to play in Boston but moved to Dallas where they now play. The Red Wings used to play in Detroit but moved to Grand Rapids where they now play. And the Wildcats went out of business after one season.
If you ask me, it's funny how many former NHL teams are in Canada. Must be something about those cold winters.
The Original Six are the six clubs that comprised the National Hockey League (NHL) between the 1942-43 NHL season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. The six teams were the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Each team played their home games at a different venue for their first three seasons before building their own facilities. The Maple Leafs played their home games at Maple Leaf Gardens while the other five teams played in venues called "meager stadiums" with a maximum capacity of about 14,000 fans. The Blackhawks played their first game on November 19, 1926, at Chicago's South Park District against the St. Louis Eagles. The Bruins' first game was also on November 19, 1926, but it was at Boston Arena vs. the New York Rangers. The Hawks played their last game on April 6, 1932, when they lost to the Flyers 7-4 at Chicago Stadium. The Bruins' last game was also on April 6, 1932, but this time it was at Boston Arena vs. the Senators. The Red Wings played their last game on June 10, 1997, when they lost to the Penguins 4-3 at Madison Square Garden. The Canadiens' last game was also on June 10, 1997, but this time it was at Forum vs. the Devils.
From 1942 through 1967, the clubs were known as the "Original Six": the Blackhawks, Bruins, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Rangers, and Red Wings. The NHL's 1967 expansion, the largest one-time expansion in any major sport, doubled the league's size. As a result, the East and West Divisions were formed. These divisions would last until 1976, when they were replaced by the current Northeast/West/Southwest/Northeast format.
The Northwest Division was introduced in 1974, following the addition of the Minnesota North Stars. This division has been used every year since its creation except for 1977 when it was replaced with the new Southwest Division. In 1982, the division name was changed to Pacific Division because the Chicago Black Hawks no longer played in the Northwest due to their move to Atlanta.
The Central Division was introduced in 1998 - 1999 season to replace the former East Division. Before this change, there had never been any real distinction between teams from the East and teams from the West; but now there is, with teams in the East Division having a significant advantage in terms of distance from their opponents.
The Southeast Division was introduced in 2005 - 2006 season to replace the former West Division. Before this change, there had never been any real distinction between teams from the West and teams from the East; but now there is, with teams in the West Division having a significant advantage in terms of distance from their opponents.
Here's how the NHL got its start: The National Hockey Association, which began operations in the 1908-09 season, was the NHL's forerunner. There were six teams by 1916-17: Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Quebec Bulldogs, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Blueshirts, and so forth.
The "original six" are the six teams who competed in the 25 seasons between 1942–43 and the 1967 NHL expansion, and while they are referred to as the "original six," they were not the first clubs.
The Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Black Hawks were the first members of the NHL. They were all established for the 1967-68 season.
A seventh team, the St. Louis Blues, began play in October 1967 but did not become a full member of the league until June 1969. The team was owned by John Pickle, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. The two leagues had been competing with each other since the early 1950s when the upstart American League decided to open its doors to major league baseball. The move proved to be extremely successful as more than 20 million people across the United States watched baseball games on television. When Pickle acquired rights to the NHL's dormant St. Louis franchise, the league granted him an immediate place in their hierarchy.
St. Louis became the first officially sanctioned "expansion" team when the NHL admitted the Blues into membership at the end of the 1967-68 season. The original six teams had each applied for an expansion draft spot but were not selected by either the Bruins or the Maple Leafs. Instead, they were awarded to both teams, making them "franchises" of equal status.
Canadiens de Montréal The Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Arenas were the initial NHL teams. The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Arenas, who became the Maple Leafs in 1927, are the two oldest clubs in what is now known as the Original Six. The other two teams joined them later that year.
The Quebec Bulldogs entered the league as one of eight teams but suspended operations after only one season. The owners then formed a new club called the Montreal Maroons, which they intended to be an expansion team. However, when the Maroons played their first game on November 19, 1926, against the Ottawa Senators, it was ruled that they had been granted an automatic berth by the NHL because they were not ready to play due to financial difficulties. The suspension of the original eight teams left a vacancy in the league that was filled by the newly established American Hockey Association (AHA). The AHA's franchise was awarded to a group from Montreal that included former Canadien players Joe Hall and Eddie Gerard. The Canadiens thus became the first team to represent an NHL city outside of Canada or the United States.
The Americans played its first game on December 9, 1926, at Madison Square Garden, where they lost 7-4 to the New York Rangers. On January 4, 1927, the Canadiens and Americans merged to form a single franchise that would be based in both cities.
So, who are the NHL clubs in Canada? Canada is home to seven NHL franchises. The seven clubs are: Montreal Canadians (1917), Toronto Maple Leafs (1917), Vancouver Canucks (1970), Edmonton Oilers (1979), Calgary Flames (1980), Ottawa Senators (1992), and Winnipeg Jets (1992). (2011).
The Montreal Canadiens are the only team that has never been relocated. They have won more than half of their games every season since they first won the Stanley Cup in 1954. The Habs play at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were one of the original six teams that formed the National Hockey League in 1917. After just one season, the Maple Leafs were sold and moved to Detroit where they remain today. The Maple Leaf's first season in Detroit was also its last season without a championship. From 1935 to 1945, the Maple Leafs did not win a single game.
In 1970, the Vancouver Canucks joined the NHL. At first, the Canucks played in the old Boston Garden before moving to the new Pacific Coliseum in 1979. In 1991, the Canucks won their first of back-to-back titles after beating the New York Rangers 4-3 in overtime of the final game of the season. In 1995, the Canucks made history by being the first NHL team to win the Presidents' Trophy without winning the Stanley Cup.
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