There are 19 states with NHL teams: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and District of Columbia.
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. The NHL was founded in 1917 in Montreal, Canada, and its headquarters are currently in New York City in the United States. The Stanley Cup is awarded annually to the playoff championship team at the end of the season. The Stanley Cup is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded in professional sports. The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup the most number of times with 23 wins.
At the inception, there were only four NHL teams, all in Canada. The Boston Bruins joined as the first American team in 1924. From 1942-1967, there were six teams total in the NHL, called the “Original Six.” These teams are the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers. Today, the NHL is comprised of 32 teams: 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. There are two conferences: the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. The Eastern Conference has the Atlantic Division and Metropolitan Division, and the Western Conference has the Central Division and the Pacific Division.
Below is a list of NHL teams by state (including Canadian teams) with their conference and division.
State | NHL Teams | # of Teams |
---|---|---|
Alabama | 0 | |
Alaska | 0 | |
Arizona | Phoenix Coyotes | 1 |
Arkansas | 0 | |
California | Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks | 3 |
Colorado | Colorado Avalanche | 1 |
Connecticut | 0 | |
Delaware | 0 | |
District of Columbia | Washington Capitals | 1 |
Florida | Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning | 2 |
Georgia | 0 | |
Hawaii | 0 | |
Idaho | 0 | |
Illinois | Chicago Blackhawks | 1 |
Indiana | 0 | |
Iowa | 0 | |
Kansas | 0 | |
Kentucky | 0 | |
Louisiana | 0 | |
Maine | 0 | |
Maryland | 0 | |
Massachusetts | Boston Bruins | 1 |
Michigan | Detroit Red Wings | 1 |
Minnesota | Minnesota Wild | 1 |
Mississippi | 0 | |
Missouri | St. Louis Blues | 1 |
Montana | 0 | |
Nebraska | 0 | |
Nevada | Las Vegas Golden Knights | 1 |
New Hampshire | 0 | |
New Jersey | New Jersey Devils | 1 |
New Mexico | 0 | |
New York | Buffalo Sares, New York Islanders, New York Rangers | 3 |
North Carolina | Carolina Hurricanes | 1 |
North Dakota | 0 | |
Ohio | Columbus Blue Jackets | 1 |
Oklahoma | 0 | |
Oregon | 0 | |
Pennsylvania | Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins | 2 |
Rhode Island | 0 | |
South Carolina | 0 | |
South Dakota | 0 | |
Tennessee | Nashville Predators | 1 |
Texas | Dallas Stars | 1 |
Utah | 0 | |
Vermont | 0 | |
Virginia | 0 | |
Washington | Seattle Kraken | 1 |
West Virginia | 0 | |
Wisconsin | 0 | |
Wyoming | 0 | |
United States | 25 |