Blaylockjam10 (talk | contribs) |
Colonies Chris (talk | contribs) m minor fixes, replaced: ," → ", (2), North America → North America (2), Renfrew, Ontario → Renfrew, Ontario, Canada → Canada (4), New York City → New York City (6), , IL using AWB |
||
Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
{{Infobox sports league |
{{Infobox sports league |
||
| title = National Hockey League (NHL)<br /><small>''Ligue nationale de hockey'' ( |
| title = National Hockey League (NHL)<br /><small>''Ligue nationale de hockey'' (French)</small> |
||
| current_season = 2017–18 NHL season |
| current_season = 2017–18 NHL season |
||
| champion = [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] (5th title) |
| champion = [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] (5th title) |
||
Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
| pixels = 150px |
| pixels = 150px |
||
| sport = Ice hockey |
| sport = Ice hockey |
||
| founded = {{Start date and age|1917|11|26|p=yes}},<br />[[Montreal]], |
| founded = {{Start date and age|1917|11|26|p=yes}},<br />[[Montreal]], Canada |
||
| inaugural = [[1917–18 NHL season|1917–18]] |
| inaugural = [[1917–18 NHL season|1917–18]] |
||
| commissioner = [[Gary Bettman]] |
| commissioner = [[Gary Bettman]] |
||
| headquarters = |
| headquarters = New York City, United States |
||
| teams = [[#List of teams|31]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/teams.htm?navid=nav-tms-main |title=Rosters, Arena Information, and Aerial Maps – NHL.com – Teams |publisher=National Hockey League |accessdate=November 10, 2013}}</ref> |
| teams = [[#List of teams|31]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/teams.htm?navid=nav-tms-main |title=Rosters, Arena Information, and Aerial Maps – NHL.com – Teams |publisher=National Hockey League |accessdate=November 10, 2013}}</ref> |
||
| countries = {{ |
| countries = {{flagu|Canada}} (7 teams)<br />{{flagu|United States}} (24 teams) |
||
| continent = |
| continent = North America |
||
| TV = <!-- This list refers to national broadcasts only, not regional stations. The various Sportsnet channels, TSN, Root Sports, etc. do not belong. -->{{unbulleted list |
| TV = <!-- This list refers to national broadcasts only, not regional stations. The various Sportsnet channels, TSN, Root Sports, etc. do not belong. -->{{unbulleted list |
||
| '''Canada''' |
| '''Canada''' |
||
Line 45: | Line 45: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
The '''National Hockey League''' ('''NHL'''; {{lang-fr|Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH}}) is a professional [[ice hockey]] [[sports league|league]] in |
The '''National Hockey League''' ('''NHL'''; {{lang-fr|Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH}}) is a professional [[ice hockey]] [[sports league|league]] in North America, currently comprising 31 teams: 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Headquartered in New York City, the NHL is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world,<ref name="premier">{{cite web|title=National Hockey League |first=James |last=Marsh |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/national-hockey-league/ <!--Bot repaired link--> |work=The Canadian Encyclopedia |year=2006 |accessdate=June 11, 2006}}</ref> and one of the [[major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada]]. The [[Stanley Cup]], the oldest professional sports trophy in North America,<ref name="NHL.comFunFacts">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/cup/fun_facts.html |title=NHL.com – Stanley Cup Fun Facts |publisher=NHL |accessdate=July 15, 2006 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/5mq4TUogx?url=http://www.nhl.com/cup/fun_facts.html |archivedate=January 17, 2010 |df= }}</ref> is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each [[Season (sports)|season]]. |
||
The National Hockey League was organized on November 26, 1917, in [[Montreal |
The National Hockey League was organized on November 26, 1917, in [[Montreal]] after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the [[National Hockey Association]] (NHA), which had been founded in 1909 in [[Renfrew, Ontario]].<ref>''The National Hockey League Official Record Book & Guide 2009'' 77th Edition, p. 9. New York: National Hockey League (2008)</ref> The NHL immediately took the NHA's place as one of the leagues that contested for the Stanley Cup in an annual interleague competition before a series of league mergers and folds left the NHL as the only league left competing for the Stanley Cup in 1926. |
||
At its inception, the NHL had four teams—all in Canada, thus the adjective "National" in the league's name. The league expanded to the United States in 1924, when the [[Boston Bruins]] joined, and has since consisted of American and Canadian teams. From 1942 to 1967, the league had only six teams, collectively (if not contemporaneously) nicknamed the "[[Original Six]]". The NHL added six new teams to double its size at the [[1967 NHL expansion]]. The league then increased to 18 teams in 1974 and 21 teams in 1979. In the 1990s, the NHL further expanded to 30 teams, and added its 31st team in 2017. |
At its inception, the NHL had four teams—all in Canada, thus the adjective "National" in the league's name. The league expanded to the United States in 1924, when the [[Boston Bruins]] joined, and has since consisted of American and Canadian teams. From 1942 to 1967, the league had only six teams, collectively (if not contemporaneously) nicknamed the "[[Original Six]]". The NHL added six new teams to double its size at the [[1967 NHL expansion]]. The league then increased to 18 teams in 1974 and 21 teams in 1979. In the 1990s, the NHL further expanded to 30 teams, and added its 31st team in 2017. |
||
Line 79: | Line 79: | ||
===Post-Original Six expansion=== |
===Post-Original Six expansion=== |
||
By the mid-1960s, the desire for a network television contract in the U.S., and concerns that the [[Western Hockey League (minor pro)|Western Hockey League]] was planning to declare itself a major league and challenge for the Stanley Cup, spurred the league to undertake its first [[1967 NHL Expansion|expansion]] since the 1920s. The league doubled in size for the [[1967–68 NHL season|1967–68 season]], adding the [[Los Angeles Kings]], [[Minnesota North Stars]], [[Philadelphia Flyers]], [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], [[California Seals]] and [[St. Louis Blues]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Diamond|1991|p=175}}</ref> Canadian fans were outraged that all six teams were placed in the United States,<ref>{{Harvnb|McKinley|2006|pp=194–195}}</ref> and the league responded by adding the [[Vancouver Canucks]] in [[ |
By the mid-1960s, the desire for a network television contract in the U.S., and concerns that the [[Western Hockey League (minor pro)|Western Hockey League]] was planning to declare itself a major league and challenge for the Stanley Cup, spurred the league to undertake its first [[1967 NHL Expansion|expansion]] since the 1920s. The league doubled in size for the [[1967–68 NHL season|1967–68 season]], adding the [[Los Angeles Kings]], [[Minnesota North Stars]], [[Philadelphia Flyers]], [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], [[California Seals]] and [[St. Louis Blues]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Diamond|1991|p=175}}</ref> Canadian fans were outraged that all six teams were placed in the United States,<ref>{{Harvnb|McKinley|2006|pp=194–195}}</ref> and the league responded by adding the [[Vancouver Canucks]] in [[1970–1971 NHL season|1970]] along with the [[Buffalo Sabres]], who are located on the [[Canada–United States border|Canada–US border]].<ref>{{Harvnb |McFarlane |1990 |pp=106–107}}</ref> Two years later, the emergence of the newly founded [[World Hockey Association]] (WHA) led the league to add the [[New York Islanders]] and [[Atlanta Flames]] to keep the rival league out of those markets.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boer|2006|p=13}}</ref> In 1974, the [[Washington Capitals]] and [[Kansas City Scouts]] were added, bringing the league up to 18 teams.<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=115}}</ref> |
||
The National Hockey League fought the WHA for players, losing 67 to the new league in its first season of [[1972–73 WHA season|1972–73]],<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=113}}</ref> including [[Bobby Hull]], who signed a ten-year, $2.5 million contract with the [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)|Winnipeg Jets]], the largest in hockey history at the time.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=33}}</ref> The league attempted to block the defections in court, but a counter-suit by the WHA led to a Philadelphia judge ruling the NHL's [[reserve clause]] to be illegal, thus eliminating the elder league's monopoly over the players.<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=133}}</ref> Seven years of battling for players and markets financially damaged both leagues, leading to a 1979 [[NHL–WHA merger|merger agreement]] that saw the WHA cease operations while the NHL absorbed the Winnipeg Jets, [[Edmonton Oilers]], [[Hartford Whalers]] and [[Quebec Nordiques]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=214}}</ref> The owners initially rejected this merger agreement by one vote, but a massive boycott of [[Molson Brewery]] products by fans in Canada caused the Montreal Canadiens, which was owned by Molson, to reverse its position, along with the Vancouver Canucks. In a second vote the plan was approved.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=251}}</ref> |
The National Hockey League fought the WHA for players, losing 67 to the new league in its first season of [[1972–73 WHA season|1972–73]],<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=113}}</ref> including [[Bobby Hull]], who signed a ten-year, $2.5 million contract with the [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)|Winnipeg Jets]], the largest in hockey history at the time.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=33}}</ref> The league attempted to block the defections in court, but a counter-suit by the WHA led to a Philadelphia judge ruling the NHL's [[reserve clause]] to be illegal, thus eliminating the elder league's monopoly over the players.<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=133}}</ref> Seven years of battling for players and markets financially damaged both leagues, leading to a 1979 [[NHL–WHA merger|merger agreement]] that saw the WHA cease operations while the NHL absorbed the Winnipeg Jets, [[Edmonton Oilers]], [[Hartford Whalers]] and [[Quebec Nordiques]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=214}}</ref> The owners initially rejected this merger agreement by one vote, but a massive boycott of [[Molson Brewery]] products by fans in Canada caused the Montreal Canadiens, which was owned by Molson, to reverse its position, along with the Vancouver Canucks. In a second vote the plan was approved.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=251}}</ref> |
||
[[Wayne Gretzky]] played one season in the WHA for the [[Indianapolis Racers]] (eight games) and the [[Edmonton Oilers]] (72 games) before the Oilers joined the National Hockey League for the [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80 season]].<ref name="LOHGretzky">{{Cite journal |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p199901&page=bio&list=#photo |title=The Legends—Wayne Gretzky |accessdate=January 18, 2010 |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |ref=harv |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> Gretzky went on to lead the Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988, and set single season records for goals (92 in [[1981–82 NHL season|1981–82]]), assists (163 in [[1985–86 NHL season|1985–86]]) and points (215 in 1985–86), as well as career records for goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857).<ref name="LOHGretzky" /> He was traded to the Kings in 1988, a deal that dramatically improved the league's popularity in the United States, and provided the impetus for the 1990s expansion cycles that saw the addition of nine teams: the [[San Jose Sharks]], [[Tampa Bay Lightning]], [[Ottawa Senators]], [[ |
[[Wayne Gretzky]] played one season in the WHA for the [[Indianapolis Racers]] (eight games) and the [[Edmonton Oilers]] (72 games) before the Oilers joined the National Hockey League for the [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80 season]].<ref name="LOHGretzky">{{Cite journal |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p199901&page=bio&list=#photo |title=The Legends—Wayne Gretzky |accessdate=January 18, 2010 |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |ref=harv |postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> Gretzky went on to lead the Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988, and set single season records for goals (92 in [[1981–82 NHL season|1981–82]]), assists (163 in [[1985–86 NHL season|1985–86]]) and points (215 in 1985–86), as well as career records for goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857).<ref name="LOHGretzky" /> He was traded to the Kings in 1988, a deal that dramatically improved the league's popularity in the United States, and provided the impetus for the 1990s expansion cycles that saw the addition of nine teams: the [[San Jose Sharks]], [[Tampa Bay Lightning]], [[Ottawa Senators]], [[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]], [[Florida Panthers]], [[Nashville Predators]], [[Atlanta Thrashers]] now [[Winnipeg Jets]], and in 2000 the [[Minnesota Wild]] and [[Columbus Blue Jackets]].<ref name="EOHGretzky">{{Cite journal|url=http://www.oilersheritage.com/history/dynasty_highlights_gretzkytrade.html |title=Edmonton's Saddest Hockey Day—The Gretzky Trade |accessdate=January 18, 2010 |publisher=Edmonton Oilers Heritage Foundation |ref=harv |postscript= |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201052918/https://www.oilersheritage.com/history/dynasty_highlights_gretzkytrade.html |archivedate=February 1, 2010 |df= }}</ref> On July 21, 2015, the NHL confirmed that it had received applications from prospective ownership groups in [[Quebec City]] and [[Las Vegas]] for possible expansion teams,<ref name="NHL update">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=775295|title=Update on NHL expansion application process|publisher=nhl.com|date=July 21, 2015|accessdate=July 21, 2015}}</ref> and on June 22, 2016, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the addition of a 31st franchise, based in Las Vegas and later named the [[Vegas Golden Knights]], into the NHL for the 2017–18 season.<ref name="Vegas expansion">{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-expands-to-las-vegas/c-281010682?tid=281011650 |title=Las Vegas awarded NHL franchise |publisher=NHL |date=June 22, 2016}}</ref> |
||
===Labour<!--This article uses Canadian English spelling--> issues=== |
===Labour<!--This article uses Canadian English spelling--> issues=== |
||
Line 94: | Line 94: | ||
On October 5, 2005, the first post-lockout season took to the ice with all 30 teams. The NHL received record attendance in the 2005–06 season: an average of 16,955 per game.<ref name="season_review">{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/hockey_features/season_review.html |title=A season to remember |publisher=CBC.ca |first=John |last=Molinaro |date=April 20, 2006 |accessdate=June 9, 2006 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618174146/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/hockey_features/season_review.html |archivedate=June 18, 2006 }}</ref> After losing a season to a labour dispute in 2005, the League's TV audience was slower to rebound because of American cable broadcaster [[ESPN]]'s decision to drop the sport.<ref name="ibisworld">{{cite web|url=http://www1.ibisworld.com/pressrelease/pressrelease.aspx?prid=107 |title=Super Bowl XLII versus the Economy |publisher= |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603025811/http://www.ibisworld.com/pressrelease/pressrelease.aspx?prid=107 |archivedate=June 3, 2008 |df= }}</ref> The league's post-lockout agreement with [[NHL on NBC|NBC]] gave the league a share of revenue from each game's advertising sales, rather than the usual lump sum paid up front for game rights. The league's annual revenues were estimated at approximately $2.27 billion.<ref name="ibisworld"/> |
On October 5, 2005, the first post-lockout season took to the ice with all 30 teams. The NHL received record attendance in the 2005–06 season: an average of 16,955 per game.<ref name="season_review">{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/hockey_features/season_review.html |title=A season to remember |publisher=CBC.ca |first=John |last=Molinaro |date=April 20, 2006 |accessdate=June 9, 2006 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618174146/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/hockey_features/season_review.html |archivedate=June 18, 2006 }}</ref> After losing a season to a labour dispute in 2005, the League's TV audience was slower to rebound because of American cable broadcaster [[ESPN]]'s decision to drop the sport.<ref name="ibisworld">{{cite web|url=http://www1.ibisworld.com/pressrelease/pressrelease.aspx?prid=107 |title=Super Bowl XLII versus the Economy |publisher= |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603025811/http://www.ibisworld.com/pressrelease/pressrelease.aspx?prid=107 |archivedate=June 3, 2008 |df= }}</ref> The league's post-lockout agreement with [[NHL on NBC|NBC]] gave the league a share of revenue from each game's advertising sales, rather than the usual lump sum paid up front for game rights. The league's annual revenues were estimated at approximately $2.27 billion.<ref name="ibisworld"/> |
||
At midnight September 16, 2012, the labour pact expired, and the league again locked out the players.<ref>{{cite news|title=On ice: NHL locks out its players|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57513713/on-ice-nhl-locks-out-its-players/|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=September 16, 2012}}</ref> The owners proposed reducing the players' share of hockey-related revenues from 57 percent to 47 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8382911/nhl-officially-locks-players-cba-expires |title=NHL imposes league-wide lockout |first= Katie |last=Strang | publisher=ESPNNewYork.com |date=September 16, 2012 |accessdate=September 16, 2012}}</ref> All games were cancelled up to January 14, 2013, as well as the [[2013 NHL Winter Classic]] and the [[National Hockey League All-Star Game|2013 NHL All-Star Weekend]].<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL announces cancellation of 2012–13 regular-season schedule through January 14|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=648084|publisher=nhl.com|accessdate=December 20, 2012}}</ref><ref name="2013WinterClassic-cancelled">{{cite web|title=NHL cancels 2013 Winter Classic|url=http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/02/nhl-cancels-2013-winter-classic/related/|publisher=NBC News|accessdate=November 2, 2012}}</ref><ref name="2013AllStar-cancelled">{{cite news|title=NHL cancels games through Dec. 14, All-Star game|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57553761/nhl-cancels-games-through-dec-14-all-star-game/|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=November 23, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Dec30-cancelled">{{cite web| |
At midnight September 16, 2012, the labour pact expired, and the league again locked out the players.<ref>{{cite news|title=On ice: NHL locks out its players|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57513713/on-ice-nhl-locks-out-its-players/|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=September 16, 2012}}</ref> The owners proposed reducing the players' share of hockey-related revenues from 57 percent to 47 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8382911/nhl-officially-locks-players-cba-expires |title=NHL imposes league-wide lockout |first= Katie |last=Strang | publisher=ESPNNewYork.com |date=September 16, 2012 |accessdate=September 16, 2012}}</ref> All games were cancelled up to January 14, 2013, as well as the [[2013 NHL Winter Classic]] and the [[National Hockey League All-Star Game|2013 NHL All-Star Weekend]].<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL announces cancellation of 2012–13 regular-season schedule through January 14|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=648084|publisher=nhl.com|accessdate=December 20, 2012}}</ref><ref name="2013WinterClassic-cancelled">{{cite web|title=NHL cancels 2013 Winter Classic|url=http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/02/nhl-cancels-2013-winter-classic/related/|publisher=NBC News|accessdate=November 2, 2012}}</ref><ref name="2013AllStar-cancelled">{{cite news|title=NHL cancels games through Dec. 14, All-Star game|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57553761/nhl-cancels-games-through-dec-14-all-star-game/|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=November 23, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Dec30-cancelled">{{cite web|agency=Canadian Press |title=NHL Announces Game Cancellations Through Dec. 30 |publisher=BellMedia |work=www.tsn.ca |date=December 10, 2012 |url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=411343 |accessdate=December 10, 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121211112604/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=411343 |archivedate=December 11, 2012 }} |
||
</ref> A tentative agreement was reached on January 6, 2013, on a ten-year deal.<ref>{{cite news |title=NHL OWNERS TO VOTE ON CONTRACT WEDNESDAY |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/nhl-owners-vote-contract-wednesday |agency=Associated Press |accessdate=January 8, 2013}}</ref> On January 12, the league and the Players' Association signed a memorandum of understanding on the new deal, allowing teams to begin their training camps on January 13, with a shortened 48-game season schedule that began on January 19.<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL, players finalize agreement, camps can open Sunday|url=http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/1828151?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CDetroit%20Red%20Wings%7Cp| |
</ref> A tentative agreement was reached on January 6, 2013, on a ten-year deal.<ref>{{cite news |title=NHL OWNERS TO VOTE ON CONTRACT WEDNESDAY |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/nhl-owners-vote-contract-wednesday |agency=Associated Press |accessdate=January 8, 2013}}</ref> On January 12, the league and the Players' Association signed a memorandum of understanding on the new deal, allowing teams to begin their training camps on January 13, with a shortened 48-game season schedule that began on January 19.<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL, players finalize agreement, camps can open Sunday|url=http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/1828151?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CDetroit%20Red%20Wings%7Cp|work=Detroit Free Press|accessdate=January 13, 2013}}</ref> |
||
===Player safety issues=== |
===Player safety issues=== |
||
Player safety has become a major issue within the past five years and concussions, which result from a hard hit to the head, have been the biggest cause. With recent studies showing how concussions can affect retired players and how it has decreased their quality of life after retirement, concussions have become a very important topic of debate when it comes to player safety issues. This had significant effects on the league as elite players were being taken out of the game, such as [[Sidney Crosby]] being sidelined for approximately 10 and a half months, which adversely affected the league's marketability.<ref>{{cite news|author=Josh Hargreaves |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/crosby-discusses-lengthy-recovery-road-from-concussions-safety-of-the-game/article14118504/ |title=Crosby discusses lengthy recovery road from concussions, safety of the game | |
Player safety has become a major issue within the past five years and concussions, which result from a hard hit to the head, have been the biggest cause. With recent studies showing how concussions can affect retired players and how it has decreased their quality of life after retirement, concussions have become a very important topic of debate when it comes to player safety issues. This had significant effects on the league as elite players were being taken out of the game, such as [[Sidney Crosby]] being sidelined for approximately 10 and a half months, which adversely affected the league's marketability.<ref>{{cite news|author=Josh Hargreaves |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/crosby-discusses-lengthy-recovery-road-from-concussions-safety-of-the-game/article14118504/ |title=Crosby discusses lengthy recovery road from concussions, safety of the game |work=The Globe and Mail |date=September 5, 2013 |accessdate=March 14, 2014 |location=Toronto}}</ref> As a result, in December 2009, [[Brendan Shanahan]] was hired to replace Colin Campbell and given the role of Senior Vice-President of Player Safety. Shanahan began to hand out suspensions on high-profile perpetrators responsible for dangerous hits, such as [[Raffi Torres]] receiving 25 games for his hit on [[Marian Hossa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/04/21/video-brendan-shanahan-explains-raffi-torres-25-game-suspension/ |title=Video: Brendan Shanahan Explains Raffi Torres’ 25 Game Suspension « CBS Chicago |publisher=Chicago.cbslocal.com |date=April 21, 2012 |accessdate=March 14, 2014}}</ref> |
||
To aid with removing high speed collisions on icing, which had led to several potential career ending injuries such as Hurricanes' Defencemen Joni Pitkanen, the league mandated hybrid no-touch icing for the 2013–14 NHL season.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wyshynski |first=Greg |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-players-approve-hybrid-icing-safety-trumps-subjectivity-231456246--nhl.html |title=NHL players approve hybrid icing, as safety trumps subjectivity | Puck Daddy |
To aid with removing high speed collisions on icing, which had led to several potential career ending injuries such as Hurricanes' Defencemen Joni Pitkanen, the league mandated hybrid no-touch icing for the 2013–14 NHL season.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wyshynski |first=Greg |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-players-approve-hybrid-icing-safety-trumps-subjectivity-231456246--nhl.html |title=NHL players approve hybrid icing, as safety trumps subjectivity | Puck Daddy|work=Yahoo! Sports |date=September 30, 2013 |accessdate=March 14, 2014}}</ref> |
||
On November 25, 2013, ten former players, Gary Leeman, Rick Vaive, Brad Aitken, Darren Banks, Curt Bennett, Richie Dunn, Warren Holmes, Bob Manno, Blair Stewart and Morris Titanic sued the league for negligence on protecting players from concussions. The suit came three months after the NFL agreed to pay former players |
On November 25, 2013, ten former players, Gary Leeman, Rick Vaive, Brad Aitken, Darren Banks, Curt Bennett, Richie Dunn, Warren Holmes, Bob Manno, Blair Stewart and Morris Titanic sued the league for negligence on protecting players from concussions. The suit came three months after the NFL agreed to pay former players US$765 million due to a player safety lawsuit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=437509 |title=Former NHL players sue league over concussions |publisher=Tsn.ca |date=November 25, 2013 |accessdate=March 14, 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131131031/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=437509 |archivedate=January 31, 2014 }}</ref> |
||
===Women in the NHL=== |
===Women in the NHL=== |
||
From 1952 to 1955, [[Marguerite Norris]] served as president of the [[Detroit Red Wings]], the first woman NHL executive and the first woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup. In 1992 [[Manon Rhéaume|Manon Rheaume]] became the first woman to play a game in any of the major professional North American sports leagues, as a goaltender for the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]] in an NHL pre-season game against the [[St. Louis Blues]], stopping seven of nine shots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=642005|title=Part 1: Manon Rhéaume shatters hockey's gender barrier|work=NHL.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whockey.com/profile/canada/rheaume.html|title=Manon Rheaume|publisher=}}</ref> In 2016 Dawn Braid was hired as the [[Arizona Coyotes]]' skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bieler |first=Des |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/08/24/nhls-first-female-full-time-coach-hired-by-arizona-coyotes/ |title=NHL's first female full-time coach hired by Arizona Coyotes | |
From 1952 to 1955, [[Marguerite Norris]] served as president of the [[Detroit Red Wings]], the first woman NHL executive and the first woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup. In 1992 [[Manon Rhéaume|Manon Rheaume]] became the first woman to play a game in any of the major professional North American sports leagues, as a goaltender for the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]] in an NHL pre-season game against the [[St. Louis Blues]], stopping seven of nine shots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=642005|title=Part 1: Manon Rhéaume shatters hockey's gender barrier|work=NHL.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whockey.com/profile/canada/rheaume.html|title=Manon Rheaume|publisher=}}</ref> In 2016 Dawn Braid was hired as the [[Arizona Coyotes]]' skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bieler |first=Des |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/08/24/nhls-first-female-full-time-coach-hired-by-arizona-coyotes/ |title=NHL's first female full-time coach hired by Arizona Coyotes |work=The Washington Post |date= |accessdate=2016-08-25}}</ref> |
||
==Organizational structure== |
==Organizational structure== |
||
<!-- NHL Board of Governors redirects to this section; please fix that incoming redirect if this section header is changed. Thanks! --> |
<!-- NHL Board of Governors redirects to this section; please fix that incoming redirect if this section header is changed. Thanks! --> |
||
The Board of Governors is the ruling and governing body of the National Hockey League. In this context, each team is a member of the league, and each member appoints a Governor (usually the owner of the club), and two alternates to the Board. The current chairman of the Board is Boston Bruins owner, [[Jeremy Jacobs]]. The Board of Governors exists to establish the policies of the league, and to uphold its constitution. Some of the responsibilities of the Board of Governors include:<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/article/646798 |title=NHL's secret constitution revealed | |
The Board of Governors is the ruling and governing body of the National Hockey League. In this context, each team is a member of the league, and each member appoints a Governor (usually the owner of the club), and two alternates to the Board. The current chairman of the Board is Boston Bruins owner, [[Jeremy Jacobs]]. The Board of Governors exists to establish the policies of the league, and to uphold its constitution. Some of the responsibilities of the Board of Governors include:<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/article/646798 |title=NHL's secret constitution revealed |work=theStar.com |accessdate=March 12, 2011 |location=Toronto |first=Kevin |last=McGran |date=June 6, 2009}}</ref> |
||
* review and approve any rule changes to the game. |
* review and approve any rule changes to the game. |
||
* hiring and firing of the commissioner. |
* hiring and firing of the commissioner. |
||
Line 134: | Line 134: | ||
The NHL consists of 31 teams, 24 of which are based in the United States and seven in Canada. The NHL divides the 31 teams into two conferences: the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern Conference]] and the [[Western Conference (NHL)|Western Conference]]. Each conference is split into two [[Division (sport)|divisions]]: the Eastern Conference contains 16 teams (eight per division), while the Western Conference has 15 teams (seven in the Central Division and eight in the Pacific Division). The current alignment has existed since the [[2017–18 NHL season|2017–18 season]]. |
The NHL consists of 31 teams, 24 of which are based in the United States and seven in Canada. The NHL divides the 31 teams into two conferences: the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern Conference]] and the [[Western Conference (NHL)|Western Conference]]. Each conference is split into two [[Division (sport)|divisions]]: the Eastern Conference contains 16 teams (eight per division), while the Western Conference has 15 teams (seven in the Central Division and eight in the Pacific Division). The current alignment has existed since the [[2017–18 NHL season|2017–18 season]]. |
||
The number of NHL teams held constant at 30 teams from the [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01 season]] when the [[Minnesota Wild]] and the [[Columbus Blue Jackets]] joined the league as expansion teams, until 2017. That expansion capped a period in the 1990s of rapid expansion and relocation when the NHL added 9 teams to grow from 21 to 30 teams, and relocated four teams mostly from smaller northern cities (e.g., Hartford, Quebec) to larger warmer metropolitan areas (e.g., Dallas, Phoenix). The league has not contracted any teams since the Cleveland Barons folded in 1978. The league expanded for the first time in 17 years<ref>{{cite news|last1=Heitner|first1=Darren|title=The NHL Leads the Way in Bringing Pro Sports to Las Vegas|url=http://www.inc.com/darren-heitner/nhl-leads-the-way-in-bringing-pro-sports-to-las-vegas.html|accessdate=29 June 2016| |
The number of NHL teams held constant at 30 teams from the [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01 season]] when the [[Minnesota Wild]] and the [[Columbus Blue Jackets]] joined the league as expansion teams, until 2017. That expansion capped a period in the 1990s of rapid expansion and relocation when the NHL added 9 teams to grow from 21 to 30 teams, and relocated four teams mostly from smaller northern cities (e.g., Hartford, Quebec) to larger warmer metropolitan areas (e.g., Dallas, Phoenix). The league has not contracted any teams since the Cleveland Barons folded in 1978. The league expanded for the first time in 17 years<ref>{{cite news|last1=Heitner|first1=Darren|title=The NHL Leads the Way in Bringing Pro Sports to Las Vegas|url=http://www.inc.com/darren-heitner/nhl-leads-the-way-in-bringing-pro-sports-to-las-vegas.html|accessdate=29 June 2016|work=Inc.com|date=22 June 2016}}</ref> to 31 teams in 2017 with the addition of the [[Vegas Golden Knights]].<ref name="Vegas expansion"/> |
||
According to [[Forbes]], in 2015, all five of the most valuable teams were "[[Original Six]]" teams: the [[New York Rangers]] at approximately $1.2 billion, the [[Montreal Canadiens]] at $1.18 billion, the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] at $1.15 billion, the [[Chicago Blackhawks]] at $925 million, and the [[Boston Bruins]] at $750 million.<ref name="valuable teams">{{cite web |last=Ozanian |first=Mike |title=The NHL's Most Valuable Teams |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2015/11/24/the-nhls-most-valuable-teams-2 | |
According to [[Forbes]], in 2015, all five of the most valuable teams were "[[Original Six]]" teams: the [[New York Rangers]] at approximately $1.2 billion, the [[Montreal Canadiens]] at $1.18 billion, the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] at $1.15 billion, the [[Chicago Blackhawks]] at $925 million, and the [[Boston Bruins]] at $750 million.<ref name="valuable teams">{{cite web |last=Ozanian |first=Mike |title=The NHL's Most Valuable Teams |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2015/11/24/the-nhls-most-valuable-teams-2 |work=Forbes |date=November 24, 2015 |accessdate=May 23, 2016}}</ref><ref name="valuation list"/> At least eight NHL clubs, however, operate at a loss.<ref name="valuation list">{{cite web |title=NHL Valuations |url=https://www.forbes.com/nhl-valuations/list/ |publisher=''Forbes'' |accessdate=May 23, 2016}}</ref> The NHL is also susceptible to the Canadian–U.S. exchange rate: revenue from tickets, local and national advertising in Canada, and local and national Canadian media rights are collected in [[Canadian dollars]], but all players' salaries are paid in U.S. dollars regardless of whether a team is located in Canada or the U.S.<ref name="valuable teams"/> |
||
{{clear}} |
{{clear}} |
||
Line 186: | Line 186: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Florida Panthers]]''' |
| '''[[Florida Panthers]]''' |
||
| [[Sunrise, Florida |
| [[Sunrise, Florida]] |
||
| [[BB&T Center (Sunrise, Florida)|BB&T Center]] |
| [[BB&T Center (Sunrise, Florida)|BB&T Center]] |
||
| align=center | 19,250 |
| align=center | 19,250 |
||
Line 195: | Line 195: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Montreal Canadiens]]''' |
| '''[[Montreal Canadiens]]''' |
||
| [[Montreal |
| [[Montreal]] |
||
| [[Bell Centre]] |
| [[Bell Centre]] |
||
| align=center | 21,302 |
| align=center | 21,302 |
||
Line 205: | Line 205: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Ottawa Senators]]''' |
| '''[[Ottawa Senators]]''' |
||
| [[Ottawa |
| [[Ottawa]] |
||
| [[Canadian Tire Centre]] |
| [[Canadian Tire Centre]] |
||
| align=center | 17,373 |
| align=center | 17,373 |
||
Line 214: | Line 214: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Tampa Bay Lightning]]''' |
| '''[[Tampa Bay Lightning]]''' |
||
| [[Tampa, Florida |
| [[Tampa, Florida]] |
||
| [[Amalie Arena]] |
| [[Amalie Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 19,092 |
| align=center | 19,092 |
||
Line 223: | Line 223: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Toronto Maple Leafs]]''' |
| '''[[Toronto Maple Leafs]]''' |
||
| [[Toronto |
| [[Toronto]] |
||
| [[Air Canada Centre]] |
| [[Air Canada Centre]] |
||
| align=center | 18,819 |
| align=center | 18,819 |
||
Line 233: | Line 233: | ||
! style="background:#dfd;" rowspan="8" | [[Metropolitan Division|Metropolitan]] |
! style="background:#dfd;" rowspan="8" | [[Metropolitan Division|Metropolitan]] |
||
| '''[[Carolina Hurricanes]]''' |
| '''[[Carolina Hurricanes]]''' |
||
| [[Raleigh, North Carolina |
| [[Raleigh, North Carolina]] |
||
| [[PNC Arena]] |
| [[PNC Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 18,680 |
| align=center | 18,680 |
||
Line 243: | Line 243: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Columbus Blue Jackets]]''' |
| '''[[Columbus Blue Jackets]]''' |
||
| [[Columbus, Ohio |
| [[Columbus, Ohio]] |
||
| [[Nationwide Arena]] |
| [[Nationwide Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 18,500 |
| align=center | 18,500 |
||
Line 252: | Line 252: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[New Jersey Devils]]''' |
| '''[[New Jersey Devils]]''' |
||
| [[Newark, New Jersey |
| [[Newark, New Jersey]] |
||
| [[Prudential Center]] |
| [[Prudential Center]] |
||
| align=center | 16,514 |
| align=center | 16,514 |
||
Line 261: | Line 261: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[New York Islanders]]''' |
| '''[[New York Islanders]]''' |
||
| |
| New York City<!-- The location is listed as the *city* the team is in. That is New York City. Do not change to Brooklyn. It will be reverted. --> |
||
| [[Barclays Center]] |
| [[Barclays Center]] |
||
| align=center | 15,795 |
| align=center | 15,795 |
||
Line 270: | Line 270: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[New York Rangers]]''' |
| '''[[New York Rangers]]''' |
||
| |
| New York City |
||
| [[Madison Square Garden]] |
| [[Madison Square Garden]] |
||
| align=center | 18,006 |
| align=center | 18,006 |
||
Line 279: | Line 279: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Philadelphia Flyers]]''' |
| '''[[Philadelphia Flyers]]''' |
||
| [[Philadelphia |
| [[Philadelphia]] |
||
| [[Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia)|Wells Fargo Center]] |
| [[Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia)|Wells Fargo Center]] |
||
| align=center | 19,543 |
| align=center | 19,543 |
||
Line 288: | Line 288: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Pittsburgh Penguins]]''' |
| '''[[Pittsburgh Penguins]]''' |
||
| [[Pittsburgh |
| [[Pittsburgh]] |
||
| [[PPG Paints Arena]] |
| [[PPG Paints Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 18,387 |
| align=center | 18,387 |
||
Line 297: | Line 297: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Washington Capitals]]''' |
| '''[[Washington Capitals]]''' |
||
| |
| Washington, D.C. |
||
| [[Capital One Arena]] |
| [[Capital One Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 18,506 |
| align=center | 18,506 |
||
Line 309: | Line 309: | ||
! style="background:#ffd;" rowspan="7" | [[Central Division (NHL)|Central]] |
! style="background:#ffd;" rowspan="7" | [[Central Division (NHL)|Central]] |
||
| '''[[Chicago Blackhawks]]''' |
| '''[[Chicago Blackhawks]]''' |
||
| [[Chicago |
| [[Chicago]] |
||
| [[United Center]] |
| [[United Center]] |
||
| align=center | 19,717 |
| align=center | 19,717 |
||
Line 318: | Line 318: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Colorado Avalanche]]''' |
| '''[[Colorado Avalanche]]''' |
||
| [[Denver |
| [[Denver]] |
||
| [[Pepsi Center]] |
| [[Pepsi Center]] |
||
| align=center | 18,007 |
| align=center | 18,007 |
||
Line 328: | Line 328: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Dallas Stars]]''' |
| '''[[Dallas Stars]]''' |
||
| [[Dallas |
| [[Dallas]] |
||
| [[American Airlines Center]] |
| [[American Airlines Center]] |
||
| align=center | 18,532 |
| align=center | 18,532 |
||
Line 337: | Line 337: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Minnesota Wild]]''' |
| '''[[Minnesota Wild]]''' |
||
| [[Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]] |
||
| [[Xcel Energy Center]] |
| [[Xcel Energy Center]] |
||
| align=center | 17,954 |
| align=center | 17,954 |
||
Line 346: | Line 346: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Nashville Predators]]''' |
| '''[[Nashville Predators]]''' |
||
| [[Nashville, Tennessee |
| [[Nashville, Tennessee]] |
||
| [[Bridgestone Arena]] |
| [[Bridgestone Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 17,113 |
| align=center | 17,113 |
||
Line 355: | Line 355: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[St. Louis Blues]]''' |
| '''[[St. Louis Blues]]''' |
||
| [[St. Louis |
| [[St. Louis]] |
||
| [[Scottrade Center]] |
| [[Scottrade Center]] |
||
| align=center | 19,150 |
| align=center | 19,150 |
||
Line 364: | Line 364: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Winnipeg Jets]]''' |
| '''[[Winnipeg Jets]]''' |
||
| [[Winnipeg |
| [[Winnipeg]] |
||
| [[Bell MTS Place]] |
| [[Bell MTS Place]] |
||
| align=center | 15,321 |
| align=center | 15,321 |
||
Line 374: | Line 374: | ||
! style="background:#fdf;" rowspan="8" | [[Pacific Division (NHL)|Pacific]] |
! style="background:#fdf;" rowspan="8" | [[Pacific Division (NHL)|Pacific]] |
||
| '''[[Anaheim Ducks]]''' |
| '''[[Anaheim Ducks]]''' |
||
| [[Anaheim, California |
| [[Anaheim, California]] |
||
| [[Honda Center]] |
| [[Honda Center]] |
||
| align=center | 17,174 |
| align=center | 17,174 |
||
Line 383: | Line 383: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Arizona Coyotes]]''' |
| '''[[Arizona Coyotes]]''' |
||
| [[Glendale, Arizona |
| [[Glendale, Arizona]] |
||
| [[Gila River Arena]] |
| [[Gila River Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 17,125 |
| align=center | 17,125 |
||
Line 393: | Line 393: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Calgary Flames]]''' |
| '''[[Calgary Flames]]''' |
||
| [[Calgary |
| [[Calgary]] |
||
| [[Scotiabank Saddledome]] |
| [[Scotiabank Saddledome]] |
||
| align=center | 19,289 |
| align=center | 19,289 |
||
Line 402: | Line 402: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Edmonton Oilers]]''' |
| '''[[Edmonton Oilers]]''' |
||
| [[Edmonton |
| [[Edmonton]] |
||
| [[Rogers Place]] |
| [[Rogers Place]] |
||
| align=center | 18,347 |
| align=center | 18,347 |
||
Line 412: | Line 412: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Los Angeles Kings]]''' |
| '''[[Los Angeles Kings]]''' |
||
| |
| Los Angeles |
||
| [[Staples Center]] |
| [[Staples Center]] |
||
| align=center | 18,230 |
| align=center | 18,230 |
||
Line 421: | Line 421: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[San Jose Sharks]]''' |
| '''[[San Jose Sharks]]''' |
||
| [[San Jose, California |
| [[San Jose, California]] |
||
| [[SAP Center]] |
| [[SAP Center]] |
||
| align=center | 17,562 |
| align=center | 17,562 |
||
Line 430: | Line 430: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Vancouver Canucks]]''' |
| '''[[Vancouver Canucks]]''' |
||
| [[Vancouver |
| [[Vancouver]] |
||
| [[Rogers Arena]] |
| [[Rogers Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 18,910 |
| align=center | 18,910 |
||
Line 440: | Line 440: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Vegas Golden Knights]]''' |
| '''[[Vegas Golden Knights]]''' |
||
| [[Paradise, Nevada |
| [[Paradise, Nevada]] |
||
| [[T-Mobile Arena]] |
| [[T-Mobile Arena]] |
||
| align=center | 17,500 |
| align=center | 17,500 |
||
Line 468: | Line 468: | ||
[[Image:WeaverLankow.jpg|thumb|[[Los Angeles Kings]]' [[Mike Weaver (hockey)|Mike Weaver]] clearing the puck away from [[Calgary Flames]]' [[Daymond Langkow]], December 21, 2005.|250x250px]] |
[[Image:WeaverLankow.jpg|thumb|[[Los Angeles Kings]]' [[Mike Weaver (hockey)|Mike Weaver]] clearing the puck away from [[Calgary Flames]]' [[Daymond Langkow]], December 21, 2005.|250x250px]] |
||
If the game is still tied at the end of overtime, the game enters a [[Overtime (ice hockey)#North American shootout|shootout]]. Three players for each team in turn take a [[Penalty shot (ice hockey)|penalty shot]]. The team with the most goals during the three-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the three shootout rounds, the shootout continues but becomes sudden-death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://proicehockey.about.com/od/rules/a/shootout_debate_2.htm |title=How the NHL Shootout Works |accessdate=August 4, 2008 |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Jamie |work=About.com | |
If the game is still tied at the end of overtime, the game enters a [[Overtime (ice hockey)#North American shootout|shootout]]. Three players for each team in turn take a [[Penalty shot (ice hockey)|penalty shot]]. The team with the most goals during the three-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the three shootout rounds, the shootout continues but becomes sudden-death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://proicehockey.about.com/od/rules/a/shootout_debate_2.htm |title=How the NHL Shootout Works |accessdate=August 4, 2008 |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Jamie |work=About.com |work=The New York Times Company}}</ref> Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately. |
||
There are no shootouts during the [[NHL Playoffs|playoffs]]. Instead, multiple sudden-death, 20-minute five-on-five periods are played until one team scores. Two games have reached six overtime periods, but none have gone beyond six.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Oh, what a night ... and morning. Stars-Canucks ranks sixth among longest OT games. | |
There are no shootouts during the [[NHL Playoffs|playoffs]]. Instead, multiple sudden-death, 20-minute five-on-five periods are played until one team scores. Two games have reached six overtime periods, but none have gone beyond six.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Oh, what a night ... and morning. Stars-Canucks ranks sixth among longest OT games. |work=Sports Illustrated |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/hockey/nhl/specials/playoffs/2007/04/12/OT.games/ |accessdate=April 26, 2007 |date=April 12, 2007 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103141020/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/hockey/nhl/specials/playoffs/2007/04/12/OT.games/ |archivedate=November 3, 2007 }}</ref> During playoff overtime periods, the only break is to clean the loose ice at the first stoppage after the period is halfway finished.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/18470542/ |title=Playoff overtime format needs change |publisher=[[NBC Sports]] |last=Clement |first=Bill |authorlink=Bill Clement |year=2008 |accessdate=May 9, 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220122859/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/18470542/ |archivedate=February 20, 2009 }}</ref> |
||
==Hockey rink== |
==Hockey rink== |
||
Line 477: | Line 477: | ||
National Hockey League games are played on a rectangular [[hockey rink]] with rounded corners surrounded by walls and [[Plexiglas]]. It measures {{convert|200|ft|m|sigfig=4}} by {{convert|85|ft|m|sigfig=4}} in the NHL,<ref name="rink">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule02.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060409150309/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule02.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=April 9, 2006 |title=Dimensions of Rink |year=2005 |publisher=NHL.com |author=National Hockey League |accessdate=June 8, 2006 }}</ref> approximately the same length but much narrower than [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] standards. The [[Hockey rink#Lines|centre line]] divides the ice in half,<ref name="lines">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule05.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621025953/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule05.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=June 21, 2009 |title=Division of ice surface |year=2005 |publisher=NHL.com |author=National Hockey League |accessdate=June 8, 2006 }}</ref> and is used to judge icing violations. There are two [[Hockey rink#Lines|blue lines]] that divide the rink roughly into thirds, delineating one neutral and two attacking [[Hockey rink#Zones|zones]].<ref name="lines" /> Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red ''goal line'' spanning the width of the ice, which is used to judge [[Goal (hockey)|goals]] and icing calls. |
National Hockey League games are played on a rectangular [[hockey rink]] with rounded corners surrounded by walls and [[Plexiglas]]. It measures {{convert|200|ft|m|sigfig=4}} by {{convert|85|ft|m|sigfig=4}} in the NHL,<ref name="rink">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule02.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060409150309/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule02.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=April 9, 2006 |title=Dimensions of Rink |year=2005 |publisher=NHL.com |author=National Hockey League |accessdate=June 8, 2006 }}</ref> approximately the same length but much narrower than [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] standards. The [[Hockey rink#Lines|centre line]] divides the ice in half,<ref name="lines">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule05.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621025953/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule05.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=June 21, 2009 |title=Division of ice surface |year=2005 |publisher=NHL.com |author=National Hockey League |accessdate=June 8, 2006 }}</ref> and is used to judge icing violations. There are two [[Hockey rink#Lines|blue lines]] that divide the rink roughly into thirds, delineating one neutral and two attacking [[Hockey rink#Zones|zones]].<ref name="lines" /> Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red ''goal line'' spanning the width of the ice, which is used to judge [[Goal (hockey)|goals]] and icing calls. |
||
A trapezoidal area behind each goal net has been introduced.<ref name="crease">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606090924/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule04.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=June 6, 2009 |title=Goal crease |year=2005 |publisher=NHL.com |author=National Hockey League |accessdate=June 8, 2006 }}</ref> The goaltender can play the puck only within [[No play zone|the trapezoid]] or in front of the goal line; if the goaltender plays the puck behind the goal line and outside the trapezoidal area, a two-minute minor penalty for [[Delay of game (ice hockey)|delay of game]] is assessed.<ref name="crease_penalty">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26355|title=Rule 63 – Delaying the Game|year=2009|publisher=NHL.com|author=National Hockey League|accessdate=March 14, 2010}}</ref> The rule is unofficially nicknamed the "[[Martin Brodeur]] rule".<ref name="Diamos2007">{{cite news|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10616F835550C758DDDA00894DD404482|title=New Rule Will Take a Weapon Away from Brodeur|date=September 16, 2005|work=''[[The New York Times]]'' (subscription required)|author=Diamos, Jason.|accessdate=March 2, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/18/Sports/Brodeur_not_handling_.shtml |title=Brodeur not handling new rule well |date=September 18, 2005 | |
A trapezoidal area behind each goal net has been introduced.<ref name="crease">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606090924/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule04.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=June 6, 2009 |title=Goal crease |year=2005 |publisher=NHL.com |author=National Hockey League |accessdate=June 8, 2006 }}</ref> The goaltender can play the puck only within [[No play zone|the trapezoid]] or in front of the goal line; if the goaltender plays the puck behind the goal line and outside the trapezoidal area, a two-minute minor penalty for [[Delay of game (ice hockey)|delay of game]] is assessed.<ref name="crease_penalty">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26355|title=Rule 63 – Delaying the Game|year=2009|publisher=NHL.com|author=National Hockey League|accessdate=March 14, 2010}}</ref> The rule is unofficially nicknamed the "[[Martin Brodeur]] rule".<ref name="Diamos2007">{{cite news|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10616F835550C758DDDA00894DD404482|title=New Rule Will Take a Weapon Away from Brodeur|date=September 16, 2005|work=''[[The New York Times]]'' (subscription required)|author=Diamos, Jason.|accessdate=March 2, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/18/Sports/Brodeur_not_handling_.shtml |title=Brodeur not handling new rule well |date=September 18, 2005 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |author=Jones, Tom. |accessdate=March 2, 2007 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206171542/http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/18/Sports/Brodeur_not_handling_.shtml |archivedate=February 6, 2008 |df= }}</ref><ref name="Brodeur hopes NHL banishes trapezoid">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/brodeur_hopes_nhl_banishes_trapezoid/ |title=Brodeur hopes NHL banishes trapezoid |year=2009 |work=Fire&Ice |accessdate=November 10, 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113050802/http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/brodeur_hopes_nhl_banishes_trapezoid |archivedate=November 13, 2009 |df= }}</ref><ref name="NHL decides to keep trapezoid">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/nhl_decides_to_keep_trapezoid/|title=NHL decides to keep trapezoid|year=2009|work=Fire&Ice|accessdate=November 10, 2009}}</ref> |
||
Since the 2013–14 season, the league trimmed the goal frames by {{convert|4|in|cm}} on each side and reduced the size of the goalies' leg pads.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=684940|title=Hybrid Icying tops list of rules changes for 2013–2014 season|last=Rosen|first=Dan|publisher=NHL.com|accessdate=December 2, 2013}}</ref> |
Since the 2013–14 season, the league trimmed the goal frames by {{convert|4|in|cm}} on each side and reduced the size of the goalies' leg pads.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=684940|title=Hybrid Icying tops list of rules changes for 2013–2014 season|last=Rosen|first=Dan|publisher=NHL.com|accessdate=December 2, 2013}}</ref> |
||
Line 572: | Line 572: | ||
In addition to the regular season awards, the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]] is awarded annually to the most valuable player during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs. Furthermore, the top coach in the league wins the [[Jack Adams Award]] as selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association. The National Hockey League publishes the names of the top three vote getters for all awards, and then names the award winner during the NHL Awards Ceremony.<ref name="awards" /> |
In addition to the regular season awards, the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]] is awarded annually to the most valuable player during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs. Furthermore, the top coach in the league wins the [[Jack Adams Award]] as selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association. The National Hockey League publishes the names of the top three vote getters for all awards, and then names the award winner during the NHL Awards Ceremony.<ref name="awards" /> |
||
Players, coaches, officials, and team builders who have had notable careers are eligible to be voted into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]]. Players cannot enter until three years have passed since their last professional game, the shortest such time period of any major sport. One unique consequence has been Hall of Fame members (specifically, [[Gordie Howe]], [[Guy Lafleur]], and [[Mario Lemieux]]) coming out of retirement to play once more.<ref>{{cite web|title=Roy on deck for 2006, 'mayhem' in 2007 |publisher=tsn.ca |url=http://www.tsn.ca/classic/news_story.asp?ID=142315&hubName= | |
Players, coaches, officials, and team builders who have had notable careers are eligible to be voted into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]]. Players cannot enter until three years have passed since their last professional game, the shortest such time period of any major sport. One unique consequence has been Hall of Fame members (specifically, [[Gordie Howe]], [[Guy Lafleur]], and [[Mario Lemieux]]) coming out of retirement to play once more.<ref>{{cite web|title=Roy on deck for 2006, 'mayhem' in 2007 |publisher=tsn.ca |url=http://www.tsn.ca/classic/news_story.asp?ID=142315&hubName= |agency=Canadian Press |date=November 7, 2005 |accessdate=June 8, 2006 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516001757/http://www.tsn.ca/classic/news_story.asp?ID=142315&hubName= |archivedate=May 16, 2007 }}</ref> If a player was deemed significant enough, the three-year wait would be waived; only ten individuals have been honoured in this manner.<ref name="waiver">{{cite web|title=Wayne Gretzky signs five-year contract as head coach |url=http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com/news/story_details.php?ID=5063 |publisher=Phoenix Coyotes |date=May 31, 2006 |accessdate=June 9, 2006 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060615113421/http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com/news/story_details.php?ID=5063 |archivedate = June 15, 2006}}</ref> In 1999, [[Wayne Gretzky]] joined the Hall and became the last player to have the three-year restriction waived.<ref name="waiver" /> After his induction, the Hall of Fame announced that Gretzky would be the last to have the waiting period waived. |
||
==Origin of players== |
==Origin of players== |
||
Line 580: | Line 580: | ||
In addition to Canadian and American born and trained players, who have historically composed a large majority of NHL rosters, the NHL also draws players from an expanding pool of other nations where organized and professional hockey is played. Since the [[Revolutions of 1989|collapse]] of the Soviet Bloc, political/ideological restrictions on the movement of hockey players from this region have disappeared, leading to a large influx of players mostly from Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia into the NHL. Swedes, Finns, and other Western Europeans, who were always free to move to North America, came to the league in greater numbers than before. |
In addition to Canadian and American born and trained players, who have historically composed a large majority of NHL rosters, the NHL also draws players from an expanding pool of other nations where organized and professional hockey is played. Since the [[Revolutions of 1989|collapse]] of the Soviet Bloc, political/ideological restrictions on the movement of hockey players from this region have disappeared, leading to a large influx of players mostly from Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia into the NHL. Swedes, Finns, and other Western Europeans, who were always free to move to North America, came to the league in greater numbers than before. |
||
Many of the league's top players in recent years have come from these European countries including [[Daniel Alfredsson]], [[Erik Karlsson]], [[Henrik Sedin]], [[Daniel Sedin]], [[Henrik Lundqvist]], [[Jaromír Jágr]], [[Patrik Eliáš|Patrik Elias]], [[Zdeno Chára|Zdeno Chara]], [[Pavel Datsyuk]], [[Evgeni Malkin]], [[Nicklas Lidstrom]] and [[Alexander Ovechkin]].<ref name="Europe">{{Cite news|title=New world order: as the Olympics have shown, the influx of players from across the Atlantic brought changes to the NHL game | |
Many of the league's top players in recent years have come from these European countries including [[Daniel Alfredsson]], [[Erik Karlsson]], [[Henrik Sedin]], [[Daniel Sedin]], [[Henrik Lundqvist]], [[Jaromír Jágr]], [[Patrik Eliáš|Patrik Elias]], [[Zdeno Chára|Zdeno Chara]], [[Pavel Datsyuk]], [[Evgeni Malkin]], [[Nicklas Lidstrom]] and [[Alexander Ovechkin]].<ref name="Europe">{{Cite news|title=New world order: as the Olympics have shown, the influx of players from across the Atlantic brought changes to the NHL game |work=The Sporting News |date=February 25, 2002 |accessdate=June 11, 2006 |first=Larry |last=Wigge |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_8_226/ai_83450464 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060419061539/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_8_226/ai_83450464 |archivedate=April 19, 2006 |df= }}</ref> European players were drafted and signed by NHL teams in an effort to bring in more "skilled offensive players",<ref name="europe2">{{cite web|title=Canadians left behind as NHL goes for firepower |agency=Canadian Press |date=June 27, 1999 |accessdate=June 11, 2006 |first=Bill |last=Beacon |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/HockeyNHLDraft99/jun27_can.html |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20070623032604/http://slam.canoe.ca/HockeyNHLDraft99/jun27_can.html |archivedate=June 23, 2007 }}</ref> although recently{{when|date=October 2015}} there has been a decline in European players as more American players enter the league.<ref name="More Americans?">{{cite web|title=NHL landscape changes |publisher=IIHF |date=May 10, 2008 |accessdate=May 13, 2008 |first=ANDREW |last=PODNIEKS |url=http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/browse/2/article/nhl-landscape-changes.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=187&cHash=5abfb28b5e/ |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206010456/http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/browse/2/article/nhl-landscape-changes.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=187&cHash=5abfb28b5e%2F |archivedate=December 6, 2008 |df= }}</ref> The addition of European players changed the style of play in the NHL and European style hockey has been integrated into the NHL game.<ref name="Europe" /> |
||
As of the 2015–16 season, the NHL has players from 19 different countries, with 49.0% coming from Canada and 24.6% from the United States, players from a further 17 countries make up 26.4% of NHL rosters.<ref name="quanthockey.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/nationality-totals/nhl-players-2015-16-stats.html|title=NHL Totals by Nationality ‑ 2015‑16 Stats|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="europe_players">{{cite web|url=http://live82.ihwc.net/english/article/recaps/index.ihwc?artId=2398 |title=NHL still likes Czechs best |
As of the 2015–16 season, the NHL has players from 19 different countries, with 49.0% coming from Canada and 24.6% from the United States, players from a further 17 countries make up 26.4% of NHL rosters.<ref name="quanthockey.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/nationality-totals/nhl-players-2015-16-stats.html|title=NHL Totals by Nationality ‑ 2015‑16 Stats|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="europe_players">{{cite web|url=http://live82.ihwc.net/english/article/recaps/index.ihwc?artId=2398 |title=NHL still likes Czechs best |publisher=IWHC.net |date=May 16, 2006 |accessdate=June 9, 2006 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714160151/http://live82.ihwc.net/english/article/recaps/index.ihwc?artId=2398 |archivedate=July 14, 2007 }}</ref> The following table shows the six countries make up the vast majority of NHL players. The table follows the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] convention of classifying players by the currently existing countries in which their birthplaces are located, without regard to their citizenship or where they were trained. |
||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center; padding: 1px; border-spacing: 1px;" |
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center; padding: 1px; border-spacing: 1px;" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
Line 597: | Line 597: | ||
! style="width:3.5em" | % |
! style="width:3.5em" | % |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| {{ |
| {{flagu|Canada}} |
||
| 551 || '''75.4''' |
| 551 || '''75.4''' |
||
| 488 || '''49.8''' |
| 488 || '''49.8''' |
||
Line 604: | Line 604: | ||
| 485 || '''49.0''' |
| 485 || '''49.0''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| {{ |
| {{flagu|United States}} |
||
| 112 || '''15.3''' |
| 112 || '''15.3''' |
||
| 140 || '''14.3''' |
| 140 || '''14.3''' |
||
Line 625: | Line 625: | ||
| 39 || '''3.9''' |
| 39 || '''3.9''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| {{ |
| {{flagu|Russia}} |
||
| 1 || '''0.1''' |
| 1 || '''0.1''' |
||
| 57 || '''5.8''' |
| 57 || '''5.8''' |
||
Line 655: | Line 655: | ||
The NHL lists its several official corporate partners into three categories: North American Partners, USA Partners, and Canada Partners.<ref name="NHL.comPartners">{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/info/corporate-marketing-partners |title=NHL.com – NHL Corporate Marketing Partners |publisher=NHL |accessdate=January 28, 2017}}</ref> [[Discover Card]] is the league's official credit card in the US, while competitor [[Visa Inc.|Visa]] is an official sponsor in Canada.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Richard|first1=Sandomir|title= |
The NHL lists its several official corporate partners into three categories: North American Partners, USA Partners, and Canada Partners.<ref name="NHL.comPartners">{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/info/corporate-marketing-partners |title=NHL.com – NHL Corporate Marketing Partners |publisher=NHL |accessdate=January 28, 2017}}</ref> [[Discover Card]] is the league's official credit card in the US, while competitor [[Visa Inc.|Visa]] is an official sponsor in Canada.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Richard|first1=Sandomir|title= |
||
Discover Card Forges Tie to the N.H.L.|url=https://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/discover-card-forges-tie-to-the-n-h-l/?_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=January 28, 2017|date=November 6, 2010}}</ref> Likewise, [[Tim Hortons]] is the league's official [[coffee and doughnuts]] chain in Canada, while [[Dunkin' Donuts]] is the NHL's sponsor in the US.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Perez|first1=A.J.|title= |
Discover Card Forges Tie to the N.H.L.|url=https://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/discover-card-forges-tie-to-the-n-h-l/?_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=January 28, 2017|date=November 6, 2010}}</ref> Likewise, [[Tim Hortons]] is the league's official [[coffee and doughnuts]] chain in Canada, while [[Dunkin' Donuts]] is the NHL's sponsor in the US.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Perez|first1=A.J.|title= |
||
Dunkin' Donuts announces partnership with the NHL|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2016/12/05/dunkin-donuts-partner-nhl-tim-hortons/94992702/| |
Dunkin' Donuts announces partnership with the NHL|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2016/12/05/dunkin-donuts-partner-nhl-tim-hortons/94992702/|work=USA Today|accessdate=January 28, 2017|date=December 5, 2016}}</ref> |
||
Among its North American corporate sponsors, [[Kraft Heinz]] sponsors ''[[Kraft Hockeyville]]'', an annual competition in which communities compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of [[ice hockey]]. The winning community gets a cash prize dedicated to upgrading their local home arena, as well as the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game. Two contests are held, one for communities across Canada and a separate competition for communities in the US. |
Among its North American corporate sponsors, [[Kraft Heinz]] sponsors ''[[Kraft Hockeyville]]'', an annual competition in which communities compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of [[ice hockey]]. The winning community gets a cash prize dedicated to upgrading their local home arena, as well as the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game. Two contests are held, one for communities across Canada and a separate competition for communities in the US. |
||
Line 683: | Line 683: | ||
Historically, the NHL has never fared well on American television in comparison to the other American professional leagues. The league's American broadcast partners have been in flux for decades, ranging from such networks as [[NHL on CBS|CBS]], [[NHL on SportsChannel America|SportsChannel America]], the [[NHL on USA|USA Network]], [[NHL on Fox|Fox]], [[NHL on ABC|ABC]], and [[ESPN National Hockey Night|ESPN]]. |
Historically, the NHL has never fared well on American television in comparison to the other American professional leagues. The league's American broadcast partners have been in flux for decades, ranging from such networks as [[NHL on CBS|CBS]], [[NHL on SportsChannel America|SportsChannel America]], the [[NHL on USA|USA Network]], [[NHL on Fox|Fox]], [[NHL on ABC|ABC]], and [[ESPN National Hockey Night|ESPN]]. |
||
National U.S. television rights are currently held by [[NBC Sports]]; its current 10-year, US$2 billion contract, which began in the [[ |
National U.S. television rights are currently held by [[NBC Sports]]; its current 10-year, US$2 billion contract, which began in the [[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12 season]], extended and unified rights deals that were first established in the [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06]] season, when [[Comcast]] acquired cable rights to replace ESPN, and [[NBC]] acquired broadcast television rights under a revenue-sharing agreement to replace [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]].<ref name="nysun">{{cite news|first=Evan |last=Weiner |work=New York Sun |url=http://www.nysun.com/article/34542 |title= Don't Believe the Gripe: The NHL Is Back |date=June 16, 2006 |accessdate=June 19, 2006}}</ref> [[NBC Sports Network]] and the company negotiated a new, 10-year, unified rights deal worth nearly US$2 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fangsbites.com/2011/04/nbcversus-to-air-nhl-games-for-the-next-ten-year/ |title=NBC/Versus To Air NHL Games for the Next Ten Years |author=Fang, Ken |date=April 19, 2011 |work=Fangsbites.com |accessdate=April 19, 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018033414/http://fangsbites.com/2011/04/nbcversus-to-air-nhl-games-for-the-next-ten-year/ |archivedate=October 18, 2011 }}</ref> Under this contract, NBCSN usually airs at least two regular season games per week, while NBC airs afternoon games on selected weekends. NBCUniversal holds exclusive rights to Wednesday night games, all games televised by the NBC network, and every game in the Stanley Cup playoffs beginning in the second round. Coverage of the playoffs and the Finals is split between the two networks, with other games shown on [[CNBC]], [[USA Network]], and [[NHL Network (United States)|NHL Network]]. |
||
As in Canada, games not broadcast nationally are aired regionally within a team's home market, and are subject to [[Blackout (broadcasting)|blackout]] outside of them. These broadcasters include [[regional sports network]] chains. Certain national telecasts on NBCSN are non-exclusive, and may also air in tandem with telecasts of the game by local broadcasters. However, national telecasts of these games are blacked out in the participating teams' markets to protect the local broadcaster. |
As in Canada, games not broadcast nationally are aired regionally within a team's home market, and are subject to [[Blackout (broadcasting)|blackout]] outside of them. These broadcasters include [[regional sports network]] chains. Certain national telecasts on NBCSN are non-exclusive, and may also air in tandem with telecasts of the game by local broadcasters. However, national telecasts of these games are blacked out in the participating teams' markets to protect the local broadcaster. |
||
Line 709: | Line 709: | ||
In addition to the Russian clubs, NHL clubs had participated in a number of international club competitions with various European leagues. In the 2000s the NHL had organized four [[NHL Challenge]] series between NHL, and European clubs. From 2007 to 2011, the NHL organized exhibition games prior to the beginning of the season, known as the NHL Premier, between NHL clubs and teams from a number of European leagues. The [[2011 NHL Premiere]] was the last NHL-organized club competition involving European teams. NHL clubs have also participated in IIHF-organized club tournaments. The most recent IIHF-organized event including a NHL club was the [[2009 Victoria Cup]], between the Swiss [[National League A]]'s [[ZSC Lions]], and the Chicago Blackhawks. |
In addition to the Russian clubs, NHL clubs had participated in a number of international club competitions with various European leagues. In the 2000s the NHL had organized four [[NHL Challenge]] series between NHL, and European clubs. From 2007 to 2011, the NHL organized exhibition games prior to the beginning of the season, known as the NHL Premier, between NHL clubs and teams from a number of European leagues. The [[2011 NHL Premiere]] was the last NHL-organized club competition involving European teams. NHL clubs have also participated in IIHF-organized club tournaments. The most recent IIHF-organized event including a NHL club was the [[2009 Victoria Cup]], between the Swiss [[National League A]]'s [[ZSC Lions]], and the Chicago Blackhawks. |
||
From 1998 to 2014, during the quadrennial [[Winter Olympics|Winter Olympic]] years, the NHL suspended its all-star game and expanded the traditional all-star break to allow NHL players to represent their countries in the [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|Olympic ice hockey tournament]]; starting 2018, because the All-Star game is held in late January, there would be no Olympic break. Conversely, the annual [[Ice Hockey World Championships]] are held every May at the same time as the Stanley Cup |
From 1998 to 2014, during the quadrennial [[Winter Olympics|Winter Olympic]] years, the NHL suspended its all-star game and expanded the traditional all-star break to allow NHL players to represent their countries in the [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|Olympic ice hockey tournament]]; starting 2018, because the All-Star game is held in late January, there would be no Olympic break. Conversely, the annual [[Ice Hockey World Championships]] are held every May at the same time as the Stanley Cup playoffs. Thus, NHL players generally only join their respective country's team in the World Championships if their respective NHL team has been eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, or did not make the playoffs. |
||
In 2007, the [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] (IIHF) formalized the "[[Triple Gold Club]]", the group of players and coaches who have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Winner of three-team tourney to get Victoria Cup|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2863711|date=May 8, 2007|accessdate=February 9, 2009|publisher=[[ESPN]]| |
In 2007, the [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] (IIHF) formalized the "[[Triple Gold Club]]", the group of players and coaches who have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Winner of three-team tourney to get Victoria Cup|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2863711|date=May 8, 2007|accessdate=February 9, 2009|publisher=[[ESPN]]|agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref name="expands">{{Cite web|title=Triple Gold Club expands to 22 |url=http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/triple-gold-club-expands-to-22/ |publisher=International Ice Hockey Federation |date=June 5, 2008 |accessdate=February 8, 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218074948/http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/triple-gold-club-expands-to-22/ |archivedate=February 18, 2009|df= }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=PR & Media Activities|url=http://www.iihf.com/100-years/100-years-of-ice-hockey/pr-media-activities.html|publisher=International Ice Hockey Federation|accessdate=February 8, 2009}}</ref> The term had first entered popular use following the [[2002 Winter Olympics]], which saw the addition of the first Canadian members.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Welcome to the Triple Gold Club: Blake, Sakic, Shanahan: New members to elite club: Olympics, worlds, Stanley Cup|work=[[National Post]]|author=Barnes, Don|date=February 25, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Triple Gold Club awaits Canadian trio|author=Scanlan, Wayne|work=[[Edmonton Journal]]|date=February 24, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Skating a fine line|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/2002GamesColumnistsPreGames/buffery_dec26-sun.html|last=Buffery|first=Steve|work=[[Toronto Sun]]|date=December 26, 2001|accessdate=February 9, 2009}}</ref> |
||
As well as participating in the above international club competitions, the NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association organizes the [[World Cup of Hockey]]. Unlike the Ice Hockey World Championships and the Olympic tournament, both run by the International Ice Hockey Federation, the World Cup of Hockey is played under NHL-rules and not those of the IIHF. The tournament takes place prior to the NHL pre-season. The event is planned to be a quadrennial event beginning in 2016.<ref name=sn-wch2016>{{cite web|title=New-look World Cup of hockey back for 2016|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/new-look-world-cup-of-hockey-back-for-2016/|website=Sportsnet.ca|accessdate=January 24, 2015}}</ref> |
As well as participating in the above international club competitions, the NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association organizes the [[World Cup of Hockey]]. Unlike the Ice Hockey World Championships and the Olympic tournament, both run by the International Ice Hockey Federation, the World Cup of Hockey is played under NHL-rules and not those of the IIHF. The tournament takes place prior to the NHL pre-season. The event is planned to be a quadrennial event beginning in 2016.<ref name=sn-wch2016>{{cite web|title=New-look World Cup of hockey back for 2016|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/new-look-world-cup-of-hockey-back-for-2016/|website=Sportsnet.ca|accessdate=January 24, 2015}}</ref> |
||
Line 717: | Line 717: | ||
==Popularity== |
==Popularity== |
||
{{See also|NHL attendance}} |
{{See also|NHL attendance}} |
||
The NHL is considered one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, along with [[Major League Baseball]], the [[National Football League]], and the [[National Basketball Association]]. The league is very prominent in Canada, where hockey is the most popular of these four major sports as alongside [[Canadian Football League|CFL]].<ref name="Canadian Press 2006-06-08">{{Cite news| |
The NHL is considered one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, along with [[Major League Baseball]], the [[National Football League]], and the [[National Basketball Association]]. The league is very prominent in Canada, where hockey is the most popular of these four major sports as alongside [[Canadian Football League|CFL]].<ref name="Canadian Press 2006-06-08">{{Cite news|agency=Canadian Press |authorlink=Canadian Press |date=June 8, 2006 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060608.wsurvey8/BNStory/Sports/home |archive-url=https://archive.is/20100201155137/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060608.wsurvey8/BNStory/Sports/home |dead-url=yes |archive-date=February 1, 2010 |title=Survey: Canadian interest in pro football is on the rise |work=Globe and Mail |accessdate=June 8, 2006 |location=Toronto }}</ref> Overall, hockey has the smallest total fan base of the four leagues, the smallest revenue from television, and the least sponsorship.<ref name="affluent">{{cite web|url=http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/bmag/sbsm0408/feature_sports.shtml |title=Champions of the Turnstiles |date=August 2004 |last=Markus |first=David |work=gsb.standford.edu |accessdate=June 24, 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102214551/http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/bmag/sbsm0408/feature_sports.shtml |archivedate=January 2, 2011 }}</ref> |
||
The NHL holds one of the most affluent fan bases.<ref name="affluent"/> Studies by the Sports Marketing Group conducted from 1998 to 2004 show that the NHL's fan base is much more affluent than that of the [[PGA Tour]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910221&slug=1267313 |title=Sports: NBA Booming, But Football Is America's Favorite Sport |work=Seattle Times Newspaper |date=February 21, 1991 |accessdate=March 14, 2014}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=June 2013}} A study done by the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]] in 2004, found that NHL fans in America were the most educated and affluent of the four major leagues. Further it noted that season-ticket sales were more prominent in the NHL than the other three because of the financial ability of the NHL fan to purchase them.<ref name="affluent" /> According to [[Reuters]] in 2010, the largest demographic of NHL fans was highly sought after group males aged 18–34.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6974VM20101008 |title=NHL pushes for growth on TV, online |date=October 8, 2010 |last=Klayman |first=Ben | |
The NHL holds one of the most affluent fan bases.<ref name="affluent"/> Studies by the Sports Marketing Group conducted from 1998 to 2004 show that the NHL's fan base is much more affluent than that of the [[PGA Tour]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910221&slug=1267313 |title=Sports: NBA Booming, But Football Is America's Favorite Sport |work=Seattle Times Newspaper |date=February 21, 1991 |accessdate=March 14, 2014}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=June 2013}} A study done by the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]] in 2004, found that NHL fans in America were the most educated and affluent of the four major leagues. Further it noted that season-ticket sales were more prominent in the NHL than the other three because of the financial ability of the NHL fan to purchase them.<ref name="affluent" /> According to [[Reuters]] in 2010, the largest demographic of NHL fans was highly sought after group males aged 18–34.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6974VM20101008 |title=NHL pushes for growth on TV, online |date=October 8, 2010 |last=Klayman |first=Ben |agency=Reuters|accessdate=May 23, 2011}}</ref> |
||
The NHL estimates that half of its fan base roots for teams in outside markets. Beginning in 2008, the NHL began a shift toward using digital technology to market to fans to capitalize on this. |
The NHL estimates that half of its fan base roots for teams in outside markets. Beginning in 2008, the NHL began a shift toward using digital technology to market to fans to capitalize on this. |
||
The debut of the [[NHL Winter Classic|Winter Classic]], an outdoor regular season NHL game held on [[New Year's Day]] 2008, was a major success for the league. The game has since become an annual staple of the NHL schedule. This, along with the transition to a national "Game of the Week" and an annual "Hockey Day in America" regional coverage, all televised on NBC, has helped increase the NHL's regular season television viewership in the United States.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} These improvements led NBC and the cable channel [[ |
The debut of the [[NHL Winter Classic|Winter Classic]], an outdoor regular season NHL game held on [[New Year's Day]] 2008, was a major success for the league. The game has since become an annual staple of the NHL schedule. This, along with the transition to a national "Game of the Week" and an annual "Hockey Day in America" regional coverage, all televised on NBC, has helped increase the NHL's regular season television viewership in the United States.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} These improvements led NBC and the cable channel [[Versus (TV channel)|Versus]] to sign a ten-year broadcast deal, paying US$200 million per year for both American cable and broadcast rights; the deal will lead to further increases in television coverage on the NBC channels. |
||
This television contract has boosted viewership metrics for the NHL. The 2010 [[Stanley Cup]] playoffs saw the largest audience in the history of the sport "after a regular season that saw record-breaking business success, propelled in large part by the NHL's strategy of engaging fans through big events and robust digital offerings."<ref>"[http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=531630 Stanley Cup Playoffs attract largest audience ever]", "NHL.com |
This television contract has boosted viewership metrics for the NHL. The 2010 [[Stanley Cup]] playoffs saw the largest audience in the history of the sport "after a regular season that saw record-breaking business success, propelled in large part by the NHL's strategy of engaging fans through big events and robust digital offerings."<ref>"[http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=531630 Stanley Cup Playoffs attract largest audience ever]", "NHL.com", June 14, 2010</ref> This success has resulted in a 66 percent rise in NHL advertising and sponsorship revenue. Merchandise sales were up 22 percent and the number of unique visitors on the NHL.com website were up 17 percent during the playoffs after rising 29 percent in the regular season.<ref>Klayman, Ben. "[http://ca.news.finance.yahoo.com/s/14062010/6/finance-interview-nhl-ad-sponsorship-revenue-66-pct-year.html NHL ad, sponsorship revenue up 66 pct this year]", "Yahoo! News", June 14, 2010 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619232943/http://ca.news.finance.yahoo.com/s/14062010/6/finance-interview-nhl-ad-sponsorship-revenue-66-pct-year.html |date=June 19, 2010 }}</ref> |
||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
Line 745: | Line 745: | ||
* {{Cite journal|title=Trail of the Stanley Cup, vols. 1–3 |last=Coleman |first=Charles |year=1966–1969 |ref=harv |publisher=National Hockey League|isbn=0-8403-2941-5|postscript=<!--None-->}} |
* {{Cite journal|title=Trail of the Stanley Cup, vols. 1–3 |last=Coleman |first=Charles |year=1966–1969 |ref=harv |publisher=National Hockey League|isbn=0-8403-2941-5|postscript=<!--None-->}} |
||
* {{Cite book|last=Jenish|first=D'Arcy|year=2008|title=The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFLcnuvieV0C#v=onepage&q&f=false|publisher=Doubleday Canada |isbn= 978-0-385-66324-3|ref=harv|postscript=<!--None-->}} |
* {{Cite book|last=Jenish|first=D'Arcy|year=2008|title=The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFLcnuvieV0C#v=onepage&q&f=false|publisher=Doubleday Canada |isbn= 978-0-385-66324-3|ref=harv|postscript=<!--None-->}} |
||
* {{Cite book|first1=Morey |last1=Holzman |first2=Joseph |last2=Nieforth |title=Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=COb82MiKyGQC#v=onepage&q&f=false|year=2002 |location=Toronto |
* {{Cite book|first1=Morey |last1=Holzman |first2=Joseph |last2=Nieforth |title=Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=COb82MiKyGQC#v=onepage&q&f=false|year=2002 |location=Toronto |publisher=Dundurn Press |isbn=1-55002-413-2 |ref=harv }} |
||
* {{Cite book|first=Brian |last=McFarlane |title=Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey |year=1997 |location=Champaign, |
* {{Cite book|first=Brian |last=McFarlane |title=Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey |year=1997 |location=Champaign, Illinois |publisher=Sports Publishing Inc |isbn= 1-57167-145-5 |ref=harv}} |
||
* {{Cite book|last=McKinley |first=Michael |year=2006|title=Hockey: A People's History|publisher=McClelland & Stewart|isbn= 0-7710-5769-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fCAL2ysKFWoC#v=onepage&q&f=false |ref=harv}} |
* {{Cite book|last=McKinley |first=Michael |year=2006|title=Hockey: A People's History|publisher=McClelland & Stewart|isbn= 0-7710-5769-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fCAL2ysKFWoC#v=onepage&q&f=false |ref=harv}} |
||
* {{cite web|author=National Hockey League |title=2005–06 NHL Official Rules |url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050925113900/http://www.nhl.com/rules/index.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=September 25, 2005 |year=2005 |accessdate=June 10, 2006 |publisher=NHL.com |ref=harv |postscript= }} |
* {{cite web|author=National Hockey League |title=2005–06 NHL Official Rules |url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050925113900/http://www.nhl.com/rules/index.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=September 25, 2005 |year=2005 |accessdate=June 10, 2006 |publisher=NHL.com |ref=harv |postscript= }} |
||
* {{Cite book|last=Pincus|first=Arthur|year=2006|title=The Official Illustrated NHL History|publisher= |
* {{Cite book|last=Pincus|first=Arthur|year=2006|title=The Official Illustrated NHL History|publisher=Reader's Digest|isbn= 0-88850-800-X|ref=harv|postscript=<!--None-->}} |
||
* {{cite book |last1=Podnieks |first1=Andrew |last2=Szemberg |first2=Szymon |title=World of hockey: celebrating a century of the IIHF |year= 2007 |publisher=Fenn Publishing |isbn=9781551683072 |ref=harv}} |
* {{cite book |last1=Podnieks |first1=Andrew |last2=Szemberg |first2=Szymon |title=World of hockey: celebrating a century of the IIHF |year= 2007 |publisher=Fenn Publishing |isbn=9781551683072 |ref=harv}} |
||
* {{Cite book|last=Ross|first=J. Andrew|year=2015|title=Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0-8156-3383-9}} |
* {{Cite book|last=Ross|first=J. Andrew|year=2015|title=Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0-8156-3383-9}} |
Revision as of 15:02, 5 December 2017
Current season, competition or edition: 2017–18 NHL season | |
Sport | Ice hockey |
---|---|
Founded | November 26, 1917 Montreal, Canada | ,
First season | 1917–18 |
Commissioner | Gary Bettman |
No. of teams | 31[1] |
Countries | Canada (7 teams) United States (24 teams) |
Headquarters | New York City, United States |
Continent | North America |
Most recent champion(s) | Pittsburgh Penguins (5th title) |
Most titles | Montreal Canadiens (25 titles)[nb 1] |
TV partner(s) |
|
Official website | NHL.com |
The National Hockey League (NHL; French: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, currently comprising 31 teams: 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Headquartered in New York City, the NHL is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world,[2] and one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America,[3] is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.
The National Hockey League was organized on November 26, 1917, in Montreal after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909 in Renfrew, Ontario.[4] The NHL immediately took the NHA's place as one of the leagues that contested for the Stanley Cup in an annual interleague competition before a series of league mergers and folds left the NHL as the only league left competing for the Stanley Cup in 1926.
At its inception, the NHL had four teams—all in Canada, thus the adjective "National" in the league's name. The league expanded to the United States in 1924, when the Boston Bruins joined, and has since consisted of American and Canadian teams. From 1942 to 1967, the league had only six teams, collectively (if not contemporaneously) nicknamed the "Original Six". The NHL added six new teams to double its size at the 1967 NHL expansion. The league then increased to 18 teams in 1974 and 21 teams in 1979. In the 1990s, the NHL further expanded to 30 teams, and added its 31st team in 2017.
After a labour-management dispute that led to the cancellation of the entire 2004–05 season, the league resumed play in 2005–06 under a new collective agreement that included a salary cap. In 2009, the NHL enjoyed record highs in terms of sponsorships, attendance, and television audiences.[5]
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) considers the Stanley Cup to be one of the "most important championships available to the sport".[6] The NHL draws many highly skilled players from all over the world and currently has players from approximately 20 countries.[7] Canadians have historically constituted the majority of the players in the league, with an increasing percentage of American and European players in recent seasons.
History
Part of a series on the |
History of the NHL |
---|
National Hockey League |
Ice hockey portal |
Early years
The National Hockey League was established in 1917 as the successor to the National Hockey Association (NHA). Founded in 1909, the NHA began play one year later with seven teams in Ontario and Quebec, and was one of the first major leagues in professional ice hockey. But by the NHA's eighth season, a series of disputes with Toronto Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone led the other team owners, representing the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Quebec Bulldogs to meet about the league's future.[8] Realizing the NHA constitution left them unable to force Livingstone out, the four teams voted instead to suspend the NHA, and on November 26, 1917, formed the National Hockey League. Frank Calder was chosen as its first president, serving until his death in 1943.[9]
The Bulldogs were unable to play, and the remaining owners created a new team in Toronto, the Arenas, to compete with the Canadiens, Wanderers and Senators.[10] The first games were played on December 19, 1917.[11] The Montreal Arena burned down in January 1918, causing the Wanderers to cease operations,[12] and the NHL continued on as a three-team league until the Bulldogs returned in 1919.[13]
The NHL replaced the NHA as one of the leagues that competed for the Stanley Cup, which was an interleague competition back then. Toronto won the first NHL title, and then defeated the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) for the 1918 Stanley Cup.[14] The Canadiens won the league title in 1919; however their Stanley Cup Final against the PCHA's Seattle Metropolitans was abandoned as a result of the Spanish Flu epidemic.[15] Montreal in 1924 won their first Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL.[16] The Hamilton Tigers, won the regular season title in 1924–25 but refused to play in the championship series unless they were given a C$200 bonus.[17] The league refused and declared the Canadiens the league champion after they defeated the Toronto St. Patricks (formerly the Arenas) in the semi-final. Montreal was then defeated by the Victoria Cougars of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) for the 1925 Stanley Cup. It was the last time a non-NHL team won the trophy,[18] as the Stanley Cup became the de facto NHL championship in 1926 after the WCHL ceased operation.[19]
The National Hockey League embarked on rapid expansion in the 1920s, adding the Montreal Maroons and Boston Bruins in 1924. The Bruins were the first American team in the league.[20] The New York Americans began play in 1925 after purchasing the assets of the Hamilton Tigers, and were joined by the Pittsburgh Pirates.[21] The New York Rangers were added in 1926.[22] The Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Cougars (later Red Wings) were also added after the league purchased the assets of the defunct WCHL.[23] A group purchased the Toronto St. Patricks in 1927 and immediately renamed them the Maple Leafs.[24]
The Original Six
The first NHL All-Star Game was held in 1934 to benefit Ace Bailey, whose career ended on a vicious hit by Eddie Shore.[25] The second was held in 1937 in support of Howie Morenz's family when he died of a coronary embolism after breaking his leg during a game.[26]
The Great Depression and the onset of World War II took a toll on the league. The Pirates became the Philadelphia Quakers in 1930, then folded one year later. The Senators likewise became the St. Louis Eagles in 1934, also lasting only one year.[27] The Maroons did not survive, as they suspended operations in 1938.[28] The Americans were suspended in 1942 due to a lack of players, and never revived.[29]
The league was reduced to six teams for the 1942–43 NHL season: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. These six teams remained constant for 25 years, a period known as the Original Six. The league reached an agreement with the Stanley Cup trustees in 1947 to take full control of the trophy, allowing the NHL to reject challenges from other leagues that wished to play for the Cup.[30]
Maurice "Rocket" Richard became the first player to score 50 goals, doing so in a 50-game season.[31] Richard later led the Canadiens to five consecutive titles between 1956 and 1960, a record no team has matched.[32] Willie O'Ree broke the league's colour barrier on January 18, 1958 when he made his debut with the Boston Bruins and became the first black player in league history.[33]
Post-Original Six expansion
By the mid-1960s, the desire for a network television contract in the U.S., and concerns that the Western Hockey League was planning to declare itself a major league and challenge for the Stanley Cup, spurred the league to undertake its first expansion since the 1920s. The league doubled in size for the 1967–68 season, adding the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, California Seals and St. Louis Blues.[34] Canadian fans were outraged that all six teams were placed in the United States,[35] and the league responded by adding the Vancouver Canucks in 1970 along with the Buffalo Sabres, who are located on the Canada–US border.[36] Two years later, the emergence of the newly founded World Hockey Association (WHA) led the league to add the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames to keep the rival league out of those markets.[37] In 1974, the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts were added, bringing the league up to 18 teams.[38]
The National Hockey League fought the WHA for players, losing 67 to the new league in its first season of 1972–73,[39] including Bobby Hull, who signed a ten-year, $2.5 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets, the largest in hockey history at the time.[40] The league attempted to block the defections in court, but a counter-suit by the WHA led to a Philadelphia judge ruling the NHL's reserve clause to be illegal, thus eliminating the elder league's monopoly over the players.[41] Seven years of battling for players and markets financially damaged both leagues, leading to a 1979 merger agreement that saw the WHA cease operations while the NHL absorbed the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques.[42] The owners initially rejected this merger agreement by one vote, but a massive boycott of Molson Brewery products by fans in Canada caused the Montreal Canadiens, which was owned by Molson, to reverse its position, along with the Vancouver Canucks. In a second vote the plan was approved.[43]
Wayne Gretzky played one season in the WHA for the Indianapolis Racers (eight games) and the Edmonton Oilers (72 games) before the Oilers joined the National Hockey League for the 1979–80 season.[44] Gretzky went on to lead the Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988, and set single season records for goals (92 in 1981–82), assists (163 in 1985–86) and points (215 in 1985–86), as well as career records for goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857).[44] He was traded to the Kings in 1988, a deal that dramatically improved the league's popularity in the United States, and provided the impetus for the 1990s expansion cycles that saw the addition of nine teams: the San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers now Winnipeg Jets, and in 2000 the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets.[45] On July 21, 2015, the NHL confirmed that it had received applications from prospective ownership groups in Quebec City and Las Vegas for possible expansion teams,[46] and on June 22, 2016, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the addition of a 31st franchise, based in Las Vegas and later named the Vegas Golden Knights, into the NHL for the 2017–18 season.[47]
Labour issues
There have been four league-wide work stoppages in league history, all happening since 1992. The first was a strike by the National Hockey League Players' Association in April 1992 which lasted for ten days, but the strike was settled quickly and all affected games were rescheduled.[48]
A lockout at the start of the 1994–95 season forced the league to reduce the schedule from 84 games to just 48, with the teams playing only intra-conference games during the reduced season.[48] The resulting collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was set for renegotiation in 1998 and extended to September 15, 2004.[49]
With no new agreement in hand when the contract expired on September 15, 2004, league commissioner Gary Bettman announced a lockout of the players union and closed the league's head office.[49] The league vowed to install what it dubbed "cost certainty" for its teams, but the Players' Association countered that the move was little more than a euphemism for a salary cap, which the union initially said it would not accept. The lockout shut down the league for 310 days, the longest in sports history, as the NHL became the first professional sports league to lose an entire season.[49] A new collective bargaining agreement was eventually ratified in July 2005, including a salary cap. The agreement had a term of six years with an option of extending the collective bargaining agreement for an additional year at the end of the term, allowing the league to resume as of the 2005–06 season.[49] On October 5, 2005, the first post-lockout season took to the ice with all 30 teams. The NHL received record attendance in the 2005–06 season: an average of 16,955 per game.[50] After losing a season to a labour dispute in 2005, the League's TV audience was slower to rebound because of American cable broadcaster ESPN's decision to drop the sport.[51] The league's post-lockout agreement with NBC gave the league a share of revenue from each game's advertising sales, rather than the usual lump sum paid up front for game rights. The league's annual revenues were estimated at approximately $2.27 billion.[51]
At midnight September 16, 2012, the labour pact expired, and the league again locked out the players.[52] The owners proposed reducing the players' share of hockey-related revenues from 57 percent to 47 percent.[53] All games were cancelled up to January 14, 2013, as well as the 2013 NHL Winter Classic and the 2013 NHL All-Star Weekend.[54][55][56][57] A tentative agreement was reached on January 6, 2013, on a ten-year deal.[58] On January 12, the league and the Players' Association signed a memorandum of understanding on the new deal, allowing teams to begin their training camps on January 13, with a shortened 48-game season schedule that began on January 19.[59]
Player safety issues
Player safety has become a major issue within the past five years and concussions, which result from a hard hit to the head, have been the biggest cause. With recent studies showing how concussions can affect retired players and how it has decreased their quality of life after retirement, concussions have become a very important topic of debate when it comes to player safety issues. This had significant effects on the league as elite players were being taken out of the game, such as Sidney Crosby being sidelined for approximately 10 and a half months, which adversely affected the league's marketability.[60] As a result, in December 2009, Brendan Shanahan was hired to replace Colin Campbell and given the role of Senior Vice-President of Player Safety. Shanahan began to hand out suspensions on high-profile perpetrators responsible for dangerous hits, such as Raffi Torres receiving 25 games for his hit on Marian Hossa.[61]
To aid with removing high speed collisions on icing, which had led to several potential career ending injuries such as Hurricanes' Defencemen Joni Pitkanen, the league mandated hybrid no-touch icing for the 2013–14 NHL season.[62]
On November 25, 2013, ten former players, Gary Leeman, Rick Vaive, Brad Aitken, Darren Banks, Curt Bennett, Richie Dunn, Warren Holmes, Bob Manno, Blair Stewart and Morris Titanic sued the league for negligence on protecting players from concussions. The suit came three months after the NFL agreed to pay former players US$765 million due to a player safety lawsuit.[63]
Women in the NHL
From 1952 to 1955, Marguerite Norris served as president of the Detroit Red Wings, the first woman NHL executive and the first woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup. In 1992 Manon Rheaume became the first woman to play a game in any of the major professional North American sports leagues, as a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning in an NHL pre-season game against the St. Louis Blues, stopping seven of nine shots.[64][65] In 2016 Dawn Braid was hired as the Arizona Coyotes' skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL.[66]
Organizational structure
The Board of Governors is the ruling and governing body of the National Hockey League. In this context, each team is a member of the league, and each member appoints a Governor (usually the owner of the club), and two alternates to the Board. The current chairman of the Board is Boston Bruins owner, Jeremy Jacobs. The Board of Governors exists to establish the policies of the league, and to uphold its constitution. Some of the responsibilities of the Board of Governors include:[67]
- review and approve any rule changes to the game.
- hiring and firing of the commissioner.
- review and approve the purchase, sale, or relocation of any member club.
- review and approve the salary caps for member clubs.
- review and approve any changes to the structure of the game schedule.
The Board of Governors meets twice per year, in the months of June and December, with the exact date and place to be fixed by the Commissioner.
Executives
The chief executive of the league is Commissioner Gary Bettman. Some of the principal decision makers who serve under the authority of the commissioner include:
- Deputy Commissioner & Chief Legal Officer: Bill Daly
- Executive VP & CFO: Craig Harnett
- Chief Operating Officer: John Collins
- Executive VP & Director of Hockey Operations: Colin Campbell
- NHL Enterprises: Ed Horne
- Senior Vice-President of Player Safety: Stephane Quintal
Teams
The NHL consists of 31 teams, 24 of which are based in the United States and seven in Canada. The NHL divides the 31 teams into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference is split into two divisions: the Eastern Conference contains 16 teams (eight per division), while the Western Conference has 15 teams (seven in the Central Division and eight in the Pacific Division). The current alignment has existed since the 2017–18 season.
The number of NHL teams held constant at 30 teams from the 2000–01 season when the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets joined the league as expansion teams, until 2017. That expansion capped a period in the 1990s of rapid expansion and relocation when the NHL added 9 teams to grow from 21 to 30 teams, and relocated four teams mostly from smaller northern cities (e.g., Hartford, Quebec) to larger warmer metropolitan areas (e.g., Dallas, Phoenix). The league has not contracted any teams since the Cleveland Barons folded in 1978. The league expanded for the first time in 17 years[68] to 31 teams in 2017 with the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights.[47]
According to Forbes, in 2015, all five of the most valuable teams were "Original Six" teams: the New York Rangers at approximately $1.2 billion, the Montreal Canadiens at $1.18 billion, the Toronto Maple Leafs at $1.15 billion, the Chicago Blackhawks at $925 million, and the Boston Bruins at $750 million.[69][70] At least eight NHL clubs, however, operate at a loss.[70] The NHL is also susceptible to the Canadian–U.S. exchange rate: revenue from tickets, local and national advertising in Canada, and local and national Canadian media rights are collected in Canadian dollars, but all players' salaries are paid in U.S. dollars regardless of whether a team is located in Canada or the U.S.[69]
List of teams
- Notes
- An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.
- The Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes), Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche), and original Winnipeg Jets (now Arizona Coyotes) all joined the NHL in 1979 as part of the NHL–WHA merger.
Timeline
Game
Each National Hockey League regulation game is 60 minutes long. The game is composed of three 20-minute periods with an intermission between periods.[71] At the end of regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time, overtime ensues. During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute, three-on-three sudden-death period, in which whoever scores a goal first will win the game.
If the game is still tied at the end of overtime, the game enters a shootout. Three players for each team in turn take a penalty shot. The team with the most goals during the three-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the three shootout rounds, the shootout continues but becomes sudden-death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one.[72] Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.
There are no shootouts during the playoffs. Instead, multiple sudden-death, 20-minute five-on-five periods are played until one team scores. Two games have reached six overtime periods, but none have gone beyond six.[73] During playoff overtime periods, the only break is to clean the loose ice at the first stoppage after the period is halfway finished.[74]
Hockey rink
National Hockey League games are played on a rectangular hockey rink with rounded corners surrounded by walls and Plexiglas. It measures 200 feet (60.96 m) by 85 feet (25.91 m) in the NHL,[75] approximately the same length but much narrower than International Ice Hockey Federation standards. The centre line divides the ice in half,[76] and is used to judge icing violations. There are two blue lines that divide the rink roughly into thirds, delineating one neutral and two attacking zones.[76] Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the ice, which is used to judge goals and icing calls.
A trapezoidal area behind each goal net has been introduced.[77] The goaltender can play the puck only within the trapezoid or in front of the goal line; if the goaltender plays the puck behind the goal line and outside the trapezoidal area, a two-minute minor penalty for delay of game is assessed.[78] The rule is unofficially nicknamed the "Martin Brodeur rule".[79][80][81][82]
Since the 2013–14 season, the league trimmed the goal frames by 4 inches (10 cm) on each side and reduced the size of the goalies' leg pads.[83]
Rules
The National Hockey League's rules are one of the two standard sets of professional ice hockey rules in the world. The rules themselves have evolved directly from the first organized indoor ice hockey game in Montreal in 1875, updated by subsequent leagues up to 1917, when the NHL adopted the existing NHA set of rules. The NHL's rules are the basis for rules governing most professional and major junior ice hockey leagues in North America. Infractions of the rules, such as offside and icing, lead to a stoppage of play and subsequent face-offs, while more serious infractions leading to penalties to the offending teams. The league also determines the specifications for playing equipment used in its games.
The league has regularly modified its rules to counter perceived imperfections in the game. The penalty shot was adopted from the Pacific Coast Hockey Association to ensure players were not being blocked from opportunities to score. For the 2005–06 season, the league changed some of the rules regarding being offside. First, the league removed the "offside pass" or "two-line pass" rule, which required a stoppage in play if a pass originating from inside a team's defending zone was completed on the offensive side of the centre line, unless the puck crossed the line before the player.[84] Furthermore, the league reinstated the "tag-up offside" which allows an attacking player a chance to get back onside by returning to the neutral zone.[84] The changes to the offside rule were among several rule changes intended to increase overall scoring,[84] which had been in decline since the expansion years of the mid-nineties and the increased prevalence of the neutral zone trap. Since 2005, when a team is guilty of icing the puck they are not allowed to make a line change or skater substitution of any sort before the following face-off (except to replace an injured player or re-install a pulled goaltender).[85] Since 2013, the league has used hybrid icing, where a linesman stops play due to icing if a defending player (other than the goaltender) crosses the imaginary line that connects the two face-off dots in their defensive zone before an attacking player is able to. This was done to counter a trend of player injury in races to the puck.[85]
The league's rules differ from the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), as used in tournaments such as the Olympics, which were themselves derived from the Canadian amateur ice hockey rules of the early 20th century.[86] In the NHL, fighting leads to major penalties while IIHF rules, and most amateur rules, call for the ejection of fighting players.[87][88] Usually a penalized team cannot replace a player that is penalized on the ice and is thus short-handed for the duration of the penalty,[89] but if the penalties are coincidental, for example when two players fight, both teams remain at full strength. Also, unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play.[89] The NHL and IIHF differ also in playing rules, such as icing, the areas of play for goaltenders, helmet rules, officiating rules, timeouts and play reviews.
The league also imposes a conduct policy on its players. Players are banned from gambling and criminal activities have led to the suspension of players. The league and the Players' Association agreed to a stringent anti-doping policy in the 2005 bargaining agreement. The policy provides for a twenty-game suspension for a first positive test, a sixty-game suspension for a second positive test, and a lifetime suspension for a third positive test.[90]
Season structure
The National Hockey League season is divided into a regular season (from early October through early to mid April) and a postseason (the Stanley Cup playoffs).
During the regular season, clubs play each other in a predefined schedule. In the regular season, each team plays 82 games: 41 games each of home and road. Eastern teams play 28 games in their own geographic division—four against each of their seven other divisional opponents—and 24 games against the eight remaining non-divisional intra-conference opponents—three games against every team in the other division of its conference. Western teams play 26 or 29 games in their own geographic division—four or five against each of their six or seven other divisional opponents—and 21 or 24 games against the six or seven remaining non-divisional intra-conference opponents—three games against every team in the other division of its conference, with one cross-division intra-conference match-up occurring in four games. All teams play every team in the other conference twice—home and road.[91]
The league's regular season standings are based on a point system. Two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion, and the league's overall leader is awarded the Presidents' Trophy.
The Stanley Cup playoffs, which go from April to the beginning of June, is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win a best-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the Stanley Cup champion. Eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs: the top three teams in each division plus the two conference teams with the next highest number of points.[92] The Stanley Cup playoffs are an elimination tournament where the teams are grouped in pairs to play best-of-seven series and the winners moving on to the next round.[92] The two conference champions proceed to the Stanley Cup Final. In all rounds, the higher-ranked team is awarded home-ice advantage, with four of the seven games played at this team's home venue. In the Stanley Cup Final, the team with the most points during the regular season has home-ice advantage.
Entry Draft
The annual NHL Entry Draft consists of a seven-round off-season draft held in late June. Early NHL drafts took place at the Queen Elizabeth (currently Fairmont) Hotel in Montreal. Amateur players from junior, collegiate, or European leagues are eligible to enter the Entry Draft. The selection order is determined by a combination of the standings at the end of the regular season, playoff results, and a draft lottery. The 15 teams that did not qualify for the playoffs are entered in a weighted lottery to determine the initial draft picks in the first round, with the last place team having the best chance of winning the lottery. Once the lottery determines the initial draft picks, the order for the remaining non-playoff teams is determined by the standings at the end of the regular season. For those teams that did qualify for the playoffs, the draft order is then determined by total regular season points for non-division winners that are eliminated in the first two rounds of the playoffs, then any division winners that failed to reach the Conference Finals. Conference finalists receive the 28th and 29th picks depending on total points, with the Stanley Cup runner-up given the 30th pick and the Stanley Cup champions the 31st pick.
Trophies and awards
Team | Titles | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Montreal Canadiens | 24* | ||||
Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 | ||||
Detroit Red Wings | 11 | ||||
Boston Bruins | 6 | ||||
Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | ||||
Edmonton Oilers | 5 | ||||
Pittsburgh Penguins | 5 | ||||
New York Islanders | 4 | ||||
New York Rangers | 4 | ||||
New Jersey Devils | 3 | ||||
Colorado Avalanche | 2 | ||||
Los Angeles Kings | 2 | ||||
Philadelphia Flyers | 2 | ||||
Anaheim Ducks | 1 | ||||
Calgary Flames | 1 | ||||
Carolina Hurricanes | 1 | ||||
Dallas Stars | 1 | ||||
Tampa Bay Lightning | 1 | ||||
* Includes one pre-NHL championship. |
Teams
The most prestigious team award is the Stanley Cup, which is awarded to the league champion at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team that has the most points in the regular season is awarded the Presidents' Trophy.
The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful franchise in the league. Since the formation of the league in 1917, they have 25 NHL championships (three between 1917 and 1925 when the Stanley Cup was still contested in an interleague competition, twenty-two since 1926 after the Stanley Cup became the NHL's championship trophy). They also lead all teams with 24 Stanley Cup championships (one as an NHA team, twenty-three as an NHL team). Of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, the Montreal Canadiens are surpassed in the number of championships only by the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, who have three more. The longest streak of winning the Stanley Cup in consecutive years is five, held by the Montreal Canadiens from 1955–56 to 1959–60.[93] The 1977 edition of the Montreal Canadiens, the second of four straight Stanley Cup champions, was named by ESPN as the second greatest sports team of all-time.[94] Montreal, however, has not won a Stanley Cup since 1993.
The next most successful NHL franchise is the Toronto Maple Leafs with 13 Stanley Cup championships, most recently in 1967. The Detroit Red Wings, with 11 Stanley Cup championships, are the most successful American franchise.
The same trophy is reused every year for each of its awards. The Stanley Cup, much like its CFL counterpart, is unique in this aspect, as opposed to the Vince Lombardi Trophy, Larry O'Brien Trophy, and Commissioner's Trophy, which have new ones made every year for that year's champion. Despite only one trophy being used, the names of the teams winning and the players are engraved every year on the Stanley Cup. The same can also be said for the other trophies reissued every year.
Players
There are numerous trophies that are awarded to players based on their statistics during the regular season; they include, among others, the Art Ross Trophy for the league scoring champion (goals and assists), the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the goal-scoring leader, and the William M. Jennings Trophy for the goaltender(s) for the team with the fewest goals against them.
The other player trophies are voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association or the team general managers.[95] These individual awards are presented at a formal ceremony held in late June after the playoffs have concluded. The most prestigious individual award is the Hart Memorial Trophy which is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player; the voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to judge the player who is the most valuable to his team during the regular season. The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the person deemed the best goaltender as voted on by the general managers of the teams in the NHL. The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top defenceman, the Calder Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top rookie, and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player deemed to combine the highest degree of skill and sportsmanship; all three of these awards are voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
In addition to the regular season awards, the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs. Furthermore, the top coach in the league wins the Jack Adams Award as selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association. The National Hockey League publishes the names of the top three vote getters for all awards, and then names the award winner during the NHL Awards Ceremony.[95]
Players, coaches, officials, and team builders who have had notable careers are eligible to be voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Players cannot enter until three years have passed since their last professional game, the shortest such time period of any major sport. One unique consequence has been Hall of Fame members (specifically, Gordie Howe, Guy Lafleur, and Mario Lemieux) coming out of retirement to play once more.[96] If a player was deemed significant enough, the three-year wait would be waived; only ten individuals have been honoured in this manner.[97] In 1999, Wayne Gretzky joined the Hall and became the last player to have the three-year restriction waived.[97] After his induction, the Hall of Fame announced that Gretzky would be the last to have the waiting period waived.
Origin of players
In addition to Canadian and American born and trained players, who have historically composed a large majority of NHL rosters, the NHL also draws players from an expanding pool of other nations where organized and professional hockey is played. Since the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, political/ideological restrictions on the movement of hockey players from this region have disappeared, leading to a large influx of players mostly from Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia into the NHL. Swedes, Finns, and other Western Europeans, who were always free to move to North America, came to the league in greater numbers than before.
Many of the league's top players in recent years have come from these European countries including Daniel Alfredsson, Erik Karlsson, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Lundqvist, Jaromír Jágr, Patrik Elias, Zdeno Chara, Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin, Nicklas Lidstrom and Alexander Ovechkin.[98] European players were drafted and signed by NHL teams in an effort to bring in more "skilled offensive players",[99] although recently[when?] there has been a decline in European players as more American players enter the league.[100] The addition of European players changed the style of play in the NHL and European style hockey has been integrated into the NHL game.[98]
As of the 2015–16 season, the NHL has players from 19 different countries, with 49.0% coming from Canada and 24.6% from the United States, players from a further 17 countries make up 26.4% of NHL rosters.[101][102] The following table shows the six countries make up the vast majority of NHL players. The table follows the Hockey Hall of Fame convention of classifying players by the currently existing countries in which their birthplaces are located, without regard to their citizenship or where they were trained.
Country | Players [103] (1988–89) |
% | Players [104][105] (2002–03) |
% | Players [106][107] (2006–07) |
% | Players [108][109] (2010–11) |
% | Players [101] (2015–16) |
% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada | 551 | 75.4 | 488 | 49.8 | 495 | 52.7 | 521 | 53.3 | 485 | 49.0 |
United States | 112 | 15.3 | 140 | 14.3 | 182 | 19.3 | 234 | 23.9 | 244 | 24.6 |
Sweden | 23 | 3.1 | 58 | 5.9 | 49 | 5.2 | 63 | 6.4 | 85 | 8.6 |
Czech Republic | 11 | 1.5 | 73 | 7.4 | 65 | 6.9 | 42 | 4.3 | 39 | 3.9 |
Russia | 1 | 0.1 | 57 | 5.8 | 35 | 3.7 | 32 | 3.3 | 41 | 4.1 |
Finland | 18 | 2.5 | 38 | 3.9 | 42 | 4.5 | 30 | 3.1 | 39 | 3.9 |
Total | 731 | 100.0 | 980 | 100.0 | 942 | 100.0 | 978 | 100.0 | 990 | 100.0 |
Corporate sponsors
The NHL lists its several official corporate partners into three categories: North American Partners, USA Partners, and Canada Partners.[110] Discover Card is the league's official credit card in the US, while competitor Visa is an official sponsor in Canada.[111] Likewise, Tim Hortons is the league's official coffee and doughnuts chain in Canada, while Dunkin' Donuts is the NHL's sponsor in the US.[112]
Among its North American corporate sponsors, Kraft Heinz sponsors Kraft Hockeyville, an annual competition in which communities compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of ice hockey. The winning community gets a cash prize dedicated to upgrading their local home arena, as well as the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game. Two contests are held, one for communities across Canada and a separate competition for communities in the US.
At least two of the North American corporate sponsors have ties to NHL franchise owners: the Molson family, founders of Molson Brewery, has owned the Montreal Canadiens for years, while SAP was co-founded by Hasso Plattner, the current majority owner of the San Jose Sharks.
Many of these same corporate partners become the title sponsors for the league's All-Star and outdoor games.
Media coverage
Canada
Broadcasting rights in Canada have historically included the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC), a Canadian tradition dating to 1952,[113][114] and even prior to that on radio since the 1920s.
The current national television and digital rightsholder is Rogers Communications, under a 12-year deal valued at C$5.2 billion which began in the 2014–15 season, as the national broadcast and cable television rightsholders. National English-language coverage of the NHL is carried primarily by Rogers' Sportsnet group of specialty channels; Sportsnet holds national windows on Wednesday and Sunday nights. Hockey Night in Canada was maintained and expanded under the deal, airing up to seven games nationally on Saturday nights throughout the regular season. CBC maintains Rogers-produced NHL coverage during the regular season and playoffs.[115] Sportsnet's networks also air occasional games involving all-U.S. matchups.[116][117][118][119][120][121]
Quebecor Media holds national French-language rights to the NHL, with all coverage airing on its specialty channel TVA Sports.[122][123]
Games that are not broadcast as part of the national rights deal are broadcast by Sportsnet's regional feeds, TSN's regional feeds, and RDS. Regional games are subject to blackout for viewers outside of each team's designated market.[124]
United States
Historically, the NHL has never fared well on American television in comparison to the other American professional leagues. The league's American broadcast partners have been in flux for decades, ranging from such networks as CBS, SportsChannel America, the USA Network, Fox, ABC, and ESPN.
National U.S. television rights are currently held by NBC Sports; its current 10-year, US$2 billion contract, which began in the 2011–12 season, extended and unified rights deals that were first established in the 2005–06 season, when Comcast acquired cable rights to replace ESPN, and NBC acquired broadcast television rights under a revenue-sharing agreement to replace ABC.[125] NBC Sports Network and the company negotiated a new, 10-year, unified rights deal worth nearly US$2 billion.[126] Under this contract, NBCSN usually airs at least two regular season games per week, while NBC airs afternoon games on selected weekends. NBCUniversal holds exclusive rights to Wednesday night games, all games televised by the NBC network, and every game in the Stanley Cup playoffs beginning in the second round. Coverage of the playoffs and the Finals is split between the two networks, with other games shown on CNBC, USA Network, and NHL Network.
As in Canada, games not broadcast nationally are aired regionally within a team's home market, and are subject to blackout outside of them. These broadcasters include regional sports network chains. Certain national telecasts on NBCSN are non-exclusive, and may also air in tandem with telecasts of the game by local broadcasters. However, national telecasts of these games are blacked out in the participating teams' markets to protect the local broadcaster.
NHL Network
The league co-owns the NHL Network, a television specialty channel devoted to the NHL. Its signature show is NHL Tonight. The NHL Network also airs live games, but primarily simulcasts of one of the team's regional broadcasters. The U.S. version simulcasts selected regular season games nationally that are not aired by NBC Sports, as well as be used as an overflow channel during the playoffs.
Out-of-market packages
The NHL operates two subscription-based services allowing access to live, out-of-market games. NHL Centre Ice in Canada[127] and NHL Center Ice in the United States[128] offer access to out-of-market feeds of games through a cable or satellite television provider. The league also offers NHL.tv (branded as Rogers NHL GameCentre Live in Canada), which allows the streaming of out-of-market games over the internet and is coordinated by MLB Advanced Media as of February 2016. In the United States, NHL.tv does not carry national games or in-market games.
International
Outside of Canada and the United States, NHL games are broadcast across Europe, in the Middle East, in Australia,[129] and in the Americas across Mexico, Central America, Dominican Republic, Caribbean, South America and Brazil, among others.
NHL.tv is also available for people outside Canada and the United States to watch games online.
International competitions
The National Hockey League has occasionally participated in international club competitions. Most of these competitions were arranged by the NHL or NHLPA. The first international club competition was held in 1976, with eight NHL teams playing against the Soviet Championship League's HC CSKA Moscow, and Krylya Sovetov Moscow. Between 1976 and 1991, the NHL, and the Soviet Championship League would hold a number of exhibition games between the two leagues known as the Super Series. No NHL club had played a Russian club from the end of the Super Series in 1991 to 2008, when the New York Rangers faced Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the 2008 Victoria Cup.
In addition to the Russian clubs, NHL clubs had participated in a number of international club competitions with various European leagues. In the 2000s the NHL had organized four NHL Challenge series between NHL, and European clubs. From 2007 to 2011, the NHL organized exhibition games prior to the beginning of the season, known as the NHL Premier, between NHL clubs and teams from a number of European leagues. The 2011 NHL Premiere was the last NHL-organized club competition involving European teams. NHL clubs have also participated in IIHF-organized club tournaments. The most recent IIHF-organized event including a NHL club was the 2009 Victoria Cup, between the Swiss National League A's ZSC Lions, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
From 1998 to 2014, during the quadrennial Winter Olympic years, the NHL suspended its all-star game and expanded the traditional all-star break to allow NHL players to represent their countries in the Olympic ice hockey tournament; starting 2018, because the All-Star game is held in late January, there would be no Olympic break. Conversely, the annual Ice Hockey World Championships are held every May at the same time as the Stanley Cup playoffs. Thus, NHL players generally only join their respective country's team in the World Championships if their respective NHL team has been eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, or did not make the playoffs.
In 2007, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) formalized the "Triple Gold Club", the group of players and coaches who have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup.[130][131][132] The term had first entered popular use following the 2002 Winter Olympics, which saw the addition of the first Canadian members.[133][134][135]
As well as participating in the above international club competitions, the NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association organizes the World Cup of Hockey. Unlike the Ice Hockey World Championships and the Olympic tournament, both run by the International Ice Hockey Federation, the World Cup of Hockey is played under NHL-rules and not those of the IIHF. The tournament takes place prior to the NHL pre-season. The event is planned to be a quadrennial event beginning in 2016.[136]
Popularity
The NHL is considered one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, along with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. The league is very prominent in Canada, where hockey is the most popular of these four major sports as alongside CFL.[137] Overall, hockey has the smallest total fan base of the four leagues, the smallest revenue from television, and the least sponsorship.[138]
The NHL holds one of the most affluent fan bases.[138] Studies by the Sports Marketing Group conducted from 1998 to 2004 show that the NHL's fan base is much more affluent than that of the PGA Tour.[139][failed verification] A study done by the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2004, found that NHL fans in America were the most educated and affluent of the four major leagues. Further it noted that season-ticket sales were more prominent in the NHL than the other three because of the financial ability of the NHL fan to purchase them.[138] According to Reuters in 2010, the largest demographic of NHL fans was highly sought after group males aged 18–34.[140] The NHL estimates that half of its fan base roots for teams in outside markets. Beginning in 2008, the NHL began a shift toward using digital technology to market to fans to capitalize on this.
The debut of the Winter Classic, an outdoor regular season NHL game held on New Year's Day 2008, was a major success for the league. The game has since become an annual staple of the NHL schedule. This, along with the transition to a national "Game of the Week" and an annual "Hockey Day in America" regional coverage, all televised on NBC, has helped increase the NHL's regular season television viewership in the United States.[citation needed] These improvements led NBC and the cable channel Versus to sign a ten-year broadcast deal, paying US$200 million per year for both American cable and broadcast rights; the deal will lead to further increases in television coverage on the NBC channels.
This television contract has boosted viewership metrics for the NHL. The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs saw the largest audience in the history of the sport "after a regular season that saw record-breaking business success, propelled in large part by the NHL's strategy of engaging fans through big events and robust digital offerings."[141] This success has resulted in a 66 percent rise in NHL advertising and sponsorship revenue. Merchandise sales were up 22 percent and the number of unique visitors on the NHL.com website were up 17 percent during the playoffs after rising 29 percent in the regular season.[142]
See also
- List of American and Canadian cities by number of major professional sports franchises
- List of NHL records (individual)
- List of NHL records (team)
- List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
- List of TV markets and major sports teams
- Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada
- NHL outdoor games
- List of National Hockey League attendance figures
Footnotes
- ^ While the Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, this does not equal its number of NHL championships, as the Stanley Cup predates the NHL and was an inter-league championship prior to 1926. The Canadiens won a Stanley Cup championship in 1916 as a member of the National Hockey Association, and 23 as a member of the NHL. Montreal also won the NHL championship twice without winning the Stanley Cup: in 1918–19 when the Spanish flu cancelled the Stanley Cup finals against the Seattle Metropolitans of Pacific Coast Hockey Association and in 1924–25 when they lost in the Stanley Cup finals to the Western Canada Hockey League's Victoria Cougars.
- ^ As the national rightsholder in Canada, Rogers Media sub-licensed some game broadcasts to CBC and TVA Sports.
References
- Bibliography
- Coleman, Charles (1966–1969). "Trail of the Stanley Cup, vols. 1–3". National Hockey League. ISBN 0-8403-2941-5.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Jenish, D'Arcy (2008). The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 978-0-385-66324-3.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Holzman, Morey; Nieforth, Joseph (2002). Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey. Toronto: Dundurn Press. ISBN 1-55002-413-2.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - McFarlane, Brian (1997). Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-57167-145-5.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - McKinley, Michael (2006). Hockey: A People's History. McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 0-7710-5769-5.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - National Hockey League (2005). "2005–06 NHL Official Rules". NHL.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2005. Retrieved June 10, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Pincus, Arthur (2006). The Official Illustrated NHL History. Reader's Digest. ISBN 0-88850-800-X.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Podnieks, Andrew; Szemberg, Szymon (2007). World of hockey: celebrating a century of the IIHF. Fenn Publishing. ISBN 9781551683072.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Ross, J. Andrew (2015). Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-3383-9.
- Sandor, Steven (2005). The Battle of Alberta: A Century of Hockey's Greatest Rivalry. Heritage House. ISBN 1-894974-01-8. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Wong, John Chi-Kit (2005). Lords of the Rinks. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-8520-2.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help)
- Notes
- ^ "Rosters, Arena Information, and Aerial Maps – NHL.com – Teams". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Marsh, James (2006). "National Hockey League". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
- ^ "NHL.com – Stanley Cup Fun Facts". NHL. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ The National Hockey League Official Record Book & Guide 2009 77th Edition, p. 9. New York: National Hockey League (2008)
- ^ Eichelberger, Curtis (May 29, 2009). "NHL Borrows From NFL as It Pursues Bigger TV Contract". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
- ^ Podnieks, Andrew (March 25, 2008). "Triple Gold Goalies... not". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ "QuantHockey.com". Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ McFarlane 1997, pp. 15–16
- ^ Holzman & Nieforth 2002, p. 159 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFHolzmanNieforth2002 (help)
- ^ McKinley 2006, p. 77
- ^ Jenish, D'Arcy (2013). The NHL : 100 years of on-ice action and boardroom battles. Doubleday Canada. p. 16. ISBN 0385671466.
- ^ McFarlane, Brian. "Early Leagues and the Birth of the NHL". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Pincus 2006, p. 24
- ^ Holzman & Nieforth 2002, p. 197 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFHolzmanNieforth2002 (help)
- ^ Pincus 2006, p. 23
- ^ Sandor 2005, p. 33
- ^ Pincus 2006, p. 35
- ^ "Victoria Cougars—1924–25 Stanley Cup". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Sandor 2005, p. 35
- ^ "The History of the Hub of Hockey". Boston Bruins Hockey Club. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Holzman & Nieforth 2002, p. 262 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFHolzmanNieforth2002 (help)
- ^ Pincus 2006, p. 33
- ^ Pincus 2006, p. 29
- ^ Pincus 2006, p. 39
- ^ Pincus 2006, p. 47
- ^ McKinley 2006, p. 120
- ^ McFarlane 1990, p. 33
- ^ McFarlane 1990, p. 37
- ^ McFarlane 1990, p. 43
- ^ Diamond, Dan; Zweig, Eric; Duplacey, James (2003). The Ultimate Prize: The Stanley Cup. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 0-7407-3830-5.
- ^ "The Legends—Rocket Richard". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Pincus 2006, p. 100
- ^ "Players—Willie O'Ree". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 18, 2008. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Diamond 1991, p. 175
- ^ McKinley 2006, pp. 194–195
- ^ McFarlane 1990, pp. 106–107
- ^ Boer 2006, p. 13
- ^ McFarlane 1990, p. 115
- ^ McFarlane 1990, p. 113
- ^ Willes 2004, p. 33
- ^ McFarlane 1990, p. 133
- ^ Willes 2004, p. 214
- ^ Willes 2004, p. 251
- ^ a b "The Legends—Wayne Gretzky". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - ^ "Edmonton's Saddest Hockey Day—The Gretzky Trade". Edmonton Oilers Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Update on NHL expansion application process". nhl.com. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b "Las Vegas awarded NHL franchise". NHL. June 22, 2016.
- ^ a b CBC Sports (January 29, 2004). "We've been here before". cbc.ca. Archived from the original on April 9, 2005. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d audohar, Paul D. (December 2005). "The hockey lockout of 2004–05" (PDF). Monthly Labor Review.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - ^ Molinaro, John (April 20, 2006). "A season to remember". CBC.ca. Archived from the original on June 18, 2006. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Super Bowl XLII versus the Economy". Archived from the original on June 3, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "On ice: NHL locks out its players". CBS News. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ Strang, Katie (September 16, 2012). "NHL imposes league-wide lockout". ESPNNewYork.com. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ "NHL announces cancellation of 2012–13 regular-season schedule through January 14". nhl.com. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ "NHL cancels 2013 Winter Classic". NBC News. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
- ^ "NHL cancels games through Dec. 14, All-Star game". CBS News. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "NHL Announces Game Cancellations Through Dec. 30". www.tsn.ca. BellMedia. Canadian Press. December 10, 2012. Archived from the original on December 11, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "NHL OWNERS TO VOTE ON CONTRACT WEDNESDAY". Associated Press. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ "NHL, players finalize agreement, camps can open Sunday". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ^ Josh Hargreaves (September 5, 2013). "Crosby discusses lengthy recovery road from concussions, safety of the game". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
- ^ "Video: Brendan Shanahan Explains Raffi Torres' 25 Game Suspension « CBS Chicago". Chicago.cbslocal.com. April 21, 2012. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
- ^ Wyshynski, Greg (September 30, 2013). "NHL players approve hybrid icing, as safety trumps subjectivity | Puck Daddy". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
- ^ "Former NHL players sue league over concussions". Tsn.ca. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on January 31, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Part 1: Manon Rhéaume shatters hockey's gender barrier". NHL.com.
- ^ "Manon Rheaume".
- ^ Bieler, Des. "NHL's first female full-time coach hired by Arizona Coyotes". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ McGran, Kevin (June 6, 2009). "NHL's secret constitution revealed". theStar.com. Toronto. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ Heitner, Darren (June 22, 2016). "The NHL Leads the Way in Bringing Pro Sports to Las Vegas". Inc.com. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ a b Ozanian, Mike (November 24, 2015). "The NHL's Most Valuable Teams". Forbes. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ^ a b "NHL Valuations". Forbes. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ National Hockey League (2006). "Time of match". NHL.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved December 2, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Fitzpatrick, Jamie. "How the NHL Shootout Works". The New York Times Company. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
- ^ "Oh, what a night ... and morning. Stars-Canucks ranks sixth among longest OT games". Sports Illustrated. April 12, 2007. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Clement, Bill (2008). "Playoff overtime format needs change". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ National Hockey League (2005). "Dimensions of Rink". NHL.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2006. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b National Hockey League (2005). "Division of ice surface". NHL.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ National Hockey League (2005). "Goal crease". NHL.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ National Hockey League (2009). "Rule 63 – Delaying the Game". NHL.com. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
- ^ Diamos, Jason. (September 16, 2005). "New Rule Will Take a Weapon Away from Brodeur". The New York Times (subscription required). Retrieved March 2, 2007.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=
(help) - ^ Jones, Tom. (September 18, 2005). "Brodeur not handling new rule well". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Brodeur hopes NHL banishes trapezoid". Fire&Ice. 2009. Archived from the original on November 13, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "NHL decides to keep trapezoid". Fire&Ice. 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
- ^ Rosen, Dan. "Hybrid Icying tops list of rules changes for 2013–2014 season". NHL.com. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ a b c CBC sports (July 22, 2005). "Relaunching the Game". CBC.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2006. Retrieved June 10, 2006.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b National Hockey League (2005). "Icing". NHL.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Podnieks & Szemberg 2007, p. 198.
- ^ National Hockey League (2005). "Major penalties". NHL.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2006. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ CBC.ca (2006). "Ice Hockey Essentials – International vs. NHL". NHL.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
- ^ a b National Hockey League (2005). "Minor penalties". NHL.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2006. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Laurie, Scott (September 28, 2005). "NHL unveils new drug testing policy". CTV. Archived from the original on October 23, 2005. Retrieved January 2, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ CBC Sports Online (July 27, 2005). "NHL ramps up rivalries". CBC.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2006.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Playoff formats". NHL.com. 2005. Archived from the original on July 18, 2001. Retrieved June 6, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Fitzpatrick, Jamie (2006). "Stanley Cup Winners". about.com. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
- ^ ESPN (December 31, 1999). "The 10 greatest teams". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
- ^ a b "NHL announces 2006–07 trophy finalists". NHL.com. May 1, 2007. Retrieved June 19, 2007. [dead link]
- ^ "Roy on deck for 2006, 'mayhem' in 2007". tsn.ca. Canadian Press. November 7, 2005. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Wayne Gretzky signs five-year contract as head coach". Phoenix Coyotes. May 31, 2006. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
- ^ a b Wigge, Larry (February 25, 2002). "New world order: as the Olympics have shown, the influx of players from across the Atlantic brought changes to the NHL game". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on April 19, 2006. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Beacon, Bill (June 27, 1999). "Canadians left behind as NHL goes for firepower". Canadian Press. Archived from the original on June 23, 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ PODNIEKS, ANDREW (May 10, 2008). "NHL landscape changes". IIHF. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "NHL Totals by Nationality ‑ 2015‑16 Stats".
- ^ "NHL still likes Czechs best". IWHC.net. May 16, 2006. Archived from the original on July 14, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "NHL Totals by Nationality ‑ 1988‑89 Stats".
- ^ "2002–2003 – Regular season – Bios – Country". National Hockey League.
- ^ "2002–2003 – Regular season – Goalie – Bios – Country". National Hockey League.
- ^ "2006–2007 – Regular season – Bios – Country". National Hockey League.
- ^ "2006–2007 – Regular season – Goalie – Bios – Country". National Hockey League.
- ^ "2010–2011 – Regular season – Bios – Country". National Hockey League.
- ^ "2010–2011 – Regular season – Goalie – Bios – Country". National Hockey League.
- ^ "NHL.com – NHL Corporate Marketing Partners". NHL. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ Richard, Sandomir (November 6, 2010). "Discover Card Forges Tie to the N.H.L." The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ Perez, A.J. (December 5, 2016). "Dunkin' Donuts announces partnership with the NHL". USA Today. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ CBC.ca (2005). "HNIC in 2005–06". CBC.ca. Archived from the original on February 10, 2006. Retrieved June 19, 2006.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ CBC.ca (2005). "Hockey Night in Canada: A history of excellence". CBC.ca. Archived from the original on February 10, 2006. Retrieved June 19, 2006.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Shoalts, David. "Hockey Night in Canada: How CBC lost it all". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "500-plus NHL games to air under Rogers deal". Sportsnet. February 4, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ^ "Rogers reaches 12-year broadcast deal with NHL worth $5.2-billion". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. November 27, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ "Rogers scores national NHL TV rights for $5.2B". CBC News. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ "NHL deal with Rogers a huge blow to TSN and CBC: Mudhar". Toronto Star. November 26, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ "CBC partners with Rogers in landmark NHL rights deal". CBC Sports. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ Bradshaw, James. "Rogers' Hockey Night in Canada will be a whole new game for viewers". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ^ "NHL, TVA Sports launch French-language agreement". NHL.com. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ "NHL signs 12-year TV, Internet deal with Rogers; CBC keeps 'Hockey Night in Canada'". Toronto Star. November 26, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ Faguy, Steve (August 18, 2014). "NHL broadcast schedule 2014–15: Who owns rights to what games". Fagstein. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
- ^ Weiner, Evan (June 16, 2006). "Don't Believe the Gripe: The NHL Is Back". New York Sun. Retrieved June 19, 2006.
- ^ Fang, Ken (April 19, 2011). "NBC/Versus To Air NHL Games for the Next Ten Years". Fangsbites.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "NHL Centre Ice (Canada) official website". Nhl.com. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
- ^ "NHL Center Ice United States official website". NHL.com. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
- ^ "Fox Sports 1 [501]". Foxtel.com.au. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Winner of three-team tourney to get Victoria Cup". ESPN. Associated Press. May 8, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
- ^ "Triple Gold Club expands to 22". International Ice Hockey Federation. June 5, 2008. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "PR & Media Activities". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
- ^ Barnes, Don (February 25, 2002). "Welcome to the Triple Gold Club: Blake, Sakic, Shanahan: New members to elite club: Olympics, worlds, Stanley Cup". National Post.
- ^ Scanlan, Wayne (February 24, 2002). "Triple Gold Club awaits Canadian trio". Edmonton Journal.
- ^ Buffery, Steve (December 26, 2001). "Skating a fine line". Toronto Sun. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
- ^ "New-look World Cup of hockey back for 2016". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ "Survey: Canadian interest in pro football is on the rise". Globe and Mail. Toronto. Canadian Press. June 8, 2006. Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Markus, David (August 2004). "Champions of the Turnstiles". gsb.standford.edu. Archived from the original on January 2, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Sports: NBA Booming, But Football Is America's Favorite Sport". Seattle Times Newspaper. February 21, 1991. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
- ^ Klayman, Ben (October 8, 2010). "NHL pushes for growth on TV, online". Reuters. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
- ^ "Stanley Cup Playoffs attract largest audience ever", "NHL.com", June 14, 2010
- ^ Klayman, Ben. "NHL ad, sponsorship revenue up 66 pct this year", "Yahoo! News", June 14, 2010 Archived June 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
Further reading
- Bass, Alan (2011). The Great Expansion: The Ultimate Risk That Changed the NHL Forever. Iuniverse Inc. ISBN 1-4502-8605-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Fischler, Stan & Shirley (2003). Who's Who in Hockey. Andrews McMeel Pub. ISBN 0-7407-1904-1.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Holzman, Morey; Nieforth, Joseph (2002). Deceptions and doublecross : how the NHL conquered hockey. Dundurn Press. ISBN 1-55002-413-2.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Weekes, Don (2005). The Big Book of Hockey Trivia. Greystone Books. ISBN 1-55365-119-7.
- Wright, Marshall D (2010). The National Hockey League, 1917–1967: A Year-by-Year Statistical History. McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-4444-1.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help)
External links
- Official website
- National Hockey League at Curlie
- NHL Player's Association (NHLPA)
- NHL Officials Association website