National Hockey League (NHL)

The National Hockey League (NHL; French: Ligue nationale de hockey, LNH) operates a major professional hockey league, with teams in both the United States and Canada. The NHL is considered the premier professional ice hockey league in the world and one of the major professional sports leagues in both the United States and Canada. As of the 2013–14 season, 23 teams were based in the United States, and 7 were based in Canada.

Founded in November 1917 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the NHL was actually the successor to the National Hockey Association, founded in 1909. At the time of its founding, the NHL had 4 member teams, all located in Canada. During the 1920s, the NHL competed for players with other professional hockey leagues, causing hockey ...