The NHL (National Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey league in North America consisting of 31 teams, 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The league is considered to be one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, and it has a large following across the globe.
The NHL was founded in 1917 in Montreal, Canada.
The league has undergone several expansions, with the most recent one in 2021 adding the Seattle Kraken as the 32nd team.
The NHL has had several labor disputes with its players, with the most recent one resulting in a lockout in 2012-13, which shortened the season to 48 games.
The KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey league in Eurasia consisting of 23 teams in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Finland, and China. It is considered to be the second-best ice hockey league after the NHL, and it has a large following in Europe and Asia.
The AHL (American Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey league in North America consisting of 31 teams, with most of them serving as minor league affiliates of the NHL teams. It is considered to be the top development league for the NHL and has a large following across North America.
The IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) is the governing body for international ice hockey. It organizes the World Championship and the Olympics, among other international tournaments. It has 81 member countries and has a large following across the globe.
NHL.tv is the official live streaming service for the NHL games. It offers live and on-demand streaming of all NHL games, as well as highlights, replays, and other exclusive content. It is available on desktop, mobile, and connected devices.
NHLShop.com is the official online store for NHL merchandise. It offers a wide variety of NHL products, including jerseys, hats, T-shirts, and accessories, for all 31 NHL teams. It also offers customized products and exclusive collections.
NHL Center Ice is a television subscription package that offers out-of-market NHL games to viewers. It is available on cable, satellite, and streaming services, and it allows viewers to watch up to 40 out-of-market games per week during the regular season.
The NHL draft is an annual event where NHL teams select the rights to amateur ice hockey players. It usually happens in June, and it consists of seven rounds.
The salary cap in the NHL is the limit on the total amount of money that teams can pay to their players in a given year. The current salary cap for the 2021-22 season is $81.5 million.
The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy awarded annually to the NHL playoff winner. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise, and it has a long and rich history.
An NHL team can have a maximum of 23 players on its active roster during the regular season, and a maximum of 50 players in its organization, including those in the minor leagues.
The main difference between a regular-season game and a playoff game in the NHL is the intensity and pressure. Playoff games are single-elimination and usually more physical and defensive, while regular-season games are more relaxed and offensive-minded.