NHL
NHL history
How the competition came to look the way it does.
Two conferences, four divisions
The league grew from a small group of clubs into a continent-wide competition, expanding well beyond its original northern base.
The trophy it plays for is older than the league itself, which is unusual in professional sport and is part of why the playoff carries the weight it does.
Overtime and shootout rules have been revised repeatedly to reduce drawn games, producing the points system that now shapes the standings.
Season-by-season champions, records and historical tables need a licensed historical data source. Until we have one, this page carries written history only.
