NHL

The NHL (National Hockey League) is the top ice hockey league in the world with 32 teams spanning North America.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About The League + History

We'll start by giving a high level overview on the NHL (aka the Show).

If you're reading this, you probably already know a bit about the league...

This overview though will help set the pace as we get into more important details later in this article.

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The NHL (National Hockey League) is considered the top ice hockey league in the world. The league is currently made up of 32 teams spanning North America in both the United States and Canada.

The NHL has been around for over 100 years since it's inaguaral season in 1917-18.

Back then when it was founded in Montreal, there were only a few teams in Canada.

Over time...the league quickly expanded into the United States and grew into the dominant league globally.

NHL Teams

What are all the teams throughout the league?

Good question.

Here in this section, we'll quickly cover all the NHL teams for you.

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  • Anaheim Ducks
  • Boston Bruins
  • Buffalo Sabres
  • Calgary Flames
  • Carolina Hurricanes
  • Chicago Blackhawks
  • Colorado Avalanche
  • Columbus Blue Jackets
  • Dallas Stars
  • Detroit Red Wings
  • Edmonton Oilers
  • Florida Panthers
  • Los Angeles Kings
  • Minnesota Wild
  • Montréal Canadiens
  • Nashville Predators
  • New Jersey Devils
  • New York Islanders
  • New York Rangers
  • Ottawa Senators
  • Philadelphia Flyers
  • Pittsburgh Penguins
  • San Jose Sharks
  • Seattle Kraken
  • St. Louis Blues
  • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Utah Mammoth
  • Vancouver Canucks
  • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Washington Capitals
  • Winnipeg Jets

NHL Skill Level

What's the skill level like in NHL?

That's a good question.

We'll cover that for you in this section.

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The NHL is the top league in the world and there's no arguing that.

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Import Caliber in NHL

The caliber of play you need to play in the NHL is second to none. Each roster is filled with world class players ranging from young players to best in class veterans who've solidified themselves in the world's top league. The best players around the world from North America to Europe all vie to make it to the NHL.

What players say...

"Playing in the NHL is just incredible. The level of play, depth of every single roster, and the pace of the game today here is unparalleled. There's a reason it is the best league in the world."

League Atmosphere

What's the atmosphere like in NHL during the hockey season?

This is important to cover for players/fans alike to help give you more insights.

In this section, we'll touch on the environment here from a high level.

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The atmosphere at most NHL arenas on game nights (especially in cities with strong fanbases) is second to none.

Average attendance across the league is quite high with most teams drawing in 17,000+ fans. This number will be a bit lower in a few less popular hockey cities, but the overall average game attendance across the league is quite high. Attending a game in any NHL city will be an exciting event and the buildings can get quick electric.

Come playoff time and the intensity dials get turned up even further.

Off The Ice in North America

What's it like away from the ice in North America day-to-day?

Another good question.

Let's cover this for you...

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What's it like living in North America day-to-day off the ice?

With how spread out NHL teams are across the United States and Canada, you naturally get a wide range of environments living wise away from the rink.

You may have a team like the Florida Panthers who are based in South Florida where it's warm/sunny year round.

On the other hand, you may have a team like the Edmonton Oilers who are based in Alberta where it's quite cold and snowy for the majority of the hockey season.

Then you have many in between. Besides the weather, there are many high quality cities that NHL clubs are based in that make for good places for players (and their families) to live.

Interesting Fact about NHL

All the way up until the 1990's, quite a number of NHL teams still flew commercial type airlines for road games/trips.

With how grueling and long the NHL schedule gets in-season, these added delays with security, lines, and making connecting flights slowly encouraged teams to begin chartering and flying private instead.

Once the switch was made and teams moved over one by one, they never went back.

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