National Hockey League

Founded in 1917, the NHL started with four Canadian teams and now spans 32 franchises across North America. Its iconic Stanley Cup, first awarded in 1893, remains a unique prize, with winners’ names hand-engraved each year. The league generates billions in annual revenue, aided by key expansions, lucrative TV deals, and global fan engagement. While player safety and labor disputes have posed challenges, the NHL remains a cornerstone of professional sports, offering an 82-game season culminating in the fiercely contested Stanley Cup Final.

Click a team to see their current record and opponent for the day; read the latest news, including injuries; view the remaining schedule; scan where the team is in the divisional standings; review the current roster; skim all the player and team stats; and watch the latest video highlights.

In its over 100 years as a league, the NHL has developed several heated rivalries, from the classic Canadian grudge matches between Toronto and Montreal to the Keystone State nemeses in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. This list ranks the best and most bitter matchups, often tracing their animosity back decades.

Shortly after the National Hockey League formed in 1917, the league expanded rapidly for a decade. But as the effects of World War II took their toll on the country, NHL teams were unable to stay afloat. By 1946, only six teams remained. Using historical photos, this video recounts the teams that survived and shows what hockey looked like during the "Original Six" era until it ended in the 1960s.

The annual NHL All-Star Game is a joyous affair celebrating the best players each season. But its origins came from one of the most terrifying moments in hockey history. In a 1933 game, Maple Leafs wing Ace Bailey was nearly killed on the ice, and the NHL organized a benefit game to raise money for his family.

Despite being a sport born on frozen ponds, modern professional hockey has held only a few exhibition and college games outside. In 2003, a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens brought players and 57,000 fans together to endure sub-zero temperatures for a piece of history.

After multiple shocking deaths and several explosive studies, the NFL chose to embrace the league’s role in brain injuries related to concussions. But despite having concussion numbers similar to football and several studies on hockey players, the NHL has chosen to dispute the link.

For its over 100-year history, the names of every player, coach, and GM to win the Stanley Cup is etched into the silver rings. And despite technological advances, the Cup is still engraved by hand.

The current Stanley Cup stands just under 3 feet tall and weighs 37 pounds. But what would it look like if all the rings were attached? ESPN worked with the NHL to create a 3D rendering of the Cup if all 137 etched panels were attached.

During a player's special day, they aren’t just given the Cup and told to return it in 24 hours. Since 1995, it has been accompanied by the Keeper of the Cup.