Atlantic Division (NHL)

Last updated
Atlantic Division
Formerly Patrick Division, Adams Division, Norris Division
Conference Eastern Conference
League National Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Founded1993
Suspended in 2020–21
2021 (reactivated)
No. of teams8
Most recent
champion(s)
Toronto Maple Leafs (1st title)
Most titles New Jersey Devils (9 titles)
Atlantic Division (NHL)
Transparent.svg
Transparent.svg
460km
286miles
Gold pog.svg
Panthers
Blue pog.svg
Lightning
Red pog.svg
Red
Wings
Black pog.svg
Bruins
Yellow pog.svg
Sabres
Blue pog.svg
Maple
Leafs
Black pog.svg
Senators
Red pog.svg
Canadiens
Atlantic Division teams location

The Atlantic Division is a name used by the National Hockey League to describe a division of teams in the Eastern Conference.

Contents

The original Atlantic Division, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division, was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment.

As part of a 2013 realignment, the entirety of the former Atlantic Division was realigned into the Metropolitan Division. The Atlantic Division name was assigned to a new division comprising the former Northeast Division plus the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning (coincidentally, both were members of the original Atlantic Division until 1998) from the now-defunct Southeast Division, and the Detroit Red Wings, who moved from the Central Division of the Western Conference.

This division features a number of classic and modern NHL rivalries, including Bruins–Canadiens, Canadiens–Maple Leafs, Maple Leafs–Red Wings, Maple Leafs–Senators, and Lightning–Panthers. Games between the division's three Canadian teams, plus the Bruins and Red Wings, are frequently featured on Hockey Night in Canada as its main attraction.

Division lineups

1993–1998

Black pog.svg 1993–1998 Atlantic Division teams

Changes from the 1992–93 season

  • The Atlantic Division is formed as a result of NHL realignment
  • The New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals come from the Patrick Division
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning come from the Norris Division
  • The Florida Panthers are added as an expansion team

1998–2013

Black pog.svg 1998–2013 Atlantic Division teams

Changes from the 1997–98 season

2013–2020

Black pog.svg 2013–2020 Atlantic Division teams

Changes from the 2012–13 season

  • The Northeast and Southeast Divisions are dissolved due to NHL realignment
  • The New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins move to the Metropolitan Division
  • The Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Maple Leafs come from the Northeast Division
  • The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning come from the Southeast Division
  • The Detroit Red Wings come from the Central Division

2020–2021

Changes from the 2019–20 season

  • Due to COVID-19 restrictions the NHL realigned into four divisions with no conferences for the 2020–21 season
  • The Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres move to the East Division
  • The Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning move to the Central Division
  • The Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs move to the North Division

2021–present

Black pog.svg 2021–present Atlantic Division teams

Changes from the 2020–21 season

  • The league returned to using a four division and two conference alignment
  • The Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres come from the East Division
  • The Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning come from the Central Division
  • The Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs come from the North Division

Division champions

Season results

(#)Denotes team that won the Stanley Cup
(#)Denotes team that won the Prince of Wales Trophy, but lost Stanley Cup Finals
(#)Denotes team that qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs
Denotes winner of the Presidents' Trophy
Season1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th
1993–94 (2) NY Rangers (112)(3) New Jersey (106)(7) Washington (88)(8) NY Islanders (84)Florida (83)Philadelphia (80)Tampa Bay (71)
1994–95 [a] (2) Philadelphia (60)(5) New Jersey (52)(6) Washington (52)(8)NY Rangers (47)Florida (46)Tampa Bay (37)NY Islanders (35)
1995–96 (1) Philadelphia (103)(3) NY Rangers (96)(4) Florida (92)(7) Washington (89)(8) Tampa Bay (88)New Jersey (86)NY Islanders (54)
1996–97 (1) New Jersey (104)(3) Philadelphia (103)(4) Florida (89)(5) NY Rangers (86)Washington (75)Tampa Bay (74)NY Islanders (70)
1997–98 (1) New Jersey (107)(3) Philadelphia (95)(4) Washington (92)NY Islanders (71)NY Rangers (68)Florida (63)Tampa Bay (44)
1998–99 (1) New Jersey (105)(5) Philadelphia (93)(8) Pittsburgh (90)NY Rangers (77)NY Islanders (58)
1999–2000 (1) Philadelphia (105)(4) New Jersey (103)(7) Pittsburgh (88)NY Rangers (73)NY Islanders (58)
2000–01 (1) New Jersey (111)(4) Philadelphia (100)(6) Pittsburgh (96)NY Rangers (72)NY Islanders (52)
2001–02 (2) Philadelphia (97)(5) NY Islanders (96)(6) New Jersey (95)NY Rangers (80)Pittsburgh (69)
2002–03 (2) New Jersey (108)(4) Philadelphia (107)(8) NY Islanders (83)NY Rangers (78)Pittsburgh (65)
2003–04 (3) Philadelphia (101)(6) New Jersey (100)(8) NY Islanders (91)NY Rangers (69)Pittsburgh (58)
2004–05 No season due to 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–06 (3) New Jersey (101)(5) Philadelphia (101)(6) NY Rangers (100)NY Islanders (78)Pittsburgh (58)
2006–07 (2) New Jersey (107)(5) Pittsburgh (105)(6) NY Rangers (94)(8) NY Islanders (92)Philadelphia (56)
2007–08 (2) Pittsburgh (102)(4) New Jersey (99)(5) NY Rangers (97)(6) Philadelphia (95)NY Islanders (79)
2008–09 (3) New Jersey (106)(4) Pittsburgh (99)(5) Philadelphia (99)(7) NY Rangers (95)NY Islanders (61)
2009–10 (2) New Jersey (103)(4) Pittsburgh (101)(7) Philadelphia (88)NY Rangers (87)NY Islanders (79)
2010–11 (2) Philadelphia (106)(4) Pittsburgh (106)(8) NY Rangers (93)New Jersey (81)NY Islanders (73)
2011–12 (1) NY Rangers (109)(4) Pittsburgh (108)(5) Philadelphia (103)(6) New Jersey (102)NY Islanders (79)
2012–13 [b] (1) Pittsburgh (72)(6) NY Rangers (56)(8) NY Islanders (55)Philadelphia (49)New Jersey (48)
Realignment
2013–14 (1) Boston (117)(2) Tampa Bay (101)(3) Montreal (100)(WC2) Detroit (93)Ottawa (88)Toronto (84)Florida (66)Buffalo (52)
2014–15 (1) Montreal (110)(2) Tampa Bay (108)(3) Detroit (100)(WC1) Ottawa (99)Boston (96)Florida (91)Toronto (68)Buffalo (54)
2015–16 (1) Florida (103)(2) Tampa Bay (97)(3) Detroit (93)Boston (93)Ottawa (85)Montreal (82)Buffalo (81)Toronto (69)
2016–17 (1) Montreal (103)(2) Ottawa (98)(3) Boston (95)(WC2) Toronto (95)Tampa Bay (94)Florida (81)Detroit (79)Buffalo (78)
2017–18 (1) Tampa Bay (113)(2) Boston (112)(3) Toronto (105)Florida (96)Detroit (73)Montreal (71)Ottawa (67)Buffalo (62)
2018–19 (1) Tampa Bay (128)(2)Boston (107)(3) Toronto (100)Montreal (96)Florida (86)Buffalo (76)Detroit (74)Ottawa (64)
2019–20 [c] (1) Boston
(70 gp
100 pts.
.714 ppct.)

(2) Tampa Bay
(70 gp
92 pts.
.657 ppct.)

(8) Toronto
(70 gp
81 pts.
.579 ppct.)

(10) Florida
(69 gp
78 pts.
.565 ppct.)

(12) Montreal
(71 gp
71 pts.
.500 ppct.)

Buffalo
(69 gp
68 pts.
.493 ppct.)

Ottawa
(71 gp
62 pts.
.437 ppct.)

Detroit
(71 gp
39 pts.
.275 ppct.)

2020–21 Division suspended for season; temporary realignment
2021–22 (1) Florida (122)(2) Toronto (115)(3) Tampa Bay (110)(WC1) Boston (107)Buffalo (75)Detroit (74)Ottawa (73)Montreal (55)
2022–23 (1) Boston (135)(2) Toronto (111)(3) Tampa Bay (98)(WC2) Florida (92)Buffalo (91)Ottawa (86)Detroit (80)Montreal (68)
2023–24 (1) Florida (110)(2) Boston (109)(3) Toronto (102)(WC1) Tampa Bay (98)Detroit (91)Buffalo (84)Ottawa (78)Montreal (76)
2024–25 (1) Toronto (108)(2) Tampa Bay (102)(3) Florida (98)(WC1) Ottawa (97)(WC2) Montreal (91)Detroit (86)Buffalo (79)Boston (76)
Notes

Stanley Cup winners produced

Presidents' Trophy winners produced

Atlantic Division titles won by team

Teams in bold are currently in the division.

TeamWinsLast win
New Jersey Devils 9 2010
Philadelphia Flyers 6 2011
Boston Bruins 3 2023
Florida Panthers 3 2024
Montreal Canadiens 2 2017
New York Rangers 2 2012
Pittsburgh Penguins 2 2013
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 2019
Toronto Maple Leafs 1 2025
Buffalo Sabres 0
Detroit Red Wings 0
Ottawa Senators 0
New York Islanders 0
Washington Capitals 0

References