The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 33 teams —26 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered to be the top ranked professional ice hockey league in the world, with players from 17 countries as of the 2023–24 season. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) also views the Stanley Cup as one of the "most important championships available to the sport". The NHL is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
Gary R. Roberts is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Renowned for his physical fitness during his career, Roberts has become a high performance trainer for players at all levels of the sport.
Gary Bruce Bettman is an American sports executive who serves as the commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL), a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bettman is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Law. Bettman was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
Gary Edward Smith is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Gary is a son of Des Smith and brother of Brian Smith, both former National Hockey League (NHL) players. Smith played for numerous clubs, including the Chicago Black Hawks, Oakland/California Seals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets. He was the co-winner of the Vezina Trophy in the 1971–72 NHL season.
William H. Clement is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who became an author, speaker, actor, entrepreneur, and hockey broadcaster.
Robert Allen Suter was an American professional ice hockey defenseman and member of the Miracle on Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team who won the gold medal.
William Edward "Hinky" Harris was a Canadian professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1955 to 1969.
Gerhardt Otto Dornhoefer, better known as Gary Dornhoefer, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. He was a member of the Flyers' back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams in 1974 and 1975.
Gary Bruce Sabourin is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967–68 until 1976–77.
Claude Noël is a Canadian professional ice hockey former player and coach. He most recently worked as a scout with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Noël has close to 30 years experience coaching with his most recent coaching position being head coach of the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League in the 2014–15 season. He played 7 games in the NHL with the Washington Capitals during the 1979–80 season. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1976 to 1988, was mainly spent in the minor leagues.
Wesley Herbert Jarvis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with four teams between 1979 and 1988, though much of his career was spent in the minor American Hockey League. His cousin, Doug Jarvis, also played in the NHL.
Gary George Inness was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and teacher. He played 162 games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals between 1973 and 1981, and 63 games in the World Hockey Association with the Indianapolis Racers from 1977 to 1978.
Gary Walter Doak was a Canadian-US National Hockey League defenceman who played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. He recorded 23 goals and 107 assists for a total of 130 points in 789 NHL regular season games. With the Bruins he won the Stanley Cup in 1970. Doak was also the first player selected by the Canucks when they joined the NHL in 1970, selected second in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft. Following retirement, Doak was the Boston Bruins' assistant coach from 1981–82 to the 1984–85 season. He also coached at the University of Massachusetts Boston for two years.
Gerard Ferdinand Desjardins is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, and Buffalo Sabres, and also played one season for the Michigan Stags in the World Hockey Association (WHA). Desjardins' career ended after a puck struck his eye in 1977, which led many NHL goalies to switch from fibreglass facemasks toward the cage and helmet style. Many amateur and junior hockey leagues subsequently banned fibreglass masks altogether, and began mandating the helmet/cage combination.
Gary Bert "Bones" Bromley is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks. He also played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Calgary Cowboys and Winnipeg Jets.
Daniel George Belisle was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He played 4 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1960–61 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1957 to 1971, was spent in the minor leagues. He later became a coach in the minor leagues, and also coached the Washington Capitals in the NHL during the 1978–79 and 1979–80 seasons.
The 1991–92 Philadelphia Flyers season was the team's 25th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers hosted the 43rd NHL All-Star Game. They missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season.
Gary Grant Emmons is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL), as well as several teams in the International Hockey League (IHL).
The history of black players in North American ice hockey has roots dating back to the late 19th century. The first black ice hockey star was Herb Carnegie during the Great Depression. Willie O'Ree broke the NHL's black color barrier with the Boston Bruins in 1958.
