The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams – 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. 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 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 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) views the Stanley Cup as one of the "most important championships available to the sport". The NHL is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). For the 2023–24 season, its three leagues and 60 teams represent nine Canadian provinces as well as four American states.
The NHL entry draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League (NHL) systematically select the rights to available ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements. The NHL entry draft is held once every year, generally within two to three months after the conclusion of the previous regular season. During the draft, teams take turns selecting amateur players from junior or collegiate leagues and professional players from European leagues.
Dean E. Chynoweth is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders and the Boston Bruins. Drafted 13th overall by the Islanders in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, Chynoweth played 241 regular season games in 10 NHL seasons, scoring 4 goals and 18 assists for 22 points and clocked up 667 penalty minutes. He was also the head coach of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds. He served as the general manager and head coach for another WHL franchise, the Swift Current Broncos, from 2004 to 2011. Chynoweth was formerly an assistant coach with the New York Islanders.
David Quinn is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and the head coach for the United States men's national team. He was previously the head coach of the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL); assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL; and head coach at Boston University. He was formally inducted into the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame in 2021.
Clayton Edward Pachal was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He played 36 games in the National Hockey League between 1977 and 1978 with the Boston Bruins and Colorado Rockies.
The United States National Team Development Program (NTDP) was started in 1996 by USA Hockey as a way to identify elite ice hockey players under the age of 18, and centralize their training. There are two teams in the program: under-17 and under-18. Both teams are based in Plymouth, Michigan.
Christoph Bertschy is a Swiss professional ice hockey center currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL). He was drafted 158th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Patrik Laine is a Finnish professional ice hockey right winger for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL entry draft. Laine has also previously played for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Jack Hughes is an American professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). A product of the U.S. National Development Team, Hughes was drafted first overall by the Devils in the 2019 NHL entry draft.
Samuel Poulin is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 21st overall by the Penguins in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Nolan Foote is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 27th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2019 NHL entry draft. He is the son of former NHL defenseman Adam Foote and the younger brother of defenseman Callan 'Cal' Foote.
Mavrik Bourque is a Canadian professional ice hockey center for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 30th overall, by the Stars in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Emil Heineman is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, by the Florida Panthers in the 2020 NHL entry draft.
Jordan Spence is a Japanese–Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the fourth round, 95th overall, in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Kings.
Tanner Jeannot is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Jeannot is known as "the Oxbow Ox" in recognition of his physical play and his hometown of Oxbow, Saskatchewan.
The 2021–22 Seattle Kraken season was the inaugural season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise. They played their home games at Climate Pledge Arena.
Vladislav Anatolevich Kolyachonok is a Belarusian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Florida Panthers, 52nd overall, in the 2019 NHL entry draft. He previously played for Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, and made his NHL debut in 2022.
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