The National Hockey League (NHL); French: Ligue nationale de hockey (LNH), is a professional ice hockey league in North America consisting of 32 teams – 25 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.
Gordon Howe was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seasons were spent with the Detroit Red Wings. Nicknamed "Mr. Hockey", Howe is often considered the most complete player ever to play the game and one of the greatest of all time. At his retirement, his 801 goals, 1,049 assists, and 1,850 total points were all NHL records that stood until they were broken by Wayne Gretzky, who himself has been a major champion of Howe's legacy. A 23-time NHL All-Star, he shares the NHL record for seasons played with Chris Chelios, and his all-time NHL games played record of 1,767 was only surpassed in 2021 by Patrick Marleau. In 2017, Howe was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players".
Martin Gaston Biron is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Kelly Michael Buchberger is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He played for several National Hockey League teams from 1986 to 2004. As a coach, he has been an assistant for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) and a head coach of the Tri City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Thomas Patrick Barrasso is an American professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 18 seasons. Barrasso began his time in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him fifth overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft out of high school. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988, where he would best be remembered and spend the majority of his career. Barrasso spent parts of 12 seasons with the Penguins, and was a Stanley Cup champion in 1991 and 1992. After being traded to the Ottawa Senators in March 2000 and sitting out the 2000–01 season, his final two seasons were split playing for the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues. Barrasso was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023.
Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing career that lasted from 1951 to 1973, Delvecchio played in 1,549 games and recorded 1,281 points. At the time of his retirement, he was second in NHL history in number of games played, assists, and points. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct three times and helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup three times. He is one of three NHL players to spend their entire career with one franchise and play at least 1,500 games with that team. Upon retiring in 1973, Delvecchio was named head coach of the Red Wings and was also named the team's general manager in 1974; he served in both roles until 1977. Delvecchio was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977, and in 2017 was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.
Michael Andrew Nykoluk was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played 32 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1956–57. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1955 to 1972, was spent in the minor leagues. He became the first assistant coach in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup in that capacity with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1974 and 1975, before serving as the Maple Leafs head coach from 1981 to 1984. He was the younger brother of longtime Canadian Football League player Danny Nykoluk.
Yanic Jacques Perreault is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played a total of fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League. He is often considered one of the best face-off men in league history and holds the NHL record for the highest face-off winning percentage in a career (62.86%) as of the conclusion of the 2022-23 NHL season.
David William Christian is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played on the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal during the 1980 Winter Olympics. Christian went on to play for five National Hockey League teams over a 15-season career, from 1980 to 1994.
The 2007–08 NHL season was the 91st season of operation of the National Hockey League (NHL). It began on September 29, 2007, and the regular season ended April 6, 2008. The Stanley Cup playoffs ended on June 4, with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. The 56th NHL All-Star Game was held in Atlanta, Georgia, as the Atlanta Thrashers hosted the event at Philips Arena on January 27, 2008. The hosting by Atlanta was rescheduled from 2005, when a lockout cancelled the entire 2004–05 season.
The 1931–32 NHL season was the 15th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Quakers suspended operations, leaving eight teams to play 48 games each. In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Toronto Maple Leafs swept the New York Rangers in three games to win the franchise's third Stanley Cup championship.
The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey is the National Hockey League's (NHL) annual championship series. The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional sports trophy, and one of the "most important championships available to the sport [of ice hockey]" according to the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Robert Glen Bourne is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played for the New York Islanders and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1974 and 1988. He was a four-time Stanley Cup winner and 1984 Canada Cup champion. He was inducted into the New York Islanders Hall of Fame.
Brett Steven Lebda is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman, who last played with the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL). He has played in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Edward Paul Donato is an American former ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL), and is currently the head coach at Harvard University. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Donato grew up in Dedham, a suburb to the southwest. His son Ryan was selected by the Boston Bruins in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and currently plays with the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL.
The Philadelphia Quakers were an American professional ice hockey team that played only one full season in the National Hockey League (NHL), 1930–31, at the Philadelphia Arena in Philadelphia. They were the successors of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Duane Edward Franklin Rupp is a Canadian retired ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League from 1963 to 1973 and then in the World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1976.
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.
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 color barrier with the Boston Bruins in 1958.
Jacob Ryan Trouba is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and visual artist. He serves as captain of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Trouba was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, ninth overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Trouba played the first six years of his career in Winnipeg before he was traded to the Rangers in 2019.
United States 