The Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Black Hawks were the first members of the NHL. They were all established for the 1967-68 season. A seventh team, the St. Louis Blues, began play in October 1967 but did not become a full member of the league until June 1969. The team was owned by John Pickle, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. The two leagues had been competing with each other since the early 1950s when the upstart American League decided to open its doors to major league baseball. The move proved to be extremely successful as more than 20 million people across the United States watched baseball games on television. When Pickle acquired rights to the NHL's dormant St. Louis franchise, the league granted him an immediate place in their hierarchy. St. Louis became the first officially sanctioned "expansion" team when the NHL admitted the Blues into membership at the end of the 1967-68 season. The original six teams had each applied for an expansion draft spot but were not selected by either the Bruins or the Maple Leafs. Instead, they were awarded to both teams, making them "franchises" of equal status.