History of organizational changes in the NHL Since being founded in 1917 , the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , which in its first two seasons started out as a three - team league and eventually grew to thirty in its current state , has expanded and contracted numerous times throughout its history . The following is a complete history of organizational changes in the NHL . Early years . Three teams ( 1917 – 19 ) . The four teams that began the inaugural NHL season were the Montreal Canadiens , the Montreal Wanderers , the Ottawa Senators , and Toronto . However , after completing four games out of the scheduled 22 , the Wanderers withdrew from the league due to their arena burning down , and the NHL continued this season and the next with only three teams . Four teams ( 1919 – 24 ) . In its third season , 1919 – 20 , the NHL underwent its first expansion , adding the Quebec Bulldogs . Toronto changed its name to Toronto St . Patricks . The next season , however , Quebec relocated to Hamilton , becoming the Hamilton Tigers . These same four teams continued playing for four seasons , up to 1923 – 24 . Six teams ( 1924 – 25 ) . Two new teams joined the NHL in its eighth season , the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Maroons . Seven teams ( 1925 – 26 ) . The next season , the NHL added another new team , the Pittsburgh Pirates , and relocated the Hamilton Tigers to New York as the New York Americans . Ten teams ( 1926 – 31 ) . The NHL continued to expand the following season , adding the Chicago Black Hawks , the Detroit Cougars , and the New York Rangers , growing to ten teams , thus more than doubling its size in its first decade of existence . During the 1926 – 27 season , Toronto was renamed the Toronto Maple Leafs , taking effect next season . For the 1930 – 31 season , the Pirates moved from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia , becoming the Philadelphia Quakers , and Detroit was renamed the Detroit Falcons . Eight teams ( 1931 – 32 ) . After fourteen seasons of steady expansion , the NHL contracted to eight teams , dropping the Philadelphia Quakers and the Ottawa Senators for the 1931 – 32 season . Nine teams ( 1932 – 35 ) . For the 1932 – 33 season , after missing one season , the Ottawa Senators rejoined the NHL , and the Detroit Falcons were renamed the Detroit Red Wings . Two seasons later , for the 1934 – 35 season , the Ottawa Senators relocated , becoming the St . Louis Eagles . Eight teams ( 1935 – 38 ) . The Eagles folded after one season , and the NHL was once again an eight - team league for three seasons . Seven teams ( 1938 – 42 ) . The Montreal Maroons withdrew from the league for the 1938 – 39 season , further reducing the number of teams in the NHL to seven , shrinking to the size the league was in 1925 – 26 . Play continued for four seasons with seven teams , with the New York Americans changing their name to the Brooklyn Americans for the 1941 – 42 season , their last . Original Six and expansion years . Six teams ( 1942 – 67 ) . The 1942 – 43 season saw the folding of the Brooklyn Americans , thus ushering in the Original Six era of the NHL , which lasted without any organizational changes for twenty - five seasons until the 1967 expansion , which doubled the number of teams in the league . Twelve teams ( 1967 – 70 ) . For the 1967 – 68 season , six new teams were added to the NHL : the California Seals , the Los Angeles Kings , the Minnesota North Stars , the Philadelphia Flyers , the Pittsburgh Penguins , and the St . Louis Blues . During their first season , the California Seals were renamed the Oakland Seals . Fourteen teams ( 1970 – 72 ) . The Oakland Seals were renamed the California Golden Seals for their fourth season in 1970 – 71 . The same season the NHL added two new teams , the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks . Sixteen teams ( 1972 – 74 ) . Two more teams joined the NHL two seasons later , the New York Islanders and the Atlanta Flames . Eighteen teams ( 1974 – 78 ) . Once again after two seasons , two more teams started play in the NHL , the Washington Capitals and the Kansas City Scouts . Two seasons later , however , the California Golden Seals relocated and became the Cleveland Barons , and the Kansas City Scouts moved as well , becoming the Colorado Rockies . Seventeen teams ( 1978 – 79 ) . For the first time since the 1942 – 43 season the NHL contracted , merging the Cleveland Barons into the Minnesota North Stars . Twenty - one teams ( 1979 – 91 ) . Four teams joined the NHL the next season , coming over from the defunct rival league , the World Hockey Association ( WHA ) . These were the Edmonton Oilers , the Hartford Whalers , the Quebec Nordiques , and the Winnipeg Jets . This doubled the number of Canadian teams in the league . The following season , Atlanta relocated and became the Calgary Flames . In turn , for the 1982 – 83 season , the Colorado Rockies moved , becoming the New Jersey Devils . Chicago changed their name from the Black Hawks to the Blackhawks for the 1985 – 86 season . Despite these relatively minor organizational changes , this was one of the more stable periods of NHL history , lasting twelve seasons . Further expansion . Twenty - two teams ( 1991 – 92 ) . The 1991 – 92 season saw the dawn of rapid expansion and relocation in the NHL , which lasted for the next ten years , bringing the total number of teams to the current thirty , with the addition of the San Jose Sharks . Twenty - four teams ( 1992 – 93 ) . Two new teams joined the league the following season , the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning . Twenty - six teams ( 1993 – 98 ) . The next season , another two teams were added , the Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim . The Minnesota North Stars relocated , becoming the Dallas Stars . Two seasons later , for the 1995 – 96 season , the Quebec Nordiques relocated and became the Colorado Avalanche . The following season , the Winnipeg Jets also moved , becoming the Phoenix Coyotes . The season after that , the Hartford Whalers relocated , becoming the Carolina Hurricanes . Twenty - seven teams ( 1998 – 99 ) . The Nashville Predators joined the league for the 1998 – 99 season . Twenty - eight teams ( 1999 – 2000 ) . The following season , another team started play , the Atlanta Thrashers . Thirty teams ( Since 2000 ) . For the NHL ' s 84th season , thirty teams comprised the league with the addition of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild . Currently , this would be the last organizational change in the NHL , except Anaheim changing its name from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the Anaheim Ducks for the 2006 – 07 season . Possible expansion . Despite recent statements from the NHL that no further expansion or even relocation is planned for the foreseeable future , there have been rumors and talks of potential new sites for existing or new teams in various locations in the United States , Canada , and even Europe .