List of pre-NHL seasons

Prior to the first season of the National Hockey League (NHL), which commenced on December 19, 1917, there had been many seasons of ice hockey played by various amateur and professional leagues, often held contemporaneously, going back to the 1880s, to which the NHL can trace its roots. Below is a list of pre-NHL seasons by ice hockey leagues that are precursors of the National Hockey League.
==Amateur and professional leagues==
Season	Amateur leagues	Amateur leagues	Amateur leagues	Amateur leagues	Amateur leagues	Professional leagues	Professional leagues	Professional leagues	Professional leagues	Professional leagues	Professional leagues	Professional leagues	Champion /Stanley CupChampion
Season	MWCT 	AHAC 	CAHL 	FAHL/FHL 	ECAHA 	WPHL 	IPHL 	OPHL 	CHA 	NHA 	PCHA 	WCHL/WHL 	Champion /Stanley CupChampion
1883 	1883 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	McGill University
1884 	1884 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Victorias
1885 	1885 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey Club
1886 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Crystals
1887 	1887 	1887 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey ClubMontreal VictoriasMontreal Crystals
1888 	 	1888 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey Club
1889 	1889 	1888–89 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey ClubMontreal CrystalsMontreal Hockey Club
1890 	 	1890 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey Club
1891 	 	1891 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey Club
1892 	 	1892 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Ottawa Hockey ClubMontreal Hockey Club
1893 	 	1893 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey Club
1894 	 	1894 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey Club
1895 	 	1895 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey ClubMontreal Victorias
1896 	 	1896 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Winnipeg Victorias
1897 	 	1897 	 	 	 	1896–97 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Victorias
1898 	 	1898 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Victorias
1899 	 	 	1899 	 	 	1898–99 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Shamrocks
1900 	 	 	1900 	 	 	1899–1900 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Shamrocks
1901 	 	 	1901 	 	 	1901 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Winnipeg Victorias
1902 	 	 	1902 	 	 	1902 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Winnipeg VictoriasMontreal Hockey Club
1903 	 	 	1903 	 	 	1903 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Hockey ClubOttawa Hockey Club
1904 	 	 	1904 	1904 	 	1904 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Ottawa Hockey Club
1905 	 	 	1905 	1904–05 	 	 	1904–05 	 	 	 	 	 	Ottawa Hockey Club
1906 	 	 	 	1905–06 	1906 	 	1905–06 	 	 	 	 	 	Ottawa Hockey ClubMontreal Wanderers
1907 	 	 	 	1906–07 	1907 	 	1906–07 	 	 	 	 	 	Montreal WanderersKenora ThistlesMontreal Wanderers
1908 	 	 	 	1908 	1907–08 	1908 	 	1908 	 	 	 	 	Montreal Wanderers
1909 	 	 	 	1909 	1909 	1909 	 	1909 	 	 	 	 	Montreal WanderersOttawa Hockey Club
1910 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1910 	1910 	1910 	 	 	Ottawa Hockey ClubMontreal Wanderers
1911 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1911 	 	1910–11 	 	 	Ottawa Hockey Club
1912 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1911–12 	1912 	 	Quebec Bulldogs
1913 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1912–13 	1912–13 	 	Quebec Bulldogs
1914 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1913–14 	1913–14 	 	Toronto Blueshirts
1915 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1914–15 	1914–15 	 	Vancouver Millionaires
1916 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1915–16 	1915–16 	 	Montreal Canadiens
1917 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1916–17 	1916–17 	 	Seattle Metropolitans
1918 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1917–18 	 	Toronto
1919 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1919 	 	no decision
1920 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1919–20 	 	Ottawa Senators
1921 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1920–21 	 	Ottawa Senators
1922 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1921–22 	1921–22 	Toronto St. Pats
1923 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1922–23 	1922–23 	Ottawa Senators
1924 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1923–24 	1923–24 	Montreal Canadiens
1925 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1924–25 	Victoria Cougars
1926 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1925–26 	Montreal Maroons
;Notes
*The Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournaments (MWCT) were a series of annual tournaments held in the 1880s in conjunction with the Montreal Winter Carnival, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. First held in 1883, these tournaments are considered to be the first championship ice hockey tournaments and the predecessor to the first championship ice hockey league, the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada.
*The Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) existed from 1886 to 1898. Season series play started in 1893.
* The Manitoba Hockey Association existed from 1892 to 1923. The association organized the Manitoba Professional Hockey League in 1906.
*The Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL) existed from 1899 to 1905.
*The Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL/FHL) existed from 1904 to 1909. The league was professional from 1908 onwards.
*The Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA) existed from 1906 to 1909. The league allowed professional players from 1907 onwards, becoming fully professional in the 1909 season.
*The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League (WPHL) existed from 1896 to 1909. It was the first league to officially allow professional players.
*The International Professional Hockey League (IPHL) existed from 1904 until 1907.
*The Ontario Professional Hockey League (OPHL) existed from 1908 until 1911.
*The Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) existed in 1910 for part of one season.
*The National Hockey Association (NHA) existed from 1910 to 1917.
*The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) existed from 1911 to 1924.
*The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) existed from 1921 to 1926. While the WCHL wasn't a pre-NHL league, it is generally deemed by hockey historians to have been a major league. Two years prior to its folding, the PCHA merged with it. The last season, 1925–26, it had been renamed the Western Hockey League because one of its teams had moved to the United States. The NHL would buy the rights to the WHL players as part of its disbanding.
*Prior to 1905 (FAHL), 1910 (NHA) and 1912 (PCHA) league play started in January and ended in March of one calendar year.
* The Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1893.
* Prior to 1915, championships could be won or lost during a season through challenge play. Hence, multiple championship holders were possible during each season.
Category:Lists