Tarihin Kungiyar Hockey ta Kasa (1917-1942)

An kafa Kungiyar Hockey ta Kasa, (NHL) a cikin 1917 bayan mutuwar ƙungiyar da ta gabace ta, Kungiyar Hockey ta Kasa (NHA). A cikin ƙoƙari na cire Eddie Livingstone a matsayin mai shi na Toronto Blueshirts, mafi rinjaye na NHA franchises (The Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators and Quebec Bulldogs ) sun dakatar da NHA kuma sun kafa sabuwar NHL. Quebec Bulldogs, yayin da yake memba, ba su yi aiki a cikin NHL na shekaru biyu na farko ba. Madadin haka masu Gidan Lambun Arena na Toronto sun gudanar da sabon ikon amfani da ikon amfani da ikon amfani da sunan kamfani na Toronto. Yayin da aka yi nufin NHL a matsayin ma'auni na wucin gadi, ci gaba da takaddama tare da Livingstone ya haifar da taron masu NHA guda hudu tare da sanya dakatar da NHA ta dindindin shekara guda bayan haka.

Ƙarni na farko na NHL ya ga gasar ta fafatawa da manyan gasa biyu masu hamayya, Ƙungiyar Hockey ta Pacific Coast da Western Canada Hockey League, don 'yan wasa da gasar Stanley . NHL ta fara faɗaɗa cikin Amurka a cikin 1924 tare da kafuwar Boston Bruins, kuma ya zuwa 1926 ta ƙunshi ƙungiyoyi goma a cikin Ontario, Quebec, yankin Manyan Tafkuna da Arewa maso Gabashin Amurka . A lokaci guda, NHL ta fito a matsayin babbar gasar lig guda ɗaya kuma ita kaɗai ce mai fafatawa a gasar cin kofin Stanley.

Wasan da kansa ya ci gaba da bunkasa a wannan lokacin. An gabatar da sabbin abubuwa da yawa ga ƙa'idodi da kayan aiki yayin da NHL ke ƙoƙarin haɓaka kwararar wasan da kuma sa wasan ya fi son abokantaka. NHL ta taka leda tare da maza shida zuwa gefe maimakon bakwai na gargajiya, kuma tana cikin ƙungiyoyin farko don ba da damar masu gola su bar ƙafafunsu don yin ceto. Sawun NHL ya bazu ko'ina cikin Kanada yayin da aka ji watsa shirye-shiryen rediyon Foster Hewitt daga bakin teku zuwa bakin teku tun daga 1933

An gina Dandalin Montreal da Maple Leaf Gardens, kuma kowannensu ya buga bakuncin wasannin fa'idar All-Star da aka gudanar don tara kuɗi don tallafawa Ace Bailey da dangin Howie Morenz a Toronto da Montreal, bi da bi. Ayyukan 'yan wasan biyu sun ƙare saboda wani abin da ya faru a kan kankara, tare da Morenz ya mutu a ƙarshe, wata guda bayan ya sami rauni na farko. Waɗannan wasannin farko na NHL All-Star za su kai ga wasannin All-Star na shekara-shekara waɗanda ke ci gaba a yau.

Babban Bala'in da Yaƙin Duniya na II ya rage gasar zuwa ƙungiyoyi shida ta 1942. Ƙungiyoyin kafa Ottawa, da ƙungiyoyin fadada New York Amirkawa, Montreal Maroons da Pittsburgh Pirates / Philadelphia Quakers sun wuce daga wurin. Ƙungiyar Faɗawa Detroit Falcons ta ayyana fatarar kudi a cikin 1932 kuma ta tsira ta hanyar haɗin gwiwa tare da Chicago Shamrocks na Ƙungiyar Hockey ta Amurka da kuma aljihun mai wadata James Norris ya zama Detroit Red Wings . Matsanancin yanayi a Montreal yana nufin cewa birnin ya kusan rasa duka ƙungiyoyin sa a cikin 1930s; Canadiens sun kusan ƙaura zuwa Cleveland, amma sun tsira saboda ƙarfin goyon bayansa. Ƙungiyoyin shida da suka bar tsaye a cikin 1942 (Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers da Toronto Maple Leafs ) an san su a yau a matsayin " Asali shida "

## Shekarun farko
Babban tauraron NHL na farko shine "Phantom" Joe Malone . Zakaran zira kwallaye na NHA sau biyu, Malone ya zira kwallaye biyar ga Montreal Canadiens a nasara 7–4 akan Sanatocin Ottawa a daren bude NHL.  Malone ya ci gaba da yin rikodin burin 44 na jagora a cikin wasanni 20 a cikin 1917–18 .  Ya sake jagorantar NHL wajen zira kwallaye a cikin 1919–20, inda ya zira kwallaye 39 a wasanni 24 tare da Quebec.  A lokacin wannan kakar, a ranar 20 ga Janairu, 1920, Malone ya zira kwallaye bakwai a wasa daya a kan Toronto St. Patricks, rikodin da ke tsaye a yau.  An zaɓi Malone zuwa Gidan Hockey na Fame a cikin 1950. 

Burin farko a tarihin NHL shine Dave Ritchie na Montreal Wanderers ya ci minti daya cikin nasara 10 – 9 akan Toronto, wanda shine nasarar da Wanderers suka yi a cikin NHL. Ranar 2 ga Janairu, 1918, wuta ta lalata filin wasa na Montreal, gida ga duka Wanderers da Kanada.  Yayin da Canadiens suka koma Jubilee Arena na 3,000, Lichtenhein ya zaɓi ya janye Wanderers, yana nuna rashin samun 'yan wasa saboda yakin.  NHL ta ci gaba da kasancewa ta ƙungiyoyi uku har zuwa lokacin da Quebec ya dawo gare ta a cikin 1919. 

A cikin shekarunta na farko, NHL ta ci gaba da tsarin tsagawar lokacin NHA. Zakaran rabin na farko Canadiens ya fadi a hannun zakaran rabin na biyu na Toronto a gasar cin kofin O'Brien na 1918 ta hanyar hada maki 10–7 a wasa biyu, jimillar jerin raga.  Nasarar ta baiwa Toronto damar fuskantar zakaran Kungiyar Hockey ta Pacific Coast, the Vancouver Millionaires, a Gasar Gasar Cin Kofin Stanley. Torontos ta doke Vancouver don zama ƙungiyar NHL ta farko da ta lashe Kofin. 

Canadiens sun ci gasar NHL akan Sanatoci a 1918–19, kuma sun yi tafiya yamma don saduwa da zakaran PCHA, Babban Birnin Seattle .  An fi tunawa da jerin gwanon don sokewar sa tare da jerin da aka ɗaure a nasara biyu, asara biyu, da kunnen doki (2–2–1) saboda cutar sankarau ta Sipaniya .  'Yan wasa da yawa daga kungiyoyin biyu sun kamu da rashin lafiya, lamarin da ya sa jami'an kiwon lafiya a Seattle soke wasan na shida, da yanke hukunci.  Mai tsaron lafiyar Kanada Joe Hall ya mutu sakamakon mura a ranar 5 ga Afrilu, 1919. 

A halin da ake ciki, zakarun na Toronto sun ƙare a matsayi na ƙarshe a cikin rabi na 1918–19. A ranar 20 ga Fabrairu, 1919, Toronto ta sanar da ƙungiyar cewa ta janye daga gasar.  NHL ta guji ragewa zuwa ƙungiyoyi biyu don 1919–20 lokacin da aka sake tsara ƙungiyar azaman Toronto St. Patricks.  Har ila yau, ikon mallakar Quebec ya dawo, (wanda aka sani da kakar wasa ta *Quebec Athletic Club* ) yana kara gasar zuwa kungiyoyi hudu. Kulob din Quebec ya buga rikodin 4 – 20 a cikin 1919 – 20, duk da dawowar Malone. Lokaci ne na ƙarshe na ikon amfani da ikon amfani da sunan kamfani a cikin birnin Quebec, yana ƙaura zuwa Hamilton, Ontario, a cikin 1920 don zama Hamilton Tigers . 

## Gasa tare da WCHL
Tun daga cikin 1921, NHL ta fuskanci gasa daga babban gasa na uku, ƙungiyar Hockey ta Western Canada (WCHL). Tare da gasar lig guda uku da ke fafatawa don hazaka, 'yan wasan hockey na kankara sun kasance cikin ƴan wasa mafiya samun kuɗi a Arewacin Amurka. Sun ba da umarnin albashi daidai da manyan 'yan wasan Baseball na lokacin.  WCHL ta rayu tsawon yanayi shida kawai, tare da haɗin gwiwa tare da PCHA a cikin 1924, amma ta ƙalubalanci NHL don Kofin Stanley sau huɗu. A cikin 1923 Stanley Cup Finals, Sanatoci sun ci Edmonton Eskimos bayan sun kawar da PCHA's Vancouver Millionaires.  A cikin 1924, Canadiens sun ci nasara akan PCHA's Millionaires da WCHL's Calgary Tigers a kan ƙarfin rufewar biyu ta Georges Vezina da kuma wani mummunan mummunan nunawa ta hanyar rookie na gaba Howie Morenz . 

## Manazarta