For over 120 years, the Stanley Cup has been awarded as the culmination of a championship hockey season. The NHL provides a comprehensive list of those teams here.

The NHL reported in the book "Stanley Cup Champions" that the first winner of the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (AAA), champions of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada for 1893. “Ironically, Lord Stanley never witnessed a championship game nor attended a presentation of his trophy, having returned to his native England during the 1893 season. Nevertheless, the quest for the trophy he donated has become one of the world's most prestigious sporting competitions.”

“Beginning with the 1926–1927 season, the Stanley Cup has been awarded to the NHL's playoff champion.”

Key Stats

Source: Vintage 2021 Population Estimates.

Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021 [<1.0 MB]

Infographic: National Hockey League (NHL): 22 Metro Areas in the United States and Seven in Canada Have Hockey Teams [<1.0 MB]

Note: The table above is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image for the full table.

More Stats

From the National Hockey League, NHL.com, Teams:

Note: With the addition of the Seattle Kraken last season, the NHL now has 32 teams, eight in each of the four divisions shown below, west to east (as they would appear on a map): Pacific, Central, Atlantic and Metropolitan. The seven Canadian teams are marked with *.

Western Conference

Pacific
Anaheim Ducks
*Calgary Flames
*Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Seattle Kraken
*Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights

Central
Arizona Coyotes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
*Winnipeg Jets

Eastern Conference

Atlantic
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
*Montréal Canadiens
*Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
*Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

From Census.gov > QuickFacts: statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.

Listed below are the 32 NHL teams in four divisions: 25 U.S. and seven Canadian (marked with *):

*Source for Canadian teams is Statistics Canada, 2021 Population Estimates.

From Business and Economy > International Trade Data:

USA Trade Online — The Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, select options for Harmonized System (HS) or HS, select Exports or Imports, type HOCKEY or ICE SKATES in the Commodity search box, then select options for geography and time. Select Report for data. More information can be found in the Quick Start Guide.

Outside Links

Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Hockey Lockout 2004-05 [<1.0 MB]

History.com, 1894, First Stanley Cup championship played

History.com, 1980, U.S. hockey team beats the Soviets in the "Miracle on Ice"

Hockey Hall of Fame, The Stanley Cup, History

National Science Foundation, Science of NHL Hockey (10 videos)

NHL, 2023 NHL Playoff Schedule: Stanley Cup Finals

NHL, All-Time Stanley Cup Champions

Statista, Stanley Cup wins by team 1915-2022

Team USA Hockey, About The Women's World Championship

The People History, Ice Hockey Origins, Growth and Changes in the Game

Page Last Revised - April 12, 2023

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