That’s right, World War II had its own adjustments for the organization of the Stanley Cup, then only 6 teams in the NHL. And the Great Depression forced some owners to simply disband their clubs.

Expanding tournaments abroad

Since the mid-60s, more and more new teams from lower divisions began to participate in the National Hockey League, where fully competing with clubs from the start was part of NHL. Another hockey association, VHA, which appeared in those years, could compete with the NHL, and so it was decided to expand the league further.

The NHL clubs were in better financial shape, and by the end of the 70s the HAA was gone, losing more than half of its teams. The last component of the NHL was fully formed in 2001, consisting of 30 teams from Canada and the United States.

NHL beginners

Due to the fact that in recent years the popularity of hockey has decreased and baseball and basketball have taken first place, the NHL management decided to recruit some newcomers to their ranks. Of the teams that have applied in the NHL, so far only one club has been decided.

In the 2017/2018 season, a team from Las Vegas will participate in the National Hockey League. An application from Quebec has been delayed so far, and a decision on the club is likely to be made by the end of 2017.

NHL clubs are becoming more and more attractive each year to hockey players from other countries, as the salary the NHL player receives is many times higher than in other tournaments.

Of the NHL clubs representing Canadian cities, Montreal Canadiens has the most trophies, with 24 Stanley Cups in their entire history. Of the teams playing in the US, the Montreal club’s closest pursuer almost doubled. On account of the Detroit Detroit Red Wings 11 11 Stanley account.