NHL Expansion & Contraction

“Original Six” fans have been misled

Here along the Lake – Most casual fans of NHL hockey make the supposition that the media coined term, “original six” applies to the very first six teams of the NHL, and nothing could be further from the truth.

As a young man I tended bar in my city for over 20 years and have benefited from cocksure customers that have implored me to “wager” with them about this very subject, and after reluctantly agreeing to do so…collected their money, sheepishly, but still collected.

The following is a timeline from 1917 and the inception of the NHL after the folding of the NHA to the most recent expansion, including the only time two teams merged into one.

1917-18  First NHL games were played, a 22 game schedule with 5 Teams

1918-19  One team withdraws, 4 Teams

1924-25  The NHL granted two new franchises, 6 Teams  (These are the “Original Six” teams of the NHL)

1925-26  One team withdraws, two additional franchises granted, 7 Teams

1926-27  The NHL increases by three new franchises, 10 Teams  (The NHL grew to 10 teams in its first decade of operation)

1931-32  One team withdraws, another only for one season 8 Teams

1932-33  One team resumes play, 9 Teams

1935-36  One team is terminated, 8 Teams

1937-38  One team withdraws, 7 Teams

1942-43  One team withdraws, 6 Teams  (Nearly 20 seasons pass before the NHL drops back down to six teams)

1967-68  The NHL increases by six new franchises, 12 Teams  (Over 20 seasons of having returned to only six teams before the media coined the term, “original six”)

1970-71  Two new NHL franchises awarded, 14 Teams

1972-73  Two new NHL franchises awarded, 16 Teams

1974-75  Two new NHL franchises awarded, 18 Teams

1978-79  Two teams merge, 17 Teams

1979-80  Four new NHL franchises awarded, 21 Teams

1991-92  The NHL grants one franchise, 22 Teams

1992-93  Two new NHL franchises awarded, 24 Teams

1993-94  Two new NHL franchises awarded, 26 Teams

1998-99  The NHL grants one franchise, 27 Teams

1999-00  The NHL grants one franchise, 28 Teams

2000-01  Two new NHL franchises awarded, 30 Teams

2017-18  The NHL grants one franchise, 31 Teams

2021-22  The NHL grants one franchise, 32 Teams 

All in all the NHL has increased 17 times and decreased six times including one merger over its long history.

The media coined term, “original six” was meant as a nod from the press describing and to discern between, the established teams from the incoming six teams that made up the new and large 12 team NHL.