American NHL teams have had a great impact in the NHL. When the NHL started in 1917 there were 4 teams and none of them were in the United States. So how many have been added since the start?
How many American NHL Teams are in the NHL? There are 25 American teams in the NHL. These 25 teams make up the majority of NHL franchises in the 32 team league with the other 7 teams being from Canada.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the 25 American teams, some of the key points about their history (with the most important: how many Stanley Cups have they won!), and an analysis of where they are right now in the competitive NHL landscape .
How many American NHL Teams are in the NHL??
There are 25 American NHL teams, and 7 Canadian NHL teams for a total of 32. When the NHL first started in the US all of the American teams were in the northern states. However, at present day they are spread all over the USA.
Let’s take a look at all 25 of the American NHL teams!
American NHL Teams Facts and Analysis
Anaheim Ducks
- First NHL Season: 1993-94
- Arena: Honda Center
- Stanley Cups: 1 – 2003
- Notable Players: Paul Kariya, Scott Niedermayer, Adam Oates, Chris Pronger, Corey Perry
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 14
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Ryan Getzlaf 1019, Goals: Teemu Selanne, 457 Assists: Ryan Getzlaf 737
Analysis: The Ducks are in rebuild mode right now. They are in the bottom 10 teams in the league, but have some great young players to build around. The best of those young players is Trevor Zegras who is a human highlight reel.
This year they drafted Leo Carlsson second overall, who will be fantastic, one day. However, the Ducks are, at least, a few years away from competing as they try to acquire more young talent through the NHL draft, and mature they young talent they have before they take the next step to the playoffs.
Arizona Coyotes
- First NHL Season: 1979-1980 as the Winnipeg Jets, moved to Arizona for the 1996-97 season
- Arena: Arizona State University
- Stanley Cups: 0
- Notable Players: Shane Doan, Dale Hawerchuk, Phil Housley, Bobby Hull, Teemu Selanne
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 20
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Shane Doan, 972 Goals: Shane Doan, 402 Assists: Shane Doan 570
Analysis: After all the seasons of losing and mediocrity the Coyotes have blown the whole thing up and acquired a vast number of draft picks to rebulid through the NHL draft. This is what they needed to do for along time, and this is what they are finally doing.
With all of the players they have traded away to get those picks it has left them with a thin talent level. However those draft picks are finally starting to play and play well. With the entrance of Logan Cooley this year the Coyotes may, just may become fun to watch again.
They won’t make the playoffs, but they will no longer be an easy two points for other teams.
Boston Bruins
- First NHL Season: 1924-25
- Arena: TD Garden
- Stanley Cups: 6 – 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, 2011
- Notable Players: Ray Bourque, Bobby Orr, Gerry Cheevers, Johnny Bucyk, Rick Middleton, Phil Esposito, Cam Neely, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 74
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Ray Bourque, 1506 Goals: John Bucky, 545 Assists: Ray Bourque, 1111
Analysis: Who will the Bruins be this year? It is hard to stay. They set the mark for most points by a team in the NHL last season, but since then have lost their top two centres to retirement – Bergeron and Krejci.
They will definitely not be as good as they were last year, but with players like Pastrnak, Marchand, Ullmark, and McAvoy they are still a very good team. Look for them to still be a top 10 team in the NHL.
Buffalo Sabres
- First NHL Season: 1970-71
- Arena: KeyBank Center
- Stanley Cups: 0
- Notable Players: Gilbert Perreault, Pat LaFontaine, Dominik Hasek, Alexander Mogilny, Dave Andreychuk, Phil Housley
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 29
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Gilbert Perreault, 1326 Goals: Gilbert Perreault, Assists: Gilbert Perreault, 814
Analysis: Could this finally be there? The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs in 10 years!
Last year they came so close and made a late charge just to miss out by a few points. With the young high-end talent they have – Thompson, Cousins, Power, Dahlin etc. – it will not be long before they become a powerhouse. When it happens it will be fun to see.
Carolina Hurricanes
- First NHL Season: 1979-80 as the Hartford Whalers, moved to Carolina in 1997-98
- Arena: PNC Arena
- Stanley Cups: 1 – 2006
- All-Time Notable Players: Ron Francis, Rod Brind’Amour, Glen Wesley, Eric Staal
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 16
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Ron Francis, 1175 Goals: Ron Francis, 382 Assists: Ron Francis, 793
Analysis: The Hurricanes won the difficult Metropolitan division the past two years. They are easily one of the Top 10 teams in the NHL.
Their defence is great, and they have a deep forward lineup highlighted by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. They are probably one scorer away from being really, really dangerous.
Definitely a Stanley Cup contender!
Chicago Blackhawks
- First NHL Season: 1926-27
- Arena: United Center
- Stanley Cups: 6 – 1933, 1937, 1961, 2010, 2013, 2015
- All-Time Notable Players: Tony Esposito, Glenn Hall, Chris Chelios, Bobby Hull, Marian Hossa, Stan Makita, Denis Savard, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 63
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Stan Mikita, 1467 Goals: Bobby Hull, 604 Assists: Stan Mikita, 926
Analysis: Well, they did it! They won the Conner Bedard sweepstakes. Bedard is a young generational talent who will be amazing to watch and will led the Blackhawks to great success one day – that day is just not today.
To get Bedard they traded away a lot of their talent so they were bad enough to secure a chance at getting the first overall draft pick. So now, they have Bedard but not much else. There are a few good prospects, but this project is still years away from being competitive. Have fun watching Conner!
Colorado Avalanche
- First NHL Season: 1979-1980 as the Quebec Nordiques and moved to Colorado for the 1995-96 season
- Arena: Ball Arena
- Stanley Cups: 2 – 1996, 2001, 2022
- All-Time Notable Players: Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk, Patrick Roy, Adam Foote, Peter Stastny
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 27
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Joe Sakic, 1641 Goals: Joe Sakic, 625 Assists: Joe Sakic 1016
Analysis: What can you say about the Stanley Cup champs from two years ago?
Well, they are still one of the best team in the NHL. They may have lost to the Kraken in the first round but they were clearly a team running on fumes. After a full summer of rest look for them to bounce back to their dominant selves.
A team with two superstars in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar (some say he is the best defensemen since Bobby Orr) are always going to contend. They are a deep, deep team with many talented players, and they are going to win at least one Stanley Cup in the next few years.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- First NHL Season: 2000-01
- Arena: Nationwide Arena
- Stanley Cups: 0
- All-Time Notable Players: Rick Nash
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 6
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Rick Nash, 547 Goals: Rick Nash, 289 Assists: Rick Nash, 547
Analysis: The Blue Jackets are always trying to win, but have had few successes in their history. Last year they were able to lure the biggest free agent – Johnny Gaudreau – to be part of the team. Up to this point, they have had a hard time keeping their stars as they often leave for greener pastures. Columbus is hoping that Gaudreau has changed this and, hopefully, their fortunes on the ice.
This year they got Adam Fantilli in the draft – an amazing prospect. In addition, they do have a bunch of great young talent – Marchenko and Johnson. While improved Columbus still looks like a team that is on the outside looking in during the 2022-23 season.
Dallas Stars
- First NHL Season: Minnesota North Stars in 1967 moved to Dallas for the 1993-94 season
- Arena: American Airlines Arena
- Stanley Cups: 1 – 1999
- All-Time Notable Players: Ed Belfour, Dino Ciccarelli, Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, Sergei Zubov
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 33
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Mike Mondano, 1359 Goals: Mike Mondano, 557 Assists: Mike Modano, 802
Analysis: The Dallas Stars could be one of the top teams in the NHL. They have a few amazing young stars in Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger. I am eager to see if they are good enough or can progress to the next level to enter the conversation of legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Detroit Red Wings
- First NHL Season: 1926 as the Detroit Cougars, 1930 as the Detroit Falcons, 1932 as the Detroit Red Wings
- Arena: Little Caesars Arena
- Stanley Cups: 11
- All-Time Notable Players: Chris Chelios, Alex Delvecchio, Sergei Federov, Gordie Howe, Red kelly, Nicklas Lidstrom, Ted Lindsay, Terry Sawchuk, Steve Yzerman
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 64
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Gordie Howe, 1809 Goals: Gordie Howe, 786 Assists: Steve Yzerman, 1063
Analysis: With Steve Yzerman as your General Manager good things are going to eventually happen. Yzerman has patiently assembled some great young talent in Detroit – hello, Moritz Seider – and is now trying to surround them with the veteran presence to get them back into the playoff picture. It may not be this year, but the Red Wings are a team that is vastly improving.
Their division is so difficult that it still could be another year out of the playoffs.
Florida Panthers
- First NHL Season: 1993
- Arena: FLA Live Arena
- Stanley Cups: 0
- All-Time Notable Players: Pavel Bure, Roberto Luongo
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 7
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Jonathan Huberdeau, 613 Goals: Aleksander Barkov, 220 Assists: Jonathan Huberdeau, 415
Analysis: Two years ago the Panthers asserted themselves as one of the best teams in the NHL, and last year they barely made the playoffs, but went to the Stanley Cup finals.
So what are they going to do now? Well it could be a hard year. The playoffs took a toll on their bodies as a number of key players sustained significant injuries. Will they make the playoffs? Probably, but it will be tough.
Los Angeles Kings
- First NHL Season: 1967
- Arena: Crypto.com
- Stanley Cups: 2 – 2012, 2014
- All-Time Notable Players: Rob Blake, Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, Luc Robitaille, Wayne Gretzky
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 30
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Marcel Dionne, 1307 Goals: Luc Robitaille, 557 Assists: Marcel Dionne, 757
Analysis: The Kings are one of the upcoming teams in the NHL. They had a number of down years, but have managed to draft and develop a great nucleus of young players. They have spent the past two offseasons bringing in veterans to surround and mentor their young core. To many they surprised and made the playoffs the past two years and look to build upon that and become a bonafide playoff contender instead of a bubble team.
Will they take a step forward or back this year? Their goaltending is weak but the depth upfront can easily over come it. With young teams you never know because development is never linear!
Minnesota Wild
- First NHL Season: 2000
- Arena: Xcel Energy Center
- Stanley Cups: 0
- All-Time Notable Players: Marian Gaborik, Mikko Koivu
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 11
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Mikko Koivu, 709 Goals: Marian Gaborik, 219 Assists: Mikko Koivu, 504
Analysis: The Wild have a lot of things to like about their team. First they have Kirill Kaprizov one of the top dynamic young scorers in the league. Secondly, they have one of the deepest prospect pools in the league to build around. Finally, they have an all-around depth of team that is already a playoff contender.
However, they are in salary cap jail with the buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise – the extra cap payroll they lose from this could be really used to turn them in from good playoff team to Stanley Cup contender. Until this gets sorted out in a few years they will need to wait until being considered for the Stanley Cup.
Nashville Predators
- First NHL Season: 1998
- Arena: Bridgestone Arena
- Stanley Cups: 0
- All-Time Notable Players: Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 14
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: David Legwand, 566 Goals: Filip Forsberg, 220 Assists: Roman Josi, 402
Analysis: The Predators have one of the best groups of defencemen in the NHL. With Roman Josi their star defenceman and Jussi Saros their star goalie the Preds are going to be in every game they play. However, where they are a little weak is in scoring goals. It was a definite plus for them to resign their leading scorer Filip Forsberg, but the Preds do lack the high-end scoring talent of other teams. They are well within the conversation as a playoff contender just not a Stanley Cup contender.
New Jersey Devils
- First NHL Season: 1974 – Kansas City Scouts, 1976 – Colorado Rockies, 1982 – New Jersey Devils
- Arena: Prudential Center
- Stanley Cups: 3 – 1995, 2000, 2003
- All-Time Notable Players: Scott Stevens, Patrik Elias, Scott Niedermayer, Martin Brodeur
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 23
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Patrik Elias, 1025 Goals: Patrik Elias, 408 Assists: Patrik Elias, 617
Analysis: I love the long-term outlook of the New Jersey Devils. They have two young high-end centers in Hughes and Hischier. They have young scoring wingers in Bratt and Mercer. They have young high-end defenceman in Hughes and Nemec.
Last year they popped and made the playoffs. The next step is to work themselves into legit Stanley Cup contender.
New York Islanders
- First NHL Season: 1972
- Arena: UBS Arena
- Stanley Cups: 4 – 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
- All-Time Notable Players: Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Bob Nystrom, John Tonelli, Billy Smith, Pat LaFontaine
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 27
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Bryan Trottier, 1353 Goals: Mike Bossy, 573 Assists: Bryan Trottier, 853
Analysis: The Islanders are looking to bounce back after a few tough years. They still have a great core led by their high-end defence, and depth up front. However, I still don’t think they have the game breakers that get you to the next level in the NHL. Look form them to be a team fighting for a playoff spot, but not making it. I am fascinated to watch which direction this team is going to take – it is probably one of the more puzzling teams in the NHL!
New York Rangers
- First NHL Season: 1926
- Arena: Madison Square Garden
- Stanley Cups: 4 – 1928, 1933, 1940, 1994
- All-Time Notable Players: Brian Leetch, Adam Graves, Mark Messier, Henrik Lundqvist, Mike Richter, Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle, Andy Bathgate
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 60
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Rod Gilbert, 1021 Goals: Rod Gilbert, 406 Assists: Brian Leetch, 741
Analysis: The Rangers have entered their window into Stanley Cup contention. Their are still teams better than them, but it would not be a surprise to see them win the Cup. When you have the best goalie on the planet – Shesterkin; one of the best young defencemen on the planet – Fox; and one of the top forwards – Panarian; you have the building blocks of a great team. I like the veterans and youth they have assembled around this team. The next five years will be fun to watch for Rangers fans.
Philadelphia Flyers
- First NHL Season: 1967
- Arena: Wells Fargo Center
- Stanley Cups: 2 – 1974, 1975
- All-Time Notable Players: Bobby Clarke, Peter Forsberg, Eric Lindros, Bill Barber, Bernie Parent, Mark Howe
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 40
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Bobby Clarke, 1210 Goals: Bill Barber, 420 Assists: Bobby Clarke, 852?
Analysis: I’m glad they finally did it – the Flyers have entered into full rebuild mode. For decades this team had tried to win but they could never make up the talent deficit against their Penguins rivals. This team was dysfunctional and poorly constructed.
With new management under Daniel Briere there is at least a good direction now. Go young, build through the draft and finally get a legitimate contender a few years down the road. They will have to go through a lot of pain to get there , but at least now they have a chance.
Pittsburgh Penguins
- First NHL Season: 1967
- Arena: PPG Paints Arena
- Stanley Cups: 5 – 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, 2017
- All-Time Notable Players: Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Mario Lemieux, Joe Mullen, Mark Recchi, Jarmoir Jagr
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 36
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Mario Lemieux, 1723 Goals: Mario Lemieux, 690 Assists: Mario Lemieux, 1033
Analysis: The end is near. The Crosby and Malkin show is coming to an end. It still has a little bit of mileage left in it, but how much? They brought in a new general manager in Kyle Dubas who has completely rebuilt the supporting cast around them including bringing in offensive dynamo Erik Karlsson.
They will be good for another 2 to 3 years, but after that I expect the team will spiral down to the bottom of the league. So Pens fans enjoy the next few years. I don’t think this team has a chance to win the Stanley Cup, but they could still make some noise in the playoffs.
San Jose Sharks
- First NHL Season: 1991
- Arena: SAP Center
- Stanley Cups: 0
- All-Time Notable Players: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton,
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 21
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Patrick Marleau, 1111 Goals: Patrick Marleau, 522 Assists: Joe Thornton, 804
Analysis: The Sharks had a lot of great years and now they have a lot of old stars who have aged out. They have seemed to have finally started to move away from their past glory by trading Brent Burns, and now let the rebuild commence! The Sharks are could be the worst team in the league, but sill remain competitive most nights (ie. they won’t get blown out just lose). This should never rbe confused with a playoff contending team, which they are not. The Sharks are years away from being part of the conversation of playoff teams.
Seattle Kraken
- First NHL Season: 2021
- Arena: Climate Pledge Arena
- Stanley Cups: 0
- All-Time Notable Players: TBD
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 0
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Jared McCann, 50 Goals: Jared McCann, 27 Assists: Vince Dunn, 28
Analysis: The Kraken acted like most expansion teams do in their first year: they struggled. Well, the second year they surprisingly made the playoffs.
What they do have is great depth of scoring through the lineup. Their young star Matty Beniers should continue to improve, and this will only help the rest of the team.
It is a coin flip whether they make the playoffs or not. They will not win a division or be at the bottom of the league – just right in the middle.
St. Louis Blues
- First NHL Season: 1967
- Arena: Enterprise Center
- Stanley Cups: 1 – 2019
- All-Time Notable Players: Al MacInnis, Brian Sutter, Brett Hull, Bernie Federko, Chris Pronger
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 44
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Bernie Federko, 1073 Goals: Brett Hull, 527 Assists: Bernie Federko, 721
Analysis: I love, love the forward depth of the St. Louis Blues. They might not have any players who are going to finish in the top 10 scoring in the league, but 1 through 9 of their forward group is fantastic, which made it so surprising that they missed the playoffs last year.
Their weak link is probably the defence, and goalie Jordan Binnington needs to stop his emotional blowups on the ice. Look for them to bounce back this year and get them into the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning
- First NHL Season: 1992
- Arena: Amalie Arena
- Stanley Cups: 3 – 2004, 2020, 2021
- All-Time Notable Players: Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 13
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Steven Stamkos, 972 Goals: Steven Stamkos, 481 Assists: Martin St. Louis, 588
Analysis: They finally lost in the Stanley Cup finals two years ago. Toronto finally beat them in the first round last year. So are they on the decline? It’s too early to say that.
This is an amazing team. Going to the finals takes such a toll on your body – let alone three in a row. However, it would not be hard to see this team win the Stanley Cup again in the next few years – their core is just so good. How many hall of famers is this group going to produce? Stamkos, Point, Kucherov, Hedman, Vasilevsky – at least 5.
Vegas Golden Knights
- First NHL Season: 2017
- Arena: T-Mobile Arena
- Stanley Cups: 0
- All-Time Notable Players: TBD
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 4
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Jonathan Marchessault, 291 Goals: Jonathan Marchessault, 122 Assists: Jonathan Marchessault, 169
Analysis: Wow! Winning the Stanley Cup in year 5 of your expansion franchise is amazing. The Knights were full money for their win. They had an amazing team with high-end talent and great depth.
Most of the team is coming back to defend the title. Can they win it again? Well, that rarely happens because the summer is so short and their bodies probably didn’t get a chance to recover. Look for them to make the playoffs and have an early exit.
Washington Capitals
- First NHL Season: 1974
- Arena: Capital One Arena
- Stanley Cups: 1 – 2018
- All-Time Notable Players: Rod Langway, Mike Gartner, Dale Hunter
- NHL Playoff Appearances: 31
- Franchise Scoring Leaders: Points: Alexander Ovechkin, 1410 Goals: Alexander Ovechkin, 780 Assists: Nicklas Backstrom, 74
Analysis: The Caps are one of those aging teams that are still good, but it is hard to seem them doing anything more than getting into the playoffs. They may win a playoff round, but the Stanley Cup? No chance. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they miss the playoffs, again. At some point these teams who have been good for so long start to miss the playoffs, and that time is coming soon for the Caps. While Ovi is still amazing I am not sure how long he can keep this thing afloat.
The best thing about the Caps is watching Ovi try to catch Gretzky’s record for most goals in a career.
How the American Teams divided into the NHL divisions?
Note: Bolded Teams are the Canadian NHL Teams
| Central |
| Arizona Coyotes |
| Chicago Blackhawks |
| Colorado Avalanche |
| Dallas Stars |
| Minnesota Wild |
| Nashville Predators |
| St. Louis Blues |
| Winnipeg Jets |
| Pacific |
| Anaheim Ducks |
| Calgary Flames |
| Edmonton Oilers |
| Los Angeles Kings |
| San Jose Sharks |
| Seattle Kraken |
| Vancouver Canucks |
| Vegas Golden Knights |
| Atlantic? |
| Boston Bruins |
| Buffalo Sabres |
| Detroit Red Wings |
| Florida Panthers |
| Montreal 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 |
Alphabetical List of American NHL Teams
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
Seattle Kraken
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
