USA / CANADA: NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) (French: Ligue nationale de hockey - LNH) is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs of which 24 are located in the United States and the other six in Canada. Headquartered in New York City, the NHL is widely considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the North American major professional sports leagues. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

The league was organized in 1917 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909. It started with four teams and, through a series of expansions, contractions, and relocations, the league is now composed of 30 teams active franchises. After a labour dispute that led to the cancellation of the entire 2004–05 season, the league has staged a successful comeback, including revenue and profit growth. In 2009, the NHL enjoyed record-high sponsorships, crowds and television viewers.

The NHL draws many highly skilled players from all over the world and currently has players from about 20 different countries. Although Canadians have historically constituted the majority of the players in the NHL, over the past four plus decades the percentages of American and European trained players have increased both because of the NHL's continued expansion from six to thirty clubs since 1967, and the increased availability of highly skilled European players especially from former East Bloc countries.

CHAMPIONS:

2008-09 - Pittsburgh Penguins

2007-08 - Detroit Red Wings

2006-07 - Anaheim Ducks

2005-06 - Carolina Hurricanes

2003-04 - Tampa Bay Lightning

2002-03 - New Jersey Devils

2001-02 - Detroit Red Wings

2000-01 - Colorado Avalanche

1999-2000 - New Jersey Devils

1998-99 - Dallas Stars

1997-98 - Detroit Red Wings

1996-97 - Detroit Red Wings

1995-96 - Colorado Avalanche

1994-95 - New Jersey Devils

1993-94 - New York Rangers

1992-93 - Montreal Canadiens

1991-92 - Pittsburgh Penguins

1990-91 - Pittsburgh Penguins

1989-90 - Edmonton Oilers

1988-89 - Calgary Flames

1987-88 - Edmonton Oilers

1986-87 - Edmonton Oilers

1985-86 - Montreal Canadiens

1984-85 - Edmonton Oilers

1983-84 - Edmonton Oilers

1982-83 - New York Islanders

1981-82 - New York Islanders

1980-81 - New York Islanders

1979-80 - New York Islanders

1978-79 - Montreal Canadiens

1977-78 - Montreal Canadiens

1976-77 - Montreal Canadiens

1975-76 - Montreal Canadiens

1974-75 - Philadelphia Flyers

1973-74 - Philadelphia Flyers

1972-73 - Montreal Canadiens

1971-72 - Boston Bruins

1970-71 - Montreal Canadiens

1969-70 - Boston Bruins

1968-69 - Montreal Canadiens

1967-68 - Montreal Canadiens

1966-67 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1965-66 - Montreal Canadiens

1964-65 - Montreal Canadiens

1963-64 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1962-63 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1961-62 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1960-61 - Chicago Blackhawks

1959-60 - Montreal Canadiens

1958-59 - Montreal Canadiens

1957-58 - Montreal Canadiens

1956-57 - Montreal Canadiens

1955-56 - Montreal Canadiens

1954-55 - Detroit Red Wings

1953-54 - Detroit Red Wings

1952-53 - Montreal Canadiens

1951-52 - Detroit Red Wings

1950-51 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1949-50 - Detroit Red Wings

1948-49 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1947-48 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1946-47 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1945-46 - Montreal Canadiens

1944-45 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1943-44 - Montreal Canadiens

1942-43 - Detroit Red Wings

1941-42 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1940-41 - Boston Bruins

1939-40 - New York Rangers

1938-39 - Boston Bruins

1937-38 - Chicago Black Hawks

1936-37 - Detroit Red Wings

1935-36 - Detroit Red Wings

1934-35 - Montreal Maroons

1933-34 - Chicago Black Hawks

1932-33 - New York Rangers

1931-32 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1930-31 - Montreal Canadiens

1929-30 - Montreal Canadiens

1928-29 - Boston Bruins

1927-28 - New York Rangers

1926-27 - Ottawa Senators

1925-26 - Montreal Maroons

1924-25 - Victoria Cougars

1923-24 - Montreal Canadiens

1922-23 - Ottawa Senators

1921-22 - Toronto St. Pats

1920-21 - Ottawa Senators

1919-20 - Ottawa Senators

1918-19 - No decision

1917-18 - Toronto Arenas

1916-17 - Seattle Metropolitians

1915-16 - Montreal Canadiens

1914-15 - Vancouver Millionaires

1913-14 - Toronto Blueshirts

1912-23 - Quebec Bulldogs

1911-12 - Quebec Bulldogs

1910-11 - Ottawa Senators

1909-10 - Montreal Wanderers

1908-09 - Ottawa Senators

1907-08 - Montreal Wanderers

1906-07 - Montreal Wanderers

1906-07 - Kenora Thistles

1905-06 - Montreal Wanderers

1905-06 - Ottawa Senators

1904-05 - Ottawa Senators

1903-04 - Ottawa Senators

1902-03 - Ottawa Senators

1902-03 - Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (AAA)

1901-02 - Montreal AAA

1901-02 - Winnipeg Victoria

1900-01 - Winnipeg Victoria

1899-1900 - Montreal Shamrocks

1898-99 - Montreal Shamrocks

1897-98 - Montreal Victorias

1896-97 - Montreal Victorias

1895-96 - Winnipeg Victorias

1895-96 - Montreal Victorias

1894-95 - Montreal Victorias

1893-94 - Montreal AAA

1892-93 - Montreal AAA