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Current NAHL logo (1946-present).

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) was founded in Montreal, Quebec in November 1917. In the eighty years since the League's founding, the number of teams and their compositions have changed dramatically. The League's championship, the Stanley Cup Finals, are played in the first months of each year. The Stanley Cup title and trophy are awarded to the champions of a best-of-six or best-of-seven (on rare occasion, best-of-five) playoff series. Most recently, the Cup was awarded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who defeated the defending champions, the Aurora Avalanche, 4-2 in a best-of-six series that ended June 7, 1997.

Teams[]

Western League[]

Pacific Division[]

Team Arena City Founded Joined
Anaheim Mighty Ducks Arrowhead Arena Anaheim, CA 1993 1993
Calgary Central* The Saddledome Calgary, AL 1973 1973
Edmonton Oilers* Northlands Coliseum Edmonton, AL 1974 1975
Los Angeles Kings L.A. Memorial Sports Center Los Angeles, CA 1972 1972
San Jose Sharks San Jose Center San Jose, CA 1991 1991
Vancouver Reds Bay Place Arena Vancouver, CL 1973 1973
Parksville Chargers Parksville Civic Arena Parksville, CL 1965 1965

Central Division[]

Team Arena City Founded Joined
Chicago Blackhawks United Center Chicago, IL 1926 1926
Aurora Avalanche McNichols Sports Arena Denver, CO 1995 1995
Minnesota North Stars Met Center Bloomington, MN 1967 1967
Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Detroit, MI 1926 1926
Chesapeake Superiors Chesapeake Civic Center Chesapeake, SU 1965 1965
Miko Scouts Miko Center Miko, OK 1970 1970
Fargo Mohawks Fargo Civic Center Fargo, DA 1983 1983
Sudbury Capitals* Capital Arena Sudbury, ON 1975 1975

Eastern League[]

Northeast Division[]

Team Arena City Founded Joined
Boston Bruins Boston Garden Boston, MA 1924 1924
Buffalo Sabres Midland Arena Buffalo, NY 1970 1970
Montreal Quebecois* Montreal Forum Montreal, QB 1917 1917
Pittsburgh Penguins Civic Arena Pittsburgh, PA 1967 1967
Yorktown Lakers Skydome Yorktown, ER 1929 1929
Hartford Whalers Hartford Civic Center Hartford, CT 1983 1983
Falmouth Atlantics Atlantic Center Arena Falmouth, ME 1978 1978
Halifax Wanderers Bayfront Arena Halifax, NS 1968 1968

Atlantic Division[]

Team Arena City Founded Joined
Florida Panthers Miami Arena Sunrise, EF 1993 1993
Tampa Bay Lightning The Ice Ring Tampa, EF 1992 1992
New Jersey Devils Continental Arena East Rutherford, NJ 1974 1974
Long Islanders Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Uniondale, LI 1972 1972
Manhattan Rangers Madison Square Garden New York City, MH 1926 1926
Philadelphia Flyers CoreStates Center Philadelphia, PA 1967 1967
Washington Senators Uline Arena Washington, D.C. 1974 1974

(* Denotes a non-American team)

Stanley Cup[]

1920s[]

  • 1927 – The now-defunct Ottawa Senators defeat the Boston Bruins 2-0.
  • 1928 – The New York (now Manhattan) Rangers defeat the now-defunct Montreal Maroons 3-2.
  • 1929 – The Boston Bruins defeat the New York Rangers 2-0.

1930s[]

The Yorktown Lakers made six appearances in the Finals in the 1930s, but won only a single title, in 1932. This has led to the '30s being described as "the Disappointing Decade" for the Lakers.

  • 1930 – The Montreal Quebecois defeat the Boston Bruins 2-0.
  • 1931 – The Montreal Quebecois defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2.
  • 1932 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the New York Rangers 3-0.
  • 1933 – In a reversal of the previous year, the Rangers defeat the Lakers 3-1.
  • 1934 – The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.
  • 1935 – The now-defunct Montreal Maroons defeat the Yorktown Lakers 3-0.
  • 1936 – The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Yorktown Lakers 3-1.
  • 1937 – The Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 3-2.
  • 1938 – The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Yorktown Lakers 3-1.
  • 1939 – The Boston Bruins defeat the Yorktown Lakers 4-1.

1940s[]

Even with manpower shortages in all professional sports due to conscription in World War II, the Finals were still held from 1941 through 1945. The '40s all but erased the losses of the prior decade for the Yorktown Lakers, with another six appearances and five wins (1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949) to a single loss in 1940.

  • 1940 – The New York Rangers defeat the Yorktown Lakers 4-3.
  • 1941 – The Boston Bruins defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-0.
  • 1942 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3.
  • 1943 – The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Boston Bruins 4-0.
  • 1944 – The Montreal Quebecois defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0.
  • 1945 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3.
  • 1946 – The Montreal Quebecois defeat the Boston Bruins 4-1.
  • 1947 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Montreal Quebecois 3-1.
  • 1948 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.
  • 1949 – For the second consecutive year, the Yorktown Lakers defeat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-0.

1950s[]

The 1950s were largely dominated by the Detroit Red Wings, with six appearances and five wins (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, and 1958) to only a single loss to the Montreal Quebecois in 1956.

  • 1950 – The Detroit Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 4-3.
  • 1951 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Montreal Quebecois 3-0.
  • 1952 – The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Montreal Quebecois 4-0.
  • 1953 – The Montreal Quebecois defeat the Boston Bruins 4-1.
  • 1954 – The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Montreal Quebecois 4-3.
  • 1955 – The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Montreal Quebecois 4-3.
  • 1956 – The Montreal Quebecois defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1.
  • 1957 – The Boston Bruins defeat the Montreal Quebecois 4-2.
  • 1958 – The Detroit Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 3-2.
  • 1959 – The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3.

1960s[]

Known as "the American Decade" (since no Canadian team even made it to the playoffs), the 1960s saw a resurgence for the Yorktown Lakers, with six appearances and four consecutive wins (1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965) to two losses (1960 and 1966); the runners-up were the Chicago Blackhawks, with two consecutive wins (1960 and 1961) to three losses (1962, 1965, and 1967), and the New York (now-Manhattan) Rangers, with two appearances and wins (1966 and 1969).

The '60s also saw the addition of six new teams to the league (the Parksville Chargers and Chesapeake Superiors in 1965, the Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers in 1967, and the Halifax Wanderers in 1968).

  • 1960 – The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Yorktown Lakers 4-2.
  • 1961 – The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2.
  • 1962 – In a reversal of the 1960 season, the Yorktown Lakers defeat the defending Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.
  • 1963 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1.
  • 1964 – In a second straight year, the Yorktown Lakers defeat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-3.
  • 1965 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3.
  • 1966 – The New York Rangers defeat the defending Yorktown Lakers 4-1.
  • 1967 – The Parksville Chargers defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.
  • 1968 – The Halifax Wanderers defeat the Boston Bruins 4-1.
  • 1969 – The New York Rangers defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3.

1970s[]

The 1970s saw immense growth of the league, with the addition of as many eleven new teams (the Miko Scouts and Buffalo Sabres in 1970, the Long Islanders and Los Angeles Kings in 1972, the Calgary Central and Vancouver Reds in 1973, the New Jersey Devils, Washington Senators, and Edmonton Oilers in 1974, the Sudbury Capitals in 1975, and the Falmouth Atlantics in 1978).

The '70s were also the decade where no single team held a true majority of wins; the closest were the Boston Bruins, with five appearances and two wins (1970 and 1972) to three losses (1971, 1974 and 1978).

  • 1970 – The Boston Bruins defeat the Minnesota North Stars 4-0.
  • 1971 – The New York Rangers defeat the defending Boston Bruins 4-2.
  • 1972 – In a reversal of the previous year, the Bruins defeat the defending Rangers 4-2.
  • 1973 – The Buffalo Sabres defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3.
  • 1974 – The Philadelphia Flyers defeat the Boston Bruins 4-2.
  • 1975 – The Long Islanders defeat the defending Philadelphia Flyers 4-2.
  • 1976 – The Vancouver Cascades defeat the defending Long Islanders 4-3.
  • 1977 – The Miko Scouts defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2.
  • 1978 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Boston Bruins 4-2.
  • 1979 – The Montreal Quebecois defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3.

1980s[]

The 1980s were also a largely "year-by-year" decade for winners of the Cup – the sole exception was the Long Islanders, with two wins (1981 and 1983) and an equal number of losses (1982 and 1986). The '80s also saw the expansion of the league into different regions of the United States, with the addition of the Fargo Mohawks in Dakota and the Hartford Whalers in Connecticut in 1983.

In 1980, the Rangers were re-branded as the Manhattan Rangers (after existing in the State of Manhattan for three years as the New York Rangers).

  • 1980 – The Yorktown Lakers defeat the Manhattan Rangers 4-2.
  • 1981 – The Long Islanders defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2.
  • 1982 – The Miko Scouts defeat the defending Long Islanders 4-3.
  • 1983 – The Long Islanders defeat the Vancouver Cascades 4-1.
  • 1984 – The Chesapeake Superiors defeat the Falmouth Atlantics 4-2.
  • 1985 – The Calgary Central defeat the Falmouth Atlantics 4-3.
  • 1986 – The Hartford Whalers defeat the Long Islanders 4-1.
  • 1987 – The Manhattan Rangers defeat the defending Hartford Whalers 4-3.
  • 1988 – The Edmonton Oilers defeat the defending Manhattan Rangers 4-2.
  • 1989 – The Vancouver Reds defeat the defending Edmonton Oilers 4-0.

1990s[]

  • 1990 – The Falmouth Atlantics defeat the Washington Senators 4-3.
  • 1991 – The Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Minnesota North Stars 4-2.
  • 1992 – The Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0.
  • 1993 – The Montreal Quebecois defeat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3.
  • 1994 – The Miko Scouts defeat the Fargo Mohawks 4-1.
  • 1995 – The Falmouth Atlantics defeat the Manhattan Rangers 4-2.
  • 1996 – The Aurora Avalanche defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3.
  • 1997 – In a reversal of the previous year, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the defending Aurora Avalanche 4-2.

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