NHL Teams

There are 32 NHL teams, split into two conferences of 16 and four divisions of eight. Twenty-five play in the United States and seven in Canada. Search or sort the list below, or open any club for its full 2026-27 schedule, results, next game and standings position.

There are 32 NHL teams, split into two conferences of 16 and four divisions of eight. Twenty-five play in the United States and seven in Canada. Carolina Hurricanes hold the best record in 2026-27 at 12-2-2, with Hurricanes leading the East and Oilers the West. Open any club for its full schedule, results, next game and standings position.

The League32 Teams2 conferences
32Clubs
4Divisions8 teams each
25US teams
7Canadian teams
16Make the playoffs
HurricanesBest record26 pts

All 32 NHL Teams by Division

The league splits into two conferences of 16 clubs, each made up of two divisions of eight. Division placement decides most of the schedule and the first round of the playoffs, so these groupings matter more than the alphabetical list.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins11-4-1, 23 pts, 1st in AtlanticNext: at Pittsburgh Penguins, Thu Nov 5Montreal Canadiens9-3-2, 20 pts, 2nd in AtlanticNext: vs Winnipeg Jets, Tue Nov 3Ottawa Senators9-6-1, 19 pts, 3rd in AtlanticNext: at Buffalo Sabres, Wed Nov 4Tampa Bay Lightning8-3-2, 18 pts, 4th in AtlanticNext: vs Detroit Red Wings, Tue Nov 3Florida Panthers8-5-2, 18 pts, 5th in AtlanticNext: vs Chicago Blackhawks, Wed Nov 4Toronto Maple Leafs8-6-2, 18 pts, 6th in AtlanticNext: vs Utah Mammoth, Tue Nov 3Buffalo Sabres7-4-3, 17 pts, 7th in AtlanticNext: vs Ottawa Senators, Wed Nov 4Detroit Red Wings7-5-3, 17 pts, 8th in AtlanticNext: at Tampa Bay Lightning, Tue Nov 3

Metropolitan Division

Carolina Hurricanes12-2-2, 26 pts, 1st in MetropolitanNext: at Nashville Predators, Tue Nov 3New Jersey Devils9-5-0, 18 pts, 2nd in MetropolitanNext: vs Edmonton Oilers, Tue Nov 3Washington Capitals8-5-0, 16 pts, 3rd in MetropolitanNext: vs Dallas Stars, Tue Nov 3New York Islanders7-5-2, 16 pts, 4th in MetropolitanNext: vs Carolina Hurricanes, Thu Nov 5New York Rangers7-7-1, 15 pts, 5th in MetropolitanNext: vs St. Louis Blues, Tue Nov 3Pittsburgh Penguins5-7-2, 12 pts, 6th in MetropolitanNext: vs Vegas Golden Knights, Tue Nov 3Philadelphia Flyers4-8-4, 12 pts, 7th in MetropolitanNext: vs Minnesota Wild, Tue Nov 3Columbus Blue Jackets5-7-0, 10 pts, 8th in MetropolitanNext: vs Colorado Avalanche, Tue Nov 3

Western Conference

Central Division

Minnesota Wild10-3-3, 23 pts, 1st in CentralNext: at Philadelphia Flyers, Tue Nov 3Colorado Avalanche9-5-1, 19 pts, 2nd in CentralNext: at Columbus Blue Jackets, Tue Nov 3Utah Mammoth9-6-0, 18 pts, 3rd in CentralNext: at Toronto Maple Leafs, Tue Nov 3Dallas Stars8-5-1, 17 pts, 4th in CentralNext: at Washington Capitals, Tue Nov 3St. Louis Blues7-6-1, 15 pts, 5th in CentralNext: at New York Rangers, Tue Nov 3Nashville Predators5-4-5, 15 pts, 6th in CentralNext: vs Carolina Hurricanes, Tue Nov 3Winnipeg Jets4-8-3, 11 pts, 7th in CentralNext: at Montreal Canadiens, Tue Nov 3Chicago Blackhawks4-10-1, 9 pts, 8th in CentralNext: at Florida Panthers, Wed Nov 4

Pacific Division

Edmonton Oilers11-2-2, 24 pts, 1st in PacificNext: at New Jersey Devils, Tue Nov 3Vegas Golden Knights9-5-2, 20 pts, 2nd in PacificNext: at Pittsburgh Penguins, Tue Nov 3Seattle Kraken8-5-1, 17 pts, 3rd in PacificNext: vs Calgary Flames, Wed Nov 4San Jose Sharks7-8-1, 15 pts, 4th in PacificNext: at Los Angeles Kings, Wed Nov 4Calgary Flames7-8-0, 14 pts, 5th in PacificNext: at Seattle Kraken, Wed Nov 4Anaheim Ducks6-7-1, 13 pts, 6th in PacificNext: at Vancouver Canucks, Tue Nov 3Los Angeles Kings4-7-2, 10 pts, 7th in PacificNext: vs San Jose Sharks, Wed Nov 4Vancouver Canucks3-12-1, 7 pts, 8th in PacificNext: vs Anaheim Ducks, Tue Nov 3

NHL Teams A to Z

All 32 clubs with code, conference, division and home market. Tap a heading to sort. The search box at the top filters this table too.

Anaheim DucksANAWesternPacificAnaheimUnited States13
Boston BruinsBOSEasternAtlanticBostonUnited States23
Buffalo SabresBUFEasternAtlanticBuffaloUnited States17
Calgary FlamesCGYWesternPacificCalgaryCanada14
Carolina HurricanesCAREasternMetropolitanCarolinaUnited States26
Chicago BlackhawksCHIWesternCentralChicagoUnited States9
Colorado AvalancheCOLWesternCentralColoradoUnited States19
Columbus Blue JacketsCBJEasternMetropolitanColumbusUnited States10
Dallas StarsDALWesternCentralDallasUnited States17
Detroit Red WingsDETEasternAtlanticDetroitUnited States17
Edmonton OilersEDMWesternPacificEdmontonCanada24
Florida PanthersFLAEasternAtlanticFloridaUnited States18
Los Angeles KingsLAKWesternPacificLos AngelesUnited States10
Minnesota WildMINWesternCentralMinnesotaUnited States23
Montreal CanadiensMTLEasternAtlanticMontrealCanada20
Nashville PredatorsNSHWesternCentralNashvilleUnited States15
New Jersey DevilsNJDEasternMetropolitanNew JerseyUnited States18
New York IslandersNYIEasternMetropolitanNew YorkUnited States16
New York RangersNYREasternMetropolitanNew YorkUnited States15
Ottawa SenatorsOTTEasternAtlanticOttawaCanada19
Philadelphia FlyersPHIEasternMetropolitanPhiladelphiaUnited States12
Pittsburgh PenguinsPITEasternMetropolitanPittsburghUnited States12
San Jose SharksSJSWesternPacificSan JoseUnited States15
Seattle KrakenSEAWesternPacificSeattleUnited States17
St. Louis BluesSTLWesternCentralSt. LouisUnited States15
Tampa Bay LightningTBLEasternAtlanticTampa BayUnited States18
Toronto Maple LeafsTOREasternAtlanticTorontoCanada18
Utah MammothUTAWesternCentralUtahUnited States18
Vancouver CanucksVANWesternPacificVancouverCanada7
Vegas Golden KnightsVGKWesternPacificVegasUnited States20
Washington CapitalsWSHEasternMetropolitanWashingtonUnited States16
Winnipeg JetsWPGWesternCentralWinnipegCanada11

How the Four Divisions Compare

Points earned per game played, averaged across each division. A figure near 1.00 is exactly average, because two points are awarded per game and losing after regulation still returns one. The Atlantic Division is running strongest at 2.52 points per game.

NHL division strength by points per gameAtlantic 2.5 points per game, Metropolitan 2.2 points per game, Central 2.2 points per game, Pacific 2 points per game.Atlantic Division: 150 points from 119 games played2.5AtlanticEasternMetropolitan Division: 125 points from 114 games played2.2MetropolitanEasternCentral Division: 127 points from 118 games played2.2CentralWesternPacific Division: 120 points from 119 games played2PacificWestern
Average points earned per game played in each division. Overtime and shootout losses count for one point, so a division can sit above 1.00 by drawing more games out past regulation.

Canadian and American NHL Teams

Seven of the 32 clubs are based in Canada and the other 25 play in the United States. The Canadian teams are Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets. None has won the Stanley Cup since 1993, which is why every Canadian run deep into the playoffs becomes a national story.

Calgary FlamesEdmonton OilersMontreal CanadiensOttawa SenatorsToronto Maple LeafsVancouver CanucksWinnipeg Jets

The American clubs stretch from Boston and Florida in the east to Seattle, Los Angeles and Anaheim on the Pacific coast, which is why late puck drops are a normal part of the schedule for eastern viewers. Utah is the newest market, having taken on the former Arizona franchise, and the Mammoth play in the Central Division.

How NHL Teams Are Organised

The Eastern Conference holds the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions. The Western Conference holds the Central and Pacific. A club plays its own division most often, the rest of its conference next, and the opposite conference least, so rivalries build inside a division across a season.

Sixteen teams reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs: the top three in each division, plus two wild cards in each conference awarded to the best remaining records regardless of division. That format means a third-place finish in a strong division is worth more than fourth in a weak one, and it is why the wild card race is usually the tightest part of the standings.

See the current division and wild card standings

Every NHL teams page here updates after each game of the 2026-27 season. Open a club for its full schedule, results, next game and standings position in one place.

FAQ About NHL Teams

How many teams are in the NHL?

There are 32 NHL teams. Sixteen play in the Eastern Conference, split between the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions, and sixteen in the Western Conference, split between the Central and Pacific. Each division holds eight clubs.

Which NHL teams are in the Atlantic Division?

Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Which NHL teams are in the Metropolitan Division?

Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

Which NHL teams are in the Central Division?

Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Utah Mammoth and Winnipeg Jets.

Which NHL teams are in the Pacific Division?

Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights.

How many Canadian teams are in the NHL?

Seven: the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets. The remaining 25 clubs are based in the United States.

What is the newest NHL team?

The Utah Mammoth, who play in the Central Division after the franchise relocated from Arizona. The Seattle Kraken were the most recent expansion club before that, joining the Pacific Division.

Which NHL team is best in 2026-27?

Carolina Hurricanes lead the league at 12-2-2 with 26 points from 16 games. Records on this page update after every final.

Updated All times Eastern Time (ET)

Has the NHL Always Had 32 Teams?

No. For 25 years the league was the Original Six: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, New York and Toronto. That era ended in 1967, when the league doubled to twelve clubs in a single expansion, and growth has continued in waves ever since.

The most recent additions arrived quickly. Vegas entered as the 31st franchise in 2017 and reached the Stanley Cup Final in its first season. Seattle followed as the 32nd in 2021. The newest name on the map is not an expansion club at all: the Arizona franchise relocated to Salt Lake City and now plays as the Utah Mammoth in the Central Division.

NHL Team Abbreviations

Scoreboards, box scores and the tables on this site use three-letter codes. Most are obvious from the city, but a few trip people up because two clubs share a market or a city name is too short on its own.

  • NYR and NYI separate the New York Rangers from the New York Islanders.
  • LAK, SJS, TBL and NJD add a letter because LA, SJ, TB and NJ are two-letter markets.
  • VGK is Vegas Golden Knights, not VEG, and UTA is the Utah Mammoth.
  • CBJ is Columbus Blue Jackets, distinct from Calgary at CGY and Carolina at CAR.

The A to Z table above lists every code alongside the club’s conference, division, home market and country, and the column headings sort, so you can group the whole league by division or by country in one tap.

Where NHL Teams Play, and Why It Affects Your Evening

The league spans four time zones in the United States and Canada, which is the single biggest reason game times vary so much. A club on the Pacific coast starting at 7:00 PM local is a 10:00 PM ET puck drop, so an eastern viewer following Vancouver, Seattle, San Jose, Los Angeles or Anaheim is committing to a late night several times a week.

ZoneClubs based thereTypical home puck drop (ET)
EasternAtlantic and Metropolitan clubs, plus Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa7:00 PM
CentralChicago, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg8:00 PM
MountainColorado, Utah, Calgary, Edmonton9:00 PM
PacificAnaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver, Vegas10:00 PM
Roughly when each group of clubs starts its home games, in Eastern Time.

Every time on this site is Eastern, so those figures match what you will see on each team page. If you are picking a club to follow and your evenings are short, a team in your own zone makes the season a great deal easier to watch.

Open any of the 32 NHL teams above for its full 2026-27 schedule, results and next game. To see where every club sits in the playoff race, check the NHL standings.