Honestly, trying to keep track of every single hockey team in North America used to be easy. You had your "Original Six," a few expansion teams from the seventies, and that was basically it. But things change fast. If you haven't checked the standings in a year or two, you might be looking for the Arizona Coyotes and find... well, nothing. They’re gone. In their place is a brand-new identity that has fans in Salt Lake City losing their minds.
The current list of all NHL teams sits at 32 franchises. It’s a perfectly balanced league—16 in the East, 16 in the West. But "balanced" doesn't mean "static." Between massive rebranding efforts and the constant shuffle of the salary cap era, the league today looks a lot different than the one your dad grew up watching.
The Utah Mammoth and the Western Conference Shuffle
The biggest story in the hockey world lately is undoubtedly the Utah Mammoth. For a while, they were just the "Utah Hockey Club," a placeholder name while the owners figured out what wouldn't get sued by Yeti (the cooler company). After a massive fan vote that saw over 850,000 ballots cast, the Mammoth was born. They play out of the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, and they've inherited a roster that was actually starting to look pretty good before they left the desert.
In the Central Division, the Mammoth find themselves rubbing shoulders with some heavy hitters. You've got the Colorado Avalanche, who are basically a cheat code when Nathan MacKinnon is healthy, and the Dallas Stars, a team that seems to find elite goaltending under every rock they flip over.
The rest of the Central is rounded out by the Chicago Blackhawks—now the Connor Bedard show—the Minnesota Wild, the Nashville Predators, the St. Louis Blues, and the Winnipeg Jets. It’s a grind of a division. Travel is brutal, and the games are physical.
Over in the Pacific Division, things are just as chaotic. The Vegas Golden Knights continue to defy the "expansion team" logic by acting like a perennial contender. Then you have the Edmonton Oilers, where Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to put up video-game numbers. Joining them are the Vancouver Canucks, the Los Angeles Kings, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Seattle Kraken, the Calgary Flames, the Anaheim Ducks, and the San Jose Sharks.
💡 You might also like: Cómo entender la tabla de Copa Oro y por qué los puntos no siempre cuentan la historia completa
The Sharks are currently in a "scorched earth" rebuild, but that’s just the cycle of the league. One day you're hoisting the Cup, the next you're praying for the first overall pick.
The Eastern Conference: Old Blood and New Power
If the West is about expansion and new frontiers, the East is where the history lives. The Atlantic Division is home to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that carries the weight of a country on its back every October. They are joined by their eternal rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Boston Bruins, a team that simply refuses to age out of being a contender.
The rest of the Atlantic consists of:
- Tampa Bay Lightning (the model of modern consistency)
- Florida Panthers (the 2024 champs who finally figured out how to win)
- Detroit Red Wings (slowly climbing back to relevance)
- Buffalo Sabres (the longest playoff drought in history, though the talent is there)
- Ottawa Senators (a young core that is perpetually "one year away")
Then you have the Metropolitan Division. This is often called the "meat grinder" because there are no easy nights. You have the New York Rangers, who play in the world's most famous arena, and the New York Islanders, who finally have a home of their own at UBS Arena.
The Carolina Hurricanes have turned Raleigh into a hockey town through sheer force of will and a relentless forecheck. They share the division with the New Jersey Devils, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
📖 Related: Ohio State Football All White Uniforms: Why the Icy Look Always Sparks a Debate
Watching Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin enter the twilight of their careers in this division is bittersweet. We're witnessing the end of an era while teams like the Devils are just starting theirs.
Why the list of all NHL teams keeps growing
The NHL isn't done. While 32 teams feels like a nice, even number, the rumors about Houston and Atlanta (yes, Atlanta again) never truly go away. Commissioner Gary Bettman has been coy about it, but the money in professional sports is too big to ignore.
The league has a very specific way of doing things now. They don't just give a team to anyone with a checkbook. They want "hockey-ready" arenas and a massive season ticket base before the puck even drops. Look at Vegas and Seattle—both teams were instant hits because the infrastructure was ready.
The Original Six Legacy
You can't talk about the list of all NHL teams without mentioning the foundation. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs are the "Original Six."
Between 1942 and 1967, these were the only teams in the league. It sounds crazy now, right? Only six teams? But that era created the rivalries that still drive the league’s TV ratings today. When the Rangers play the Islanders, it’s a big deal. When the Canadiens play the Maple Leafs, the whole of Canada stops.
👉 See also: Who Won the Golf Tournament This Weekend: Richard T. Lee and the 2026 Season Kickoff
The Geographic Reality of 2026
The map of the NHL has shifted south and west. We have teams in the middle of the Nevada desert and the salt flats of Utah. It’s a far cry from the days when hockey was strictly a "frozen pond" sport.
Canada has seven teams:
- Montreal Canadiens
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Ottawa Senators
- Winnipeg Jets
- Calgary Flames
- Edmonton Oilers
- Vancouver Canucks
The United States has 25. This ratio is a constant point of debate among fans. Should Quebec City have a team? Probably. Will they get one? Only if a current team fails so spectacularly that relocation becomes the only option. The league prefers "new" markets over "old" ones because they want to grow the game's footprint.
What to watch for next
If you're a fan trying to keep up, the best thing you can do is look at the salary cap. The "middle class" of the NHL is disappearing. Teams are either "all-in" on winning a Cup or "all-in" on a rebuild. There is very little room for mediocrity in the modern NHL.
Also, keep an eye on the Utah Mammoth's first few seasons. The "honeymoon phase" in a new city is real, and if they can string together some wins, they might just become the next Vegas-style success story.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the 2026 standings: With the Mammoth now fully rebranded, see how they are faring in the Central Division compared to their old Arizona stats.
- Track the Draft: If you follow a struggling team like the Sharks or Sabres, the NHL Entry Draft is your most important day of the year.
- Watch a "4 Nations" Event: The NHL is leaning back into international play. Watching these NHL stars represent their countries is the best way to see the highest level of talent on the ice.