What were the original 8 NHL teams?

There's a lot of confusion here about the origins of the National Hockey League, perhaps because of the term 'Original Six'. But the league did not originate with six teams. read more

The "Original Six" weren't the original six. There were only four (or five) teams in the league the first season. From the NHL's website: Nov. 26, 1917: The NHL was founded. Teams included the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Arenas, and Quebec Bulldogs. read more

"The Original six" is a term coined in 1967, when the NHL expanded from 6 teams to 12, and refers to the six teams that comprised the league from 1942 - 1967. The NHL was originally formed on November 26, 1917 by the 1) Montreal Canadiens, 2) Montreal Wanderers, 3) Ottawa Senators and 4) Quebec Bulldogs. read more

Original Six. The NHL consisted of ten teams during the 1920s, but the league experienced a period of retrenchment during the Great Depression, losing the Pittsburgh Pirates/Philadelphia Quakers, Ottawa Senators/St. Louis Eagles, and Montreal Maroons in succession to financial pressures. read more