Draft:History of the National Hockey League (since 2017)

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The Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Seven of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs.
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The National Hockey League (NHL) began its second century in 2017. Since 2017, the NHL has added two new teams, adding the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken to the Western Conference. The COVID-19 pandemic was a major disruption to the league during the 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons. The NHL played games without spectators, in controlled conditions.

Background[edit]

Prior to 2017, the NHL's last expansion was in 2000, adding the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild to bring the number of teams to thirty. After the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg in 2011, sixteen of the teams in the league were in the Eastern time zone, and the conferences remained balanced with fifteen teams each until the league realigned in 2013. Following the realignment all sixteen teams in the Eastern time zone were placed into the Eastern Conference and the remaining fourteen teams were placed in the Western Conference, leaving the conferences unbalanced. Beginning in 2013, the NHL started hearing from groups interested in getting an NHL franchise. Interest was shown from groups in Seattle, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Quebec City.[1] Groups in the west were favoured by the NHL so as to even out the team distribution. Seattle did not have an arena, while Las Vegas and Quebec City were building new rinks.[1] In June 2015, the NHL announced that it was officially considering expansion and set an application deadline for July 20, 2015 for teams to begin play in 2017. Prospective teams had to pay $10 million to apply, of which $2 million was refundable.[2] Las Vegas and Quebec City progressed to stage two of the process in August 2015.[3] Ultimately, only Las Vegas was approved by the league's Board of Governors on June 22, 2016,[4] to pay an expansion fee of $500 million.[5] Las Vegas was not considered to be a hotbed for ice hockey.[4] To ensure the new team's success on the ice and attendance, the NHL made more players available in the expansion draft from the existing teams. This led to a large number of trade deals by Las Vegas, as existing teams sought to protect players strategically. The shorter lists of protected players meant high-profile players such as Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal, Eric Staal and Sami Vatanen.[6]

The second century[edit]

Vegas and Seattle additions[edit]

Chandler Stephenson of the Golden Knights (left) and Carson Soucy of the Kraken (right) in 2023.

In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL, increasing league membership to 31 teams. In their first season as a franchise, the Golden Knights became an immediate success, capturing the Pacific Division title en route to an appearance in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, a feat never seen before in North American professional sports.[7] However they lost the series 4–1 to the Washington Capitals, losing four straight games after a 6–4 victory in the first game.[8] Vegas returned to the Finals in 2023, defeating the Florida Panthers four games to one to win their first Stanley Cup, and becoming the second-fastest expansion team to win their first Cup.[9]

On December 4, 2018, it was announced that a team in Seattle, later named the Seattle Kraken, would be the 32nd team in the league.[10] Upon debuting in 2021, the Kraken joined the Pacific Division, with the Arizona Coyotes moving to the Central Division.[11] After a dismal inaugural season that saw them finish near the bottom of the league, the Kraken reached the playoffs for the first time in their second season, defeating the defending champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round before falling to the Dallas Stars in seven games in the second round.[12]

Two first–time champions[edit]

The six–year streak of a Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, or Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup win came to an end in 2018. The Washington Capitals, not seen in the Stanley Cup Finals since their loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 1998, won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the aforementioned Golden Knights in five games.[8] In 2019, the St. Louis Blues, who had not made the Finals since 1970, won their first Stanley Cup championship, defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games.[13]

Further outdoor games[edit]

During the NHL's 100th anniversary celebrations in 2017, two one-off outdoor games were held in Eastern Canada. The NHL Centennial Classic took place at Toronto's BMO Field on January 1, 2017, and it featured a rematch of the 2014 Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs.[14] Then on December 16, 2017, the NHL 100 Classic between the Canadiens and Senators was played at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Canada commemorating the first games of the NHL in 1917.[15]

The 2023 Stadium Series at Carter–Finley Stadium.

A unique series of NHL outdoor games took place on February 20 and 21, 2021 at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort near Lake Tahoe in Nevada.[16] The NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe event saw the Golden Knights play the Avalanche in the first game, and the Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers in the second. Unlike previous NHL outdoor games, it was not held in a stadium or ballpark but in a golf course overlooking the lake, and no fans were in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] This event replaced both the 2021 Winter Classic and Stadium Series due to the shortened season (see below).[16]

The Stadium Series continued to move into southern and non-traditional markets. On March 3, 2018, the Capitals hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, in a unique partnership between the NHL and the United States Armed Forces. The 2022 edition was contested between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators at Nissan Stadium in Nashville; this was followed by the 2023 edition, which featured the Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes at Carter–Finley Stadium, on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The 2024 event returned north to MetLife Stadium just outside New York City, and held multiple games for the first time since 2016; in two of the highest-attended games in hockey history,[18] the Flyers took on the New Jersey Devils in the first game, while the New York Rangers took on the New York Islanders in the second.[19]

Golden Knights and Kraken players during the 2024 Winter Classic.

The Winter Classic additionally saw a move southward, with the 2020 NHL Winter Classic taking place at the Cotton Bowl between the Predators and Stars. The 2024 event, meanwhile, featured a battle of expansion teams, with the Golden Knights and Kraken facing off in Seattle's T-Mobile Park. The Heritage Classic continued to be held irregularly; most notably, the 2022 edition became the first to be officially hosted by an American team, with the Buffalo Sabres playing as the home team against the Maple Leafs at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario.[20]

Olympic participation[edit]

In 2018, the NHL elected not to send its players to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.[21][22] While the league initially considered sending players to the 2022 Winter Olympics, they ultimately opted not to due to complications with COVID-19 protocols. In 2024, the NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation announced that NHL players would participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics.[23]

COVID-19 concerns[edit]

Main articles: 2019–20 NHL season, 2020–21 NHL season, and 2021–22 NHL season
Further information: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ice hockey
Man in hockey uniform skating
In 2020–21, despite the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the NHL season to only 56 games, Connor McDavid recorded 105 points. McDavid has recorded over 100 points six times in his career.

The NHL halted play in the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, indefinitely postponing the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. In early March 2020, the NHL suspended media access to the locker rooms, saying that only official personnel would be allowed in after the games to limit person-to-person contact. But after the National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended all games when two players tested positive for the disease, the NHL scheduled a meeting to discuss pausing the season. On March 12, the morning practice sessions and media access were cancelled for all teams. Shortly after, they announced the 2019–20 season was paused indefinitely.[24][25] It was the biggest interruption to an NHL season since the 2012–13 NHL lockout.[25] On March 17, it was announced that a player from the Ottawa Senators tested positive for COVID-19.[26][27] On March 21, it was announced that a second Senators player tested positive for COVID-19.[28][29] Two Colorado Avalanche players also tested positive for the virus.[30] On April 4, the originally intended date for the final games of the regular season, Commissioner Gary Bettman participated in a call with President Donald Trump and other sport commissioners on the state of the sport world.[31]

On May 22, the league and the NHLPA agreed on a basic framework to stage a 24-team playoff tournament behind closed doors. The seeds would be based on each club's points percentage when the season paused on March 12 (effectively scrapping the remainder of the regular season). The top four seeds in each conference would get a bye, while the next eight seeds in each conference would play in a best-of-five series. Many of the logistics still have to be negotiated, including COVID-19 testing protocols, visas, and whether these games would be held in one or more "hub" cities as the Canada–United States border remains closed to non-essential travel until June 21.[32][33][34] That same day, the U.S. government announced that foreign athletes would be exempted from pandemic-related travel bans still in effect.[35][36]

On May 25, the NHL announced "phase two" of its "Return to Play Plan", which was to begin at some point in June. Players would be allowed to resume use of team practice facilities in small groups (no more than six), with only players allowed on-ice and no other agents or press admitted. Players were required to self-isolate for 14 days if they used public transport, and would be regularly monitored and tested for COVID-19. If a player tested positive, they were not allowed to attend training until cleared, with teams suggested to use guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Training camps (phase three) were planned to reopen no later than the first half of July.[37]

On May 26, Bettman formally discussed aspects of the "Return to Play Plan", including the proposed 24-team playoff format (with the top four teams in each conference playing a round robin tournament under regular season overtime rules to determine their seeding), and modifications to the procedures for the Draft Lottery. Whether the first and second round proper would use a best-of-five format as opposed to seven was to be determined, the conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals were each to remain a best-of-seven series. Bettman stated that at least two hub cities would be used for the playoffs, shortlisting hosts such as Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto (the latter two of which would be chosen by the league on July 1). Health, testing, and security protocols would be in place at these sites. As Canadian law requires all travellers entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated that this may impact the ability to use Canadian host cities unless these issues can be addressed.[37]

On June 4, it was announced that the NHL and NHLPA had approved aspects of the format that had not yet been finalized during the May 26 briefing, with the first and second rounds proper using a best-of-seven format as usual, and all teams being reseeded after each round (to account for the lack of home advantage due to all games being played at a neutral site).[38]

It was reported that the NHL planned to have one American host and one Canadian host.[39] As Canada's Quarantine Act required all travelers entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, Deputy Commissioner Daly stated that it could impact the ability to use Canadian host cities unless the issues could be addressed.[37] On June 10, British Columbia Premier John Horgan stated that the province's medical officer Bonnie Henry had endorsed proposed protocols developed by the Vancouver Canucks in collaboration with local officials, and that they were being sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for federal approval.[40] These include allowing the NHL to "cohort" players and restrict their access to the general public.[41]

Phase two of the "Return to Play Plan" began on June 8.[42] Amidst an intense growth of new cases in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning temporarily closed their training facility on June 19 after several staff members and three players tested positive for COVID-19.[43]

On June 24, Rogers Sportsnet reported that Vancouver's bid had been complicated by disagreements over protocols for positive cases. The next day, Global BC's Richard Zussman reported that the NHL had "moved on [for now]" from Vancouver, and was increasing its focus on Edmonton and Toronto as potential sites.[44] While Las Vegas was initially considered a front-runner, a spike of cases in Nevada and other U.S. states led to reports on July 1 that the NHL had decided on Edmonton and Toronto as the sites.[45][39]

On July 10, the NHL confirmed that it had ratified agreements with the NHLPA to begin the playoffs on August 1 (concluding no later than early October), with games being hosted by Edmonton (Western Conference early rounds, conference finals, and Stanley Cup Finals) and Toronto (Eastern Conference early rounds). The league also renewed its CBA for four additional seasons, which includes an increase to minimum player salaries and a 10% deference of player salaries for the 2020–21 season (to be paid out over three seasons beginning 2022–23).[46][47]

The 2020–21 season began on January 13, 2021, over three months after the previous season had concluded. The league unveiled a 56-game regular season, and that the teams would temporarily be realigned into four regional divisions.[48] Due to limitations on travel into and out of Canada,[49] the seven Canadian teams were aligned into a single North division. The seven teams in the North Division played each other nine or ten times during the regular season. The 24 other teams from the United States were realigned into the Central, East and West divisions.[50]

In both pandemic-shortened seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Dallas Stars in 2020 and the Montreal Canadiens in 2021, respectively.

The NHL returned to a full 82-game season in 2021–22, coinciding with the addition of the Seattle Kraken and the return to the previous divisional alignment. By late November, however, despite the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, most teams again endured COVID-19 outbreaks, resulting in many postponed games. In the case of Canadian teams, some postponed games came as a result of attendance restrictions from local governments due to localized outbreaks.[51][52][53] The entire season calendar, which originally scheduled an Olympic break in February after the All-Star Game so that players could participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics, was reworked to make up the games lost due to COVID-19 outbreaks. Thus, NHL players were again barred from competing in the Olympics.[54] On June 26, the Colorado Avalanche won their third Cup in 2022, defeating the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

Deactivation of the Arizona Coyotes and expansion to Utah[edit]

Timeline[edit]

Main article: Timeline of the National Hockey League

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • McCown, Bob (2007), McCown's Law: The 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments, Doubleday Canada, ISBN 978-0-385-66465-3
  • McKinley, Michael (2006), Hockey: A People's History, McClelland & Stewart, ISBN 0-7710-5769-5
  • Pincus, Arthur (2006), The Official Illustrated NHL History, Reader's Digest, ISBN 0-88850-800-X

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Zwolinski, Mark (August 18, 2014). "Seattle Hopeful But Trailing in Expansion Race". Toronto Star. p. 33.
  2. ^ Associated Press (July 21, 2015). "Canadian media company wants NHL expansion team in Quebec City". Record Journal. p. B3.
  3. ^ "Vegas, Quebec City Advance To Stage 2 in NHL Expansion Bids". The Spokesman-Review. August 6, 2015. p. B2.
  4. ^ a b Vingan, Adam (June 23, 2016). "NHL Expansion Will Hit Preds' Roster". The Tennessean. p. C1.
  5. ^ Associated Press (June 23, 2016). "Las Vegas awarded new NHL team". The Muscatine Journal. p. A31.
  6. ^ Wawrow, John; Whyno, Stephen (June 19, 2017). "Fleury, Stall, Neal among players left unprotected". Hamilton Spectator. p. 27.
  7. ^ Mark Anderson Las Vegas Review-Journal (September 19, 2020). "Golden Knights' successful start historic even beyond NHL". Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Shpigel, Ben (June 7, 2018). "The Washington Capitals, After Years of Frustration, Win the Stanley Cup". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "What happens in Vegas ... is a Stanley Cup, as the Golden Knights win the NHL title". NPR.com. National Public Radio. June 14, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  10. ^ Bogage, Jacob (December 4, 2018). "NHL adds Seattle franchise as league's 32nd team, starting in 2021". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  11. ^ Romero, José M (October 18, 2021). "Coyotes embark on renewed journey in NHL's Central Division, 22 years later". Arizona Republic. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  12. ^ didion, Alex (April 14, 2023). "Unprecedented Kraken turnaround comes after rocky inaugural season". King5.com. KING-TV. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  13. ^ Niesen, Joan (June 13, 2019). "From Worst to First, Blues Complete the Perfect Comeback With Stanley Cup Win". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  14. ^ Siegel, Jonas (January 1, 2017). "Centennial Classic lives up to billing as Leafs down Red Wings in OT". CBC.ca. CBC/Radio-Canada. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  15. ^ "Senators shut out Canadiens in outdoor NHL 100 Classic". USA Today. December 16, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Knoll, Andrew (February 19, 2021). "An Outdoor Hockey Game That for Once Is in the Great Outdoors". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "The remarkable sights and sounds from NHL's outdoor games at Lake Tahoe". Sportsnet.ca. Rogers Media. February 21, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  18. ^ Fazelpoor, Matthew (February 20, 2024). "150K fans pack MetLife for Jersey-flavored NHL Stadium Series". NJBiz.com. Bridge Tower Media, LLC. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  19. ^ Cherwood, Vin A. (February 18, 2024). "NHL's Stadium Series games at MetLife Stadium increases total to 41 played outdoors". APNews.com. The Associated Press. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  20. ^ Clipperton, Joshua (March 13, 2022). "Sabres down Maple Leafs in Heritage Classic as Toronto's goaltending issues continue". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  21. ^ "NHL will not participate in 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games". Sportsnet.ca. Rogers Media. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  22. ^ "Iced out: The lowdown on NHL's Olympic boycott". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  23. ^ "NHL players to return to Olympics in 2026 and 2030". CNN.com. February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  24. ^ "NHL pauses regular season because of coronavirus". NHL.com. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  25. ^ a b Gaydos, Ryan (March 12, 2020). "NHL suspends 2019-20 season over coronavirus outbreak". Fox News. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  26. ^ "Senators player tests positive for COVID-19". NHL.com. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  27. ^ "Ottawa Senators player is first NHLer to test positive for COVID-19". Sportsnet.ca. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  28. ^ "A second Sens player tests positive for COVID-19". NHL.com. March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  29. ^ Kaplan, Emily (March 21, 2020). "Second Senators player tests positive for coronavirus". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  30. ^ Elliott, Helene (March 28, 2020). "A second Colorado Avalanche player tests positive for COVID-19". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  31. ^ Bell, Jarrett; Jeff, Zillgitt (April 4, 2020). "Donald Trump to sports commissioners: He's hopeful NFL starts on time". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Gannett. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  32. ^ Newton, Paul (May 19, 2020). "US-Canada border will remain closed to nonessential travel for at least another month". CNN.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  33. ^ "NHLPA authorizes further negotiations on 24-team return to play format". Sportsnet. Toronto. May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  34. ^ Seravalli, Frank (May 22, 2020). "NHLPA agrees to more talks on League's 24-team Return to Play proposal". TSN.ca. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  35. ^ Zargham, Mohammad (May 22, 2020). "U.S. to exempt foreign athletes from coronavirus-related entry bans". The Globe and Mail. Reuters. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  36. ^ "U.S. opens border to foreign pro athletes". TSN.ca. May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  37. ^ a b c Wyshynski, Greg (May 26, 2020). "NHL adopts 24-team playoff if season returns". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  38. ^ Regan, J.J. (June 4, 2020). "NHL, NHLPA resolve two key Stanley Cup playoff issues". NBC Sports Washington. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  39. ^ a b Kaplan, Emily (July 1, 2020). "NHL eyeing Toronto, Edmonton as hub cities for season restart". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  40. ^ Johnston, Patrick (June 10, 2020). "Horgan gives 'OK' to NHL teams coming to Vancouver for group quarantine". The Province. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  41. ^ Bell, Jason (June 20, 2020). "'Cohort quarantine' gives NHLers a COVID-19 pass". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  42. ^ "NHL to allow teams to reopen training facilities on June 8 - Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet. Rogers Sports & Media. June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  43. ^ Kaplan, Emily (June 19, 2020). "Lightning close facility due to coronavirus outbreak". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  44. ^ "NHL exploring Edmonton, Toronto as Canadian hubs after Vancouver 'snag'". Sportsnet. Rogers Sports & Media. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  45. ^ Emerson, Justin (July 1, 2020). "Rising coronavirus cases could preclude Las Vegas from hosting NHL postseason - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  46. ^ Johnston, Chris (July 10, 2020). "NHL is back in business with ratification of CBA, return-to-play plan". Sportsnet. Rogers Sports & Media. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  47. ^ Gulitti, Tom (July 10, 2020). "NHL, NHLPA ratify CBA extension through 2025-26 season". NHL.com. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  48. ^ "NHL teams in new divisions for 2020-21 season". NHL.com. December 20, 2020. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  49. ^ "Shortened 2021 NHL season may feature all-Canadian Division, says Vegas owner Bill Foley". Edmonton Journal. October 16, 2020. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  50. ^ "NHL, NHLPA formally approve 56-game season". December 20, 2020. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  51. ^ "NHL postpones Red-Wings-Islanders game, nine others". NHL.com. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  52. ^ "NHL postpones three more games, bringing total to 98". NHL.com. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  53. ^ "NHL postpones nine more games, bringing total to 90". NHL.com. December 31, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  54. ^ "NHL announces extensive updates to 2021-22 regular-season schedule". NHL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.

External links[edit]

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