The National Hockey League (NHL), founded in 1917, consists of 32 member clubs. The composition of each team reflects the international makeup of the League: players from more than twenty countries compete for the most coveted and historic trophy in professional sports — the Stanley Cup.
Each year, the NHL entertains:
more than 670 million fans in the arena and through its partners on national television and radio;
more than 191 million followers — league, team and player accounts combined — on Facebook, X, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube;
over 100 million online fans on NHL.com.
Season structure
The National Hockey League season has the following structure:
Regular season. It takes place in two conferences (Eastern and Western), each comprising three divisions. Each team plays 82 games (41 at home and 41 away). Points are awarded as follows: 2 for a win, 1 for an overtime loss. The division winners plus the five teams with the best records in each Conference advance to the playoffs.
Playoffs. This is a knockout tournament where teams play a series of up to four wins (maximum 7 games). Unlike the regular season, overtime lasts until the first goal is scored in a 5-on-5 format, without a shootout series. The team with the highest ranking in the regular season has home ice advantage (additional games at home). All matches up to the final are played within one conference. Pairs are formed according to the following principle: the leader plays against the weakest team in the playoff zone (first against eighth, second against seventh, etc.). The Conference winners advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
All-Star Game. This game has been held annually since 1947, changing formats: from games with Stanley Cup winners to confrontations between the Eastern and Western Conferences, as well as between teams from North America and the rest of the world (1998-2002).
In over 60 years, the match has only been cancelled five times (due to games with the USSR, lockouts and the Olympics). Wayne Gretzky holds the record for points (25). The NHL also regularly holds the Winter Classic on 1 January.
Draft. An annual procedure for replenishing clubs with the best juniors (aged 18 and over) and senior hockey players from around the world. The first amateur draft was held in 1963.
The team that finished last in the regular season gets the first pick, followed by the second-to-last team, and so on. The order of selection is maintained in all subsequent rounds.
Arena
NHL games are played on a rectangular ice rink with rounded corners. The rink is surrounded by high boards and a transparent protective fence.
The official dimensions of the NHL ice rink are 60.91 m long and 25.91 m wide.
A red centre line divides the ice in half and is used to determine icing violations. Two blue lines divide the rink into three zones: neutral and two attacking zones. A red goal line at each end helps referees record goals and icing violations.
To limit the goalkeeper’s play with the puck behind the goal, the NHL has implemented the ‘trapezoid’ rule since the 2005-2006 season: the goalkeeper is only allowed to handle the puck in this special zone. Leaving this zone (except for the area in front of the goal) results in a penalty.
