出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』「2016/01/17 15:18:55」(JST)
「NHL」はこの項目へ転送されています。その他の用法については「NHL (曖昧さ回避)」をご覧ください。 |
ナショナルホッケーリーグ | |
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競技 | アイスホッケー |
コミッショナー | ギャリー・ベットマン |
開始年 | 1917年 |
参加チーム | 30 |
国 | アメリカ合衆国 カナダ |
前回優勝 | シカゴ・ブラックホークス |
公式サイト | NHL.com |
NHL(日本語:ナショナル・ホッケー・リーグ、英語:National Hockey League、フランス語:Ligue Nationale de Hockey(LNH))は、北米のプロアイスホッケーリーグである。
一般的には、世界のプロホッケーリーグ界において最高峰に位置づけられる。また、北米においては、一般にアメリカンフットボールのNFL、バスケットボールのNBA、野球のメジャーリーグベースボール(MLB)と並んで、北米4大プロスポーツリーグの一つに数えられる。
所属チームは現在、アメリカ23、カナダ7の計30チームあり、イースタン、ウエスタンの2つのカンファレンスにイースタン16、ウェスタン14に振り分け、更に各カンファレンスはイースタン8、ウェスタン7チームずつの2ディビジョンに分かれている。
レギュラーシーズンは10月初旬から翌年4月上旬にかけて各チームにつき82試合(ホーム41試合、アウェイ41試合)が行われる。試合は、同ディビジョンの間の試合ではそれぞれ6試合、同カンファレンス他ディビジョンのチームとは4試合、残りの18試合を他カンファレンスとの間で行う。また、他カンファレンスのチームのフランチャイズで試合をするのは3年に1回になった。NFLやMLBなど他のアメリカのプロスポーツリーグと同じく、ディビジョン間、カンファレンス間の交流試合もある。
試合時間は20分×3ピリオドの計60分。60分終了で同点の場合は5分間の延長戦(サドンデス=ゴールデンゴール(Vゴール)方式)を行うが、この場合フィールドプレーヤーは各チーム1人ずつ減って4人同士となる。2005-2006シーズンからは、延長戦の引分けがなくなり、代わりにシュートアウト(shootout)方式(別称に「ゲームウィニングショット合戦(GSW)」)が導入された。このシュートアウトでは各チーム3人の選手が1人ずつ相手ゴーリーに1対1で対峙しフリーショットの成功数を競う(3人までで同点の場合はサドンデス方式で他の選手がフリーショットに登場する)。試合の結果、勝ちチーム(延長戦及びシュートアウト含む)に勝ち点2、60分での負け0、延長戦及びシュートアウトの負けに1が与えられる。
各カンファレンス(15チーム間)の勝ち点上位8チームがプレーオフに進出する。プレーオフ1回戦は各カンファレンスの「1位vs8位」「2位vs7位」「3位vs6位」「4位vs5位」のたすきがけ方式となっており、それぞれ7戦4勝制で試合を行う(もっとも、1938年以前には5戦3勝制、3戦2勝制が採用されたこともあった)。1~3位は各ディビジョンチャンピオンチームで勝ち点の多いチームから順位がつけられ、勝ち点が多くてもディビジョン2位以下のチームが2位、3位になることはない。上位チームは通常ホームゲーム・アドバンテージとしてそれぞれの試合の1、2、5、7戦の主催権利を持つ(相手チームは3、4、6戦。4勝して次のステップを勝ち上がる場合もホームゲーム・アドバンテージは同じ。例外として上位チームが1、2、6、7戦の主催権利を持つ場合もあるが極めて希)。プレーオフでは引き分け無しの完全決着で、同点の場合は15分の休憩後、20分の延長戦を勝敗が決するまで繰り返し行う。両カンファレンスの優勝チームによってNHLの頂点を決める「スタンレー・カップ・ファイナル」がおこなわれる。
加盟国の一つあるカナダでは最も人気のあるプロスポーツリーグであり、リーグの選手のおよそ半分をカナダ人が占めている。一方、アメリカではNHLの人気は低迷しており[1]、4大プロスポーツの一つとして数える事に対して賛否がある。 2012年のスタンレー・カップ・ファイナルの視聴率も最高3%台に留まっており[2]、NASCARやゴルフ、テニスなどより低い水準に甘んじている。
NHLは、先行して存在した(カナダの)ナショナル・ホッケー・アソシエーション (National Hockey Association、略称:NHA) における幾度とない論争の後、1917年に設立された。この論争の目玉となったのは、トロント・ブルーシャツのオーナー、エディー・リビングストン(エドワード・J・リビングストン)であった。彼は同じNHAのオーナー仲間から、不公平な有利さをもたらすと思われるリーグ規則を作るよう働きかけ、その抜け穴を利己的に利用するような動きを行っていると常々非難されていた。
ブルーシャツが有力選手を引き抜かれたため、リビングストンは自己がトロントに所有していた2チーム (オンタリオズとブルーシャツ) を合併させたが、特にこのことが他チームのオーナーの怒りに油を注ぐこととなった。また、リビングストンは他チームの選手に「試合に出ないこと」を条件とする契約を提示したり、モントリオール・ワンダラーズがブルーシャツの有力2選手の引き抜きにかかったときにはワンダラーズをリーグから追放するキャンペーンを張った。
このような他のオーナーとのいざこざの中で、リビングストンは繰り返しアメリカで既存リーグと対抗するリーグを始めるとの威嚇を行った。
1916年 - 1917年のシーズンにおいては、NHAは次の6チームから構成されていた。
当時最も人気が高かった陸軍第228歩兵大隊のチームが第一次世界大戦により召集を受けた翌日の1917年2月11日に、オーナー達はリーグの将来について検討するためモントリオールに会同した。リビングストンは病のため参加できなかったが、他のオーナー達が彼とブルーシャツをNHAから事実上追放する道を選んだことを知ると驚きを隠せなかった。
リビングストンはNHA会長を辞しフランク・ロビンソンと連携関係を結んでから、自らリーグの会合には出席せず弁護士に利権を代弁させるようになった。1917年9月29日に招集されたオーナー会議では、他のオーナー達は5日以内にブルーシャツを売却するようリビングストンに迫った。
このためリビングストンは、トロント・アリーナ・ガーデンズがブルーシャツの日常業務を執行するという、実質的にはNHAを存続させるためにはリビングストンの権限を復活させる旨の条件を提示し交渉に望んだ。
これに呼応する形でNHAの他のオーナー達は、1917年11月26日にモントリオールのウインザーホテルにて会同し、既存のカナディアンズ、ワンダラーズ、セネターズ及びブルドッグスに新たにトロント・アリーナズを加えた各チームを創立メンバーとしてナショナルホッケーリーグ(NHL)を誕生させた。
1918年のリーグ発足年度において、NHLはブルドッグスの一時的なチーム閉鎖などに見舞われる前途多難なスタートを切った(なお、ブルドッグスは4年目から本拠地をハミルトンに移転した)。また同年1月2日に、ワンダラーズ及びカナディアンズの本拠地であるモントリオールのウェストマウント・アリーナが火災で焼失した。ワンダラーズは当時既に陰りを見せ始めていたが火災の発生によりチーム解散に至り、カナダにおける初期プロホッケーチームのなかでも最も歴史あるチームはここに幕を閉じた。
ブルドッグスとワンダラーズの不在によって、NHLは発足年の第2ハーフ及び2年目を残り3チームで運営した。リビングストンはリーグから締め出されたものの、彼がNHAに対して提案した通常シーズンの分割案は新リーグにおいて採用されプレイオフ制度としてまとめられた。NHLのスタンレー・カップ(当時はカナダでのホッケーチャンピオンに与えられる賞)の初代優勝チーム(1893年シーズン)はトロント・アリーナズであった。
しかしながら、気性の激しいリビングストンはアリーナズから上がった収益の分け前に与ろうとして失敗に終わると、チームとNHLを訴えた。この紛争は1930年代までだらだらと続き、結局アリーナズはトロント・メープルリーフスと改名するに至った。リビングストンとNHLの生成の歴史を振り返ってみるといささかの皮肉がある。リーグの他のオーナー達を排除することに熱心だった男が、カナディアンズオーナーのジョージ・ケネディの弁を借りれば、実は「NHLを真のリーグとする」のに貢献したのに等しいのである。
発足後10年間、リーグ自体は事業を軌道に乗せるのに四苦八苦していた一方で、氷上ではNHLの各チームはかなりの成功を収めており、スタンレー・カップにおいては最初の9年間で7度の優勝を達成している(なお、1919年は、シアトルで猛威を振るったスペイン風邪によりシーズンが中止)。
1926年頃よりNHLの選手の平均年俸が他のカナダのリーグと比較して著しく高騰したために、NHL加盟チームのみがスタンレー・カップに出場することになった。また、NHLはアメリカ合衆国へも拡大をみせ、1926年から1931年までにチーム数が10まで増加した。ところが、1929年の世界恐慌によりNHLは大きな痛手を被ることになった。例えば、ピッツバーグ・パイレーツやニューヨーク・アメリカンズなどのチームが現れては消滅し、伝統のあるオタワ・セネターズでさえも財政的困窮によりチーム閉鎖を余儀なくされた。
このような成り行きに追い討ちをかけるかのように第二次世界大戦の勃発によって、発足25周年を迎える1942年にはNHLのチーム数は6チームまでに減少した。なお、このときの6チームは、後に「オリジナル・シックス」と呼ばれるようになった。なお、オリジナル・シックスという文言から、NHL創設時からの構成チームを想像するがこれは誤解である。次のチームがこれに該当する。
第二次世界大戦による選手不足から、多くの選手がプロホッケーチームでプレーする機会が与えられたが、終戦後は多くの選手がマイナーリーグへと追いやられるに至った。とりわけアメリカ合衆国及びカナダの西部地区のマイナーリーグは、ややもするとスタンレー・カップの覇者をも破る実力を持った強豪チームを擁していた。このようなリーグをメジャーリーグへと格上げしスタンレー・カップへの進出することを目論んで台頭しつつあったウエスタン・ホッケーリーグ (Western Hockey League) に触発される形で、NHLは1967年に1942年来続いたオリジナル・シックスによるリーグ編成を拡大させることとなった。こうして新たに6チーム (エクスパンション・シックスと呼ばれる)がNHLに加盟した。エクスパンション・シックスには、次のチームがこれに該当する。
1972年にはWHA(ワールドホッケーアソシエーション)というリーグが発足した。このリーグはスタンレー・カップには臨まないこととされていたが、NHLの有力なライバルリーグとなるかどうかについては懐疑的な見方をされていた。しかしながら、才能ある選手層が各チームで希薄化するという現象は、プレーの質全体に悪影響をもたらした。さらに、ソビエト連邦・スタイルのホッケーが支配的になってくると、NHLやWHAに属するカナダ選手の多くが相対的に能力に劣るといった、ソビエト・スタイルホッケーとの純然たる違いが明らかになった。
1979年にWHAが解散するまで、NHLとWHAは選手やファンに対するサービスを巡って互いにしのぎを削った。そしてWHA解散後は、4チームがNHLに新規加入した。NHLは続く20年間においても拡張路線を歩むこととなり、2004年には30チームを数えるに至る。
なお、1967年に6チームが加入したいわゆる「ファースト・エクスパンション」以降のNHLのエクスパンションを時系列に整理すると次の通りとなる。
1979年シーズンよりウェイン・グレツキーはエドモントン・オイラーズでプレイし、1984年、1985年、1987年、1988年にオイラーズをスタンレー・カップ優勝に導いた。その後ロサンゼルス・キングスにトレードされアメリカでのホッケー人気復活に貢献した。
NHLの興隆とともに、スター選手たちの年俸はうなぎのぼりに高騰を続けた。契約を巡っては、経営陣と選手との軋轢が高まったこともあり、NHL史上で次の4度のストライキ又はロックアウトがあった(2013年12月現在)。
概要は次のとおり。
地区 | チーム | 創設年 | 加盟年 | 本拠地 | ||||
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イースタン・カンファレンス | ||||||||
アトランティック・ディビジョン | ボストン・ブルーインズ Boston Bruins (BOS) |
1924 | マサチューセッツ州ボストン TDガーデン |
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バッファロー・セイバーズ Buffalo Sabres (BUF) |
1970 | ニューヨーク州バッファロー ファースト・ナイアガラ・センター |
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デトロイト・レッドウィングス Detroit Red Wings (DET) |
1926 | ミシガン州デトロイト ジョー・ルイス・アリーナ |
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フロリダ・パンサーズ Florida Panthers (FLA) |
1993 | フロリダ州サンライズ BB&Tセンター |
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モントリオール・カナディアンズ Montreal Canadiens (MTL) |
1909 | 1917 | ケベック州モントリオール ベル・センター |
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オタワ・セネターズ Ottawa Senators (OTT) |
1992 | オンタリオ州オタワ カナディアン・タイヤ・センター |
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タンパベイ・ライトニング Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL) |
1992 | フロリダ州タンパ タンパベイ・タイムズ・フォーラム |
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トロント・メープルリーフス Toronto Maple Leafs (TOR) |
1917 | オンタリオ州トロント エア・カナダ・センター |
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メトロポリタン・ディビジョン | カロライナ・ハリケーンズ Carolina Hurricanes (CAR) |
1972 | 1979 | ノースカロライナ州ローリー PNCアリーナ |
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コロンバス・ブルージャケッツ Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) |
2000 | オハイオ州コロンバス ネイションワイド・アリーナ |
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ニュージャージー・デビルス New Jersey Devils (NJD) |
1974 | ニュージャージー州ニューアーク プルデンシャル・センター |
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ニューヨーク・アイランダース New York Islanders (NYI) |
1972 | ニューヨーク州ブルックリン区 バークレイズ・センター |
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ニューヨーク・レンジャース New York Rangers (NYR) |
1926 | ニューヨーク州ニューヨーク・マンハッタン マディソン・スクエア・ガーデン |
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フィラデルフィア・フライヤーズ Philadelphia Flyers (PHI) |
1967 | ペンシルベニア州フィラデルフィア ウェルズ・ファーゴ・センター |
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ピッツバーグ・ペンギンズ Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT) |
1967 | ペンシルベニア州ピッツバーグ コンソル・エナジー・センター |
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ワシントン・キャピタルズ Washington Capitals (WSH) |
1974 | ワシントンD.C. ベライゾン・センター |
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ウェスタン・カンファレンス | ||||||||
パシフィック・ディビジョン | アナハイム・ダックス Anaheim Ducks (ANA) |
1993 | カリフォルニア州アナハイム ホンダ・センター |
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カルガリー・フレームス Calgary Flames (CGY) |
1972 | アルバータ州カルガリー スコシアバンク・サドルドーム |
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エドモントン・オイラーズ Edmonton Oilers (EDM) |
1972 | 1979 | アルバータ州エドモントン レクソール・プレイス |
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ロサンゼルス・キングス Los Angeles Kings (LAK) |
1967 | カリフォルニア州ロサンゼルス ステイプルズ・センター |
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フェニックス・コヨーテズ Phoenix Coyotes (PHX) |
1972 | 1979 | アリゾナ州グレンデール ジョビング・ドットコム・アリーナ |
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サンノゼ・シャークス San Jose Sharks (SJS) |
1991 | カリフォルニア州サンノゼ SAPセンター・アット・サンノゼ |
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バンクーバー・カナックス Vancouver Canucks (VAN) |
1970 | ブリティッシュコロンビア州バンクーバー ロジャース・アリーナ |
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セントラル・ディビジョン | シカゴ・ブラックホークス Chicago Blackhawks (CHI) |
1926 | イリノイ州シカゴ ユナイテッド・センター |
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コロラド・アバランチ Colorado Avalanche (COL) |
1972 | 1979 | コロラド州デンバー ペプシ・センター |
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ダラス・スターズ Dallas Stars (DAL) |
1967 | テキサス州ダラス アメリカン・エアラインズ・センター |
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ミネソタ・ワイルド Minnesota Wild (MIN) |
2000 | ミネソタ州セントポール エクセル・エナジー・センター |
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ナッシュビル・プレデターズ Nashville Predators (NSH) |
1998 | テネシー州ナッシュビル ブリヂストン・アリーナ |
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セントルイス・ブルース St. Louis Blues (STL) |
1967 | ミズーリ州セントルイス スコットトレード・センター |
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ウィニペグ・ジェッツ Winnipeg Jets (WPG) |
1999 | マニトバ州ウィニペグ MTSセンター |
チーム数の増減、プロホッケー界全体のうねりを受けて、NHL のリーグ構造はたびたび変更されている。
カナダ発祥の国内リーグであるが、近年はそのカナダに属するチームが7チームしかない。
消滅したチーム及びフランチャイズ移転などにより名称変更となったチームを一覧とすると次のとおりである。年号は加盟期間をあらわす。
NHLには、プレーオフ戦の優勝チームに与えられるスタンレー・カップや、ウェスタン・カンファレンス優勝チームに対する クラレンス・S・キャンベル・ボウル、イースタン・カンファレンス優勝チームに授与されるプリンス・オブ・ウェールズ・トロフィーの他にも、次のような数多くの賞がある。得点王など成績に応じて定まる賞、選手やチームマネージャーが選ぶ一部の賞を除けば、各賞の選出はプロホッケー記者協会 (Professional Hockey Writer's Association) が行う。
また、かつて1949-1950シーズンまでは、オブライエン賞 (O'Brien Trophy) という賞も存在した。 さらに、1966年以来、米国内のホッケー界に対する貢献を称える賞として、レスター・パトリック賞 (Lester Patrick Trophy) が授与されている。
選手は、引退後3年経過すると、ホッケーの殿堂入り選手を選考するための投票を受ける資格ができる。ただし、過去には、その選手の業績が顕著であると認められる場合には、この3年間の猶予期間をないものとすることも可能だったことがあり、この方法により10名の選手が選出されている。1999年のウェイン・グレツキーを最後に、この特例ルールは廃止された。
このほか、NHLのオールスター戦において、第1チーム及び第2チームのメンバー(各6名)に選抜されることも名誉とされる。この選抜はファン投票ではなく、目の肥えたプロホッケー記者協会の会員の投票によるものである。
テレビ放映権は、アメリカ・カナダともに全国放送やポストシーズンに限りリーグが管轄し、ローカル放送はチームが放送局と直接契約を結んでいる。そのため、レギュラーシーズン、ポストシーズン全試合の放映権を管轄しているNFLと違い、チームによって放映権料収入は大きく異なる。
アメリカ国内ではNBCSN(一部はNBC)で放送される。カナダ国内ではCBCの『ホッケー・ナイト・イン・カナダ』やTSN、RDSで主に放送される。
スタンレーカッププレーオフに関してはアメリカ国内ではCNBCでも放映されている。また一部試合においては録画放送されることもある。
ウィキメディア・コモンズには、ナショナルホッケーリーグに関連するカテゴリがあります。 |
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Current season, competition or edition: 2015–16 NHL season |
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Sport | Ice hockey |
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Founded | November 26, 1917 (98 years ago), Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Inaugural season | 1917–18 |
Commissioner | Gary Bettman |
No. of teams | 30[1] |
Countries | Canada (7 teams) United States (23 teams) |
Headquarters | New York City, New York, U.S. |
Continent | North America |
Most recent champion(s) | Chicago Blackhawks (6th title) |
Most titles | Montreal Canadiens (25)[nb 1] |
TV partner(s) |
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Official website | www |
The National Hockey League (NHL; French: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 member clubs: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Headquartered in New York City, the NHL is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world,[2] and one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America,[3] is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.
The National Hockey League was organized on November 26, 1917, in Montreal, Quebec, after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909 in Renfrew, Ontario.[4] The NHL immediately took the NHA's place as one of the leagues that contested for the Stanley Cup in an annual interleague competition before a series of league mergers and folds left the NHL as the only league left competing for the Stanley Cup in 1926. The NHL started with four teams (all based in Canada) and, through a series of expansions, contractions and relocations, is now composed of 30 active franchises. The "nation" referred to by the league's name was Canada, although the league has now been binational since 1924 when its first team in the United States, the Boston Bruins, began play. After a labour-management dispute that led to the cancellation of the entire 2004–05 season, the league resumed play under a new collective agreement that included a salary cap. In 2009, the NHL enjoyed record highs in terms of sponsorships, attendance, and television audiences.[5]
The league draws many highly skilled players from all over the world and currently has players from approximately 20 different countries.[6] Canadians have historically constituted the majority of the players in the league, with an increasing percentage of American and European players in recent seasons.
Part of a series on the |
History of the NHL |
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National Hockey League |
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Ice hockey portal |
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The National Hockey League was established in 1917 as the successor to the National Hockey Association (NHA). Founded in 1909, the NHA began play one year later with seven teams in Ontario and Quebec, and was one of the first major leagues in professional ice hockey. But by the NHA's eighth season, a series of disputes with Toronto Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone led the other team owners, representing the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Quebec Bulldogs to meet about the league's future.[7] Realizing the NHA constitution left them unable to force Livingstone out, the four teams voted instead to suspend the NHA, and on November 26, 1917, formed the National Hockey League. Frank Calder was chosen as its first president, serving until his death in 1943.[8]
The Bulldogs were unable to play, and the remaining owners created a new team in Toronto, the Arenas, to compete with the Canadiens, Wanderers and Senators.[9] The first games were played on December 19, 1917.[10] The Montreal Arena burned down in January 1918, causing the Wanderers to cease operations,[11] and the NHL continued on as a three-team league until the Bulldogs returned in 1919.[12]
The NHL replaced the NHA as one of the leagues that competed for the Stanley Cup, which was an interleague competition back then. Toronto won the first NHL title, the 1918 Stanley Cup.[13] The Canadiens won the league title in 1919; however their Stanley Cup Final against the Seattle Metropolitans was abandoned as a result of the Spanish Flu epidemic.[14] Montreal in 1924 won their first Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL.[15] The Hamilton Tigers, won the regular season title in 1924–25 but refused to play in the championship series unless they were given a C$200 bonus.[16] The league refused and declared the Canadiens the league champion after they defeated the Toronto St. Patricks (formerly the Arenas) in the semi-final. Montreal was then defeated by the Victoria Cougars for the 1925 Stanley Cup. It was the last time a non-NHL team won the trophy,[17] as the Stanley Cup became the de facto NHL championship in 1926 after the WCHL ceased operation.[18]
The National Hockey League embarked on rapid expansion in the 1920s, adding the Montreal Maroons and Boston Bruins in 1924. The Bruins were the first American team in the league.[19] The New York Americans began play in 1925 after purchasing the assets of the Hamilton Tigers, and were joined by the Pittsburgh Pirates.[20] The New York Rangers were added in 1926.[21] The Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Cougars (later Red Wings) were also added after the league purchased the assets of the defunct WCHL.[22] A group purchased the Toronto St. Patricks in 1927 and immediately renamed them the Maple Leafs.[23]
The first NHL All-Star Game was held in 1934 to benefit Ace Bailey, whose career ended on a vicious hit by Eddie Shore.[24] The second was held in 1937 in support of Howie Morenz's family when he died of a coronary embolism after breaking his leg during a game.[25]
The Great Depression and the onset of World War II took a toll on the league. The Pirates became the Philadelphia Quakers in 1930, then folded one year later. The Senators likewise became the St. Louis Eagles in 1934, also lasting only one year.[26] The Maroons did not survive, as they suspended operations in 1938.[27] The Americans were suspended in 1942 due to a lack of players, and never revived.[28]
The league was reduced to six teams for the 1942–43 NHL season: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. These six teams remained constant for 25 years, a period known as the Original Six. The league reached an agreement with the Stanley Cup trustees in 1947 to take full control of the trophy, allowing the NHL to reject challenges from other leagues that wished to play for the Cup.[29]
Maurice "Rocket" Richard became the first player to score 50 goals, doing so in a 50-game season.[30] Richard later led the Canadiens to five consecutive titles between 1956 and 1960, a record no team has matched.[31] Willie O'Ree broke the league's colour barrier on January 18, 1958 when he made his debut with the Boston Bruins and became the first black player in league history.[32]
By the mid-1960s, the desire for a network television contract in the U.S., and concerns that the Western Hockey League was planning to declare itself a major league and challenge for the Stanley Cup, spurred the league to undertake its first expansion since the 1920s. The league doubled in size for the 1967–68 season, adding the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, California Seals and St. Louis Blues.[33] Canadian fans were outraged that all six teams were placed in the United States,[34] and the league responded by adding the Vancouver Canucks in 1970 along with the Buffalo Sabres, who are located on the U.S.-Canadian border.[35] Two years later, the emergence of the newly founded World Hockey Association (WHA) led the league to add the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames to keep the rival league out of those markets.[36] In 1974, the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts were added, bringing the league up to 18 teams.[37]
The National Hockey League fought the WHA for players, losing 67 to the new league in its first season of 1972–73,[38] including Bobby Hull, who signed a ten-year, $2.5 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets, the largest in hockey history at the time.[39] The league attempted to block the defections in court, but a counter-suit by the WHA led to a Philadelphia judge ruling the NHL's reserve clause to be illegal, thus eliminating the elder league's monopoly over the players.[40] Seven years of battling for players and markets financially damaged both leagues, leading to a 1979 merger agreement that saw the WHA cease operations while the NHL absorbed the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques.[41] The owners initially rejected this merger agreement by one vote, but a massive boycott of Molson Brewery products by fans in Canada caused the Montreal Canadiens, which was owned by Molson, to reverse its position, along with the Vancouver Canucks. In a second vote the plan was approved.[42]
Wayne Gretzky played one season in the WHA for the Indianapolis Racers (eight games) and the Edmonton Oilers (72 games) before the Oilers joined the National Hockey League for the 1979–80 season.[43] Gretzky went on to lead the Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988, and set single season records for goals (92 in 1981–82), assists (163 in 1985–86) and points (215 in 1985–86), as well as career records for goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857).[43] He was traded to the Kings in 1988, a deal that dramatically improved the league's popularity in the United States, and provided the impetus for the 1990s expansion cycles that saw the addition of nine teams: the San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, and in 2000 the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets.[44] On July 21, 2015, the NHL confirmed that it had received applications from prospective ownership groups in Quebec City and Las Vegas for possible expansion teams.[45]
There have been four league-wide work stoppages in league history, all happening since 1992. The first was a strike by the National Hockey League Players' Association in April 1992 which lasted for ten days, but the strike was settled quickly and all affected games were rescheduled.[46]
A lockout at the start of the 1994–95 season forced the league to reduce the schedule from 84 games to just 48, with the teams playing only intra-conference games during the reduced season.[46] The resulting collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was set for renegotiation in 1998 and extended to September 15, 2004.[47]
With no new agreement in hand when the contract expired on September 15, 2004, league commissioner Gary Bettman announced a lockout of the players union and closed the league's head office.[47] The league vowed to install what it dubbed "cost certainty" for its teams, but the Players' Association countered that the move was little more than a euphemism for a salary cap, which the union initially said it would not accept. The lockout shut down the league for 310 days, the longest in sports history.[citation needed] The NHL became the first professional sports league to lose an entire season.[47] A new collective bargaining agreement was eventually ratified in July 2005, including a salary cap. The agreement had a term of six years with an option of extending the collective bargaining agreement for an additional year at the end of the term, allowing the league to resume as of the 2005–06 season.[47] On October 5, 2005, the first post-lockout season took to the ice with all 30 teams. The NHL received record attendance in the 2005–06 season: an average of 16,955 per game.[48] After losing a season to a labour dispute in 2005, the League's TV audience was slower to rebound because of American cable broadcaster ESPN's decision to drop the sport.[49] The league's post-lockout agreement with NBC gave the league a share of revenue from each game's advertising sales, rather than the usual lump sum paid up front for game rights. The league's annual revenues were estimated at approximately $2.27 billion.[49]
At midnight September 16, 2012, the labour pact expired, and the league again locked out the players.[50] The owners proposed reducing the players' share of hockey-related revenues from 57 percent to 47 percent.[51] All games were cancelled up to January 14, 2013, as well as the 2013 NHL Winter Classic and the 2013 NHL All-Star Weekend.[52][53][54][55] A tentative agreement was reached on January 6, 2013, on a ten-year deal.[56] On January 12, the league and the Players' Association signed a memorandum of understanding on the new deal, allowing teams to begin their training camps on January 13, with a shortened 48-game season schedule that began on January 19.[57]
Player safety has become a major issue within the past five years and concussions, which result from a hard hit to the head, have been the biggest cause. With recent studies showing how concussions can affect retired players and how it has decreased their quality of life after retirement, concussions have become a very important topic of debate when it comes to player safety issues. This had significant effects on the league as elite players were being taken out of the game, such as Sidney Crosby being sidelined for approximately 10 and a half months, which adversely affected the league's marketability.[58] As a result, in December 2009, Brendan Shanahan was hired to replace Colin Campbell and given the role of Senior Vice-President of Player Safety. Shanahan began to hand out suspensions on high profile perpetrators responsible for dangerous hits, such as Raffi Torres receiving 25 games for his hit on Marian Hossa.[59]
To aid with removing high speed collisions on icing, which had led to several potential career ending injuries such as Hurricanes' Defencemen Joni Pitkanen, the league mandated hybrid no-touch icing for the 2013–14 NHL season.[60]
On November 25, 2013, ten former players, Gary Leeman, Rick Vaive, Brad Aitken, Darren Banks, Curt Bennett, Richie Dunn, Warren Holmes, Bob Manno, Blair Stewart and Morris Titanic sued the league for negligence on protecting players from concussions. The suit came three months after the NFL agreed to pay former players US$765 million due to a player safety lawsuit.[61]
The Board of Governors is the ruling and governing body of the league. In this context, each team is a member of the league, and each member appoints a Governor (usually the owner of the club), and two alternates to the Board. The current chairman of the Board is Boston Bruins owner, Jeremy Jacobs. The Board of Governors exists to establish the policies of the league, and to uphold its constitution. Some of the responsibilities of the Board of Governors include:[62]
The Board of Governors meets twice per year, in the months of June and December, with the exact date and place to be fixed by the Commissioner.
The chief executive of the league is Commissioner Gary Bettman. Some of the principal decision makers who serve under the authority of the commissioner include:
The NHL consists of 30 teams, 23 of which are based in the United States and seven in Canada. The NHL divides the 30 teams into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference is split into two divisions: the Eastern Conference contains 16 teams (eight per division), while the Western Conference has 14 teams (seven per division). The current alignment has existed since the 2000–01 season.
The number of NHL teams has held constant at 30 teams since the 2000–01 season when the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets joined the league as expansion teams. That expansion capped a period in the 1990s of rapid expansion and relocation when the NHL added 9 teams to grow from 21 to 30 teams, and relocated four teams mostly from smaller northern cities (e.g., Hartford, Quebec) to larger warmer metropolitan areas (e.g., Dallas, Phoenix). The league has not contracted any teams since the Cleveland Barons folded in 1978.
Division | Team | City/Area | Arena | Coordinates | Founded | Joined | General Manager | Head Coach | |
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Eastern Conference | |||||||||
Atlantic | Boston Bruins | Boston, MA | TD Garden | 42°21′58.69″N 71°3′44.02″W / 42.3663028°N 71.0622278°W / 42.3663028; -71.0622278 (TD Garden) | 1924 | Don Sweeney | Claude Julien | ||
Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo, NY | First Niagara Center | 42°52′30″N 78°52′35″W / 42.87500°N 78.87639°W / 42.87500; -78.87639 (First Niagara Center) | 1970 | Tim Murray | Dan Bylsma | |||
Detroit Red Wings | Detroit, MI | Joe Louis Arena | 42°19′31″N 83°3′5″W / 42.32528°N 83.05139°W / 42.32528; -83.05139 (Joe Louis Arena) | 1926 | Ken Holland | Jeff Blashill | |||
Florida Panthers | Sunrise, FL | BB&T Center | 26°9′30″N 80°19′32″W / 26.15833°N 80.32556°W / 26.15833; -80.32556 (BB&T Center) | 1993 | Dale Tallon | Gerard Gallant | |||
Montreal Canadiens | Montreal, QC | Bell Centre | 45°29′46″N 73°34′10″W / 45.49611°N 73.56944°W / 45.49611; -73.56944 (Bell Centre) | 1909 | 1917 | Marc Bergevin | Michel Therrien | ||
Ottawa Senators | Ottawa, ON | Canadian Tire Centre | 45°17′49″N 75°55′38″W / 45.29694°N 75.92722°W / 45.29694; -75.92722 (Canadian Tire Centre) | 1992 | Bryan Murray | Dave Cameron | |||
Tampa Bay Lightning | Tampa, FL | Amalie Arena | 27°56′34″N 82°27′7″W / 27.94278°N 82.45194°W / 27.94278; -82.45194 (Amalie Arena) | 1992 | Steve Yzerman | Jon Cooper | |||
Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto, ON | Air Canada Centre | 43°38′36″N 79°22′45″W / 43.64333°N 79.37917°W / 43.64333; -79.37917 (Air Canada Centre) | 1917 | Lou Lamoriello | Mike Babcock | |||
Metropolitan | Carolina Hurricanes | Raleigh, NC | PNC Arena | 35°48′12″N 78°43′19″W / 35.80333°N 78.72194°W / 35.80333; -78.72194 (PNC Arena)Coordinates: 35°48′12″N 78°43′19″W / 35.80333°N 78.72194°W / 35.80333; -78.72194 (PNC Arena) | 1972 | 1979* | Ron Francis | Bill Peters | |
Columbus Blue Jackets | Columbus, OH | Nationwide Arena | 39°58′9.42″N 83°0′22.00″W / 39.9692833°N 83.0061111°W / 39.9692833; -83.0061111 (Nationwide Arena) | 2000 | Jarmo Kekalainen | John Tortorella | |||
New Jersey Devils | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center | 40°44′1″N 74°10′16″W / 40.73361°N 74.17111°W / 40.73361; -74.17111 (Prudential Center) | 1974* | Ray Shero | John Hynes | |||
New York Islanders | New York, NY | Barclays Center | 40°40′58″N 73°58′29″W / 40.68265°N 73.974689°W / 40.68265; -73.974689 (Barclays Center) | 1972 | Garth Snow | Jack Capuano | |||
New York Rangers | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden | 40°45′02″N 73°59′37″W / 40.750556°N 73.993611°W / 40.750556; -73.993611 (Madison Square Garden) | 1926 | Jeff Gorton | Alain Vigneault | |||
Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center | 39°54′4″N 75°10′19″W / 39.90111°N 75.17194°W / 39.90111; -75.17194 (Wells Fargo Center) | 1967 | Ron Hextall | Dave Hakstol | |||
Pittsburgh Penguins | Pittsburgh, PA | Consol Energy Center | 40°26′22″N 79°59′21″W / 40.43944°N 79.98917°W / 40.43944; -79.98917 (Consol Energy Center) | 1967 | Jim Rutherford | Mike Sullivan | |||
Washington Capitals | Washington, D.C. | Verizon Center | 38°53′53″N 77°1′15″W / 38.89806°N 77.02083°W / 38.89806; -77.02083 (Verizon Center) | 1974 | Brian MacLellan | Barry Trotz | |||
Western Conference | |||||||||
Pacific | Anaheim Ducks | Anaheim, CA | Honda Center | 33°48′28″N 117°52′36″W / 33.80778°N 117.87667°W / 33.80778; -117.87667 (Honda Center) | 1993 | Bob Murray | Bruce Boudreau | ||
Arizona Coyotes | Glendale, AZ | Gila River Arena | 33°31′55″N 112°15′40″W / 33.53194°N 112.26111°W / 33.53194; -112.26111 (Gila River Arena) | 1972 | 1979* | Don Maloney | Dave Tippett | ||
Calgary Flames | Calgary, AB | Scotiabank Saddledome | 51°02′15″N 114°03′07″W / 51.03750°N 114.05194°W / 51.03750; -114.05194 (Scotiabank Saddledome) | 1972* | Brad Treliving | Bob Hartley | |||
Edmonton Oilers | Edmonton, AB | Rexall Place | 53°34′17″N 113°27′22″W / 53.57139°N 113.45611°W / 53.57139; -113.45611 (Rexall Place) | 1972 | 1979 | Peter Chiarelli | Todd McLellan | ||
Los Angeles Kings | Los Angeles, CA | Staples Center | 34°02′35″N 118°16′02″W / 34.043056°N 118.267222°W / 34.043056; -118.267222 (Staples Center) | 1967 | Dean Lombardi | Darryl Sutter | |||
San Jose Sharks | San Jose, CA | SAP Center at San Jose | 37°19′58″N 121°54′4″W / 37.33278°N 121.90111°W / 37.33278; -121.90111 (SAP Center at San Jose) | 1991 | Doug Wilson | Peter DeBoer | |||
Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver, BC | Rogers Arena | 43°38′29″N 79°23′21″W / 43.64139°N 79.38917°W / 43.64139; -79.38917 (Rogers Arena) | 1945 | 1970 | Jim Benning | Willie Desjardins | ||
Central | Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago, IL | United Center | 41°52′50″N 87°40′27″W / 41.88056°N 87.67417°W / 41.88056; -87.67417 (United Center) | 1926 | Stan Bowman | Joel Quenneville | ||
Colorado Avalanche | Denver, CO | Pepsi Center | 39°44′55″N 105°0′27″W / 39.74861°N 105.00750°W / 39.74861; -105.00750 (Pepsi Center) | 1972 | 1979* | Joe Sakic | Patrick Roy | ||
Dallas Stars | Dallas, TX | American Airlines Center | 32°47′26″N 96°48′37″W / 32.79056°N 96.81028°W / 32.79056; -96.81028 (American Airlines Center) | 1967* | Jim Nill | Lindy Ruff | |||
Minnesota Wild | St. Paul, MN | Xcel Energy Center | 44°56′41″N 93°6′4″W / 44.94472°N 93.10111°W / 44.94472; -93.10111 (Xcel Energy Center) | 2000 | Chuck Fletcher | Mike Yeo | |||
Nashville Predators | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena | 36°9′33″N 86°46′43″W / 36.15917°N 86.77861°W / 36.15917; -86.77861 (Bridgestone Arena) | 1998 | David Poile | Peter Laviolette | |||
St. Louis Blues | St. Louis, MO | Scottrade Center | 38°37′36″N 90°12′9″W / 38.62667°N 90.20250°W / 38.62667; -90.20250 (Scottrade Center) | 1967 | Doug Armstrong | Ken Hitchcock | |||
Winnipeg Jets | Winnipeg, MB | MTS Centre | 49°53′34″N 97°8′37″W / 49.89278°N 97.14361°W / 49.89278; -97.14361 (MTS Centre) | 1999* | Kevin Cheveldayoff | Paul Maurice |
Each National Hockey League regulation game is 60 minutes long. The game is composed of three 20-minute periods with an intermission between periods.[63] At the end of regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time, overtime ensues. During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute, three-on-three sudden-death period, in which whoever scores a goal first will win the game.
If the game is still tied at the end of overtime, the game enters a shootout. Three players for each team in turn take a penalty shot. The team with the most goals during the three-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the three shootout rounds, the shootout continues but becomes sudden-death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one.[64] Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.
There are no shootouts during the Playoffs. Instead, multiple sudden-death, 20-minute five-on-five periods are played until one team scores. Two games have reached six overtime periods, but none have gone beyond six.[65] During playoff overtime periods, the only break is to clean the loose ice at the first stoppage after the period is halfway finished.[66]
National Hockey League games are played on a rectangular hockey rink with rounded corners surrounded by walls and Plexiglas. It measures 200 feet (60.96 m) by 85 feet (25.91 m) in the NHL,[67] approximately the same length but much narrower than International Ice Hockey Federation standards. The centre line divides the ice in half,[68] and is used to judge icing violations. There are two blue lines that divide the rink roughly into thirds, delineating one neutral and two attacking zones.[68] Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the ice, which is used to judge goals and icing calls.
A trapezoidal area behind each goal net has been introduced.[69] The goaltender can play the puck only within the trapezoid or in front of the goal line; if the goaltender plays the puck behind the goal line and outside the trapezoidal area, a two-minute minor penalty for delay of game is assessed.[70] The rule is unofficially nicknamed the "Martin Brodeur rule".[71][72][73][74]
Since the 2013–14 season, the league trimmed the goal frames by 4 inches (10 cm) on each side and reduced the size of the goalies' leg pads.[75]
The National Hockey League's rules are one of the two standard sets of professional ice hockey rules in the world. The rules themselves have evolved directly from the first organized indoor ice hockey game in Montreal in 1875, updated by subsequent leagues up to 1917, when the NHL adopted the existing NHA set of rules. The NHL's rules are the basis for rules governing most professional and major junior ice hockey leagues in North America. Infractions of the rules, such as offside and icing, lead to a stoppage of play and subsequent face-offs, while more serious infractions leading to penalties to the offending teams. The league also determines the specifications for playing equipment used in its games.
The league has regularly modified its rules to counter perceived imperfections in the game. The penalty shot was adopted from the Pacific Coast Hockey Association to ensure players were not being blocked from opportunities to score. For the 2005–06 season, the league changed some of the rules regarding being offside. First, the league removed the "offside pass" or "two-line pass" rule, which required a stoppage in play if a pass originating from inside a team's defending zone was completed on the offensive side of the centre line, unless the puck crossed the line before the player.[76] Furthermore, the league reinstated the "tag-up offside" which allows an attacking player a chance to get back onside by returning to the neutral zone.[76] The changes to the offside rule were among several rule changes intended to increase overall scoring,[76] which had been in decline since the expansion years of the mid-nineties and the increased prevalence of the neutral zone trap. Since 2005, when a team is guilty of icing the puck they are not allowed to make a line change or skater substitution of any sort before the following face-off (except to replace an injured player or re-install a pulled goaltender).[77] Since 2013, the league has used hybrid icing, where a linesman stops play due to icing if a defending player (other than the goaltender) crosses the imaginary line that connects the two face-off dots in their defensive zone before an attacking player is able to. This was done to counter a trend of player injury in races to the puck.[77]
The league's rules differ from the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), as used in tournaments such as the Olympics, which were themselves derived from the Canadian amateur ice hockey rules of the early 20th century.[78] In the NHL, fighting leads to major penalties while IIHF rules, and most amateur rules, call for the ejection of fighting players.[79][80] Usually a penalized team cannot replace a player that is penalized on the ice and is thus short-handed for the duration of the penalty,[81] but if the penalties are coincidental, for example when two players fight, both teams remain at full strength. Also, unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play.[81] The NHL and IIHF differ also in playing rules, such as icing, the areas of play for goaltenders, helmet rules, officiating rules, timeouts and play reviews.
The league also imposes a conduct policy on its players. Players are banned from gambling and criminal activities have led to the suspension of players. The league and the Players' Association agreed to a stringent anti-doping policy in the 2005 bargaining agreement. The policy provides for a twenty-game suspension for a first positive test, a sixty-game suspension for a second positive test, and a lifetime suspension for a third positive test.[82]
The National Hockey League season is divided into a regular season (from early October through early to mid April) and a postseason (the Stanley Cup playoffs).
During the regular season, clubs play each other in a predefined schedule. In the regular season, each team plays 82 games: 41 games each of home and road. Eastern teams play 30 games in their own geographic division—four or five against each of their seven other divisional opponents—and 24 games against the eight remaining non-divisional intra-conference opponents—three games against every team in the other division of its conference. Western teams play 28 or 29 games in their own geographic division-four or five against each of their six other divisional opponents-and 21 or 22 games against the seven remaining non-divisional intra-conference opponents-three games against every team in the other division of its conference, with one cross-division intra-conference match-up occurring in four games. All teams play every team in the other conference twice-home and road.[83]
The league's regular season standings are based on a point system. Two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion, and the league's overall leader is awarded the Presidents' Trophy.
The Stanley Cup playoffs, which go from April to the beginning of June, is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win a best-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the Stanley Cup champion. Eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs: the top three teams in each division plus the two conference teams with the next highest number of points.[84] The Stanley Cup playoffs are an elimination tournament where the teams are grouped in pairs to play best-of-seven series and the winners moving on to the next round.[84] The two conference champions proceed to the Stanley Cup Final. In all rounds, the higher-ranked team is awarded home-ice advantage, with four of the seven games played at this team's home venue. In the Stanley Cup Final, the team with the most points during the regular season has home-ice advantage.
The annual NHL Entry Draft consists of a seven-round off-season draft held in late June. Amateur players from junior, collegiate, or European leagues are eligible to enter the Entry Draft. The selection order is determined by a combination of the standings at the end of the regular season, playoff results, and a draft lottery. The 14 teams that did not qualify for the playoffs are entered in a weighted lottery to determine the initial draft picks in the first round, with the 30th-place team having the best chance of winning the lottery. Once the lottery determines the initial draft picks, the order for the remaining non-playoff teams is determined by the standings at the end of the regular season. For those teams that did qualify for the playoffs, the draft order is then determined by the order in which they were eliminated, with the Stanley Cup winner getting the 30th and last pick, and the runner-up is given the 29th pick.
Team | Titles | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Montreal Canadiens | 24* | ||||
Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 | ||||
Detroit Red Wings | 11 | ||||
Boston Bruins | 6 | ||||
Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | ||||
Edmonton Oilers | 5 | ||||
New York Islanders | 4 | ||||
New York Rangers | 4 | ||||
New Jersey Devils | 3 | ||||
Pittsburgh Penguins | 3 | ||||
Colorado Avalanche | 2 | ||||
Los Angeles Kings | 2 | ||||
Philadelphia Flyers | 2 | ||||
Anaheim Ducks | 1 | ||||
Calgary Flames | 1 | ||||
Carolina Hurricanes | 1 | ||||
Dallas Stars | 1 | ||||
Tampa Bay Lightning | 1 | ||||
* Includes one pre-NHL championship. Further information:
List of Stanley Cup champions |
The National Hockey League presents a number of trophies each year.
The most prestigious team award is the Stanley Cup, which is awarded to the league champion at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team that has the most points in the regular season is awarded the Presidents' Trophy.
The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful franchise in the league. Since the formation of the league in 1917, they have 25 NHL championships (three between 1917 and 1925 when the Stanley Cup was still contested in an interleague competition, twenty-two since 1926 after the Stanley Cup became the NHL's championship trophy). They also lead all teams with 24 Stanley Cup championships (one as an NHA team, twenty-three as an NHL team). Of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, the Montreal Canadiens are surpassed in the number of championships only by the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, who have three more. The longest streak of winning the Stanley Cup in consecutive years is five, held by the Montreal Canadiens from 1955–56 to 1959–60.[85] The 1977 edition of the Montreal Canadiens, the second of four straight Stanley Cup champions, was named by ESPN as the second greatest sports team of all-time.[86] Montreal, however, has not won a Stanley Cup since 1993.
The next most successful NHL franchise is the Toronto Maple Leafs with 13 Stanley Cup championships, but they have not won one since 1967. The Detroit Red Wings, with 11 Stanley Cup championships, are the most successful American franchise.
The same trophy is reused every year for each of its awards. The Stanley Cup, much like its CFL counterpart, is unique in this aspect, as opposed to the Vince Lombardi Trophy, Larry O'Brien Trophy, and Commissioner's Trophy, which have new ones made every year for that year's champion. Despite only one trophy being used, the names of the teams winning and the players are engraved every year on the Stanley Cup. The same can also be said for the other trophies reissued every year.
There are numerous trophies that are awarded to players based on their statistics during the regular season; they include, among others, the Art Ross Trophy for the league scoring champion (goals and assists), the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the goal-scoring leader, and the William M. Jennings Trophy for the goaltender(s) for the team with the fewest goals against them.
The other player trophies are voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association or the team general managers.[87] These individual awards are presented at a formal ceremony held in late June after the playoffs have concluded. The most prestigious individual award is the Hart Memorial Trophy which is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player; the voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to judge the player who is the most valuable to his team during the regular season. The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the person deemed the best goaltender as voted on by the general managers of the teams in the NHL. The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top defenceman, the Calder Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top rookie, and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player deemed to combine the highest degree of skill and sportsmanship; all three of these awards are voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
In addition to the regular season awards, the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs. Furthermore, the top coach in the league wins the Jack Adams Award as selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association. The National Hockey League publishes the names of the top three vote getters for all awards, and then names the award winner during the NHL Awards Ceremony.[87]
Players, coaches, officials, and team builders who have had notable careers are eligible to be voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Players cannot enter until three years have passed since their last professional game, the shortest such time period of any major sport. One unique consequence has been Hall of Fame members (specifically, Gordie Howe, Guy Lafleur, and Mario Lemieux) coming out of retirement to play once more.[88] If a player was deemed significant enough, the three-year wait would be waived; only ten individuals have been honoured in this manner.[89] In 1999, Wayne Gretzky joined the Hall and became the last player to have the three-year restriction waived.[89] After his induction, the Hall of Fame announced that Gretzky would be the last to have the waiting period waived.
In addition to Canadian and American born and trained players, who have historically composed a large majority of NHL rosters, the NHL also draws players from an expanding pool of other nations where organized and professional hockey is played. Since the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, political/ideological restrictions on the movement of hockey players from this region have disappeared, leading to a large influx of players mostly from Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia into the NHL. Swedes, Finns, and other Western Europeans, who were always free to move to North America, came to the league in greater numbers than before.
Many of the league's top players today come from these European countries, including Daniel Alfredsson, Erik Karlsson, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Lundqvist, Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias, Zdeno Chara, Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin, and Alexander Ovechkin.[90] European players were drafted and signed by NHL teams in an effort to bring in more "skilled offensive players",[91] although recently[when?] there has been a decline in European players as more American players enter the league.[92] The addition of European players changed the style of play in the NHL and European style hockey has been integrated into the NHL game.[90]
Since 1998, during Winter Olympic years the NHL has suspended its all-star game and expanded the traditional all-star break to allow NHL players to represent their countries. Conversely, the IIHF World Championships are held at the same time as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thus, NHL players generally only join their respective country's team in the World Championships if their respective NHL team has been eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, or did not make the playoffs.
The NHL has players from 18 different countries, with over 50% coming from Canada and over 20% from the United States.[93] The following table shows the six countries make up the vast majority of NHL players. The table follows the Hockey Hall of Fame convention of classifying players by the currently existing countries in which their birthplaces are located, without regard to their citizenship or where they were trained.
Country | Players [94][95] |
% | Players [96][97] |
% | Players [98][99] |
% | Players [100][101] |
% | Players [102][103] |
% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada | 488 | 49.8 | 517 | 53.8 | 495 | 52.7 | 509 | 52.3 | 521 | 53.3 |
United States | 140 | 14.3 | 177 | 18.4 | 182 | 19.3 | 216 | 22.2 | 234 | 23.9 |
Sweden | 58 | 5.9 | 45 | 4.7 | 49 | 5.2 | 53 | 5.4 | 63 | 6.4 |
Czech Republic | 73 | 7.4 | 65 | 6.8 | 65 | 6.9 | 57 | 5.9 | 42 | 4.3 |
Russia | 57 | 5.8 | 40 | 4.2 | 35 | 3.7 | 32 | 3.3 | 32 | 3.3 |
Finland | 38 | 3.9 | 39 | 4.1 | 42 | 4.5 | 42 | 4.3 | 30 | 3.1 |
Total | 980 | 100.0 | 961 | 100.0 | 942 | 100.0 | 974 | 100.0 | 978 | 100.0 |
Broadcasting rights in Canada have historically included the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC), a Canadian tradition dating to 1952,[104][105] and even prior to that on radio since the 1920s.
The current national television and digital rightsholder is Rogers Communications, under a 12-year deal valued at C$5.2 billion which began in the 2014–15 season, as the national broadcast and cable television rightsholders. National English-language coverage of the NHL is carried primarily by Rogers' Sportsnet group of specialty channels; Sportsnet holds national windows on Wednesday and Sunday nights. Hockey Night in Canada was maintained and expanded under the deal, airing up to seven games nationally on Saturday nights throughout the regular season. CBC maintains Rogers-produced NHL coverage during the regular season and playoffs.[106] Sportsnet's networks also air occasional games involving all-U.S. matchups.[107][108][109][110][111][112]
Quebecor Media holds national French-language rights to the NHL, with all coverage airing on its specialty channel TVA Sports.[113][114]
Games that are not broadcast as part of the national rights deal are broadcast by Sportsnet's regional feeds, TSN's regional feeds, and RDS. Regional games are subject to blackout for viewers outside of each team's designated market.[115]
Historically, the NHL has never fared well on American television in comparison to the other American professional leagues. The league's American broadcast partners have been in flux for decades, ranging from such networks as CBS, SportsChannel America, the USA Network, Fox, ABC, and ESPN.
National U.S. television rights are currently held by NBC Sports; its current 10-year, US$2 billion contract, which began in the 2011-12 season, extended and unified rights deals that were first established in the 2005-06 season, when Comcast acquired cable rights to replace ESPN, and NBC acquired broadcast television rights under a revenue-sharing agreement to replace ABC.[116] NBC Sports Network and the company negotiated a new, 10-year, unified rights deal worth nearly US$2 billion.[117] Under this contract, NBCSN usually airs at least two regular season games per week, while NBC airs afternoon games on selected weekends. NBCUniversal holds exclusive rights to Wednesday night games, all games televised by the NBC network, and every game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning in the second round. Coverage of the playoffs and the Finals is split between the two networks, with other games shown on CNBC, USA Network, and NHL Network.
As in Canada, games not broadcast nationally are aired regionally within a team's home market, and are subject to blackout outside of them. These broadcasters include regional sports network chains. Certain national telecasts on NBCSN are non-exclusive, and may also air in tandem with telecasts of the game by local broadcasters. However, national telecasts of these games are blacked out in the participating teams' markets to protect the local broadcaster.
The league co-owns the NHL Network, a television specialty channel devoted to the NHL. Its signature show is NHL Tonight. The NHL Network also airs live games, but primarily simulcasts of one of the team's regional broadcasters. The U.S. version simulcasts selected regular season games nationally that are not aired by NBC Sports, as well as be used as an overflow channel during the playoffs.
The NHL operates two subscription-based services allowing access to live, out-of-market games. NHL Centre Ice in Canada[118] and NHL Center Ice in the United States[119] offer access to out-of-market feeds of games through a cable or satellite television provider. The league also offers NHL GameCenter Live (branded as Rogers NHL GameCentre Live in Canada), which allows the streaming of out-of-market games over the internet. In the United States, GameCenter Live does not carry national games or in-market games.
Outside of Canada and the United States, NHL games are broadcast across Europe, in the Middle East, in Australia,[120] and in the Americas across Mexico, Central America, Dominican Republic, Caribbean, South America and Brazil, among others.
NHL Gamecenter Live on NHL.com is also available for people outside Canada and the United States to watch games online.
The NHL is considered one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, along with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. The league is very prominent in Canada, where hockey is the most popular of these four major sports as alongside CFL.[121] Overall, hockey has the smallest total fan base of the four leagues, the smallest revenue from television, and the least sponsorship.[122]
The NHL holds one of the most affluent fan bases.[122] Studies by the Sports Marketing Group conducted from 1998 to 2004 show that the NHL's fan base is much more affluent than that of the PGA Tour.[123][not in citation given] A study done by the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2004, found that NHL fans in America were the most educated and affluent of the four major leagues. Further it noted that season-ticket sales were more prominent in the NHL than the other three because of the financial ability of the NHL fan to purchase them.[122] According to Reuters in 2010, the largest demographic of NHL fans was highly sought after group males aged 18–34.[124] The NHL estimates that half of its fan base roots for teams in outside markets. Beginning in 2008, the NHL began a shift toward using digital technology to market to fans to capitalize on this.
The debut of the Winter Classic, an outdoor regular season NHL game held on New Year's Day 2008, was a major success for the league. The game has since become an annual staple of the NHL schedule. This, along with the transition to a national "Game of the Week" and an annual "Hockey Day in America" regional coverage, all televised on NBC, has helped increase the NHL's regular season television viewership in the United States.[citation needed] These improvements led NBC and the cable channel Versus to sign a ten-year broadcast deal, paying US$200 million per year for both American cable and broadcast rights; the deal will lead to further increases in television coverage on the NBC channels.
This television contract has boosted viewership metrics for the NHL. The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs saw the largest audience in the history of the sport "after a regular season that saw record-breaking business success, propelled in large part by the NHL's strategy of engaging fans through big events and robust digital offerings."[125] This success has resulted in a 66 percent rise in NHL advertising and sponsorship revenue. Merchandise sales were up 22 percent and the number of unique visitors on the NHL.com website were up 17 percent during the playoffs after rising 29 percent in the regular season.[126]
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リンク元 | 「非ホジキンリンパ腫」「non-Hodgkin lymphoma」「non-Hodgkin's lymphoma」 |
拡張検索 | 「SNHL」 |
関連記事 | 「N」 |
年齢 | 子供における頻度 | 男性(%) | ステージI,II vs III,IV(%) | B症状(%) | 骨髄浸潤(%) | 消化管浸潤(%) | 5年生存率(%) | |
B細胞CLL/小リンパ球性リンパ腫 | 65 | まれ | 53 | 9 vs 91 | 33 | 72 | 3 | 51 |
マントル細胞リンパ腫 | 63 | まれ | 74 | 20 vs 80 | 28 | 64 | 9 | 27 |
MALT型の節外辺縁域B細胞リンパ腫 | 60 | まれ | 48 | 67 vs 33 | 19 | 14 | 50 | 74 |
濾胞リンパ腫 | 59 | まれ | 42 | 33 vs 67 | 28 | 42 | 4 | 72 |
びまん性大細胞型B細胞リンパ腫 | 64 | ~25% | 55 | 54 vs 46 | 33 | 16 | 18 | 46 |
バーキットリンパ腫 | 31 | ~30% | 89 | 62 vs 38 | 22 | 33 | 11 | 45 |
前駆T細胞リンパ芽球性リンパ腫 | 28 | ~40% | 64 | 11 vs 89 | 21 | 50 | 4 | 26 |
未分化大細胞型リンパ腫 | 34 | よくある | 69 | 51 vs 49 | 53 | 13 | 9 | 77 |
末梢型T細胞非ホジキンリンパ腫 | 61 | ~5% | 55 | 20 vs 80 | 50 | 36 | 15 | 25 |
進行スピードによる分類 | 該当する非ホジキンリンパ腫の種類 |
低悪性度(年単位で進行) | 濾胞性リンパ腫 MALTリンパ腫 |
中悪性度(月単位で進行) | びまん性大細胞性B細胞性リンパ腫 未分化大細胞リンパ腫 |
高悪性度(週単位で進行) | リンパ芽球性リンパ腫 バーキットリンパ腫 |
[★] 感音性難聴 Sensorineural hearing loss
.