National Hockey League
Video clips of Jim Cantelon's interview with hockey great Paul Henderson. Focuses on the memorable 1972 hockey series between Canada and the Soviet Union. From YouTube
The number of teams reached 18 by 1974 (with the addition of the Kansas City Scouts and Washington Capitals), of which only 3 were based in Canada. One team folded in 1978 but the Hartford Whalers, EDMONTON OILERS, QUÉBEC NORDIQUES and WINNIPEG JETS joined the following year after the collapse of the WORLD HOCKEY ASSOCIATION. The Atlanta franchise moved to Calgary in 1980 (the CALGARY FLAMES), bringing the number of NHL teams in Canada to 7.
Watch a video about Neil Peart's version of "The Hockey Night in Canada Theme." From the Drum Channel on YouTube.
Further expansion in 1991 and 1992 increased the league to 26 teams, including another Canadian franchise, the Ottawa Senators. Franchises were also awarded to Tampa Bay (Lightning), Anaheim (Mighty Ducks), Miami (Florida Panthers) and San Jose (Sharks). The Nordiques, suffering financially from playing in the league's smallest market, were sold in 1995 and relocated to Denver, where they became the Avalanche. The Jets were also relocated in 1996, after being sold to a group in Phoenix, leaving 6 franchises operating in Canada. In the summer of 1997, the league announced that it would expand to 4 more American cities. By the year 2000, with the addition of the Nashville Predators (1998), Atlanta Thrashers (1999), Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets (2000), the NHL had expanded to 30 teams.
The fate of Canadian teams in the NHL, which are increasingly pressured to compete financially with American markets, is unsettling. Toronto was the only Canadian team in 2000 that consistently played to sell-out crowds. The NHL's Canadian Assistance Program offers aid only when teams can demonstrate their viability, and for most teams in Canada, viability is continually threatened by declining attendance. In 1999, Rod Bryden, owner of the Ottawa Senators, announced that unless the federal government was willing to offer financial support, the Senators would be the next Canadian team sold to the US. A startling announcement in January 2000 outlined how the federal government would offer annual aid to Canadian hockey teams until 2004. Widespread criticism of the proposal, however, was so severe that it brought about an immediate retraction.
In 2004 team owners enforced a lockout banning members of the NHL Players' Association (hockey players) from play. The lockout, a result of the players' resistance to a salary cap, lasted 310 days from 16 September 2004 to 13 July 2005. The result was a salary cap of $39 million (US) per team and a significant reduction in players' salaries. It was the first time a major North American sports league had lost an entire season due to a labour dispute. It also resulted in cancellation of the STANLEY CUP playoffs, and for second time in its history the cup was not awarded. However, when the 2005 collective bargaining agreement expired in 2012 a new agreement could not be reached and the league locked out players once more. The impasse left the sport reeling once again, in danger of cancelling an entire season for the second time in a decade.
In recent years, the number of players in the NHL recruited from Canadian junior hockey have dropped from 70% to near 50%, as an increasing number of players, including many of the brightest stars, are coming from Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and the US.
Though the league has struggled, like most professional sports organizations, with strikes and soaring salaries and ticket prices, it remains the premier professional HOCKEY league in the world. The Stanley Cup, awarded exclusively to NHL teams since the 1926-27 season, is emblematic of the world professional championship.
See also CANADA CUP; STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 1892-1944; STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 1944-Present.
Author JAMES MARSH
Suggested Reading
Dan Diamond, ed, The Official National Hockey League 75th Anniversary Commemorative Book (1991).
Links to Other Sites
Historica-Dominion Institute
The website for the Historica-Dominion Institute, parent organization of The Canadian Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Check out their extensive online feature about the War of 1812, the "Heritage Minutes" video collection, and many other interactive resources concerning Canadian history, culture, and heritage.
Montreal Canadiens
The official website of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team.
National Hockey League
The NHL website features the latest league news and statistics, video clips of game highlights, and more. Check the bottom of the page for additional links.
Stanley Cup
A brief history of professional hockey's top trophy, the Stanley Cup. Click on the links for more detailed information. From the Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum.
Admired in life, revered in death
A tribute to hockey legend Maurice Richard from the CBC Digital Archives.
Nativehockey.com
This website is devoted to past and present aboriginal hockey players in Canada.
Hockey: A Nation's Passion
Skate through this interactive multimedia website about the history and cultural impact of Canada’s national sport and pastime. From the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Backcheck: A Hockey Retrospective
Trace the development of Canada's national sport in this collection of historic hockey photographs, stories, and documents. See also the link to "Backcheck: Hockey for Kids" at the bottom of the page. From Library and Archives Canada.
The History of Canadian Broadcasting
This site is dedicated to the visionary pioneers who created Canada’s broadcasting industry. Features profiles of members of the CAB Hall of Fame and much more. From the Canadian Communications Foundation.
Hockey Night in Canada
Tune into some great audio clips from the early days of hockey broadcasting on CBC Radio.
Hockey Night In Canada Theme
This site is dedicated to the hockey theme originally composed for the CBC program “Hockey Night In Canada.” Features an interview with Dolores Claman and information about sheet music for arrangements for piano and other instruments.
National Hockey Hero - Paul Henderson
Video clips of Jim Cantelon's interview with hockey great Paul Henderson. Focuses on the memorable 1972 hockey series between Canada and the Soviet Union. From YouTube.
Glossary: Ice Hockey
A glossary of terms commonly used in the sport of ice hockey. From the TMLFever.com website.
Glossary: Hockey History
A glossary of historic ice hockey terms. From the website for Hants County in Nova Scotia.
CTV Saves the Hockey Theme Song
An article about the updated "Hockey Theme" from the TSN website. To hear the tune, click on the link "Video: The Hockey Theme Song."
Hockey: A People's History
The website for "Hockey: A People's History," a CBC series that brings alive the roots of a game that has shaped a nation. Check out the hockey timeline, the "virtual hot stove," and more.
Eddie Shore and that Old-Time Hockey
A synopsis about a book that covers the hockey career of the legendary Eddie Shore and chronicles the rough and tumble history of the sport. From the website of publisher McClelland & Stewart.
sportsnet.ca
Check out the sportsnet.ca website for the latest sports news and videos.
Andrew Podnieks
The website for Andrew Podnieks, the author of more than 50 books on the sport of hockey. Also see the gallery of Dennis Miles photos of hockey players and the bios of members of the "Women's Hall of Fame."
Gretzky cracks 200-point barrier
A brief note about the first time Wayne Gretzky scored more than 200 points in a single season. From the espncdn.com website.
'The Great One' reflects, discusses turning 50
A brief interview with hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who discusses his NHL career and his optomistic outlook for the future of the National Hockey League. From nhl.com.
The Hockey News
The website for The Hockey News, which has been reporting the latest news about the world of hockey since 1947.
TSN
The TSN website offers live and breaking sports news, score results, standings, schedules, and more.
The first time that a winter sport was included in the
Olympic games was during the 1900 summer Olympics....
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