List of defunct and relocated National Hockey League teams

Map of relocated NHL teams before 2024

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional men's ice hockey league, founded in 1917.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> The NHL Board of Governors review and approve the relocation of any member club.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Each team appoints an individual or individuals to represent their team on the Board of Governors.<ref name="CNHL">Template:Cite news</ref> A majority vote is needed for relocation of a club.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Clubs are considered permanently relocated when moved out of their respective home territories, which includes the city that they were located in, plus 50 miles from the city's corporate limits.<ref name="CNHL"/>

Under the constitution of the NHL, membership is on a partnership basis, each partner holding a franchise from the League for the operation of a hockey club in its designated city.<ref>NHL Constitution, p. 2</ref> The franchise can out-live teams located in different cities. For example, the Kansas City Scouts, Colorado Rockies, and New Jersey Devils are one franchise. A franchise's history includes the records of competition won in different cities, as differently-named teams. Naming and team logos and designs are registered with the league. Two current teams use the names of previous franchises – the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets. These franchises do not include the history of the previous franchises, but have used the original franchises' logos and jersey designs. The league considers the history of the current Ottawa Senators to not include the original Senators; the Jets' franchise history includes the Atlanta Thrashers' history, not the first Winnipeg Jets (later the Arizona Coyotes).

There are 19 defunct and relocated NHL teams. The Montreal Wanderers, original Ottawa Senators, and the Quebec Bulldogs had played in the NHA before joining the NHL; Quebec City joined the NHL two years later as the Athletics.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> The Pittsburgh Pirates played in the U.S. Amateur Hockey Association as the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets before joining the NHL in 1925.<ref name=iceage>Template:Cite news</ref> The first NHL team to disband was the Montreal Wanderers, citing the lack of available players due to World War I.<ref name=wanderers>Template:Cite web</ref> The first team to relocate was the Athletics, who relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, to become the Hamilton Tigers. The NHL president at the time, Frank Calder, stripped the franchise from owner Mike Quinn and sold it to a Hamilton-based company.<ref name="hamilton">Template:Harvnb</ref> Three franchises became defunct due to the Great Depression: the Philadelphia Quakers, the St. Louis Eagles, and the Montreal Maroons. During their time in the NHL, the Senators and Maroons both won the Stanley Cup championship multiple times, with four and two respectively. The Brooklyn Americans was the last team to become defunct in the NHL. The franchise was struggling financially and, due to the lack of players because of World War II, was suspended prior to the Template:NHL Year. The franchise formally ceased in 1946.<ref name=americans>Template:Harvnb</ref> The Americans' departure reduced the number of teams to six. This began what became known as the Original Six era of the NHL.

The Original Six era ended when the NHL expanded twofold in 1967. Two teams from the expansion—the California Golden Seals and the Minnesota North Stars—relocated to other cities. The Golden Seals moved after nine seasons in Oakland to become the Cleveland Barons; this was the first time in four decades the NHL approved a franchise relocation.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Two years later, after failed overtures towards merging with the Washington Capitals and the Vancouver Canucks, the Barons merged with the North Stars.<ref name=a1978/> The Barons are the only NHL team to merge operations with another one.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The North Stars relocated to Dallas in 1993 to become the Stars.<ref name=cnnstars/>

After six additional expansion teams, the merger of the Cleveland Barons with the Minnesota North Stars, and the NHL–WHA merger, the league had expanded to 21 teams by 1979. Three of the four teams from the NHL–WHA merger relocated to other cities: the Quebec Nordiques, the original Winnipeg Jets, and the Hartford Whalers.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, while the Winnipeg Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996 and rebranded as the Arizona Coyotes in 2014 (but then becoming defunct in 2024), with the Hartford Whalers moving to North Carolina and becoming the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997. The Winnipeg Jets identity was revived in 2011, when a Winnipeg-based company received approval from the league to purchase the struggling Atlanta Thrashers and relocate them to Winnipeg for the Template:NHL Year.<ref name=NHLBoardofGovernors>Template:Cite news</ref>

In a unique situation in 2024, the Arizona Coyotes were deactivated and the team's players and personnel were transferred to a new expansion team in Utah. Under the original agreement, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo retained the rights to the team name and history, as well as an option for reactivation in Arizona for five years, under the condition a new arena is completed in that time. However he ceded his rights to the franchise less than two months later.<ref name=utah1/> Template:As of, the league has not yet indicated whether the Arizona franchise will now fold outright, hold the rights to the Coyotes and wait for a potential expansion team, and/or whether its history, records and/or intellectual property will be transferred to the Utah Mammoth and/or split between Utah and the current Winnipeg Jets.<ref name="defunct?"/>

Out of the seven active relocated franchises in the NHL, only the Winnipeg Jets have neither won the Stanley Cup nor advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Most of the metropolitan areas that have hosted relocated or defunct teams have been given another NHL team. Montreal, Quebec City and Atlanta all have two defunct or relocated teams with the Wanderers and Maroons, the Athletics and Nordiques, and the Flames and Thrashers, respectively. Philadelphia (Philadelphia Flyers), Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Penguins), and St. Louis (St. Louis Blues) gained teams during the 1967 expansion. After losing the Americans, two more teams have been added into the New York metropolitan area: the New York Islanders in 1972 and the New Jersey Devils in 1982. Other former host-metropolitan areas of NHL teams that have been given another team include: San Francisco Bay Area (San Jose Sharks in 1991), Ottawa (current Ottawa Senators in 1992), Denver (Colorado Avalanche in 1995), Minneapolis – St. Paul (Minnesota Wild in 2000) and Winnipeg (current Jets in 2011).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Defunct and relocated teams

First	First year in the NHL
Last	Last year in the NHL
Record	Win–loss–tie–overtime record
Win%	Winning percentage
PA	NHL (1918–1926) / Stanley Cup playoff (1927–present) appearances
SC	Stanley Cup wins
*	Denotes active franchise
^	City would later receive a new franchise

Team	First	Last	Relocated to	Seasons	Record	Win%	PA	SC	Reason for relocation/disbandment	Reference
Montreal Wanderers^	1917	1918Template:Ref label	Template:NtshDefunct	1	Template:Ntsh1–5–0	.167	0	0	Lack of available players due to World War I and arena burned down<ref name=wanderers/>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Quebec Bulldogs^	1919	1920	Hamilton Tigers	1	Template:Ntsh4–20–0	.167	0	0	Sold to a Hamilton-based company<ref name="hamilton"/>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hamilton Tigers	1920	1925	Template:NtshDefunct	5	Template:Ntsh47–78–1	.377	0	0	Ceased operations due to players' strike; players were bought by the New York Americans.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pittsburgh Pirates^Template:Ref label	1925	1930	Philadelphia Quakers	5	Template:Ntsh67–122–23	.370	2	0	Financial problems during the Great Depression<ref name=iceage/>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Philadelphia Quakers^	1930	1931	Template:NtshDefunct	1	Template:Ntsh4–36–4	.136	0	0	Financial problems during the Great Depression<ref name=iceage/>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ottawa Senators^Template:Ref label	1917	1934	St. Louis Eagles	16Template:Ref label	Template:Ntsh258–221–63	.534	9	4	Financial problems during the Great Depression<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
St. Louis Eagles^	1934	1935	Template:NtshDefunct	1	Template:Ntsh11–31–6	.292	0	0	Financial problems during the Great Depression<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Montreal Maroons	1924	1938	Template:NtshDefunct	14	Template:Ntsh271–260–91	.509	11	2	Financial problems during the Great Depression<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Brooklyn Americans^Template:Ref label	1925	1942	Template:NtshDefunct	17	Template:Ntsh255–402–127	.406	5	0	Financial problems, plus lack of players due to World War II; formally ceased in 1946.<ref name=americans/>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
California Golden Seals^Template:Ref label	1967	1976	Cleveland Barons	9	Template:Ntsh182–401–115	.343	2	0	In search of better financial conditions; Cleveland is the hometown of minority owner George Gund III.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	<ref name="barons">Template:Cite web</ref>
Kansas City Scouts	1974	1976	Colorado Rockies	2	Template:Ntsh27–110–23	.241	0	0	Financial problems; sold to a group of investors with the intention to move.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	<ref name="devils">Template:Cite web</ref>
Cleveland Barons	1976	1978	Defunct Merged with Minnesota North Stars	2	Template:Ntsh47–87–26	.375	0	0	Both teams with financial problems.<ref name=a1978>Template:Harvnb</ref>	<ref name="barons"/>
Atlanta Flames^	1972	1980	Calgary Flames*	8	Template:Ntsh268–260–108	.506	6	0	Financial problems; sold to Nelson Skalbania with the intention to move to Calgary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Colorado Rockies^Template:Ref label	1976	1982	New Jersey Devils*	6	Template:Ntsh113–281–86	.325	1	0	Sold to John McMullen in search of better financial conditions; New Jersey is McMullen's home state.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>	<ref name="devils"/>
Minnesota North Stars^	1967	1993	Dallas Stars*	26	Template:Ntsh758–970–334	.449	17	0	In search of better financial conditions.<ref name=cnnstars>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Quebec Nordiques	1979	1995	Colorado Avalanche*	16	Template:Ntsh497–599–160	.459	9	0	Financial problems; sold to a Denver-based group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Winnipeg Jets^Template:Ref label	1979	1996	Phoenix Coyotes	17	Template:Ntsh506–660–172	.442	11	0	Sold to a group of investors with the intention to move in search of better financial conditions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hartford Whalers	1979	1997	Carolina Hurricanes*	18	Template:Ntsh534–709–177	.438	8	0	In search of better financial conditions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Atlanta Thrashers	1999	2011	Winnipeg Jets*	11Template:Ref label	Template:Ntsh342–437–45–78	.447	1	0	Evicted from arena; sold to a Winnipeg-based company TNSE.<ref name=NHLBoardofGovernors/>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Arizona CoyotesTemplate:Ref label	1996	2024	Suspended Hockey assets transferred to Utah Mammoth	27Template:Ref label	Template:Ntsh918–934–94–191	.495	9	0	Inability of team to construct new arena after two seasons playing in Mullett Arena. Hockey assets sold to Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz.<ref name=utah1>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="defunct?">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notes

• Template:Note label This team was not affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB).
• Template:Note label This team is not affiliated with the present-day Ottawa Senators.
• Template:Note label The team was formerly known as the New York Americans (1925–1941).
• Template:Note label The team was formerly known as the California Seals (1967), Oakland Seals (1967–1970), and Bay Area Seals (1970).
• Template:Note label This team was not affiliated with the Colorado Rockies of MLB.
• Template:Note label This team is not affiliated with the present-day Winnipeg Jets.
• Template:Note label The Wanderers played four games during the Template:NHL Year before becoming defunct; a further two games were defaulted before the club folded.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Note label The Senators were on hiatus during the Template:NHL Year due to financial problems.<ref>*Template:Cite book</ref>
• Template:Note label The 2004–05 season was canceled due to the season lockout.<ref>*Template:Cite news</ref>
• Template:Note label Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo retained the rights to the team name, as well as an option for reactivation in Arizona for five years, under the condition a new arena is completed in that time, however he ceded his rights to the franchise less than two months later.<ref name=utah1/> Template:As of, the league has not yet indicated whether the Arizona franchise will now fold outright, hold the rights to the Coyotes and wait for a potential expansion team, and/or whether its history, records and/or intellectual property will be transferred to the Utah Mammoth and/or split between Utah and the current Winnipeg Jets.<ref name="defunct?"/>

Map of defunct and relocated teams

<imagemap> Image:nhldefunctteams.png|550px|thumb|center|Map of the defunct and relocated NHL teams; the team names are clickable.

rect 539 71 658 89 Winnipeg Jets (1972–96) rect 593 202 776 223 Minnesota North Stars rect 1000 127 1130 147 Quebec Bulldogs rect 1001 146 1140 164 Quebec Nordiques rect 14 267 205 325 California Golden Seals rect 780 495 904 513 Atlanta Flames rect 781 514 914 527 Atlanta Thrashers rect 651 377 796 398 St. Louis Eagles rect 508 382 650 401 Kansas City Scouts rect 571 366 592 384 Kansas City Scouts rect 364 325 513 347 Colorado Rockies (NHL) rect 797 342 930 364 Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL) rect 850 318 884 345 Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL) rect 842 295 971 310 Cleveland Barons (NHL) rect 815 296 846 319 Cleveland Barons (NHL) rect 936 324 1098 349 Philadelphia Quakers rect 935 311 960 326 Philadelphia Quakers rect 906 201 1098 222 Ottawa Senators (original) rect 906 180 938 204 Ottawa Senators (original) rect 968 167 1099 183 Montreal Maroons rect 970 183 1115 200 Montreal Wanderers rect 989 260 1132 280 Hartford Whalers rect 970 283 1133 317 New York Americans rect 840 234 976 255 Hamilton Tigers

desc bottom-right </imagemap>

See also

• History of the National Hockey League
• Timeline of the National Hockey League
• Potential National Hockey League expansion

References

Citations

• Template:Cite web
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External links

• Template:Cite web
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