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===Early years===
The National Hockey League was established in 1917 as the successor to the [[National Hockey Association]] (NHA). Founded in 1909, the NHA [[1910 NHA season|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 [[1916–17 NHA season|the NHA's eighth season]], a series of disputes with [[Toronto Blueshirts]] owner [[Eddie Livingstone]] led team owners of the [[Montreal Canadiens]], [[Montreal Wanderers]], [[Ottawa Senators (original)|Ottawa Senators]], and [[Quebec Bulldogs]] to hold a meeting to discuss the league's future.<ref name="mcfarlane_15_16">{{harvnb|McFarlane|1997|pp=15–16}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Harvnb|Holzman|Nieforth|2002|p=159}}</ref>
The Bulldogs were unable to play, and the remaining owners created a new team in Toronto, the [[Toronto Arenas|Arenas]], to compete with the Canadiens, Wanderers and Senators.<ref>{{harvnb|McKinley|2006|p=77}}</ref> The first games were played on December 19, 1917.<ref name="Jenish 2">{{cite book|last1=Jenish|first1=D'Arcy|title=The NHL : 100 years of on-ice action and boardroom battles|date=2013|publisher=Doubleday Canada|isbn=978-0385671460|page=16}}</ref> The [[Montreal Arena]] burned down in January 1918, causing the Wanderers to cease operations,<ref>{{cite web|title=Early Leagues and the Birth of the NHL |url=http://capitals.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=his_EarlyLeagues |last=McFarlane |first=Brian |website=National Hockey League |accessdate=January 17, 2010 |ref=harv |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130110236/http://capitals.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page |archivedate=November 30, 2009 }}</ref> and the NHL continued on as a three-team league until the Bulldogs returned in 1919.<ref name="pincus24">{{Harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=24}}</ref>
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, and then defeated the [[Vancouver Millionaires]] of the [[Pacific Coast Hockey Association]] (PCHA) for the [[1918 Stanley Cup Finals|1918 Stanley Cup]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Holzman|Nieforth|2002|p=197}}</ref> The Canadiens won the league title in 1919; however their Stanley Cup Final against the PCHA's [[Seattle Metropolitans]] was abandoned as a result of the [[1918 flu pandemic|Spanish Flu]] epidemic.<ref name="pincus23">{{Harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=23}}</ref> Montreal in 1924 won their first Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sandor|2005|p=33}}</ref> The [[Hamilton Tigers (ice hockey)|Hamilton Tigers]], won the regular season title in [[1924–25 NHL season|1924–25]] but refused to play in the championship series unless they were given a [[Canadian dollar|C$]]200 bonus.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=35}}</ref> The league refused and declared the Canadiens the league champion after they defeated the [[Toronto Maple Leafs|Toronto St. Patricks]] (formerly the Arenas) in the semi-final. Montreal was then defeated by the [[Victoria Cougars]] of the [[Western Canada Hockey League]] (WCHL) for the [[1925 Stanley Cup Finals|1925 Stanley Cup]]. It was the last time a non-NHL team won the trophy,<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinner.jsp?tro=STC&year=1924-25 |title=Victoria Cougars—1924–25 Stanley Cup |accessdate=January 17, 2010 |journal=Legends of Hockey |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |ref=harv |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930080728/http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinner.jsp?tro=STC&year=1924-25 |archivedate=September 30, 2007 |df= }}</ref> as the Stanley Cup became the ''de facto'' NHL championship in 1926 after the WCHL ceased operation.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sandor|2005|p=35}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://bruins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=5489 |title=The History of the Hub of Hockey |accessdate=May 16, 2008 |publisher=Boston Bruins Hockey Club |ref=harv |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501130542/http://bruins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=5489 |archivedate=May 1, 2008 |df= }}</ref> The [[New York Americans]] began play in 1925 after purchasing the assets of the Hamilton Tigers, and were joined by the [[Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL)|Pittsburgh Pirates]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Holzman|Nieforth|2002|p=262}}</ref> The [[New York Rangers]] were added in 1926.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=33}}</ref> The [[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago Black Hawks]] and [[Detroit Red Wings|Detroit Cougars]] (later Red Wings) were also added after the league purchased the assets of the defunct WCHL.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=29}}</ref> A group purchased the Toronto St. Patricks in 1927 and immediately renamed them the Maple Leafs.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=39}}</ref>
===The Original Six===
{{main|Original Six}}
The first [[NHL All-Star Game]] was held in 1934 to benefit [[Ace Bailey]], whose career ended on a vicious hit by [[Eddie Shore]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=47}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Harvnb|McKinley|2006|p=120}}</ref>
The [[Great Depression]] and the onset of World War II took a toll on the league. The Pirates became the [[Philadelphia Quakers (NHL)|Philadelphia Quakers]] in 1930, then folded one year later. The Senators likewise became the [[St. Louis Eagles]] in 1934, also lasting only one year.<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=33}}</ref> The Maroons did not survive, as they suspended operations in 1938.<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=37}}</ref> The Americans were suspended in 1942 due to a lack of available players, and were never reactivated.<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=43}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Diamond |first=Dan |author2=Zweig, Eric |author3=Duplacey, James |title=The Ultimate Prize: The Stanley Cup |year=2003 |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |isbn=0-7407-3830-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/ultimateprizesta0000diam/page/40 40] |url=https://archive.org/details/ultimateprizesta0000diam/page/40 }}</ref>
[[File:Montreal Canadiens hockey team, October 1942.jpg|thumb|Montreal Canadiens in 1942]]
In 1945, [[Maurice Richard|Maurice "Rocket" Richard]] became the first player to score [[List of NHL players with 50 goal seasons|50 goals]], doing so in a [[50 goals in 50 games|50-game season]].<ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p196108&type=Player&page=bio&list=ByName#photo |title=The Legends—Rocket Richard |accessdate=January 18, 2010 |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |ref=harv |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307224757/http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p196108&type=Player&page=bio&list=ByName#photo |archivedate=March 7, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Richard later led the Canadiens to five consecutive titles between 1956 and 1960, a record no team has matched.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=100}}</ref>
On March 13, 1948, [[Larry Kwong]] became the first non-white player in the NHL and broke the league's [[Racial segregation|colour barrier]], playing for the New York Rangers.<ref name="ward">{{cite web |last1=Ward |first1=Rachel |title=1st NHL player of colour, Larry Kwong, dies at 94 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/larry-kwong-calgary-nhl-1.4582793 |work=[[CBC News]] |accessdate=June 5, 2020 |date=March 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Davis |first1=David |title=A Hockey Pioneer's Moment |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/sports/hockey/larry-kwongs-shift-for-rangers-in-1947-48-broke-a-barrier.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=June 5, 2020 |date=February 19, 2013}}</ref> Ten years later, [[Willie O'Ree]] became the first black player in league history on January 18, 1958, when he made his debut with the Boston Bruins.<ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Eldon O'Ree |website=legendsofhockey.net |accessdate=June 5, 2020 |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13894 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118092936/http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13894 |url-status=dead |archivedate=January 18, 2008}}</ref>
===Post-Original Six expansion===
By the mid-1960s, the desire for a network television contract in the U.S., and concerns that the [[Western Hockey League (minor pro)|Western Hockey League]] was planning to declare itself a major league and challenge for the Stanley Cup, spurred the league to undertake its first [[1967 NHL Expansion|expansion]] since the 1920s. The league doubled in size to 12 teams for the [[1967–68 NHL season|1967–68 season]], adding the [[Los Angeles Kings]], [[Minnesota North Stars]], [[Philadelphia Flyers]], [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], [[California Seals]] and [[St. Louis Blues]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Diamond|1991|p=175}}</ref> Canadian fans were outraged that all six teams were placed in the United States,<ref>{{Harvnb|McKinley|2006|pp=194–195}}</ref> and the league responded by adding the [[Vancouver Canucks]] in [[1970–71 NHL season|1970]] along with the [[Buffalo Sabres]], who are both located on the [[Canada–United States border|Canada–US border]].<ref>{{Harvnb |McFarlane |1990 |pp=106–107}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boer|2006|p=13}}</ref> In 1974, the [[Washington Capitals]] and [[Kansas City Scouts]] were added, bringing the league up to 18 teams.<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=115}}</ref>
The National Hockey League fought the WHA for players, losing 67 to the new league in its first season of [[1972–73 WHA season|1972–73]],<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=113}}</ref> including [[Bobby Hull]], who signed a ten-year, $2.5 million contract with the [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)|Winnipeg Jets]], the largest in hockey history at the time.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=33}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Harvnb|McFarlane|1990|p=133}}</ref> Seven years of battling for players and markets financially damaged both leagues, leading to a 1979 [[NHL–WHA merger|merger agreement]] that saw the WHA cease operations while the NHL absorbed the Winnipeg Jets, [[Edmonton Oilers]], [[Hartford Whalers]] and [[Quebec Nordiques]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=214}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Harvnb|Willes|2004|p=251}}</ref>
[[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 NHL season|1979–80 season]].<ref name="LOHGretzky">{{Cite journal |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p199901&page=bio&list=#photo |title=The Legends—Wayne Gretzky |accessdate=January 18, 2010 |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |ref=harv |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051123203450/http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p199901&page=bio&list=#photo |archivedate=November 23, 2005 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> 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 NHL season|1981–82]]), assists (163 in [[1985–86 NHL season|1985–86]]) and points (215 in 1985–86), as well as career records for goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857).<ref name="LOHGretzky" /> He was traded to the Kings in 1988, a deal that dramatically improved the league's popularity in the United States. By the turn of the century nine more teams were added to the NHL: the [[San Jose Sharks]], [[Tampa Bay Lightning]], [[Ottawa Senators]], [[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]], [[Florida Panthers]], [[Nashville Predators]], [[Atlanta Thrashers]] (now [[Winnipeg Jets]]), and in 2000 the [[Minnesota Wild]] and [[Columbus Blue Jackets]].<ref name="EOHGretzky">{{Cite journal|url=http://www.oilersheritage.com/history/dynasty_highlights_gretzkytrade.html |title=Edmonton's Saddest Hockey Day—The Gretzky Trade |accessdate=January 18, 2010 |publisher=Edmonton Oilers Heritage Foundation |ref=harv |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201052918/https://www.oilersheritage.com/history/dynasty_highlights_gretzkytrade.html |archivedate=February 1, 2010 |df= }}</ref> 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,<ref name="NHL update">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=775295|title=Update on NHL expansion application process|website=National Hockey League|date=July 21, 2015|accessdate=July 21, 2015}}</ref> and on June 22, 2016, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the addition of a 31st franchise, based in Las Vegas and later named the [[Vegas Golden Knights]], into the NHL for the 2017–18 season.<ref name="Vegas expansion">{{cite news|last=Rosen|first=Dan|title=Las Vegas awarded NHL franchise|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-expands-to-las-vegas/c-281010682?tid=281011650|publisher=NHL Enterprises, L.P.|website=NHL.com|date=June 22, 2016|accessdate=December 5, 2018}}</ref> On December 4, 2018, the league announced a 32nd franchise in Seattle, later named the [[Seattle Kraken]], to begin play in the 2021–22 season.<ref name="Seattle expansion">{{cite news|last=Rosen|first=Dan|title=Seattle NHL expansion approved by Board of Governors|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/seattle-nhl-expansion-approved-to-be-32nd-team-play-in-2021-22/c-302581450|publisher=NHL Enterprises, L.P.|website=NHL.com|date=December 4, 2018|accessdate=December 5, 2018}}</ref>
===Labour<!--This article uses Canadian English spelling--> issues===
There have been four league-wide work stoppages in NHL history, all occurring after [[1991–92 NHL season|1992]].
The first was a [[1992 NHL strike|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.<ref name="labour_history">{{Cite news|title=We've been here before |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/cba/features/flashback.html |author=CBC Sports |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=January 29, 2004 |accessdate=June 9, 2006 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050409050550/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/cba/features/flashback.html |archivedate=April 9, 2005 }}</ref>
A [[1994–95 NHL lockout|lockout]] at the start of the [[1994–95 NHL season|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.<ref name="labour_history" /> The resulting [[NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement|collective bargaining agreement]] (CBA) was set for renegotiation in 1998 and extended to September 15, 2004.<ref name="2004_lockout">{{Cite journal|title=The hockey lockout of 2004–05 |last=audohar |first=Paul D. |journal=Monthly Labor Review |url=http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/12/art3full.pdf |date=December 2005|ref=harv}}</ref>
With no new agreement in hand when the contract expired on September 15, 2004, league commissioner [[Gary Bettman]] announced a [[2004–05 NHL lockout|lockout]] of the players union and closed the league's head office.<ref name="2004_lockout" /> 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, as the NHL became the first professional sports league to lose an entire season.<ref name="2004_lockout" /> 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 NHL season|2005–06 season]].<ref name="2004_lockout" />
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.<ref name="season_review">{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/hockey_features/season_review.html |title=A season to remember |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |first=John |last=Molinaro |date=April 20, 2006 |accessdate=June 9, 2006 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618174146/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/hockey_features/season_review.html |archivedate=June 18, 2006 }}</ref> The League's TV audience was slower to rebound because of American cable broadcaster [[ESPN]]'s decision to drop the sport.<ref name="ibisworld">{{cite web|url=http://www1.ibisworld.com/pressrelease/pressrelease.aspx?prid=107 |title=Super Bowl XLII versus the Economy |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603025811/http://www.ibisworld.com/pressrelease/pressrelease.aspx?prid=107 |archivedate=June 3, 2008 |df= }}</ref> The league's post-lockout agreement with [[NHL on NBC|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.<ref name="ibisworld"/>
At midnight September 16, 2012, the labour pact expired, and the league again locked out the players.<ref>{{cite news|title=On ice: NHL locks out its players|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57513713/on-ice-nhl-locks-out-its-players/|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=September 16, 2012}}</ref> The owners proposed reducing the players' share of hockey-related revenues from 57 percent to 47 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8382911/nhl-officially-locks-players-cba-expires |title=NHL imposes league-wide lockout |first= Katie |last=Strang | publisher=ESPNNewYork.com |date=September 16, 2012 |accessdate=September 16, 2012}}</ref> All games were cancelled up to January 14, 2013, as well as the [[2013 NHL Winter Classic]] and the [[2015 National Hockey League All-Star Game|2013 NHL All-Star Weekend]].<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL announces cancellation of 2012–13 regular-season schedule through January 14|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=648084|website=National Hockey League|accessdate=December 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221210553/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=648084|archive-date=December 21, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="2013WinterClassic-cancelled">{{cite web|title=NHL cancels 2013 Winter Classic|url=http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/02/nhl-cancels-2013-winter-classic/related/|publisher=NBC News|accessdate=November 2, 2012|date=November 2, 2012}}</ref><ref name="2013AllStar-cancelled">{{cite news|title=NHL cancels games through Dec. 14, All-Star game|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57553761/nhl-cancels-games-through-dec-14-all-star-game/|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=November 23, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Dec30-cancelled">{{cite web|agency=The Canadian Press |title=NHL Announces Game Cancellations Through Dec. 30 |publisher=The Sports Network |date=December 10, 2012 |url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=411343 |accessdate=December 10, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121211112604/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=411343 |archivedate=December 11, 2012 }}
</ref> A tentative agreement was reached on January 6, 2013, on a ten-year deal.<ref>{{cite news |title=NHL OWNERS TO VOTE ON CONTRACT WEDNESDAY |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/nhl-owners-vote-contract-wednesday |agency=Associated Press |accessdate=January 8, 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL, players finalize agreement, camps can open Sunday|url=http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/1828151?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CDetroit%20Red%20Wings%7Cp|work=Detroit Free Press|accessdate=January 13, 2013}}</ref>
===Player safety issues===
Player safety has become a major issue, with concussions – a result from a hard hit to the head – being the primary concern. Recent studies have shown how the consequences of concussions can last beyond player retirement.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} This has significant effects on the league as elite players have suffered from the aftereffects of concussions, such as [[Sidney Crosby]] being sidelined for approximately 10 and a half months, which adversely affects the league's marketability.<ref>{{cite news|author=Josh Hargreaves |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/crosby-discusses-lengthy-recovery-road-from-concussions-safety-of-the-game/article14118504/ |title=Crosby discusses lengthy recovery road from concussions, safety of the game |work=The Globe and Mail |date=September 5, 2013 |accessdate=March 14, 2014 |location=Toronto}}</ref> 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 [[Marián Hossa|Marian Hossa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/04/21/video-brendan-shanahan-explains-raffi-torres-25-game-suspension/ |title=Video: Brendan Shanahan Explains Raffi Torres' 25 Game Suspension « CBS Chicago |publisher=Chicago.cbslocal.com |date=April 21, 2012 |accessdate=March 14, 2014}}</ref>
To aid with removing high speed collisions on icing, which had led to several potential career-ending injuries such as Hurricanes' defenceman [[Joni Pitkänen|Joni Pitkanen]], the league mandated hybrid no-touch icing for the 2013–14 NHL season.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wyshynski |first=Greg |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-players-approve-hybrid-icing-safety-trumps-subjectivity-231456246--nhl.html |title=NHL players approve hybrid icing, as safety trumps subjectivity | Puck Daddy|work=Yahoo! Sports |date=September 30, 2013 |accessdate=March 14, 2014}}</ref>
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 [[National Football League]] agreed to pay former players US$765 million due to a player safety lawsuit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=437509 |title=Former NHL players sue league over concussions |publisher=The Sports Network |date=November 25, 2013 |accessdate=March 14, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131131031/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=437509 |archivedate=January 31, 2014 }}</ref>
===Women in the NHL===
From 1952 to 1955, [[Marguerite Norris]] served as president of the Detroit Red Wings, the first woman NHL executive and the first woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup. In 1992, [[Manon Rhéaume|Manon Rheaume]] became the first woman to play a game in any of the major professional North American sports leagues, as a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning in an NHL pre-season game against the [[St. Louis Blues]], stopping seven of nine shots.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Basu |first1=Arpon |title=Part 1: Manon Rhéaume shatters the gender barrier |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=642005 |website=NHL.com |accessdate=April 15, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925233533/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=642005 |archivedate=September 25, 2012 |date=September 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Manon Rheaume, Team Canada |url=http://www.whockey.com/profile/canada/rheaume.html |website=whockey.com |accessdate=April 15, 2020}}</ref> In 2016, Dawn Braid was hired as the [[Arizona Coyotes]]' skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bieler |first1=Des |title=NHL's first female full-time coach hired by Arizona Coyotes |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/08/24/nhls-first-female-full-time-coach-hired-by-arizona-coyotes/ |website=Washington Post |accessdate=April 15, 2020 |date=August 24, 2016}}</ref> The first female referees in the NHL were hired in a test-run during the league's preseason prospect tournaments in September 2019.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roarke |first1=Shawn P. |title=Women officials thrilled by NHL experience |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/women-referees-at-nhl-prospect-tournament/c-309020390 |website=NHL.com |accessdate=February 6, 2020 |date=September 10, 2019}}</ref>
In 2016, the NHL hosted the [[2016 Outdoor Women's Classic]], an exhibition game between the [[Boston Pride]] of the [[National Women's Hockey League]] and [[Les Canadiennes]] of the [[Canadian Women's Hockey League]], as part of the [[2016 NHL Winter Classic]] weekend festivities.<ref>{{cite web |title=NHL to host first-ever Outdoor Women's Classic presented by Scotiabank |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=794629 |website=NHL.com |accessdate=April 15, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229131416/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=794629 |archivedate=December 29, 2015 |date=December 28, 2015}}</ref> In 2019, the NHL invited four women from the US and Canadian Olympic teams to demonstrate the events in [[2019 National Hockey League All-Star Game#Skills Competition|All-Star skills competition]] before the [[2019 National Hockey League All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]. Due to [[Nathan MacKinnon]] choosing not to participate following a bruised ankle, Team USA's [[Kendall Coyne Schofield]] competed in the Fastest Skater competition in his place becoming the first woman to officially compete in the NHL's All-Star festivities.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Benjamin |first1=Amalie |title=Coyne Schofield shines in fastest skater at All-Star Skills |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/kendall-coyne-schofield-shines-in-fastest-skater-at-all-star-skills/c-304238704 |website=NHL.com |accessdate=April 15, 2020 |date=January 25, 2019}}</ref> The attention led the NHL to include a [[2020 National Hockey League All-Star Game#Elite Women's 3-on-3 game|3-on-3 women's game]] before the [[2020 National Hockey League All-Star Game|2020 All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Berkman |first1=Seth |title=Women Get a Spotlight, but No Prize Money, in New N.H.L. All-Star Event |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/24/sports/hockey/nhl-skills-competition-women.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=April 15, 2020 |date=January 24, 2020}}</ref>
==Organizational structure==
===Board of Governors===
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{{see also|List of NHL franchise owners}}
The Board of Governors is the ruling and governing body of the National Hockey 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:<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/article/646798 |title=NHL's secret constitution revealed |work=Toronto Star |accessdate=March 12, 2011 |location=Toronto |first=Kevin |last=McGran |date=June 6, 2009}}</ref>
* review and approve any changes to [[National Hockey League rules|the league's rules]].
* hiring and firing of the commissioner.
* review and approve the purchase, sale, or relocation of any member club.
* review and approve the salary caps for member clubs.
* review and approve any changes to the structure of the game schedule.
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.
===Executives===
The chief executive of the league is [[NHL Commissioner|Commissioner]] [[Gary Bettman]]. Some of the principal decision makers who serve under the authority of the commissioner include:
* Deputy Commissioner & Chief Legal Officer: [[Bill Daly]]
* Executive VP & CFO: Craig Harnett
* Chief Operating Officer: Steve McArdle
* Executive VP & Director of Hockey Operations: [[Colin Campbell (ice hockey executive)|Colin Campbell]]
* NHL Enterprises: Ed Horne
* Senior Vice-President of Player Safety: [[George Parros]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/news/george-parros-to-head-department-of-player-safety-focus-on-slashing/c-290910754 |title = Parros to head Department of Player Safety, focus on slashing}}</ref>
==Teams ==
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