Image: Wiki Commons by Michael Miller
About This Quiz
Unlike the NBA, the NHL relies more on brand than individual star power, but that doesn't mean that teams in the league aren't appreciative of the stars who pass through. If you're currently a fan, you'll probably recognize some of those stars like Connor McDavid, Victor Hedman and Nathan MacKinnon. One day, these players will be considered legends for their respective franchises, and perhaps, they will even have their jerseys retired. They're not quite there yet, though, at least not like the other legends in this quiz.
What does it take to become a franchise legend for an NHL team? Of course, it's easy to name the stars who rack up the most goals or performed in crucial moments, helping their team earn playoff victories on their way to Stanley Cup championships. But it's also about the players who keep fans interested during the down years, when those fans would otherwise tune out. They give a team and a city hope for the future and the possibilities that come with it.Â
Are you prepared to see if you can identify all 31 NHL teams based on the legends who passed through the doors? From teams who started when the league was founded to more recent additions, this quiz covers them all.Â
Before you get started, make sure you lace your skates up tight, because this quiz could get a little tough by the end.
Capitals
After 44 years of struggling to even reach the Stanley Cup Finals, the Washington Capitals finally won a championship in 2018. The Capitals dominated the Finals over the Vegas Golden Knights, finishing the series in only five games.
Jets
Lightning
Wild
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Sharks
Avalanche
Red Wings
A member of the "Original Six" teams of the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings have been one of the most successful franchises in league history. The team currently has 11 Stanley Cup championships and are a perennial playoff contender, rarely sitting out when the postseason comes around.
Devils
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Canucks
It's rare for any professional team to have brothers on the same roster and even rarer for them to have identical brothers who are both stars like Daniel and Henrik Sedin on the Vancouver Canucks. These brothers played 18 seasons with the Canucks, each starting and ending their careers the same year.
Penguins
Wings
Sabres
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Flyers
Devils
Blackhawks
Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins have relied heavily in recent years on Sidney Crosby, who has established himself as a franchise legend despite still playing for the team. The Penguins have won three championships behind the play of Crosby, who has been rewarded with a slew of awards.
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Devils
Flames
Jets
Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have received one Presidents' Trophy since the team was added as an expansion franchise in 1991. The Presidents' Trophy is awarded to the team that scores the most points in the regular season.
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Blues
Rangers
The 1994 Stanley Cup Finals pitted the New York Rangers against the Vancouver Canucks. The series was an even match that went seven games with the Canucks almost making a comeback from being down 3-1 in the series before the Rangers finished the job in Game Seven.
Wings
Flames
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Canadiens
With 23 Stanley Cups under their belt since joining the NHL in 1917, no team in the league has won more championships than the Montreal Canadiens. However, the club has gone over 25 years without a title, winning their last Stanley Cup in 1993.
Canucks
Rangers
Penguins
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Flames
The "Battle of Alberta" pits the Calgary Flames against their Alberta neighbor, the Edmonton Oilers. When it comes to wins, the Flames have the advantage in the regular season, but the Oilers have more playoff victories.
Devils
Hurricanes
Stars
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Golden Knights
Ducks
Hurricanes
After failing to reach the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2004, the Carolina Hurricanes made a run to the championship in the 2004-05 season, defeating the Edmonton Oilers to win the only title in franchise history. They would return to missing the playoffs the next season.
Stars
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Wings
Sharks
Blues
Facing off against the Boston Bruins, the St. Louis Blues won the first Stanley Cup in team history in 2019. Founded in 1967, the Blues had gone 52 years without an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, let alone a title.
Avalanche
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Wild
Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning not only made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2019 but also earned the Presidents' Trophy after scoring a league-best 128 points. However, the team lost in the first round to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Blue Jackets
Predators
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Hurricanes
Islanders
Capitals
Avalanche
Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy and Peter Forsberg were all on both of the championship teams for the Colorado Avalanche, who won titles in 1996 and 2001. Sakic was named the MVP of the '96 series, and Roy won the series MVP in '01.
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Lightning
Senators
The current Ottawa Senators are a replacement for the original team which played in the city from 1883 until 1934. The original Senators won more pre-NHL Stanley Cups than any team during that era.
Stars
Blue Jackets
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Sabres
Blackhawks
Having not won a championship since 1961, the Chicago Blackhawks were struggling to find fans when Rocky Wirtz inherited the franchise from his father in 2007. He quickly turned the team around, winning three titles within a decade.
Flames
Capitals
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Sharks
Blues
Bruins
The Boston Bruins play alongside the Boston Celtics of the NBA in TD Garden. Both franchises have been residents of the Garden since the stadium finished construction in 1995. Prior to the move, the Bruins' home was the Boston Garden, a stadium they had occupied since 1928.
Blackhawks
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Bruins
Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers dominated the '80s with Wayne Gretzky on their roster, winning four Stanley Cups behind the skill of "The Great One." However, Gretzky was traded not long after the Oilers won the title in 1988, ending his career in Edmonton.
Blues
Rangers
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Islanders
Devils
The franchise that would eventually become the New Jersey Devils was located in two different cities before finally arriving in New Jersey in 1982. Prior to New Jersey, the franchise also resided in Colorado and Missouri.
Senators
Lightning
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Sabres
Flames
Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a stint from 1919 until 1927 when they were named the Toronto St. Patricks. The name change came after the Arena Company went bankrupt and was forced to sell the team.
Sharks
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Golden Knights
Senators
Stars
Islanders
At the beginning of the 1980s, the New York Islanders dominated the NHL, winning four straight Stanley Cups between 1980 and 1983. They made a push for the championship in 1984 but lost a devastating series to the Edmonton Oilers.
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Coyotes
Wild
Kings
Golden Knights
Founded in 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights quickly established a championship contender, making the playoffs in their first year as an expansion team. Only a season later, the Knights were in the Stanley Cup Finals.
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Avalanche
Capitals
Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres began their history in 1970 playing inside of Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, which they left in 1996 to take residence in KeyBank Center. The team hasn't had much success in either arena and are still looking for their first title.
Senators
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Bruins
One of the "Original Six" teams in the NHL, the Boston Bruins have a celebrated history with six Stanley Cups under their belt. The team won its latest title in 2011 by defeating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games.
Red Wings
Flames
Ducks
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Lightning
Red Wings
Named the Detroit Cougars when they were founded in 1926, the franchise changed its name to the Detroit Falcons in 1930. The name was changed once more in 1932 after it was purchased by James Norris, who wanted to give it a closer association to "Motor City" in Detroit.
Hurricanes
Predators
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Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers have a fierce rivalry with the New York Rangers, which really began when the Flyers defeated the Rangers in the 1974 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The teams have met a total of 11 times in the playoffs with the Flyers holding six victories in those meetings.
Sabres
Capitals
Islanders
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Wild
Kings
After reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993, the Los Angeles Kings struggled with financial problems and were purchased by new ownership. It took the team nearly two decades to recover, but they finally won a championship in 2012.
Ducks
Panthers
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Ducks
Founded by The Walt Disney Company, the Anaheim Ducks are named after the 1992 film "The Mighty Ducks." The film was about a youth league hockey team that overcomes many obstacles to win the state hockey championship.
Coyotes
Predators
Panthers
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Panthers
Predators
The Nashville Predators have played in the same arena, Bridgestone Arena, since their inaugural season in 1998. The only other professional team to take up residence in Bridgestone Arena was the Nashville Kats of the AFL, though the team is no longer in operation.
Penguins
Rangers
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Coyotes
Predators
Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets have yet to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, though they can blame it on being a relatively new franchise. In 2019, the team finally won its first playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning only to lose in the next round against the Boston Bruins.
Panthers
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Kings
Wild
Canadiens
Beginning play in 1909, the Montreal Canadiens have operated longer than any continuously running ice hockey team in the world. They are also the only team currently in the NHL to have started before the league was founded.
Senators
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Blues
Coyotes
Canucks
Islanders
After the New York Islanders decline in the mid-1980s, the team wouldn't recover until the 1992-93 season, where they reached the Conference Finals. To get there, they had to defeat a heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins team in the second round, which ended after an overtime goal in Game Seven.
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Bruins
Oilers
Canadiens
Maple Leafs
Started in 1917 as the Toronto Arenas, the team received its current name ten years later under the ownership of Conn Smythe. The Toronto-based franchise was dominant from the start, winning the inaugural Stanley Cup in 1918.
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Hurricanes
Wild
Jets
Beginning in Atlanta as the Thrashers in 1999, the franchise that would become the Jets made the move to Winnipeg in 2011 after finding no success and little fan support in Atlanta. The Jets did finally make the Western Conference Finals in 2018 before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Kings
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Stars
The Dallas Stars went to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 1999 and 2000, winning the first of those appearances but losing the second. The 1999 Stanley Cup Finals gave the Stars the only title in franchise history.
Wild
Blue Jackets
Coyotes
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Flyers
Sabres
Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks received their name from an infantry division that served in WWI who were nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division." The division, of course, got their name from the well known Native American leader Black Hawk, who was a member of the Sauk tribe.
Devils
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Oilers
Predators
Panthers
Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes have been playing in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. However, the team is waiting to move to the Central Division in 2021 when a new expansion joins the league.
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Rangers
The New York Rangers play home games in the historic Madison Square Garden, located in Manhattan. The Garden has hosted numerous sporting events, most notably the "Fight of the Century" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and three different WrestleManias.
Blackhawks
Devils
Islanders
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Avalanche
Oilers
Though the Edmonton Oilers were founded in 1972, the team didn't actually join the NHL until 1979. Prior to that, they were a member of the World Hockey Association, which was in operation from the start of the franchise until they left.
Bruins
Capitals
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Blue Jackets
Predators
Coyotes
Wild
Since appearing in the Western Conference Finals in 2003, the Minnesota Wild have struggled in the playoffs. Franchise players have had some individual success, but the Wild have rarely made it past the first round.
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Jets
Blues
Canucks
Penguins
One Pittsburgh Penguin player who had a ton of potential but never got to become a franchise legend was Michel Briere. During his rookie season, Briere was in a car accident that put him into a coma and ended his life a year later. His number was later retired by the team.
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Panthers
The Florida Panthers haven't had much playoff success, but the club did reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, only a few seasons after they were founded. However, since 1996, the team has yet to advance past the first round.
Blues
Bruins
Canucks
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