NHL Hockey Teams Quiz

By: Kale Havervold
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
NHL Hockey Teams Quiz
Image: Wiki Commons by Joseph O'Connell

About This Quiz

The NHL is one of the oldest professional sports leagues in North America. It was officially founded in 1917, but its roots span back to the NHA, which was founded in 1909. Thousands of players have suited up for NHL teams in the 100+ year existence of the league. But in addition to players, there have also been plenty of different teams that have called the NHL home at one time or another.

While some teams have stood the test of time (such as the Montreal Canadiens, who have been around since before the NHL even existed), others weren't so lucky. Throughout league history, there have been 19 different teams that have either relocated or ceased to exist. While most of these teams disbanded due to financial constraints, some did so because of more outrageous reasons. For example, the Montreal Wanderers disbanded in part after their arena burned to the ground in 1918.

Either way, there is a ton of history when it comes to NHL teams, both past and present. But just how much of it do you know? Sure, you might know who won the last Stanley Cup, but how about which team won the NHL's first Stanley Cup? Or how about which team has the most losses in NHL history?

Without any further ado, skate out to center ice and prepare yourself to face-off against our quiz on all things NHL teams. 

Which city is going to be home to the 32nd NHL franchise in 2021?
Quebec City
Seattle
Orlando
Houston
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During the 2021 NHL season, the NHL will welcome its 32nd franchise. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding what the team name and logo will be (as of the writing of this quiz), but more information should be coming soon.

Of all the current NHL teams, which is the newest?
Winnipeg Jets
Vancouver Canucks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Las Vegas Golden Knights
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Las Vegas Golden Knights are the newest NHL team, as they began playing in 2017-18. They nearly won the Stanley Cup in their first season and have been a success during their first few seasons.

Why is the Anaheim team named the Ducks?
There are a lot of ducks in the area.
It won a fan vote.
It was named after the Mighty Ducks movie.
It was chosen by the owner.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Believe it or not, the Anaheim Ducks were actually named after the team from the Disney film "The Mighty Ducks." The movie released in 1992 and the Walt Disney Company founded the Ducks franchise in 1993.

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In 1924, another Montreal team came into existence and was founded for the English community in the city. What was the team's name?
Maroons
Moths
Mice
Moon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Montreal Maroons were founded in 1924 as a team for the English people living in the city. While they had some success and won a few Stanley Cups, they only lasted in the league until 1938.

Which team plays their home games at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL?
The Lightning
The Panthers
The Bruins
The Rangers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Amalie Arena is the home arena of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are fresh off of one of the best regular seasons in NHL history in 2018-19. However, they ended up getting swept in the first round of the playoffs.

Which NHL franchise has secured more Stanley Cup wins than any other?
New York Rangers
Boston Bruins
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In addition to being the oldest NHL team, the Montreal Canadiens also have the most successful history of any team in the NHL. In their 100+ years in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens have won a total of 24 Stanley Cups.

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Which NHL team would eventually become the Carolina Hurricanes?
Minnesota North Stars
Hartford Whalers
Cleveland Barons
Philadelphia Quakers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While many of the defunct or relocated teams we have mentioned have had short stints, that wasn't the case for the Hartford Whalers. They existed from 1979 to 1997, before moving to Carolina and becoming the Hurricanes.

Which team eventually became the Dallas Stars?
Quebec Bulldogs
Colorado Rockies
Minnesota North Stars
Richmond Rockets
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

From 1967 to 1993, the Minnesota North Stars enjoyed a decent run in the NHL. But beginning the following season, the team up and moved to Dallas and shortened their name to the Stars.

When was the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup?
2015
1993
1981
1973
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite most of the best hockey players on the planet coming from Canada, a Canadian team hasn't actually won the Stanley Cup for over two decades. The last to do it was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

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Before moving to Calgary, what city did the Flames play in?
Boston
Fresno
Atlanta
Richmond
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Before they called Alberta home, the Flames resided down in Georgia. The Atlanta Flames were an NHL team from 1972 until 1980. They had decent success but never won a playoff series. The team moved due to financial struggles.

Which team holds the longest Stanley Cup Drought, which is currently over 50 years?
Vancouver Canucks
Toronto Maple Leafs
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the Toronto Maple Leafs have come close at times, they haven't been able to win another Stanley Cup since 1966-67, which was the year before the expansion mentioned in the last question. So the Maple Leafs have never won a cup since the league expanded from the Original Six.

Which former Canadian NHL team was sold to a new ownership-group based in Denver?
Winnipeg Jets
Quebec Nordiques
Montreal Wanderers
Ottawa Senators
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Throughout their nearly 20 years in the NHL, the Quebec Nordiques would enjoy moderate success. Once they moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche, they soon became one of the best teams in the NHL.

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While Cleveland doesn't currently have an NHL team, that wasn't always the case. What was their team called?
Cleveland Barons
Cleveland Cupids
Cleveland Kings
Cleveland Cavaliers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Cleveland Barons enjoyed a very quick tenure in the NHL as they only last two years from 1976 to 1978. The team merged with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978. As a result, they are the last NHL team to cease operations and not relocate or re-brand.

What is the most NHL franchises a single player has played for?
8
30
12
7
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While many players will play for a couple of different teams during their careers, no one has played with more teams than Mike Sillinger. He played with a whopping 12 different teams in his career and was traded 9 times.

How many teams were originally in the NHL when it was formed?
4
6
8
2
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While there is often mention of the "Original Six," that era didn't occur until many decades after the NHL was born. The first season of the NHL took place in 1917, and there were 4 teams: Montreal Wanderers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Hockey Club.

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Which NHL team is only a few years removed from winning two Stanley Cups in a row?
Los Angeles Kings
Boston Bruins
Pittsburgh Penguins
Colorado Avalanche
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the Penguins were bounced out of the playoffs embarrassingly in 2019, the team is only a few years removed from winning back to back Stanley Cups. They won it in both 2016 and 2017.

What was the name of the now-defunct NHL team in Hamilton?
Eagles
Tigers
Canucks
Snakes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Hamilton Tigers were an NHL team that existed from 1920 to 1925. While most teams who became defunct did so for financial reasons, the Hamilton Tigers folded as a result of all of their players going on strike.

This former NHL team shares a name with a current MLB team. What is it?
Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Pittsburgh Pirates were an NHL team from 1925 to 1930, when the Great Depression caused financial struggles for the team and many others like them. Despite sharing the same name, there is no connection between the teams.

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Of all the NHL teams he played for, where did Wayne Gretzky end his playing career?
Edmonton Oilers
St. Louis Blues
Los Angeles Kings
New York Rangers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wayne Gretzky is universally lauded as the best player to ever play in the NHL. Despite this, he moved around a lot during his career. His final season was 1998-99, which he spent with the New York Rangers.

The current Winnipeg Jets are not the same as the original Winnipeg Jets. Which team did the original Jets become?
Nashville Predators
Columbus Blue Jackets
Las Vegas Golden Knights
Arizona Coyotes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the team was originally the Phoenix Coyotes when the Jets moved to Arizona in 1996, the name has since been changed to the Arizona Coyotes. The current Winnipeg Jets in the NHL today stem from the Atlanta Thrashers.

Which NHL team has the most wins in league history?
Philadelphia Flyers
New York Islanders
Montreal Canadiens
Detroit Red Wings
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It should come as no surprise that the Montreal Canadiens have the most wins out of any NHL team. They have been around longer than anyone else. They also have the second highest winning percentage.

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The St. Louis Blues weren't the first NHL team in the city. What was the previous St. Louis team named?
Eagles
Rams
Crocodiles
Oxen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the Blues have been in the NHL for a very long time, they were not the first St. Louis team to join the league. The St. Louis Eagles joined the NHL in 1934. Unfortunately, financial struggles due to the Great Depression led to them only being around for one single season.

How many NHL teams were added during the "Great Expansion" of 1967?
6
12
4
3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1967, the NHL underwent a significant expansion. For a few decades prior, the league was made up of only 6 teams. This expansion doubled that and brought the league up to 12 teams. Many of those expansion teams are still in the league today.

Of all the American teams in the NHL, which has won the most Stanley Cups?
Detroit Red Wings
Boston Bruins
Chicago Blackhawks
Los Angeles Kings
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While they are still quite a distance from catching up to the Montreal Canadiens, the 11 Stanley Cups won by the Detroit Red Wings is the most by an American team and the third most by any team in NHL history.

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While many NHL teams pack the house for every home game, which team had the lowest average attendance in the 2018-19 NHL season?
New York Islanders
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Anaheim Ducks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While they made the playoffs and actually performed quite well this season, the New York Islanders struggled to fill their arena during home games. While some NHL teams average over 20,000 fans a game, the Islanders has less than 12,500.

In what year did the NHL add the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks?
1984
1964
1970
1958
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After the great expansion of 1967 that brought the NHL to 12 teams, the league added two more in 1970. The Canucks and the Sabres are still in the league today. Nowadays, teams are typically added one at a time.

Which NHL team finished with 8 wins in 1974-75 and is the owner of the worst season in history?
Washington Capitals
Columbus Blue Jackets
Carolina Hurricanes
Buffalo Sabres
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the Washington Capitals are now among the best teams in the NHL, that certainly wasn't the case during their inaugural season of 1974-75. They had a record of 8-67-5, which is the worst in history. They also allowed almost 450 goals.

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While many NHL teams have a history of losing, which team has lost more games than anyone else?
Calgary Flames
Boston Bruins
Toronto Maple Leafs
New Jersey Devils
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While they've had their fair share of success and great players over the years, no team has suffered more losses than the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have nearly 2800 losses as of this quiz, which is about 100 or so more than next closest.

Of the following teams, which is currently on an NHL-high 8-year playoff appearance drought?
Buffalo Sabres
Edmonton Oilers
Vancouver Canucks
New Jersey Devils
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Buffalo Sabres started the 2018-19 NHL season in great fashion but soon began to struggle and missed the playoffs once again. The Sabres haven't been to the playoffs in 8 straight seasons, which has to be frustrating for the fans.

Scoring goals is the name of the game in hockey. Which team scored the most goals in a single season?
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tampa Bay Lighting
Edmonton Oilers
Detroit Red Wings
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 1980s were the highest scoring teams in history. Their 1983-84 season featured 446 goals scored, and they are the only team to score more than 400 in a season. They did it 5 times.

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What was the name of the founding team of the New Jersey Devils franchise?
Kansas City Scouts
Brooklyn Americans
Hartford Whalers
California Golden Seals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first team in the bloodline of the New Jersey Devils was the Kansas City Scouts. They existed from 1974 to 1976 but eventually moved to Colorado and became the Rockies. The team would move a final time (in 1982) to become the New Jersey Devils.

Which team made headlines by appointing their goalie as captain for a few seasons in the late 2000s?
Buffalo Sabres
New York Islanders
Nashville Predators
Vancouver Canucks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Vancouver Canucks made the interesting choice to name Roberto Luongo their team captain in 2008. Because NHL rules didn't allow this, he didn't perform the standard on-ice duties of the captain. He relinquished the title in late 2010.

How many current NHL teams have never won a Stanley Cup?
6
20
7
12
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Of the current 31 teams in the NHL, 12 teams have never won a Stanley Cup. Many of the teams have come within a couple of games of winning one but couldn't manage to do it. Many currently good teams have never won one, so we could see this number shrink soon.

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This team recently won their first NHL playoff series in 2019. Who are they?
New York Islanders
Columbus Blue Jackets
Carolina Hurricanes
Las Vegas Golden Knights
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In a series that shocked nearly everyone in the hockey world, the Columbus Blue Jackets collected their first ever playoff series win by sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning, who many thought were the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

Which team won the first Stanley Cup once it was exclusively awarded to NHL teams?
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Before 1927, the Stanley Cup could be awarded to teams from a variety of different leagues. But once the WHL ceased to exist in 1926, the NHL was the only show in town. The Ottawa Senators won the Stanley Cup in 1927.

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Wiki Commons by Joseph O'Connell