About This Quiz
More than a century ago, a new sports league formed in North America. Little did anyone know then that the National Hockey League would almost die - and then come roaring back, growing into one of the most exciting athletic organization on the planet. Since its inception, the NHL has featured one crazy season after another, giving rise to sports icons known around the world. In this icy quiz, what do you really know about the National Hockey League?
The NFL, MLB and NBA are the continent's other three major sports leagues, and all of them have a distinctly American bent. The NHL, however, has often been dominated by Canadians, who use a popular youth hockey culture to grow some of the best players in history. What do you know about Canada's role in the league's development?
It's no surprise, then, that some of the NHL's biggest stars have Canadian roots. Guys like Wayne Gretsky and Gordie Howe were both from Canada, and they reeled in one championship after another. Can you recall other professional greats? And do you think you know the difference between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens?
Drop your gloves and take up the fight of this puck-filled quiz now! Let's find out if you're an NHL star, or whether you should just stay in the penalty box.
At its very beginning, the NHL had just five teams. After several rounds of expansion, there are now 31 teams.
The NHL's origins are Canadian, through and through. The league was founded in Montreal in 1917.
The Stanley Cup is the Lombardi Trophy of the NHL. It's the league's championship award.
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It's a distinctively Canadian league, but most modern teams are now based in the U.S. Just seven teams are located in Canada.
In their 44th season, the Washington Capitals finally won their first Stanley Cup. They put down an upstart team from Las Vegas, four games to one.
With his six-foot frame, blond hair, and devastating offensive attacks, Wayne Gretszky was "The Great One." He's the sport's Michael Jordan and Joe Montana rolled into one.
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In 1926, NHL officials decided to split the league into two conferences. And since then, the Eastern and Western conferences have dictated scheduling and playoff matchups.
He was a Canandian icon and one of the best ever to play the game -- Gordie Howe. Four times, he led the Detroit Red Wings to Stanley Cup triumphs.
The Knights were a crazy statistical aberration. In the team's inaugural season, the Knights made it all the way to the NHL Finals -- a feat that some teams have been trying to do in vain for decades.
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Second to the Stanley Cup, the Hart Trophy is a coveted NHL prize. Each year, the Hart is awarded to the league's most valuable player.
No other team has (historically) dominated the NHL quite like the Montreal Canadiens. They have 24 titles to their credit since 1916.
There are four divisions in the NHL. The Toronto Maple Leafs are members of the Atlantic Division.
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Found in 1926, the Detroit Red Wings are hockey royalty. They've won the Stanley Cup 11 times.
The NHL championship series is a best-of-seven affair. The '98 Red Wings were the last team to sweep the series, 4-0.
No other NHL player has ever scored 200 points in a season. Gretzky? He's done it four times. Points are awarded for goals and assists, so the totals here are higher than the goal totals.
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Each year, the Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the player who scores the most points during the regular season. In 2007, Sidney Crosby won the Art Ross at age 19, becoming the youngest player ever to accomplish that feat.
Drafted at the first slot in 2004, Alexander Ovechkin has turned into one of the NHL's biggest stars. In 2007-08, he picked up his first Hart Trophy ... and it would not be the last.
The Great One's offensive outbursts were nothing short of legendary. He once scored more than 90 goals in a season, and he might be the only player ever to reach that incredible apex.
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Mario Lemieux might as well be playing in the NBA -- he's 6 feet, 4 inches tall. But in spite of his large size, he plays with incredible agility and speed.
After decades of incredible success in which they won dozens of titles, the Canadiens are mired in a terrible drought. The team hasn't won the Finals since 1993.
There's no Midwest Division in the NHL. The divisions are: Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific.
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In a sport that's known for violent fisticuffs, Gretzky was a voice of peace. He'd rather see games decided by shotmaking than haymakers.
During the Great Depression and WWII, hockey's popularity plunged. The league dwindled to just six teams, and that number remained static until 1967.
The 1919 Finals were canceled after four games. Why? Because the horrifying Spanish Flu pandemic was killing millions of people. Several players were sickened, and one died.
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Until 1948, hockey was a whites-only sport. Larry Kwong, of Asian descent, smashed the color barrier. One of his nicknames was "China Clipper."
The Kings are a 1967 expansion team, and thus, not one of the Original Six. The Original Six are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Gretzky bounced around a bit after his glory days in L.A. He was traded to St. Louis for a year and then ended his run with the New York Rangers.
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Bobby Orr was a defensive dynamo, one who revoltionized the position of defenseman. He was also a prolific scorer, twice winning the Art Ross Trophy.
Hailing from Canada, Steve Yzerman played his entire career ('83 to '06) with the Detroit Red Wings. He's currently the manager of Tampa Bay.
He played for two decades, and nine times, he was declared the league's MVP. It's unlikely that any player will ever top Wayne Gretzky's Hart Trophy haul.
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