1918-19: Toronto Arenas, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Wanderers began play in NHL
1917-18: Montreal Wanderers disbanded
1919-20: Quebec Bulldogs began play
1919-20: Toronto Arenas became Toronto St. Patricks
1921-22: Split schedule (1st half and 2nd half) abandoned
1921-22: Quebec Bulldogs became Hamilton Tigers
1924-25: Boston Bruins and Montreal Maroons began play
1925-26: Pittsburgh Pirates began play
1925-26: Hamilton Tigers became New York Americans
1926-27: Marked beginning of period when Stanley Cup awarded to NHL champion
1926-27: Split into a Canadian division and an International division
1926-27: Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Cougars, and New York Rangers began play
1926-27: Toronto St. Patricks became Toronto Maple Leafs
1930-31: Detroit Cougars became Detroit Falcons
1930-31: Pittsburgh Pirates became Philadelphia Quakers
1931-32: Philadelphia Quakers disbanded
1933-34: Detroit Falcons became Detroit Red Wings
1934-35: Ottawa Senators became St. Louis Eagles
1935-36: St. Louis Eagles disbanded
1938-39: Combined two divisions into one
1938-39: Montreal Maroons disbanded
1941-42: New York Americans became Brooklyn Americans
1942-43: Brooklyn Americans disbanded
1967-68: Split into an Eastern and a Western division
1967-68: Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings began play
1967-68: St. Louis Blues and Minnesota North Stars began play
1967-68: Pittsburgh Penguins and Oakland Seals began play
1970-71: Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks began play
1970-71: Oakland Seals became California Golden Seals
1972-73: Atlanta Flames and New York Islanders began play
1974-75: Kansas City Scouts and Washington Capitals began play
1976-77: Kansas City Scouts became Colorado Rockies
1976-77: California Golden Seals became Cleveland Barons
1978-79: Cleveland Barons merged with and became Minnesota North Stars
1979-80: Edmonton Oilers and Hartford Whalers began play (from WHA)
1979-80: Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets began play (from WHA)
1980-81: Atlanta Flames became Calgary Flames
1982-83: Colorado Rockies became New Jersey Devils
1991-92: San Jose Sharks began play
1992-93: Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning began play
1993-94: Minnesota North Stars became Dallas Stars
1993-94: Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Florida Panthers began play
1995-96: Quebec Nordiques became Colorado Avalanche
1996-97: Winnipeg Jets became Phoenix Coyotes
1997-98: Hartford Whalers became Carolina Hurricanes
1998-99: Nashville Predators began play
1999-00: Atlanta Thrashers began play
2000-01: Columbus Blue Jackets began play
2000-01: Minnesota Wild began play
2011-12: Atlanta Thrashers became Winnipeg Jets
List of NHL abbreviations used in other files:
---------------------------------------------
Cam = Campbell Conference (before 1994)
Wal = Wales Conference (before 1994)
Pat = Patrick Division (before 1994)
Ada = Adams Division (before 1994)
Nor = Norris Division (before 1994)
Smy = Smythe Division (before 1994)
Eas = Eastern Conference (since 1994)
Wes = Western Conference (since 1994)
Atl = Atlantic Division (since 1994)
Nte = Northeast Division (since 1994)
Ste = Southeast Division (since 1999)
Cen = Central Division (since 1994)
Ntw = Northwest Division (since 1999)
Pac = Pacific Division (since 1994)
| Anaheim | Ana | Anaheim Mighty Ducks (1993-94 - present)
| Atlanta | Atl | Atlanta Flames (1972-73 - 1979-80)
| Atl Thrashers| AtT | Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2000 - 2010-11)
| Boston | Bos | Boston Bruins (1924-25 - present)
| Brooklyn | Bkn | Brooklyn Americans (1941-1942)
| Buffalo | Buf | Buffalo Sabres (1970-71 - present)
| Calgary | Cal | Calgary Flames (1980-81 - present)
| California | Clf | California Golden Seals (1970-71 - 1975-76)
| Carolina | Car | Carolina Hurricanes (1997-98 - present)
| Chicago | Chi | Chicago Blackhawks (1926-27 - present)
| Cleveland | Cle | Cleveland Barons (1976-77 - 1977-78)
| Colorado | Col | Colorado Avalanche (1995-96 - present)
| Col Rockies | CoR | Colorado Rockies (1976-77 - 1981-82)
| Columbus | Cob | Columbus Blue Jackets (2000-01 - present)
| Dallas | Dal | Dallas Stars (1993-94 - present)
| Det Cougars | DeC | Detroit Cougars (1926-27 - 1929-30)
| Det Falcons | DeF | Detroit Falcons (1930-31 - 1931-32)
| Detroit | Det | Detroit Red Wings (1932-33 - present)
| Edmonton | Edm | Edmonton Oilers (1979-80 - present)
| Florida | Flo | Florida Panthers (1993-94 - present)
| Hamilton | Ham | Hamilton Tigers (1920-21 - 1924-25)
| Hartford | Har | Hartford Whalers (1979-80 - 1996-97)
| Kansas City | KC | Kansas City Scouts (1974-75 - 1975-76)
| Los Angeles | LA | Los Angeles Kings (1967-68 - present)
| Minnesota | Min | Minnesota North Stars (1967-68 - 1992-93)
| Minn Wild | MiW | Minnesota Wild (2000-01 - present)
| Montreal | Mtl | Montreal Canadiens (1917-18 - present)
| Mtl Maroons | MtM | Montreal Maroons (1924-25 - 1937-38)
| Nashville | Nas | Nashville Predators (1998-99 - present)
| New Jersey | NJ | New Jersey Devils (1982-83 - present)
| NY Americans | NYA | New York Americans (1925-26 - 1940-41)
| NY Islanders | NYI | New York Islanders (1972-73 - present)
| NY Rangers | NYR | New York Rangers (1926-27 - present)
| Oakland | Oak | Oakland Seals (1967-68 - 1969-70)
| Philadelphia | Phi | Philadelphia Flyers (1967-68 - present)
| Phi Quakers | PhQ | Philadelphia Quakers (1930-31)
| Phoenix | Pho | Phoenix Coyotes (1996-97 - present)
| Pittsburgh | Pit | Pittsburgh Penguins (1967-68 - present)
| Pit Pirates | PPr | Pittsburgh Pirates (1925-26 - 1929-30)
| Ottawa | Ott | Ottawa Senators (1992-93 - present)
| Ott Senators | OtS | Ottawa Senators (1917-18 - 1930-31, 1932-33 - 1933-34)
| Quebec | Que | Quebec Nordiques (1979-80 - 1994-95)
| Que Bulldogs | QuB | Quebec Bulldogs (1919-20)
| St. Louis | StL | St. Louis Blues (1967-68 - present)
| StL Eagles | StE | St. Louis Eagles (1934-35)
| San Jose | SJ | San Jose Sharks (1991-92 - present)
| Tampa Bay | TB | Tampa Bay Lightning (1992-93 - present)
| Tor Arenas | ToA | Toronto Arenas (1917-18 - 1918-19)
| Tor St Pats | TSP | Toronto St. Patricks (1919-20 - 1925-26)
| Toronto | Tor | Toronto Maple Leafs (1926-27 - present)
| Vancouver | Van | Vancouver Canucks (1970-71 - present)
| Washington | Was | Washington Capitals (1974-75 - present)
| Win Jets | WiJ | Winnipeg Jets (2011-12 - present)
| Winnipeg | Win | Winnipeg Jets (1979-80 - 1995-96)
List of PCHA/WCHL abbreviations used in other files:
---------------------------------------------------
PCHA = Pacific Coast Hockey Association (before 1925-26)
WCHL = Western Canada Hockey League (1921-22 - 1925-26)
| Cal Tigers | CaT | Calgary Tigers (in WCHL from 1921-22 - 1925-26)
| Edm Eskimos | EdE | Edmonton Eskimos (in WCHL from 1921-22 - 1925-26)
| Seattle | Sea | Seattle Metropolitans (in PCHA from 1917-18 - 1923-24)
| Van Maroons | VaM | Vancouver Maroons (in PCHA from 1922-23 - 1923-24, in WCHL from 1924-25 - 1925-26)
| Millionaires | VMl | Vancouver Millionaires (in PCHA from 1917-18 - 1921-22)
| Victoria | Vic | Victoria Cougars (in PCHA from 1918-19 - 1923-24, in WCHL from 1924-25 - 1925-26)
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Source: The Encyclopedia of Hockey