NHL expansion history: from the Original Six to 32 teams
New clubs, relocated teams and Utah’s separate arrangement. Follow NHL expansion and William Karlsson’s first season in Vegas.
The NHL has 32 teams, compared with 6 during the Original Six era from 1942 to 1967. Expansion doubled the league to 12 in 1967. Further additions followed while other clubs relocated, changed names or merged.
What counts as expansion?
Expansion adds teams to the league. Relocation moves an existing club to another city. When the Quebec Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, for example, no extra league place was created.
Approval and playing dates also differ. Seattle Kraken were approved in 2018 but began playing in 2021/22. The timeline below uses first playing seasons.
1967: 6 clubs arrive together
The Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and California Seals joined in 1967/68. The Seals soon became the Oakland Seals, and later the California Golden Seals.
The previous clubs continued. Original Six refers to those teams and the long six-team era, rather than all of the NHL’s founding clubs.
A new expansion period in the 1990s
After several seasons with 21 clubs, San Jose joined in 1991/92. Further additions included clubs in Florida, California and Tennessee. These created new league places, unlike relocations happening in the same period.
The expansion draft: William Karlsson joins Vegas
A new team needs a roster. An expansion draft lets it select players from existing clubs under protection rules. This differs from the regular NHL draft for incoming players.
Vegas selected William Karlsson from Columbus in 2017. In 2017/18, he recorded 43 goals and 35 assists for 78 points in 82 regular-season games. Vegas also reached the Stanley Cup Final that season. His season illustrates how an established player can change clubs through an expansion draft.
Why are Utah and Arizona separate?
The move of hockey operations from Arizona to Utah in 2024 used a specific arrangement. The NHL decision established a new Utah franchise, which acquired hockey assets from the Arizona franchise as the latter became inactive. It did not increase the number of active teams from 32 to 33.
Utah first played as Utah Hockey Club, adopting the Utah Mammoth name in 2025. Arizona Coyotes and Utah should therefore not be presented as one uninterrupted official franchise history.
Which team will be next?
An interested city, ownership bid or media report is not an approved NHL club. A new team and starting season can be stated as established facts only after a league decision. Our team directory distinguishes current clubs from historical names.