Original Six: the teams and their history
The Original Six are the NHL clubs from the 1942–1967 era. The six teams, the meaning of the name and their Swedish connections.
The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs are the NHL's Original Six. They were the six clubs in the league from 1942/43 through 1966/67. The name does not mean that all six founded the NHL.
Which teams are the Original Six?
- Boston Bruins
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Detroit Red Wings
- Montreal Canadiens
- New York Rangers
- Toronto Maple Leafs
Two clubs are based in Canada and four in the United States. Original Six is a historical grouping, not a division in today's league. The term still describes meetings between these clubs, regardless of where they sit in the standings.
Why are they called the Original Six?
The league previously had more teams. When the Brooklyn Americans stopped playing in 1942, six remained. Those clubs formed the NHL for 25 seasons before expansion in 1967. The NHL's historical account explains the background.
The word original can be misleading. Montreal and the Toronto franchise played in the first NHL season in 1917/18. Boston joined in 1924/25, with Chicago, Detroit and the Rangers following in 1926/27. The dates are recorded in the clubs' official histories: Montreal, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Detroit and New York.
How did the Original Six era end?
The NHL doubled to 12 teams for 1967/68, adding the California Seals (later Oakland Seals), Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. The era ended, but the collective name remained.
The six newcomers played together in the West Division, guaranteeing an expansion club a place in the Stanley Cup Final. The NHL's playoff-format history documents that arrangement.
The Swedish connections came mostly later
Playing for an Original Six club is different from playing during the Original Six era. Many of the Swedish players associated with these clubs arrived after 1967.
Toronto retired Börje Salming's No. 21 and Mats Sundin's No. 13. In Detroit, Nicklas Lidström and Henrik Zetterberg served as successive captains.
Other connections include Mats Näslund, a Stanley Cup winner with Montreal in 1986, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, a champion with Chicago in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Sources: NHL on Näslund and Chicago on Hjalmarsson.
Earlier visits had different outcomes. Ulf Sterner played NHL games for the Rangers in 1965, while Sven Tumba tried out in Boston without establishing an NHL place.
For the Swedish pioneers, read who was the first Swede in the NHL. To compare later careers, the Swedish NHL scoring leaders separate career totals from club history.