A Comprehensive Overview on Picking Your Favorite NHL Team
In the world of professional ice hockey, the National Hockey League (NHL) offers a myriad of teams to support. To help you find the perfect fit, consider the following factors:
Tradition
Looking at a team's history, championships, and cultural significance can provide a connection to rich hockey heritage and iconic rivalries. The Montreal Canadiens, for example, are one of the oldest NHL franchises, established in 1909, and have a storied history with multiple Stanley Cup wins, especially during the Original Six era. Supporting such teams connects you to a deep hockey tradition and legendary rivalries.
Location
Many fans pick a team geographically close to them for convenience, a sense of community, and cultural affinity. This means supporting a local team or one from your region or country. For instance, Canadian fans often choose between the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, or newer Canadian teams, while U.S.-based fans might lean toward teams in their state or region, such as the Boston Bruins for fans in New England or the Los Angeles Kings in California. Even exact city or neighborhood ties can foster a stronger connection.
Current Roster and Competitiveness
Examining the current players, leadership, and competitiveness of a team can help you find a team whose style and prospects resonate with you. Teams with exciting rosters, star players, or rising talent may offer more engaging games. Expansion teams or those rebuilding may have less immediate success but offer an opportunity to grow with the team as it develops through expansion drafts or player drafts. Checking recent roster moves, captaincy, and team performance can help you find a team whose style and prospects resonate with you.
Here's a summary table to help you choose based on these factors:
| Factor | Considerations | Example | |----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------| | Tradition | Age of team, historical success, rivalries | Canadiens, Maple Leafs | | Location | Proximity to your city/region, cultural ties | Local or regional team | | Current Roster | Current star players, team prospects, competitiveness | Teams with exciting rosters or rising stars |
By weighing these elements together, you can select an NHL team that balances heritage, local pride, and the excitement of following a current roster that inspires you.
Notable NHL Teams and Their Key Players
Pittsburgh Penguins
- Sidney Crosby
- Evgeni Malkin
- Jeff Carter
- Jake Guentzel
- Kris Letang
- Tristan Jarry
Winnipeg Jets
- Mark Scheifele
- Kyle Connor
- Pierre-Luc Dubois
- Nikolaj Ehlers
- Blake Wheeler
- Connor Hellebuyck
Washington Capitals
- Alex Ovechkin
- Evgeny Kuznetsov
- Nicklas Backstrom
- T.J. Oshie
- John Carlson
- Ilya Samsonov
Detroit Red Wings
- Steve Yzerman
- Nick Lidstrom
- Pavel Datsyuk
- Henrik Zetterberg
- Jimmy Howard
- Petr Mrazek
Los Angeles Kings
- Anze Kopitar
- Drew Doughty
- Jonathan Quick
- Dustin Brown
- Jeff Carter
- Jonathan Quick
Chicago Blackhawks
- Bobby Hull
- Glenn Hall
- Stan Mikita
- Tony Esposito
- Doug Wilson
- Duncan Keith
- Marian Hossa
Calgary Flames
- Johnny Gaudreau
- Matthew Tkachuk
- Jacob Markstrom
- Sean Monahan
- Mark Giordano
- Dan Vlasic
San Jose Sharks
- Patrick Marleau
- Joe Thornton
- Joe Pavelski
- Logan Couture
- Evander Kane
- Martin Jones
St. Louis Blues
- Vladimir Tarasenko
- Ryan O'Reilly
- Colton Parayko
- Jordan Binnington
- Justin Faulk
- Jake Allen
Vancouver Canucks
- Elias Pettersson
- Brock Boeser
- Quinn Hughes
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson
- Thatcher Demko
- Braden Holtby
Toronto Maple Leafs
- Auston Matthews
- Mitch Marner
- William Nylander
- Morgan Rielly
- Jake Muzzin
- Frederik Andersen
Philadelphia Flyers
- Claude Giroux
- James van Riemsdyk
- Ivan Provorov
- Travis Sanheim
- Carter Hart
- Brian Elliott
Montreal Canadiens
- Carey Price
- Shea Weber
- Brendan Gallagher
- Jonathan Drouin
- Jeff Petry
- Jake Allen
Boston Bruins
- Patrice Bergeron
- Brad Marchand
- Taylor Hall
- Charlie McAvoy
- Tuukka Rask
- Jaroslav Halak
Tampa Bay Lightning
- Brayden Point
- Steven Stamkos
- Nikita Kucherov
- Victor Hedman
- Andrei Vasilevskiy
- Louis Domingue
Carolina Hurricanes
- Sebastian Aho
- Teuvo Teravainen
- Jordan Staal
- Jaccob Slavin
- Frederik Andersen
- Petr Mrazek
Nashville Predators
- Filip Forsberg
- Viktor Arvidsson
- Roman Josi
- Ryan Ellis
- Juuse Saros
- Pekka Rinne
Dallas Stars
- Jamie Benn
- Tyler Seguin
- Alexander Radulov
- Miro Heiskanen
- Jake Oettinger
- Anton Khudobin
Anaheim Ducks
- Ryan Getzlaf
- Rickard Rakell
- John Gibson
- Cam Fowler
- Hampus Lindholm
- Ryan Miller
New York Islanders
- Mathew Barzal
- Brock Nelson
- Anthony Beauvillier
- Ryan Pulock
- Adam Pelech
- Semyon Varlamov
Minnesota Wild
- Kirill Kaprizov
- Joel Eriksson-Ek
- Mats Zuccarello
- Jared Spurgeon
- Cam Talbot
- Kaapo Kahkonen
Columbus Blue Jackets
- Boone Jenner
- Max Domi
- Patrik Laine
- Zach Werenski
- Elvis Merzlikins
- Joonas Korpisalo
Florida Panthers
- Aleksander Barkov
- Jonathan Huberdeau
- Sam Reinhart
- Aaron Ekblad
- Sergei Bobrovsky
- Chris Driedger
Arizona Coyotes
- Phil Kessel
- Clayton Keller
- Jakub Chychrun
- Darcy Kuemper
- Antti Raanta
- Adin Hill
Vegas Golden Knights
- Mark Stone
- Max Pacioretty
- Alex Pietrangelo
- Shea Theodore
- Robin Lehner
- Marc-Andre Fleury
Ottawa Senators
- Brady Tkachuk
- Tim Stützle
- Thomas Chabot
- Matt Murray
- Josh Norris
- Anton Forsberg
Buffalo Sabres
- Jeff Skinner
- Rasmus Dahlin
- Craig Anderson
- Linus Ullmark
- Rasmus Ristolainen
- Victor Olofsson
Seattle Kraken (New Expansion Team)
- To be determined
[1] Original Six Era [2] Expansion Draft [3] Geographical Distribution of NHL Teams [4] NHL Player Draft
- To keep updated on the latest developments in the hockey world, you might want to read a blog that includes discussions about NHL teams, such as their current rosters, games, and star players, like the Pittsburgh Penguins (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jeff Carter, Jake Guentzel, Kris Letang, Tristan Jarry) or the Winnipeg Jets (Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler, Connor Hellebuyck).
- If you're a fan of sports betting, you might consider visiting a casino that offers NHL odds, as it would provide an exciting way to follow your favorite teams' progress throughout the season, especially for teams with rising stars like the Vegas Golden Knights (Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, Robin Lehner, Marc-Andre Fleury).
