The National Hockey League (NHL) is an ice hockey league organized in North America with 31 teams from the U.S and Canada. NHL is considered the top ice hockey tournament in the world and is one of the major professional sports tournaments in the United States and Canada. Stanley Cup, the oldest sports title in North America, is awarded to the champions of the playoff series at the end of the season.

The first league took place on November 26, 1917 at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal. As National Hockey Association is shutdown, NHL immediately replaced NHA to become one of the Stanley Cup title competitions. After that, NHL had turned into the only tournament to compete for the Stanley Cup since 1926.

Initially, NHL had four teams all from Canada, so the new tournament is from the National in the name. The tournament was extended to American teams in 1924 with the joining of Boston Bruins. From 1942 to 1967, there were only 6 teams known as the Original Six. Then they increase the number of teams joining into 18 in 1974 and 21 in 1979. From 1991 to 2000, they had 30 teams. Currently, there are 31 teams. Next year, they will add one more team to compete.

Its headquarters used to be in Montreal, Canada. However, it has been moved to New York City since 1989.

After a dispute between the player and the management that led to the cancellation of the 2004-05 season, the tournament continued in the 2005-06 season with an approved agreement that included a wage limit. In 2009, NHL received a record high amount of sponsorship, audience, and follow-up on television.

The international ice hockey league considers the Stanley Cup one of the most important championships in the sport. NHL attracts many athletes from about 20 countries. Canadians account for a large number of players while the proportion of American and European players is increasing.

The current NHL champion is St. Louis Blues, the team overtook the Boston Bruins with four wins and one loss at the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.