how many nhl teams
There are 32 NHL teams.
Quick Scoop: How Many NHL Teams?
Right now, the National Hockey League consists of 32 franchises, split between the United States and Canada. That total has remained stable even as the league has reshuffled markets like moving the former Arizona franchise’s assets to Utah for the new Utah Mammoth.
Fast facts
- Total NHL teams: 32.
- U.S.-based teams: 25.
- Canada-based teams: 7.
- The 32nd team is the Utah Mammoth, joining for the 2025–26 season.
Mini timeline
- NHL expansion over decades pushed the league from the Original Six era to 30 teams by 2000.
- Vegas Golden Knights became team 31 in 2017, Seattle Kraken became team 32 in 2021.
- The Arizona Coyotes’ hockey assets were transferred to Utah, forming the Utah club (now Mammoth) while keeping the league at 32 teams.
Fans on forums still speculate about future expansions to 34 or 36 teams, tossing around cities like Houston or Quebec City, but those ideas are hypothetical for now.
Small HTML table of the key number
| League | Current number of teams | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | 32 | Includes the recent Utah Mammoth franchise in the 2025–26 season. |
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
