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Glam Fame Journal

Will NHL expand to 32 teams?

Author

Isabella Ramos

Updated on March 05, 2026

Will NHL expand to 32 teams?

In 2018, the NHL Board of Governors awarded a franchise to Seattle. The team, as yet unnamed, will play its first season in 2021-22, bringing the league to 32 teams.

Is the NHL going to expand?

Most recently, the league had a two-team expansion, which added the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and the Seattle Kraken in 2021. On June 22, 2016, the NHL approved expansion to Las Vegas starting in the 2017–18 season with the Vegas Golden Knights, but deferred Quebec City’s bid for a team.

What is an expansion team in NHL?

An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area.

What day is the NHL Expansion Draft 2021?

What channel is the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on? The draft is scheduled for July 21 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will broadcast the event live in the United States, marking the beginning of the network’s new contract with the NHL.

When did the Seattle Kraken join the NHL?

Seattle was unanimously approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors as the league’s 32nd franchise in Dec. 2018, which placed them in the Pacific Division beginning in the 2021-22 season.

Where is the next NHL expansion team?

Seattle
Alignment. The Seattle franchise will begin play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in 2021-22. The Arizona Coyotes will move to the Western Conference’s Central Division that season.

Who did the Seattle Kraken draft?

The Kraken are expected to be very active and competitive in the market, with nearly $30 million in salary cap space available….Seattle Kraken NHL Entry Draft results.

PosDefense
PlayerRyker Evans
Height5’11”
Weight189
TeamRegina (WHL)

When did NHL expand from 6 teams?

1967
The first NHL expansion occurred a full 50 years after the league was created, but the 1967 NHL expansion definitely lived up to the motto, “Go big or go home.” After the expansion, the NHL had doubled in size — from six to 12 teams — and established a solid presence across the U.S.

Where is the 2021 NHL expansion draft?

2021 NHL Expansion Draft
Date(s)July 21, 2021
LocationGas Works Park Seattle, Washington
Overview
LeagueNational Hockey League

Who Will Seattle take in expansion draft?

Seattle Kraken expansion draft live results: Players selected from 30 NHL teams

  • Jeremy Lauzon, D, Boston Bruins.
  • William Borgen, D, Buffalo Sabres.
  • Dennis Cholowski, D, Detroit Red Wings.
  • Chris Driedger, G, Florida Panthers.
  • Cale Fleury, D, Montreal Canadiens.
  • Joey Daccord, G, Ottawa Senators.

Who owns Vegas Golden Knights?

Bill Foley

Vegas Golden Knights
Owner(s)Black Knight Sports and Entertainment (Bill Foley (70%) Maloof family (30%)
General managerKelly McCrimmon
Head coachPeter DeBoer
CaptainMark Stone

What is the history of NHL Expansion?

Here’s a brief history of expansion in the NHL: 1942: With the demise of the Brooklyn Americans, the NHL’s Original Six era begins. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens , New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs make up the League for the next 25 seasons.

When was the first NHL Expansion?

The expansion process formally began in March 1965, when NHL President Clarence Campbell announced that the league proposed to expand its operations through the formation of a second six-team division.

What are the rules for the NHL Expansion Draft?

So, the NHL expansion draft rules were as follows, a team could either protect seven forwards, three defencemen and one goalie or eight skaters and one goalie. This left some teams with difficult choices to make. This is how the Golden Knights were able to acquire some of their better players.

What was the last NHL expansion team?

The last time the NHL expanded was 2000, when it added the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. To populate those teams, they held an expansion draft where each team selected 26 unprotected players from the other NHL teams.