The following is a list of the all-time records for each of the 1,829 active
National Hockey League (NHL) teams, beginning with the first NHL season (
1917–18), with regular season stats accurate as of the end of all games on October 26, 2023, and playoff stats accurate as of the end of the
2020–21 NHL season and
2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.[1] Teams are sorted by the overall percentage of points accumulated out of points available (two times the number of games played) throughout NHL history.
In the NHL's points system, a team is awarded 2 points for a win (regardless if earned in regulation,
overtime or shootout), 1 point for a
tie, 1 point for an overtime loss, and 0 points for a loss.[2] The overtime loss statistic (abbreviated as OL, OT, or OTL) was introduced into the NHL's points system in the
1999–2000 season. A commonly used term for the point awarded to a team for an overtime loss is a loser point. As a result of the
2004–05 NHL lockout, which canceled the entire
2004–05 season, the league adopted a shootout to determine the winner of a game which is still tied after an overtime period.[3] This feature, introduced in the
2005–06 season, eliminated ties from the game.[4]
Regular season
As of the end of the
2022–23 NHL regular season, the
Montreal Canadiens have the most games played with (6,951).[1] The
Toronto Maple Leafs have one fewer game played, and having been in the league as long as Montreal, were tied with the Canadiens for the most games played. A discrepancy occurred during the
2021–22 season caused teams to play a different amount of games due to a mid-season suspension of play resulting from the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadiens additionally lead all NHL franchises in wins (3,495), ties (837), and points (8,013).[1] The Maple Leafs lead all NHL franchises in losses (2,850).[1]
The
Vegas Golden Knights have the highest point percentage among active NHL teams (.632), while the
Carolina Hurricanes have recorded the lowest point percentage (.446). Vegas and Seattle are the second-most recently and most-recently established franchises, respectively. Being the most recently established team in the NHL, the
Seattle Kraken have the fewest games played among active NHL franchises (164), as well as the fewest wins (73), losses (77), overtime losses (14), and points (160). As both the Golden Knights and the Kraken began play after ties were eliminated from the NHL, both teams are tied with the fewest recorded (0). The
Florida Panthers have recorded the most overtime losses (222).[1]
Several NHL teams have since gone
defunct. Many of them played in the NHL eras between the ceasing of the
National Hockey Association in 1918 and the beginning of the NHL's
Original Six era. The latter ended with the
1967 NHL expansion, when six teams joined the league. Of these 1967 expansion teams, only the
Oakland Seals[m] would later fold.
Among all defunct franchises, the
Cleveland Barons[m] recorded the most games played (858), losses (448), and ties (141). The
Montreal Maroons recorded the most wins (271), while the
New York Americans had the most points (637), and the
original Ottawa Senators had the highest point percentage (.514). The
Montreal Wanderers, having had their arena burn down during the first NHL season,[54] have the fewest games played (6), wins (1), and points (2), as well as the lowest point percentage (.167). The Wanderers actually played just 4 of their 6 recorded games, as they defaulted two of them following their arena burning down but prior to their disbandment.
All now defunct NHL franchises folded prior to the advent of the NHL's overtime loss feature.
The
Stanley Cup playoffs predate the
National Hockey League's founding, and thus for the purpose of this listing, playoffs win–loss records prior to the
1918 Stanley Cup playoffs, which ended the
1917–18 NHL season, are not accounted for. As of the end of the
2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, which ended the
2020–21 NHL season, the
Montreal Canadiens lead all active NHL teams in playoff appearances, having appeared in 85 of their 103 seasons played in the NHL,[1]
and playoff games played, with 781.[6] The Canadiens additionally lead all NHL teams in wins (447).[6] The
Edmonton Oilers lead all NHL teams, in terms of playoff winning percentage, as their 160–112 (.588) record is the highest.[26] The
Columbus Blue Jackets, being one of the more recently established NHL teams, have the fewest playoff games played (41).[40] The
Arizona Coyotes have the lowest playoff winning percentage, (.352).[40] Additionally, the
Boston Bruins lead all NHL franchises in playoff losses (337).[8]
^
abThe Calgary Flames first played as the
Atlanta Flames from
1972–73 to
1979–80, before adopting the Calgary Flames name in
1980–81, upon their relocation to Calgary.[11]
^
abThe Colorado Avalanche first played in
1972–73 as the
Quebec Nordiques in the
World Hockey Association (WHA).[14] Their WHA records accumulated prior to the
1979 NHL–WHA merger are not officially accounted for by the NHL.[15] After the merger, the team would continue playing as the Quebec Nordiques from
1979–80 to
1994–95. The team has played as the Colorado Avalanche since their relocation to Colorado prior to the
1995–96 season.[14]
^
abThe Detroit Red Wings first played as the Detroit Cougars from
1926–27 to
1929–30,[18] and as the Detroit Falcons from
1930–31 to
1931–32, before adopting the Red Wings name in
1932–33.[19][20]
^
abcdThe Arizona Coyotes first played as the
Winnipeg Jets in
1972–73, as part of the
World Hockey Association (WHA).[49] Although WHA records are not officially accounted for by the NHL,[15] the Coyotes retain the records from their
1979–80 season, after the
NHL–WHA merger, until the original Jets' final season (
1995–96) in Winnipeg.[39] After their relocation to Arizona, the team played as the Phoenix Coyotes from
1996–97 to
2013–14, before adopting the Arizona Coyotes name in
2014–15.[50]
^
abThe Chicago Blackhawks' team name was spelled as "Black Hawks" from
1926–27 to
1985–86, and prior to the
1986–87 season, the name was officially changed to the compound "Blackhawks" spelling.[41]
^
abThe New Jersey Devils first played as the
Kansas City Scouts from
1974–75 to
1975–76.[44] The team then relocated to Denver and played as the Colorado Rockies from
1976–77 to
1981–82.[44] After relocating from Denver to New Jersey, the team has played as the New Jersey Devils since the
1982–83 season.[32]
^
abcThe Cleveland Barons were one of the
1967 NHL expansion teams; they were originally a
Western Hockey League (WHL) team and were absorbed into the NHL as a 1967 expansion team. At the time, they were named the
California Seals, but were renamed as the
Oakland Seals during
their inaugural NHL season. They played under this name through
1970, before being renamed the Bay Area Seals. Just two games into the
1970–71 season, they were again renamed, this time as the
California Golden Seals, which they played as through the
1975–76 season. The team then relocated and rebranded as the Cleveland Barons, which they played as for two seasons until folding after the
1977–78 season.
^Despite sharing a name with the active
Ottawa Senators, this franchise's win–loss records and standings are separate. The original Senators relocated and were renamed the
St. Louis Eagles for their 1934–35 season, which would be their last.
^The New York Americans operated as the Brooklyn Americans for one season: their
1941–42 season, which would be their last.
^The Hamilton Tigers began play as the Quebec Hockey Club in 1878. In
1919, then officially known as the
Quebec Athletic Club but colloquially referred to as the
Quebec Bulldogs, the club joined the NHL. After one season, they relocated and rebranded as the
Hamilton Tigers, which they played as until the club folded following the
1924–25 NHL season.
^The Pittsburgh Pirates were founded as the first incarnation of the
Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets, originally an independent hockey team. They joined the NHL in
1925 as the Pittsburgh Pirates, before relocating and rebranding as the
Philadelphia Quakers, which they played as during their final season from
1930–31.
^The Montreal Wanderers were founded in 1903 as an amateur hockey team. After playing in amateur leagues, they joined the NHL ahead of the
1917–18 season. After playing only four games, their arena burned down. They defaulted their next two games before disbanding.