NHL League Size And Regular Season Length

With this week's release of the regular season schedule for the NHL's 107th season of operation (106th season of actual play), it's a good time to consider this season's offering in the historical context of the number of participating teams and regular season games played since the league's inception 106 years ago.

Years	Games	Teams		Years	Games	Teams
1917-1918	22	4		1978-1979	80	17
1918-1919	18	3		1979-1991	80	21
1919-1924	24	4		1991-1992	80	22
1924-1925	30	6		1992-1993	84	24
1925-1926	36	7		1993-1994	84	26
1926-1931	44	10		1994-1995	48	26
1931-1932	48	8		1995-1998	82	26
1932-1935	48	9		1998-2000	82	28
1935-1938	48	8		2000-2004	82	30
1938-1942	48	7		2004-2005	0	30
1942-1946	50	6		2005-2012	82	30
1946-1949	60	6		2012-2013	48	30
1949-1967	70	6		2013-2017	82	30
1967-1968	74	12		2017-2020	82	31
1968-1970	76	12		2020-2021	56	31
1970-1972	78	14		2021-2024	82	32
1972-1974	78	16
1974-1978	80	18

Rising from 3 to 32 teams and 18 to 84 games since 1918, the NHL regular season now sits at 32 teams playing a 82 times a piece for a total of 1,312 games. Aside from three work stoppages - abbreviating, canceling and abbreviating the proceedings respectively (1994-1995, 2004-2005, 2012-2013), a fire finishing a team (Montreal Wanderers) part-way through the year (1917-1918), and COVID-19 suspending the 2019-2020 season and abbreviating the 2020-2021 season, most NHL regular season schedules have been played as planned with few, if any, interruptions.

Amidst endless stories of financially troubled clubs, the league has done well to quell rumors of NHL relocation, embracing NHL expansion in Las Vegas (2017-2018) and Seattle (2021-2022) to achieve a 32 team league with division and conference balance.  

On the heels of 2013's NHL realignment, expect regular season length to remain at 82 games for the foreseeable future in order to preserve their commitment to extended divisional play, every team visiting every rink each year, and the pursuit of the all-mighty dollar which directly influences player salaries.

* See also Fewest And Most Games Needed to Win Stanley Cup.
* See also NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Length By Days And Games.
* See also History of NHL Expansion.
* See also History of NHL Relocation.
* See also History of NHL Contraction.
* See also History of NHL Team Renaming.