NHL: 1942—1945

View NHL Map 1942—1945 in a larger map

We begin the NHL map series in 1942 with the beginning of the Original Six era. Original Six is actually a misnomer in that these six teams were not the original members of the NHL.

The National Hockey League was formed on November 26, 1917 with four member clubs — all of which were Canadian: the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Arenas. Only the Canadiens still exist in their original form. The Toronto Arenas became the St. Pats in 1919 and finally the Maple Leafs in 1926.

The Wanderers played only six games before their arena burned down and a growing debt resulted in the club's folding. The Ottawa Senators played until 1934, at which point it relocated. The franchise saw one final season as the St. Louis Eagles before folding.

A number of other teams saw action in the league prior to 1942, including the Brooklyn Americans, whose folding following the 1941-42 season paved the way for the Original Six era. The maps will begin here as it most commonly recognized by hockey fans as the start of the NHL they know today.