What Are The 7 Canadian NHL Teams? All Team Names Explained!

Canadian Ice Hockey Teams In NHL 2023 are 1. Montreal Canadiens 2. Toronto Maple Leafs 3. Vancouver Canucks 4. Edmonton Oilers 5. Calgary Flames 6. Ottawa Senators 7. Winnipeg Jets.

NHL consists majority of teams (25) from the United States. Only seven clubs from Canada are affiliated with the National Hockey League until 2023.

Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens was established as a part of the National Hockey Association(NHA) in 1909. Moreover, it is a founding member of the NHL.

It emerged from the French-speaking people of Canada and was named 'Les Canadiens'. During their first season, they placed last in the league.

They made a comeback a few years later and in the 1915-16 season, they won their first Stanley Cup. As of now, they have the most playoffs title in NHL history.

• Owner: Molson Family
• General Manager: Kenth Hughes
• Head Coach: Martin St. Louis
• Captain: Nick Suzuki
• Arena: Bell Centre

Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators was founded in 1992 by Bruce Firestone. It is the second franchise associated with the NHL to use that name.

The Senators played their first season in 1992-93 which did not end well. Since then, the team has progressed and appeared in the NHL playoff 16 times.

The franchise got hold of the President's Trophy in the 2002-03 season. However, they have never secured a Stanley Cup since their establishment.

• Owner: Estate of the late Eugene Melnyk
• General Manager: Pierre Dorion
• Head Coach: D. J. Smith
• Captain: Brady Tkachuk
• Arena: Canadian Tire Center

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs was set up in 1917 as Toronto Arenas. The club was renamed twice: Toronto St. Patricks in 1919 and Toronto Maple Leafs in 1927.

Leafs has seen excellent players over the decades of its operation and has retired 13 jersey numbers. They are the Stanley Cup playoff champion 13 times.

Despite such great achievement, they have not gained victory in the regular season and received a President's Trophy once.

• Owner: Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
• General Manager: Kyle Dubas
• Head Coach: Sheldon Keefe
• Captain: John Tavares
• Arena: Scotiabank Arena

Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Jets was founded as Atlanta Thrashers back in 1997. They began competing in the NHL from the 1999-2000 season.

The team was moved from Atlanta to Winnipeg in the 2011-12 season. As a result, they continued their play with the transformed name of Winnipeg Jets.

Though the Jets have been with the league for over 2 decades, they have not received any trophies including Conference or Division Championships.

• Owner: True North Sports & Entertainment
• General Manager: Kevin Cheveldayoff
• Head Coach: Rick Bowness
• Arena: Canada Life Center

Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames was established as Atlanta Flames in 1972. In 1980, they were relocated to Calgary and hence the moniker.

The team was successful at the beginning with 6 playoff appearances in eight seasons. So far, they have earned 2 regular seasons and a playoff.

The Flames have also claimed 3 Conference Championships and 7 Division Championships. They did not reach the postseason games in the 2022-23 season.

• Owner: Calgary Sports and Entertainment
• General Manager: Don Maloney
• Arena: Scotiabank Saddledome

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers was founded as Alberta Oilers in 1972. Established as a part of the World Hockey Association(WHA), it became affiliated with NHL in 1979.

Oilers operated with skilled players like Wayne Gretzky and have secured several titles. They won President's Trophy twice and Stanley Cup five times.

Bakersfield Condors and Fort Wayne Komets are the minor leagues associated with the team. They reach the 2nd round of the 2023 playoffs but lost to the Golden Knights.

• Owner: Oilers Entertainment Group
• General Manager: Ken Holland
• Head Coach: Jay Woodcroft
• Captain: Connor McDavid
• Arena: Rogers Place

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks was launched in 1945 as a part of the Pacific Coast Hockey League followed by the Western Hockey League(WHL). 

Canucks became an NHL expansion team in 1970. They began their inaugural season with the league in 1970-71 and earned praise for their performance. 

Vancouver has not received a Stanley Cup once until now. However, they have received victory over the regular season of the league twice in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

• Owner: Canucks Sports & Entertainment
• General Manager: Patrik Allvin
• Head Coach: Rick Tocchet
• Arena: Rogers Arena

42.1% percentage of NHL players are from Canada in 2023. Only 445 Canadian-born players are active in the National Hockey League.

Professional ice hockey games originated in Canada in the 1980s. Since then, it has caught the attention of many, especially those born and bred in Canada.

Canada still has the highest rate of active players in the reputed league. Considering all-time stats, Canada has generated 64.4% of athletes in the NHL which is a massive number of 5,414 players.

The United States ranks second and has followed Canada with a staggering 28.1% of active players in the 2022-23 season. Currently, 298 American players are associated with the league.

The USA has supplied 16.7% which is 1,404 athletes in the league so far. The list also comprises Sweden and Russia in the third and fourth position respectively.

Montreal Canadiens was the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup. The Canadiens earned the trophy back in 1993.

Montreal defeated Los Angeles Kings and secured the playoff championship title. After the victory in the 1990s, they came close to claiming the trophy in 2021.

The Canadiens reached the finals and were matched up against Tampa Bay Lightning. Lightning snatched the title with their exceptional 4-1 game.

In 2004, Calgary Flames made up to the Stanley Cup finals but lost against the Lightning. Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, and Vancouver Canucks have also come close to winning it since the Canadiens' 1993 victory.

Former Canadian NHL Teams that no longer exist are:

• Montreal Wanderers
• Quebec Bulldogs
• Hamilton Tigers
• Atlanta Flames
• Quebec Nordiques
• Montreal Maroons
• Winnipeg Jets
• Atlanta Thrashers
• Ottawa Senators
• Hartford Whalers

The National Hockey League is operating for almost 106 years. Throughout the decades, many teams became dysfunctional or relocated to a new place with a new name.

Winnipeg Jets played in the NHL from 1979 to 1996. Since the league had expanded to the US by then, athletes demanded to be paid in US dollars.

It created financial tension which forced then-owner Barry Shenkarow to sell it in the U.S. The team was renamed Phoenix Coyotes and now operates as Arizona Coyotes.

Ottawa Senators were associated with the franchise from 1917 to 1934. The club could not sustain itself due to the small market and the losses caused by poor performance.

No, they are not any Canadian teams left in the NHL playoffs in 2023. Maple Leafs and Oilers were defeated in the second round.

Out of seven, three of the clubs from Canada were selected for the 2023 playoffs. Maple Leafs were chosen from the Atlantic Division and Oilers from the Pacific Division.

Winnipeg Jets made a wild card entry into the postseason. They lost their first round against Vegas Golden Knights and got eliminated from the playoff.

Leafs defeated Tampa Bay Lightning and advanced into the second round. Similarly, the Oilers gained a victory over Los Angeles Kings in the inaugural round.

The second round of the 2023 playoff was not lucky for the Canadian clubs. Knights defeated the Oilers and Florida Panthers gained victory over Maple Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs have the longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history. It has spanned 56 seasons and surpassed the record held by the Rangers for 54 seasons.

Leafs have won the playoff championship 13 times, which is the second highest. They secured the title for the first time in 1932 after beating New York Rangers in the finale.

From 1935 to 1940, Leafs reached the Stanley Cup finals but did not win it. Their second victory came in 1942 and they won the championship continuously from 1947 to 1951.

Maple Leafs consecutively won the trophy three times beginning in 1962. The club recorded its last victory over the Cup in 1967 after defeating Montreal Canadiens. Since then, Leafs have not reached the finals of the playoff.