| 1917-18 | Montreal Wanderers disbanded due to their arena burning down |
| | |
| 1919-20 | Toronto Arenas became Toronto St Patricks |
| 1919-20 | Quebec Bulldogs began play |
| 1920-21 | Quebec Bulldogs became Hamilton Tigers |
| 1924-25 | Boston Bruins and Montreal Maroons began play |
| 1925-26 | Hamilton Tigers became New York Americans |
| 1925-26 | Pittsburgh Pirates began play |
| 1927-28 | Toronto St Patricks became Toronto Maple Leafs |
| | |
| 1929-30 | Detroit Cougars became Detroit Falcons |
| 1930-31 | Pittsburgh Pirates became Philadelphia Quakers |
| 1931-32 | Philadelphia Quakers disbanded |
| 1932-33 | Detroit Falcons became Detroit Red Wings |
| 1934-35 | Ottawa Senators (1st) became St Louis Eagles |
| 1935-36 | St Louis Eagles disbanded |
| 1938-39 | Combined two divisions into one |
| 1938-39 | Montreal Maroons disbanded |
| | |
| 1941-42 | New York Americans became Brooklyn Americans |
| 1942-43 | Brooklyn Americans disbanded |
| | |
| 1967-68 | Split into an Eastern and a Western division |
| 1967-68 | Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings began play |
| 1967-68 | St Louis Blues and Minnesota North Stars began play |
| 1967-68 | Pittsburgh Penguins and Oakland Seals began play |
| | |
| 1970-71 | Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks began play |
| 1970-71 | Oakland Seals became California Golden Seals |
| 1972-73 | Atlanta Flames and New York Islanders began play |
| 1974-75 | Kansas City Scouts and Washington Capitals began play |
| 1976-77 | Kansas City Scouts became Colorado Rockies |
| 1976-77 | California Golden Seals became Cleveland Barons |
| 1978-79 | Cleveland Barons merged with and became Minnesota North Stars |
| | |
| 1979-80 | Edmonton Oilers and Hartford Whalers began play (WHA) |
| 1979-80 | Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets (1st) began play (WHA) |
| 1980-81 | Atlanta Flames became Calgary Flames |
| 1982-83 | Colorado Rockies became New Jersey Devils |
| 1986-87 | Changed division semifinals from best 3-of-5 to best 4-of-7 |
| | |
| 1991-92 | San Jose Sharks began play |
| 1992-93 | Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning began play |
| 1993-94 | Renamed divisions, conferences; playoffs now top 8 in each conf |
| 1993-94 | Minnesota North Stars became Dallas Stars |
| 1993-94 | Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Florida Panthers began play |
| 1995-96 | Quebec Nordiques became Colorado Avalanche |
| 1996-97 | Winnipeg Jets became Phoenix Coyotes |
| 1997-98 | Hartford Whalers became Carolina Hurricanes |
| 1998-99 | Nashville Predators began play |
| | |
| 1999-00 | Atlanta Thrashers began play |
| 2000-01 | Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets begin play |
| 2006-07 | Anaheim Mighty Ducks became Anaheim Ducks |
| |
| 2011-12 | Atlanta Thrashers became Winnipeg Jets |
| 2014-15 | Phoenix Coyotes became Arizona Coyotes |
| 2017-18 | Vegas Golden Knights begin play |
| |
| List of abbreviations used in other pages: |
| Anaheim | Ana | Anaheim Ducks (1993-94 - present) |
| Arizona | Ari | Arizona Coyotes (2014-15 - present) |
| Atl Flames | AtF | Atlanta Flames (1972-73 - 1979-80) |
| Atlanta | Atl | Atlanta Trashers (1999-00 - 2010-11) |
| Boston | Bos | Boston Bruins (1925-26 - present) |
| Brooklyn | Bkn | Brooklyn Americans (1941-1942) |
| Buffalo | Buf | Buffalo Sabres (1970-71 - present) |
| Calgary | Cgy | Calgary Flames (1980-81 - present) |
| California | Clf | California Golden Seals (1970-71 - 1975-76) |
| Carolina | Car | Carolina Hurricanes (1997-98 - present) |
| Chicago | Chi | Chicago Blackhawks (1926-27 - present) |
| Cleveland | Cle | Cleveland Barons (1976-77 - 1977-78) |
| Col Rockies | CoR | Colorado Rockies (1976-77 - 1981-82) |
| Colorado | Col | Colorado Avalanche (1995-96 - present) |
| Columbus | Cbs | Columbus Blue Jackets (2000-01 - present) |
| Dallas | Dal | Dallas Stars (1993-94 - present) |
| Det Cougars | DtC | Detroit Cougars (1926-27 - 1929-30) |
| Det Falcons | DtF | Detroit Falcons (1930-31 - 1931-32) |
| Detroit | Det | Detroit Red Wings (1932-33 - present) |
| Edmonton | Edm | Edmonton Oilers (1979-80 - present) |
| Florida | Flo | Florida Panthers (1993-94 - present) |
| Hamilton | Ham | Hamilton Tigers (1920-21 - 1924-25) |
| Hartford | Har | Hartford Whalers (1979-80 - 1996-97) |
| Kansas City | KC | Kansas City Scouts (1974-75 - 1975-76) |
| Los Angeles | LA | Los Angeles Kings (1967-68 - present) |
| Minnesota | Min | Minnesota Wild (2000-01 - present) |
| Min N Stars | MNS | Minnesota North Stars (1967-68 - 1992-93) |
| Montreal | Mtl | Montreal Canadiens (1917-18 - present) |
| Mtl Maroons | MtM | Montreal Maroons (1924-25 - 1937-38) |
| Mtl Wanderers | MtW | Montreal Wanderers (1917-18) |
| Nashville | Nsh | Nashville Predators (1998-99 - present) |
| New Jersey | NJ | New Jersey Devils (1982-83 - present) |
| NY Americans | NYA | New York Americans (1925-26 - 1940-41) |
| NY Islanders | NYI | New York Islanders (1972-73 - present) |
| NY Rangers | NYR | New York Rangers (1926-27 - present) |
| Oakland | Oak | Oakland Seals (1967-68 - 1969-70) |
| Philadelphia | Phi | Philadelphia Flyers (1967-68 - present) |
| Phi Quakers | PhQ | Philadelphia Quakers (1930-31) |
| Phoenix | Pho | Phoenix Coyotes (1996-97 - 2013-14) |
| Pittsburgh | Pit | Pittsburgh Penguins (1967-68 - present) |
| Pit Pirates | PiP | Pittsburgh Pirates (1925-26 - 1929-30) |
| Ottawa | Ott | Ottawa Senators (1992-93 - present) |
| Ott Senators | OtS | Ottawa Senators (1917-18 - 1930-31, 1932-33 - 1933-34) |
| Quebec | Que | Quebec Nordiques (1979-80 - 1994-95) |
| Que Bulldogs | QuB | Quebec Bulldogs (1919-20) |
| St Louis | StL | St Louis Blues (1967-68 - present) |
| StL Eagles | StE | St Louis Eagles (1934-35) |
| San Jose | SJ | San Jose Sharks (1991-92 - present) |
| Tampa Bay | TB | Tampa Bay Lightning (1992-93 - present) |
| Toronto | Tor | Toronto Maple Leafs (1926-27 - present) |
| Tor Arenas | TrA | Toronto Arenas (1917-18 - 1918-19) |
| Tor St Pats | TrS | Toronto St Pats (1919-20 - 1925-26) |
| Vancouver | Van | Vancouver Canucks (1970-71 - present) |
| Vegas | Veg | Vegas Golden Knights (2017-18 - present) |
| Washington | Wsh | Washington Capitals (1974-75 - present) |
| Win Jets | WiJ | Winnipeg Jets (1st) (1979-80 - 1995-96) |
| Winnipeg | Win | Winnipeg Jets (2011-12 - present) |
| |
| List of abbreviations used in franchise histories: |
| Cam = Campbell Conference (1974-75 - 1992-1993) |
| Wal = Wales Conference (1974-75 - 1992-1993) |
| Pat = Patrick Division (1974-75 - 1992-1993) |
| Ada = Adams Division (1974-75 - 1992-1993) |
| Nor = Norris Division (1974-75 - 1992-1993) |
| Smy = Smythe Division (1974-75 - 1992-1993) |
| Eas = Eastern Conference (1993-94 - present) |
| Wes = Western Conference (1993-94 - present) |
| Atl = Atlantic Division (1993-94 - present) |
| Nte = Northeast Division (1993-94 - present) |
| Cen = Central Division (1993-94 - present) |
| Pac = Pacific Division (1993-94 - present) |
| |
| List of abbreviations used in playoff games: |
| Psmi/Pfin = Patrick Division Semifinal/Final (1981-82 - 1992-1993) |
| Asmi/Afin = Adams Division Semifinal/Final (1981-82 - 1992-1993) |
| Rsmi/Rfin = noRris Division Semifinal/Final (1981-82 - 1992-1993) |
| Ssmi/Sfin = Smythe Division Semifinal/Final (1981-82 - 1992-1993) |
| Lfin = waLes Conference Final (1981-82 - 1992-1993) |
| Cfin = Campbell Conference Final (1981-82 - 1992-1993) |
| Efin = Eastern Div Final (1967-68 - 1969-70) Conf Final (1993-94 - present) |
| Wfin = Western Div Final (1967-68 - 1967-70) Conf Final (1993-94 - present) |
| N1st = NHL 1st Round (1926-27 - 1941-42, 1974-75 - 1980-81) |
| Nqua = NHL Quarterfinal (1974-75 - 1980-81) |
| Nsmi = NHL Semifinal (1926-27 - 1980-81) |
| Nfin = NHL Final (all years) |
