History of the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in 1917, and there were initially just four teams in the league.
All of the teams were located in Canada when the league was founded, but that quickly expanded to adding teams from the United States as well.
The “Original Six” began NHL play in 1942-43, and the league would have just six total teams for the next two decades.
There were 12 teams in the league in 1967-68, and expansion didn’t stop there either.
There are now 32 teams in the NHL, and 25 of them are from the United States.
This is also a league that leans heavily on its past and tradition, and many of the trophies are named after some of the most famous people in league history.
Main Events During the Year
The NHL season is 82 games long for each team in the regular season, and then the real fun begins in the playoffs. The Stanley Cup Playoffs take the best 16 teams in the league and have them all competing to win the Stanley Cup.
Many will agree that the Stanley Cup Playoffs provide one of the best postseason atmospheres in all of sports. There are four total rounds in the postseason, and the champion will have to win 16 games to win the crown.
The other big event that takes place throughout the year is the All-Star Game. This annual tradition has changed formats throughout the years, but it still features the best players in the league, all on the same ice.
Betting Strategy
A great NHL betting strategy to use is to look at recent betting trends for each team in a particular matchup. The NHL odds usually reflect the better overall team, but that doesn’t include which teams are playing better than others.
Checking the injury report and the starting goaltending matchup is another important piece to betting on the NFL. This can be particularly true when looking at Stanley Cup odds.
Prop Bets
Prop betting is now available on every single NHL game, and you could find a long list of options at BetUS Sportsbook.
Both team and player prop betting options will be available, and you need to be looking for value in the NHL odds that are listed.
Once the Stanley Cup Playoffs come around each year, the amount of prop betting options always tends to increase.
You can find and make prop bets on the entire game as well, depending on what odds are listed at BetUS.
Important Teams
The “Original Six” teams in the NHL were the: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Those six teams remain the most important in the league, but others have joined in the conversation as well.
This league has targeted some of the biggest cities and locations in both the United States and Canada.
The New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Tampa Bay Lightning are some of the other important teams.
In 2022, the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers are two of the best teams in the league.
Important Players
The most important player in NHL history is Wayne Gretzky, and he is also the best player to ever play in the National Hockey League.
The NHL Hall of Fame is full of terrific hockey players, and most of them are from Canada or somewhere in Europe.
The league is full of great young stars in 2022, and that list includes Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon. The most important players change every single year.
