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The National Hockey League is comprised of 30 professional teams playing hockey in the United States and Canada.
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- Inaugural season: 1917
- League offices: New York City
- Commissioner: Gary Bettman
- Teams: 30
- Games per team: 82
- 2009 Stanley Cup champion: Pittsburgh Penguins
- TV Partners: TSN, CBC Sports, Rogers Sportsnet, NBC
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Regular Season Format
Each team plays a six month, 82-game regular season within two conferences, each of which have three geographical divisions. The NHL All-Star Game is held each January. Every four seasons, the league suspends play for three weeks so that the elite players can represent their country in the Winter Olympics. During Olympic years, the NHL does not hold an All-Star Game.Playoff Format
Following the regular season, 16 teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After three rounds are played to determine each conference champion, the two remaining teams participate in the Stanley Cup Finals.NHL Draft
Each summer the NHL holds a Draft to allow teams to sign young players to their squads. The draft order is determined by a combination of playoff standings and a lottery.NHL Awards
Each June, 18 separate awards are handed out to the players in the NHL for a variety of accomplishments. Additionally there are four team trophies going to the team with the best regular season record, the winners of each conference in the playoffs and the winner of the Stanley Cup Championship.Divisions and Teams
