The NHL’s Original Six comprised six teams: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. These clubs made up the entire NHL from 1942 until the league expanded in 1967.
The phrase “Original Six” can be misleading because these were not literally the six teams that founded the NHL. Only the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs were charter members of the league’s 1917–18 season. The group became historically distinctive because the NHL contracted to six teams during the 1940s and remained at that size for 25 seasons.
The 1967 expansion doubled the league to 12 teams, ending the Original Six era. The six franchises remain among hockey’s most recognizable clubs, with deep rivalries such as Canadiens–Maple Leafs and Bruins–Rangers. Another common mix-up is assuming the group includes the first NHL clubs chronologically; “Original Six” refers to the six-team league era, not the league’s original membership.