The NHL added six teams in its 1967 expansion, increasing the league from six franchises to 12 for the 1967–68 season.
The six newcomers were the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Oakland Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues. The expansion ended the NHL’s 25-season Original Six era and was the largest one-time expansion by an established major professional sports league at that point.
All six expansion clubs were placed in the new West Division, while the Original Six teams formed the East Division. The arrangement helped manage the league’s sudden growth and guaranteed that an expansion team would reach the Stanley Cup Final during the first few seasons.
The franchises had varied histories. The Seals eventually became the Cleveland Barons and merged with the Minnesota North Stars, while the North Stars later moved to Dallas. The Kings, Flyers, Penguins, and Blues remain active NHL franchises, although their levels of success differed dramatically in the early years.