The NHL expanded from six to twelve teams in 1967. The expansion created six new franchises for the 1967–68 season, doubling the league and ending the Original Six era.
The new clubs were the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Oakland Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues. All six were placed in a new West Division, while the established teams formed the East Division. This structure helped balance the talent gap between the long-established clubs and the newcomers.
The expansion was driven by several forces, including fears that the Western Hockey League might become a rival major league, pressure to establish NHL teams on the U.S. West Coast, and hopes of securing a stronger American television contract. Each new franchise paid a US$2 million expansion fee, a substantial sum at the time.
The 1967 expansion was historically important beyond the team count. The North Stars eventually became the Dallas Stars, while the Seals franchise moved to Cleveland and later merged with Minnesota. The Kings, Flyers, Penguins, and Blues remain active NHL franchises.