The National Hockey League was founded in 1917.
The NHL was formally created on November 26, 1917, at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal. It emerged after owners of several teams suspended the operations of the National Hockey Association, or NHA, largely because of an ongoing dispute involving Toronto Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone.
The original NHL plans involved the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Quebec Bulldogs. A Toronto franchise was also arranged for the league’s first season, while the Quebec Bulldogs did not immediately operate. The league played its first games on December 19, 1917.
The NHL was not initially the only major hockey league competing for the Stanley Cup. It faced rival leagues such as the Pacific Coast Hockey Association before eventually becoming the dominant professional league. The year 1909 belongs to the founding of the NHA, the NHL’s predecessor, while 1918 was the year of the NHL’s first full season—not its founding year.