On what date was the first NHL game played?

The first NHL game was played on December 19, 1917, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 7–4.

The game took place at Montreal’s Westmount Arena during the league’s inaugural 1917–18 season. Newsy Lalonde scored in that historic contest, becoming the first player to score in an NHL game. The opposing clubs had already been established in earlier hockey leagues, but the NHL itself was newly formed after a dispute among owners of the National Hockey Association.

December 19 was the league’s opening night, and another game was played the same evening: the Toronto Arenas defeated the Montreal Wanderers 10–9. The Canadiens–Senators matchup is generally identified as the first NHL game because it began earlier and is recorded as the league’s inaugural contest.

A common mistake is to use November 26, 1917, the date associated with the NHL’s formation meeting. That was when the league was organized—not when its first game was played.