What was the first NHL team based in the United States?

The Boston Bruins were the first NHL team based in the United States.

The NHL awarded Boston a franchise in 1924 as part of its first expansion into the United States. Grocery magnate Charles Adams bought the franchise and hired Art Ross as general manager, coach and a key early architect of the team. Ross selected the name Bruins, while the original brown-and-yellow colors reflected Adams's grocery business.

Boston played its first NHL game on December 1, 1924, at Boston Arena against the Montreal Maroons. The Bruins won 2–1, and Smokey Harris scored the first goal in franchise history. That game was also the first NHL game played on U.S. soil.

The Bruins finished last in their inaugural season and missed the playoffs, but the franchise became a permanent part of the league. Detroit, the New York Rangers and Chicago were all established NHL clubs, yet each entered the league after Boston's 1924 debut. The Bruins remain one of the NHL's oldest active organizations and the oldest U.S.-based team.