History of the National Hockey League (1992–2017)

Nine franchises were added between 1991 and 2000, comprising the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild.

Increased use of defence-focused systems contributed to decreased scoring in the late 1990s, leading some to argue that the NHL's talent pool had been diluted by the 1990 expansion plan.

[1] Four years later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation indicted Eagleson on charges of racketeering, fraud, embezzlement, kickbacks and obstruction of justice over allegations that he stole millions of dollars from the NHLPA.

It lasted ten days and resulted in the players receiving larger playoff bonuses, increased control over the licensing of their likenesses and improved rights to free agency; all canceled games were also rescheduled.

"[3] As part of the deal, the league also agreed to have each team play two games per season for the following two years in neutral site locations, partially to help gauge markets for potential expansion.

[3] He was given the task of selling the game to the American market, ending labor unrest, completing expansion plans, and modernizing the league.

[5] The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators joined the league in 1992–93 as part of the owners' 1990 plan to expand the NHL to 28 teams within a decade.

The league expected that bringing in Blockbuster Video's Wayne Huizenga to own the Panthers, and The Walt Disney Company to own the Mighty Ducks would raise its profile.

A common claim is that the drop in offence was due to dilution of talent caused by 1990s expansion, a position former player Brett Hull endorsed.

[32] The Red Wings' celebration was cut short, as defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov were seriously injured when their limousine crashed six days following the victory.

Upon repeating as champions in 1998, they brought Konstantinov, who had suffered severe brain damage in the crash, out in a wheelchair to celebrate with the team on the ice.

[50] On December 31, 1988, Lemieux scored five goals, one in each of the five different ways possible: even strength, on the power play, short handed, on a penalty shot and into an empty net, a feat no player in league history has duplicated.

He played only 26 regular-season games in 1990–91 after surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, but returned in time to score 44 points in the playoffs in leading the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup.

Lemieux continued to struggle with back trouble the next season, though he still won the scoring title, and his second consecutive playoff MVP award in leading the Penguins to their second championship in 1992.

[53] Lemieux continued to battle injuries, missing the majority of the first half of the 2001–02 season, however, he returned to action in time to captain Team Canada to its first gold medal in 50 years at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

[59] The Pittsburgh Penguins won the lottery, and selected Sidney Crosby, a highly prized prospect whose arrival to the NHL had been greatly anticipated.

[61][62] Ovechkin was named the Calder Memorial Trophy winner as rookie of the year in 2005–06, while Crosby's presence helped Pittsburgh's attendance increase by 33%, over 4,000 fans per game.

[67] The three-year streak of Canadian teams in the finals was halted in the 2007–08 season, when the Red Wings defeated the Penguins for their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years.

[68] The introduction of the salary cap in 2005 encouraged parity in the NHL, making it harder for teams to compete for the Stanley Cup every year.

Seven years later, in 2016, the Penguins won their fourth Cup against the San Jose Sharks,[73] then repeated the feat in 2017 against the Predators, becoming the first back-to-back champion since the 1998 Red Wings.

The Sabres hosted the 2008 NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day 2008, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout before a crowd of 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

[83] The following year the 2011 Winter Classic was held at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field,[84] with the Washington Capitals beating the Penguins 3–1, and on January 2, 2012, the New York Rangers defeated the Flyers 3–2 at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park.

[85] The pinnacle of the Winter Classic's popularity took place on January 1, 2014, when the Maple Leafs defeated the Red Wings 3–2 in a shootout behind a record crowd of 105,491 spectators at Michigan Stadium.

[86] The Winter Classic became an annual New Year's Day tradition for the NHL, regularly playing in front of sellout crowds and record viewers on television.

[94] One of those teams, the Rangers, also participated in the inaugural Victoria Cup, defeating the Kontinental Hockey League's Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4–3 in a single game.

NHL then took control over the team later that year in order to stabilize the Coyotes' operations, with the hopes of eventually reselling it to a new owner who would be committed to stay in the Phoenix market.

[107] After also suffering financial losses and ownership struggles, the Atlanta Thrashers were eventually sold to True North Sports and Entertainment in 2011, who then relocated the team to Winnipeg, a stark reversal of the league's attempts to expand into the southern United States.

[109] Just after 5 am on January 6, 2013, after approximately 16 continuous hours of negotiating, the NHL and the players' union reached a tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement to end the lockout.

[123] The shootout has proven controversial; critics have called it a gimmick, and expressed fierce opposition to any suggestion of using it to decide playoff games, though the league has not pushed for this to happen.

[124] It has also been argued that teams are playing it safe, taking no chances in regulation in order to bring the game to overtime, where they are each guaranteed a point.