List of defunct and relocated National Hockey League teams

[3] Under the constitution of the NHL, membership is on a partnership basis, each partner holding a franchise from the League for the operation of a hockey club in its designated city.

[7] The first NHL team to disband was the Montreal Wanderers, citing the lack of available players due to World War I.

The NHL president at the time, Frank Calder, stripped the franchise from owner Mike Quinn and sold it to a Hamilton-based company.

[9] Three franchises became defunct due to the Great Depression: the Philadelphia Quakers, the St. Louis Eagles, and the Montreal Maroons.

The franchise was struggling financially and, due to the lack of players because of World War II, was suspended prior to the 1942–43 season.

The Golden Seals moved after nine seasons in Oakland to become the Cleveland Barons; this was the first time in four decades the NHL approved a franchise relocation.

Under the original agreement, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo retained the rights to the team name and history, as well as an option for reactivation in Arizona for five years, under the condition a new arena is completed in that time.

Montreal, Quebec City and Atlanta all have two defunct or relocated teams with the Wanderers and Maroons, the Athletics and Nordiques, and the Flames and Thrashers, respectively.

Other former host-metropolitan areas of NHL teams that have been given another team include: San Francisco Bay Area (San Jose Sharks in 1991), Ottawa (current Ottawa Senators in 1992), Denver (Colorado Avalanche in 1995), Minneapolis – St. Paul (Minnesota Wild in 2000) and Winnipeg (current Jets in 2011).