Which NHL Teams Have Relocated?

Having a professional NHL hockey team to root for right in your home city can be one of the most exciting and rewarding ways to engage with the sport. You get to follow them through the ups, the downs, the dynasties and the rebuilds as your home squad fights tooth (sometimes literally!) and nail to etch their name on the coveted Stanley Cup, considered by many experts to be the hardest trophy to win in all of sports.

Unfortunately, some markets just aren’t a great fit for a hockey team. When that happens, it often means wheels-up and off to a new city for an NHL franchise. Wondering which NHL teams have relocated in the league’s history? Here’s a full look at every NHL relocation from the 1920s until today.

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Active Relocated NHL Teams

Seven active NHL teams are currently the product of team relocations: the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets and Utah Mammoth.

Here’s a full history of every active team in the NHL that has relocated during the league’s history.

Kansas City Scouts, Colorado Rockies

Relocated: 1976 (Kansas City to Colorado), 1982 (Colorado to New Jersey)

Current Franchise Name: New Jersey Devils

Today’s New Jersey Devils got their start as the Kansas City Scouts in 1974, entering the league as an expansion team. The Scouts played just two seasons in KC before skipping town for Denver, where they became the Colorado Rockies (not to be confused with the MLB team of the same name).

Less than a decade later, the Rockies moved on to East Rutherford, New Jersey to become the New Jersey Devils of today’s NHL. Thirteen years later, the Devils became an Eastern Conference powerhouse, etched their names on the Stanley Cup for the first time in 1995 and then followed the feat up with two more Cups in 2000 and 2003.

Atlanta Flames

Relocated: 1980

Current Franchise Name: Calgary Flames

The Atlanta Flames entered the league alongside the New York Islanders in 1972, named for the Civil War-era burning of the city of Atlanta. The team mostly struggled, both competitively and financially, in Atlanta, and the team moved to Alberta in 1980. There, they kept the name and emblazoned their iconic flaming C logo on their jerseys. The Flames won their only title to date about a decade later in 1989.

Minnesota North Stars

Relocated: 1993

Current Franchise Name: Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild have been frequent adversaries in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in recent seasons, but the teams already had a bit more history behind them before their modern rivalry heated up. The Stars were originally located in Minnesota and known as the Minnesota North Stars, which joined the league in 1967.

After 26 seasons, the North Stars headed south to become the Dallas Stars, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999. Minnesota later regained its NHL presence with the Wild, but Dallas owns the North Stars’ records.

Quebec Nordiques

Relocated: 1995

Current Franchise Name: Colorado Avalanche

The Quebec Nordiques came over to the NHL from the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1979, but even that move wasn’t enough to keep the franchise afloat in a small, challenging market. In 1995, the team moved to Denver after being bought by the owners of the Denver Nuggets NBA team, with whom they could share an arena.

The Avs became immediately successful, notching a championship season in 1996. They’ve been generally competitive since, winning the Stanley Cup twice more in 2001 and 2022. The Avalanche occasionally don their retro Nordiques threads in games to this day.

Hartford Whalers

Relocated: 1997

Current Franchise Name: Carolina Hurricanes

It’s tough to find a more iconic franchise that’s fallen victim to relocation in the NHL than the Hartford Whalers. Despite never having won a championship, the Whalers were home to some of the NHL’s biggest superstars during their time in northern Connecticut, including Ron Francis and the legendary Gordie Howe.

A tough market sandwiched between two Original Six teams, the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, and drama over plans for a new arena saw the Whalers move south, first to Greensboro and then on to Raleigh, North Carolina to become today’s Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006 and 2026.

Despite having left Hartford nearly three decades ago, Whalers merchandise, emblazoned with the team’s beloved and iconic “H-W” whale tail logo, has a dedicated following and remains among the best-selling team apparel among non-existent teams. The Canes, too, wear their old white, blue and green Whalers uniforms during their annual Whalers Night, and have even played against the Colorado Avalanche dressed as the Whalers while the Avs wore their Nordiques uniforms in the past.

Atlanta Thrashers

Relocated: 2011

Current Franchise Name: Winnipeg Jets

Atlanta got its second shot at an NHL franchise in 1999 when the Atlanta Thrashers joined the league, but like its predecessor the Flames, the market proved an ill fit for the team. Financial disputes once again doomed the team, and they moved to Manitoba in 2011 to become the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets.

Winnipeg Jets (Original)/Phoenix Coyotes/Arizona Coyotes

Relocated: 2024

Current Franchise Name: Utah Mammoth (Asset transfer)

As mentioned above, the current Winnipeg Jets are actually the second iteration of that franchise, having adopted the defunct team’s name after moving from Atlanta in 2011. The original Winnipeg Jets joined the league in 1979 and left in 1996 for Arizona to become the Phoenix Coyotes, rebranding to the Arizona Coyotes in 2014.

Despite the move, the Coyotes never really found their footing, struggling competitively and facing multiple bankruptcies. In 2024, the team suspended hockey operations and the team’s players, coaching staff and draft picks were transferred to an expansion franchise in Salt Lake City, which played its first season as the Utah Hockey Club before a fan-driven naming campaign settled on their current identity, the Utah Mammoth, in 2025.

In 2026, the NHL consolidated the new and old Jets’ records.

Relocated & Defunct NHL Teams

Sometimes, even relocation isn’t enough to save a struggling NHL team (see: Arizona Coyotes). At least five teams have relocated and later shut down altogether in the league’s history, and three have simply ceased operations altogether.

Relocated NHL Teams That Became Defunct

Here are the five NHL teams that moved and still ended up closing up shop:

Hamilton Tigers – The Quebec Bulldogs relocated to become the Hamilton Tigers, which shut down in 1925 after a players’ strike.

Philadelphia Quakers – The Pittsburgh Pirates moved to Philadelphia in 1930 to become the Quakers but ceased operations in 1936.

St. Louis Eagles – The St. Louis Eagles were the original Ottawa Senators, who relocated in 1934. The team shut down in 1935 after the relocation turned out to be financially unsustainable.

Cleveland Barons – After stints as the California/Oakland Seals and California Golden Seals, the team moved to Cleveland in 1976 and was absorbed by the Minnesota North Stars in 1978. That team went on to become today’s Dallas Stars.

Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes – The original Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix in 1996, but the Coyotes struggled and suspended operations in 2024.

Defunct NHL Teams

Three other NHL franchises ceased operations without relocating:

Montreal Wanderers – Defunct in 1918

Montreal Maroons – Defunct in 1938

New York Americans/Brooklyn Americans – Defunct in 1942

Are Any NHL Teams Considering Relocating?

Currently, there are no firm plans for any active NHL teams to relocate, but there are rumors swirling around at least three teams: the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Ottawa Senators and (yes, again!) the Winnipeg Jets.

Of the three, the most noise is being generated by the Blue Jackets. Despite having a generally talented roster, they’ve struggled to compete and make the playoffs. There are also questions surrounding the franchise’s commitment to investing in their market.

Ottawa is less likely to move on, especially since the team has seen a competitive resurgence under head coach Travis Green and made the playoffs in each of its last two seasons. Before that, though, attendance was perpetually low.

Winnipeg’s issue is that the team exists in one of the league’s smallest markets, and they’ve struggled to remain competitive over the last few seasons. They’ve also lost some big-name players in recent years, including superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck in a trade with the New Jersey Devils, speedster Nikolaj Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency and NHL legend Jonathan Toews to retirement.

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