National Hockey League

The National Hockey League (NHL; French: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, French pronunciation: [liɡ nasjɔnal də ɔkɛ]) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—24 in the United States, 7 in Canada, and 1 in British Columbia. It is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the North America. The Stanley Cup, the second-oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.