← BACK TO TEAMS DIRECTORYNHL FRANCHISE HISTORY
Seven active NHL franchises are the direct successors of teams that have moved, renamed, or otherwise shifted identity. This page tracks every chain — from the original WHA days to today's Utah Hockey Club — so you can find what became of any team that no longer exists under its old name.
The youngest NHL franchise. Relocated from Arizona in 2024 and rebranded to the Utah Hockey Club, with the "Mammoth" identity adopted in 2025-26. The franchise is the direct successor of the original Winnipeg Jets.
1972–1996 · Winnipeg — Original WHA (1972) and NHL (1979) franchise. Relocated to Phoenix in 1996.
1996–2014 · Phoenix — Relocated from Winnipeg. Retained Winnipeg-era Jets history.
2014–2024 · Glendale / Tempe — Renamed from Phoenix to Arizona in 2014. Played at multiple Valley venues.
Utah Hockey ClubCURRENT
2024–present · Salt Lake City — Relocated from Arizona. "Mammoth" branding identity adopted 2025-26.
Relocated from Hartford, Connecticut in 1997. The Whalers identity lives on in Hartford's branding; the franchise brought its full history (including WHA years) to North Carolina.
1972–1979 · Boston / Hartford — WHA franchise. Moved to Hartford full-time in 1974.
1979–1997 · Hartford, CT — Joined NHL in 1979 merger. Relocated to Carolina in 1997.
Carolina HurricanesCURRENT
1997–present · Raleigh, NC — Stanley Cup champions in 2006.
Relocated from Quebec City in 1995. Won the Stanley Cup the very next season (1996). The franchise retains all Quebec Nordiques history.
1972–1979 · Quebec City — WHA franchise.
1979–1995 · Quebec City — Joined NHL in 1979 merger. Relocated to Denver in 1995.
Colorado AvalancheCURRENT
1995–present · Denver, CO — Stanley Cup champions in 1996 and 2001.
Relocated from Bloomington, Minnesota in 1993. The franchise brought 26 years of North Stars history with it, including two Presidents' Trophies.
1967–1993 · Bloomington, MN — Original 1967 expansion team. Relocated to Dallas in 1993.
Dallas StarsCURRENT
1993–present · Dallas, TX — Stanley Cup champions in 1999.
Not the relocated Jets from 1996 — the current Winnipeg Jets are the former Atlanta Thrashers, who moved to Manitoba in 2011.
1999–2011 · Duluth / Atlanta, GA — 1999 expansion team. Relocated to Winnipeg in 2011.
Winnipeg JetsCURRENT
2011–present · Winnipeg, MB — Adopted the Jets name to honor the original WHA/NHL Jets (1972-1996).
Relocated from Atlanta in 1980. The Flames brought their full history — and the 1989 Stanley Cup — to Calgary.
1972–1980 · Atlanta, GA — Original 1972 expansion team. Relocated to Calgary in 1980.
Calgary FlamesCURRENT
1980–present · Calgary, AB — Stanley Cup champions in 1989.
Two relocations in eight years: Kansas City to Colorado (1976) to New Jersey (1982). The franchise traces its history all the way back to 1974.
1974–1976 · Kansas City, MO — Original 1974 expansion team. Relocated to Colorado in 1976.
1976–1982 · Denver, CO — Relocated from Kansas City. Relocated to New Jersey in 1982.
New Jersey DevilsCURRENT
1982–present · Newark, NJ — Stanley Cup champions in 1995, 2000, 2003.
A note on history: NHL teams that have not relocated or renamed — even after significant identity changes (e.g. the 2025-26 Utah rebrand from "Hockey Club" to "Mammoth" identity) — are listed once with their full lineage shown on their current team page. This page covers the seven franchises that have physically moved cities or had an explicit name change transfer recognized by the league.
