Expansion Teams
In 1963, Rangers governor William Jennings introduced to his peers the idea of expanding the league to the American West Coast by adding two new teams for the 1964–65 season. His argument was based around concerns that the Western Hockey League intended to operate as a major league in the near future. He also hoped that teams on the west coast would make the league truly national, and improve the chances of returning to television in the United States as the NHL had lost its deal with CBS. While the governors did not agree to the proposal, the topic of expansion came up every time the owners met from then on out.
The expansion process formally began in March 1965, when NHL President Clarence Campbell announced that the league proposed to expand its operations through the formation of a second six-team division. San Francisco – Oakland and Vancouver were declared "acceptable cities" with Los Angeles and St. Louis as potential sites. In February 1966, the NHL Board of Governors considered applications from 14 different ownership groups, including five from Los Angeles, two from Pittsburgh, and one each from Minneapolis – Saint Paul, Philadelphia, San Francisco – Oakland, Baltimore, Buffalo and Vancouver. Cleveland and Louisville had also expressed previous interest but were not represented.
Six franchises were ultimately added. Four still play in their original cities, one has relocated and one ceased operations.
| Team | City/Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California Seals | Oakland, California (San Francisco Bay Area) | Renamed Oakland Seals and later California Golden Seals. Later relocated to Cleveland, Ohio as the Cleveland Barons in 1976, then ceased operations in 1978 with merger into the Minnesota North Stars. |
| Los Angeles Kings | Los Angeles, California | |
| Minnesota North Stars | Bloomington, Minnesota (Minneapolis – Saint Paul) | Merged with the Cleveland Barons in 1978. Later relocated to Dallas, Texas as the Dallas Stars in 1993 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
| St. Louis Blues | St. Louis, Missouri |
Read more about this topic: 1967 NHL Expansion
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—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)
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