The Founding Era spans from the NHL establishment in 1917 until a large drafting for World War Two in 1942. The NHL was founded when it 's predecessor, the National Hockey Association was disbanded. It continued to thrive until 1942 when the numerous teams from the NHL were sold, broken apart and disbanded due to World War Two and the lingering aftermath of the Great Depression. The six teams that remained adopted a new moniker and the second era of the NHL began. The Original Six is a phrase used to describe the six teams that made up the National Hockey League during the Original Six Era, the twenty five year time frame between the 1942-43 season and NHL Expansion in 1967. The original six teams of the NHL are the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens. In 1967, with the world economy …show more content…
During this timeframe, the NHL grew from the Original Six teams up to twenty two. This year proved to be a thriving time for the NHL and still ranks as it 's highest scoring era. Also in the era, the concern over player safety grew and helmets became mandatory beginning in the 1980-81 season. During this time, the NHL also became involved in international hockey playing the first time being the 1972 Summit Series. The fourth era of the NHL is the Modern Era. This era began in 1993 and is still continuing today. This era has been marked with trials including labor disputes and salary issues. These problems caused numerous games and series to be postponed, namely the cancellation of the entire National Hockey League 2004-05 season. Good things have also come out in the Modern era. The Canada Cup was transformed into World Cup Hockey in 1996, NHL players first started playing in the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan in 1998. The NHL has grown from twenty two teams to the thirty teams playing