Historical eventSeptember 152004

National Hockey League

National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman announces lockout of the players' union and cessation of operations by the NHL head office.

Everything on September 15Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, September 15 200422 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2000s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1917-11-26.

Place: United States.

Type: professional sports league and ice hockey league.

What came beforeAI-assisted

Professional ice hockey existed in North America since the early 1900s, with teams competing in various regional leagues. The Stanley Cup, donated by Lord Stanley of Preston in 1892, was initially awarded to amateur champions before becoming the professional hockey trophy.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

The NHL was founded on November 26, 1917, in Montreal as a successor to the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had folded due to disputes with one of its teams. The league began with five teams: Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Blueshirts, and Quebec Bulldogs.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

Founding figures included Frank Calder, who became the league's first president and served until 1943. Original team owners and managers shaped the early league, with the Montreal Canadiens becoming the most successful franchise in NHL history.

TimelineAI-assisted

The NHL played its first game on December 19, 1917, with Montreal Canadiens defeating Ottawa Senators 10–6. The league expanded from five teams to six by 1918 and gradually grew throughout the 20th century, reaching 32 teams by 2021.

What happened

History Part of a series on the History of the NHL National Hockey League Founding (1917–1942) Original Six era (1942–1967) Expansion era (1967–1992) Further expansion (1992–2017) Second century (2017–present) Ice hockey portal v t e Main article: History of the National Hockey League Early years The National Hockey League (NHL) was established in 1917 as the successor to the National Hockey Association (NHA). Founded in 1909, the NHA began play in 1910 with seven teams in Ontario and Quebec ,

The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams, 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional ice hockey league in the world. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

September 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1983Israel
  2. 1995Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133
  3. 2001Championship Auto Racing Teams
  4. 2004National Hockey League
  5. 2008Lehman Brothers
  6. 20082008 financial crisis
  7. 2011Gleision Colliery mining accident
  8. 2013Ivan Kulesh
  9. 2017Parsons Green train bombing
  10. 2020Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement
  11. 2020Abraham Accords

Also in 2004

  • September 16Hurricane IvanHurricane Ivan makes landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama as a Category 3 hurricane.
  • January 3Flash Airlines Flight 604Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashed shortly after departure from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport which killed all 148 occupants on bo…
  • November 27Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II returns the relics of Saint John Chrysostom to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
  • November 27Blackwater 61 crashBlackwater 61 crash: A CASA C-212 Aviocar crashes into the Koh-i-Baba mountain range in Afghanistan, killing six.
  • September 3Beslan school siegeBeslan school siege ends, resulting in over 330 fatalities, including 186 children.
  • July 52004 Indonesian presidential electionIndonesia held its first direct presidential elections, which resulted in the election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as President of Indone…
  • July 5Direct electionThe first direct Indonesian presidential election is held.
  • October 14MK Airlines Flight 1602MK Airlines Flight 1602 crashes during takeoff from Halifax Stanfield International Airport, killing all seven people on board.

Everything we record for 2004 →

Sources

Cite this page

“National Hockey League”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/national-hockey-league-2004-september-15, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did National Hockey League happen?

September 15 2004 — 22 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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