1967 NHL Expansion

The National Hockey League (NHL) undertook a major expansion for the 1967-68 NHL season.

Six new franchises were added to double the size of the league, making this expansion the largest (in terms of the number of teams created) ever undertaken at one time by an established major sports league.

The expansion marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942 when the Brooklyn Americans folded which ending the era of the Original Six.

The six new teams were the California Seals, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues.

This expansion (including placing two new clubs on the West Coast) was the result of the league's fears of a rival league that would challenge the NHL for players and the Stanley Cup.

In addition, the league hoped that the expansion would result in a lucrative TV contract in the United States.