Original Six era

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The Original Six era was the period in National Hockey League history from 1942 to 1967 when the league consisted of only six teams, forming the foundation of modern professional ice hockey.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf era in National Hockey League history
historical period
alsoKnownAs Original Six era of the NHL
Original Six period
characterizedBy high player familiarity and rivalries
limited geographic footprint in northeastern and midwestern North America
smaller number of games compared to modern NHL seasons
stable six-team league membership
country Canada
United States of America
culturalSignificance established many enduring NHL traditions
romanticized as a golden age by many hockey fans
economicContext relatively low player salaries compared to modern NHL
endCause 1967 NHL expansion from six to twelve teams
endTime 1967
followedBy NHL expansion era (post-1967)
foundationFor modern professional ice hockey
subsequent NHL expansion
governedBy NHL Board of Governors
hasFeature Original Six teams played each other frequently during regular season
fewer European players compared to later eras
limited player movement due to reserve clause
no franchise relocation during the period
smaller player rosters than modern NHL
includesTeam Boston Bruins
Chicago Black Hawks
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers
Toronto Maple Leafs
involvesCompetition Stanley Cup
league National Hockey League
legacy Original Six teams retain strong fan bases and historical prestige
term “Original Six” remains widely used in NHL culture
mediaContext early television broadcasts of NHL games
increasing radio coverage of NHL games
notableRivalry Detroit Red Wings–Chicago Black Hawks rivalry
Montreal Canadiens–Boston Bruins rivalry
Montreal Canadiens–Toronto Maple Leafs rivalry
numberOfTeams 6
partOf history of the National Hockey League
precededBy early NHL expansion era (pre-1942)
ruleContext introduction and evolution of the red line and offside rules predated and influenced play in this era
no regular-season overtime for much of the era
sport ice hockey
startTime 1942
timePeriod mid-20th century

Referenced by (9)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Original Six era ("Original Six period")
Original Six era ("Original Six era of the NHL")
alsoKnownAs
1946–47 NHL season
John Bucyk
era
Original Six era ("Original Six teams played each other frequently during regular season")
hasFeature
Original Six era ("term “Original Six” remains widely used in NHL culture")
legacy
Toronto Maple Leafs ("Original Six")
memberOf
Phil Esposito
playedIn
MON ("NHL Original Six era")
teamLeagueEntry

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