NHL Relocations Quiz | Ice Hockey

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. While the National Hockey League has undergone many expansions and changes over its history, the moving of one team to another city is relatively rare. What was the very first such franchise move?

Answer: 1920 - Quebec Bulldogs became Hamilton Tigers

The four franchise moves listed here all happened, and were the only such moves before the 1970s.

2. What was the name of the team that moved and became the Cleveland Barons in 1976?

Answer: California Golden Seals

Beginning in 1961 as the WHL as the San Francisco Seals, the franchise underwent a name change in 1966, becoming the California Seals. With the 1967 NHL expansion, the franchise moved to the NHL, becoming the Oakland Seals. That name lasted until 1970 when the team name changed to the California Golden Seals.

In 1976, the franchise moved to Cleveland, Ohio, taking the name of the city's former AHL team.

3. In 1978, the Cleveland Barons didn't actually move and form a new team, but the franchise was absorbed into which other existing franchise?

Answer: Minnesota North Stars

Only two years after moving from San Francisco, the Cleveland Barons almost folded financially in mid-season (1977-78). The NHL approved the merger with the Minnesota North Stars, who were also struggling financially at the time. The merger lasted until the ownership group that had been the Cleveland Barons formed the core of the expansion San Jose Sharks in 1991.

4. The Thrashers were not the first incarnation of NHL hockey in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1972, they had an expansion franchise that became the Calgary Flames in 1980. What was the team name?

Answer: Atlanta Flames

The Atlanta Flames took their name from the Civil War, when Atlanta was burned by U.S. Army general William Sherman. The franchise kept the name when it moved to Calgary. Although the team never won the Stanley Cup as the Atlanta Flames, it did in 1989 as the Calgary Flames, defeating the Montr�al Canadiens.

5. The New Jersey Devils became the newest NHL team in 1982 after spending six years as what team?

Answer: Colorado Rockies

The New Jersey Devils franchise, after experiencing two prior incarnations in Denver and Kansas City, finally achieved Stanley Cup success for the first time in 1995, sweeping the Detroit Red Wings. Follow-up wins included the 2000 defeat of the Dallas Stars and the 2003 win against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

6. The Minnesota North Stars became the Dallas Stars at the end of the 1991-92 season.

Answer: False

The Minnesota North Stars were a 1967 NHL expansion franchise, eventually moving to Dallas after the 1992-93 season. They made the playoffs 15 times in their 25 years in Minnesota, and made it to the Stanley Cup finals twice (losing to the Islanders in 1981, and the Penguins in 1991). As the Dallas Stars, they won the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 1999 against the Buffalo Sabres.

7. The Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL in 1979 and left it in 1995, becoming which U.S. based team?

Answer: Colorado Avalanche

This made the second NHL franchise in Denver, the previous one having departed in 1982. After becoming the Colorado Avalanche, the franchise achieved the ultimate success immediately, winning the Stanley Cup in their first year in their new location.

They won it again in 2001, and over the first 10 years of their time in Colorado, won eight division titles, including the President's Trophy (top regular season team) twice (1996-97 and 2000-01).

8. In 1996, the Winnipeg Jets moved to the United States when franchise owner Barry Shenkarow could not find a buyer willing to keep the team in Winnipeg. The franchise was purchased by Phoenix, Arizona businessman Jerry Colangelo.

Answer: True

Jerry Colangelo named the team the Phoenix Coyotes after a 'name the team' contest, and for the first few years of its new existence, the Coyotes experienced regular season success, finishing above .500 for six consecutive seasons. Financial difficulties came to the team eventually, and in 2009, owner Jerry Moyes declared that the team was bankrupt.

The NHL assumed ownership and began looking for a new team owner.

9. The Carolina Hurricanes came into existence in 1997 after franchise owner Peter Karmanos could not achieve an agreement on the building of a new arena, moving the team from what city?

Answer: Hartford, Connecticut

The Hartford Whalers moved from the WHA to the NHL in 1979 along with the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques. Of the four teams that joined the NHL that year, only the Edmonton Oilers still exist.

After they became an NHL franchise, the Hartford Whalers never won a Stanley Cup. Their second incarnation, the Carolina Hurricanes, did defeat the Edmonton Oilers in 2006 in seven games to take the franchise's first Stanley Cup win.

10. Fifteen years after losing the Winnipeg Jets, it was announced that the city would see the return of the NHL for the 2011-2012 season. What team was purchased by True North Sports and Entertainment?

Answer: Atlanta Thrashers

Amidst weeks of speculation, first with the Phoenix Coyotes (who originally were the Winnipeg Jets), and then with the Atlanta Thrashers, the announcement was finally made in downtown Winnipeg on the morning of May 31, 2011. The Atlanta Thrashers were an expansion team that first hit the ice in 1999. They were named for Georgia's state bird, the brown thrasher.

Source: Author reedy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

NHL Relocations Trivia Quiz

In view of the announcement of the NHL's return to Winnipeg, Manitoba, here is a quiz on some other relocations that have occurred in the NHL.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>