Acronym for the National Hockey League, the premier professional ice hockey league in North America. Founded in 1917 and currently consisting of 32 teams.
Formed as an acronym in 1917 when the league was established in Montreal, Canada. Originally had four teams and has expanded significantly, with the name reflecting its scope across North America.
The NHL is fascinating linguistically because it's one of the few major sports acronyms that's almost always spelled out rather than pronounced as a word (unlike NASCAR or FIFA). The league's bilingual nature in Canada means it operates in both English and French contexts.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.