A month before NHL's playoff openers this weekend, Commissioner Gary Bettman was more than happy to defend the decision to ...

The Original Six are NHL's teams that made up the league from 1942 until it expanded in 1967. Learn more about the history.

The Stars-Avalanche series leads USA TODAY's power rankings of the NHL's eight Stanley Cup playoffs first-round matchups. Here are the rest: 2. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers One of these ...