By: HISTORY.com Editors

1917

National Hockey League opens its first season

Getty Images

Published: August 30, 2010Last Updated: May 27, 2025

On December 19, 1917, Montreal teams win the first two NHL games played. In a 7-4 win over the Ottawa Senators, the Canadiens' Joe Malone scores five goals. In his team's 10-9 win over the Toronto Arenas, the Montreal Wanderers' Harry Hyland also scores five goals.

For nearly a century, it was unknown which of the two games started first. The Senators-Canadiens game was long known to have started at 8:30 p.m.. But nobody knew when the Wanderers-Arenas game began until 2017, when an old newspaper ad was discovered that showed a start time of 8:15 p.m.

A prior hockey league, the National Hockey Association, had been running since 1909. But disagreements among the league's owners were so strong that, in 1917, the league's operations were suspended, and the NHL was formed. All four NHL teams were in Canada.

The first NHL president was Frank Calder, whose league played its first two games only 23 days after its formation.

When the Senators took the ice, they were without defenseman Hamby Shore and winger Jack Darragh, both for financial reasons. Shore wanted back pay, and Darragh was upset because the new league's season was 24 games and his contract called for 20.

The Wanderers later disbanded after their rink caught on fire.

Ottawa won four Stanley Cups between 1920 and 1927, but the team moved to St. Louis in 1934. Montreal and Toronto have combined to produce 37 Cup winners.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on December 19th

1732

Benjamin Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanack” is published

On December 19, 1732, Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia first published Poor Richard’s Almanack. The book, filled with proverbs preaching industry and prudence, was published continuously for 25 years and became one of the most popular publications in colonial America, selling an average of 10,000 copies a year. Franklin was born in Boston in 1706 and […]

1:04m read

1776

Thomas Paine publishes “The American Crisis”

On December 19, 1776, Thomas Paine publishes the essay “The American Crisis,” a shot in the arm to Patriots during a particularly difficult stretch of the American Revolution. In it, he wrote: “These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service […]

1777

George Washington leads troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge

On December 19, 1777, commander of the Continental Army George Washington, the future first president of the United States, leads his beleaguered troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Things could hardly have looked bleaker for Washington and the Continental Army as 1777 came to a close. The British had successfully occupied Philadelphia, leading […]

1843

“A Christmas Carol” is published

On December 19, 1843, Charles Dickens’ classic story “A Christmas Carol” is published. Dickens was born in 1812 and attended school in Portsmouth. His father, a clerk in the navy pay office, was thrown into debtors’ prison in 1824, and 12-year-old Charles was sent to work in a factory. The miserable treatment of children and […]

1941

Hitler takes command of the German army

In a major shake-up of the military high command, Adolf Hitler assumes the position of commander in chief of the German army. The German offensive against Moscow was proving to be a disaster. A perimeter had been established by the Soviets 200 miles from the city—and the Germans couldn’t break through. The harsh winter weather—with […]

1:28m read

1972

Last lunar-landing mission ends

The Apollo lunar-landing program ends on December 19, 1972, when the last three astronauts to travel to the moon splash down safely in the Pacific Ocean. Apollo 17 had lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, 10 days before. In July 1969, after three years of preparation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) accomplished President […]

1:10m read

1984

Britain agrees to return Hong Kong to China

In the Hall of the People in Beijing, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang sign an agreement committing Britain to return Hong Kong to China in 1997 in return for terms guaranteeing a 50-year extension of its capitalist system. Hong Kong–a small peninsula and group of islands jutting out from China’s […]

2:34m read

1986

Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov released from internal exile

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev releases Andrei Sakharov and his wife, Elena Bonner, from their internal exile in Gorky, a major city on the Volga River that was then closed to foreigners. The move was hailed as evidence of Gorbachev’s commitment to lessening political repression inside the Soviet Union. Sakharov, the Soviet physicist who helped build […]

1:12m read

1986

World Series parachutist sentenced

Michael Sergio, who parachuted into Game Six of the 1986 World Series at New York’s Shea Stadium, is fined $500 and sentenced to 100 hours of community service. On October 25, Sergio, a 37-year-old actor and Mets fan, landed on the infield with a “Let’s Go Mets” banner in the first inning of the sixth […]

1:28m read

1990

Bo Jackson becomes first athlete named to NFL, MLB all-star games

On December 19, 1990, Los Angeles Raiders running back Bo Jackson is named to the AFC Pro Bowl team as a reserve, becoming the first athlete chosen for all-star games in Major League Baseball and the NFL. In the late 1980s, Bo Jackson—who won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn in 1985—captivated fans with his athleticism. […]

1:28m read

1997

“Titanic” sails into theaters

Director James Cameron’s epic drama Titanic, the story of the real-life luxury ocean liner that struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage in 1912, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 passengers and crew, opens in theaters. Titanic catapulted its young stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet to international fame and won […]

3:20m read

1998

President Clinton impeached

President Bill Clinton became the second president in history to be impeached. He was charged with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. He was later acquitted in the Senate trial.

3:40m read

Sports

31 videos

Sports

Who Invented Basketball?

A Canadian is to thank for one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Sports

What Was the 1919 ‘Black Sox’ Baseball Scandal?

In 1919, Chicago White Sox players allegedly threw the World Series. It remains one of professional baseball’s most notorious scandals.

Sports

When the College Football Stars Played NFL Champs

During the mid-20th century, standout college players and Super Bowl champions faced off in a charity game series.

About the author

HISTORY.com Editors

HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Christian Zapata, Cristiana Lombardo and Adrienne Donica.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

Citation Information

Article Title: National Hockey League opens its first season
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-19/national-hockey-league-nhl-opens-its-first-season

Date Accessed: October 21, 2026
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: May 27, 2025
Original Published Date: August 30, 2010

National Hockey League opens its first season

Related

Sports

Who Invented Basketball?

What Was the 1919 ‘Black Sox’ Baseball Scandal?

When the College Football Stars Played NFL Champs

About the author

Fact Check

Citation Information