Who won the first Stanley Cup?
List of Stanley Cup champions
Since 1927, the league's playoff format, deciding which teams advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, has changed multiple times. In some systems that were previously used, playoff teams were seeded regardless of division or conference. From 1942 to 1967, the Cup was competed for by the league's six teams, also known as the Original Six. After the 1967 NHL Expansion, the Stanley Cup was competed for by the winners of each conference. Since 1982, the Finals have been played between the league's conference playoff champions.