The Expansion Era

The 1967 NHL Expansion

1967 marked the end of an era in the NHL—the Original Six era. The NHL went from six teams to 12 in one season, and that marked the beginning of the league's expansion era as hockey looked to spread across North America. The teams that came into the NHL as part of the 1967 expansion were the California Golden Seals, St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Minnesota North Stars. That expansion—introducing the Class of '67 as we now call them, was the first of many expansions to come. 

From the Minnesota North Stars and the California Golden Seals in '67, to the Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques in the '79 NHL-WHA merger, teams came and went as the NHL looked for more successful cities for franchises to thrive.

NHL Expansion Team Apparel and Defunct NHL Team Apparel

Our signature NHL expansion collection is our Class of '67 styles, featuring the 6 teams that marked the end of the Original Six NHL era: the Golden Seals, North Stars, Blues, Flyers, Kings, and Penguins. Our exclusive collection is officially licensed by the NHL and the perfect gift for retro hockey fans.