Central Division (NHL)


The National Hockey League's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment. Its predecessor was the Norris Division, and it's also one of two successors to the Northwest Division. The Chicago Blackhawks have been a member of the Central Division in all of its seasons since the original 1993 realignment. The Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues were also original members of the division, but were realigned to a different division for a while before returning; both the Coyotes and Stars were moved to the Pacific Division in 1998, while the Blues were moved to the West Division during the temporary 2020–21 realignment. Three of its teams—the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets —joined the NHL during a league expansion phase between 1998 and 2000. The fourth team in that three-year expansion period, the Columbus Blue Jackets, was once a member of the Central Division, but moved to the Metropolitan Division after the 2013 realignment.
After the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights to the Pacific Division in 2017, the Central Division was the only division in the NHL without eight teams. This situation remained in effect until the 2020–21 NHL season, when the COVID-19 pandemic compelled a radical re-alignment of the divisions, including the temporary abolition of the Eastern and Western conferences. The Central Division was the only existing division retained for the 2020–21 NHL season. Only three of the eight Central Division teams for 2020–21 were members of the division in the previous season.
The Central Division has sent five teams to the Stanley Cup playoffs on seven occasions. In the first three seasons after the realignment of 2013, Central Division teams occupied both Wild Card playoff spots in the Western Conference. This occurred again in the 2018–19 season, for the fourth time in six seasons. In the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 season, all Central Division teams made the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs due to the 24-team format.

Division lineups

1993–1996

Changes from the 1992–93 season

1996–1998

Changes from the 1995–96 season

1998–2000

Changes from the 1997–98 season

2000–2013

Changes from the 1999–2000 season

2013–2020

Changes from the 2012–13 season

2020–2021

Changes from the 2019–20 season

2021–2024

  • Arizona Coyotes
  • Chicago Blackhawks
  • Colorado Avalanche
  • Dallas Stars
  • Minnesota Wild
  • Nashville Predators
  • St. Louis Blues
  • Winnipeg Jets

Changes from the 2020–21 season

  • The league returned to using a four division and two conference alignment
  • The Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets move to the Metropolitan Division
  • The Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning move to the Atlantic Division
  • The Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues come from the West Division
  • The Winnipeg Jets come from the North Division
From the 2013–20 alignment to this grouping, the only change was the addition of the Arizona Coyotes, moved from the Pacific Division to make room there for the expansion Seattle Kraken.

2024–2025

  • Chicago Blackhawks
  • Colorado Avalanche
  • Dallas Stars
  • Minnesota Wild
  • Nashville Predators
  • St. Louis Blues
  • Utah Hockey Club
  • Winnipeg Jets

Changes from the 2023–24 season

  • The Arizona Coyotes cease operations
  • The Coyotes' hockey operations including draft picks, personnel and player contracts are sold to the expansion Utah Hockey Club based in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • The Utah Hockey Club are added as an expansion team

2025–present

  • Chicago Blackhawks
  • Colorado Avalanche
  • Dallas Stars
  • Minnesota Wild
  • Nashville Predators
  • St. Louis Blues
  • Utah Mammoth
  • Winnipeg Jets

Changes from the 2024–25 season

Division champions

Season results

;Notes

Stanley Cup winners produced

Presidents' Trophy winners produced

Central Division titles won by team

Teams in bold are currently in the division.
TeamWinsLast win
Detroit Red Wings132011
Dallas Stars42024
St. Louis Blues42020
Chicago Blackhawks32017
Colorado Avalanche32023
Nashville Predators22019
Carolina Hurricanes12021
Winnipeg Jets12025
Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes/Arizona Coyotes0—
Columbus Blue Jackets0—
Florida Panthers0—
Minnesota Wild0—
Tampa Bay Lightning0—
Toronto Maple Leafs0—
Utah Mammoth0—