Contrary to what most people expect, the NHL did not begin in the United States. However, the league finally made its way to America on the 1st of December 1924 when the Boston Bruins played against the Montreal Maroons. Both teams were part of the expansion clubs. The game took place in the Boston Arena.
The Road to the NHL
Prior to this game, no American team had ever been apart of the NHL. The first game was a sweet win for the Boston Bruins on their home soil with a 2-1 win against the Montreal Maroons. However, this victory did not last. The Bruins would go on to lose their next 11 games. The Bruins only won six games in that season, but they certainly won the hearts of their countrymen and women.
After the 1924 season, other cities’ clubs began to look for a way into the league. The Boston Bruins finally got a chance to play on the famous Boston Garden in 1928. The Boston Arena was later renamed to the now Mathews Arena.
The Bruins were only one month old when they first played in the NHL. Its creation and presentation as a team fit to play in the NHL was the work of Charles Francis Adams, who was then an investor in the grocery store business. He invested a predicted $15,000, which helped to expand the Boston Bruins.
After years of searching for a fitting league to invest in, Adams was invited to the last 1924 NHL finals between the Montreal Canadians and Calgary. The game was so enticing that Adams agreed to finance the $15,000 in the NHL and later brought in the Boston Bruins.
Adams was also the man who introduced Art Ross to the league as a scout, coach, and general manager. Since then, the NHL grew substantially in America, making the country one of the highest contributors to the NHL’s success today.