Pacific Division (NHL)

Not to be confused with Pacific Division (NBA).
Pacific Division
FormerlySmythe Division
ConferenceWestern Conference
LeagueNational Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Founded1993
Suspended in 2020–21
2021 (reactivated)
No. of teams8
Most recent
champion(s)		Vancouver Canucks (1st title)
Most titlesAnaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks (6 titles each)

The National Hockey League's Pacific Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment. It is also one of the two successors of the Smythe Division (the other one was the Northwest Division), though of the current teams, only the Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights did not play in the Smythe Division. Due to subsequent realignments, three of the Pacific Division's original teams (the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks) left the division in 1998 but returned in 2013. The division is the only one in the NHL without any Original Six teams. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting closure of the Canada–United States border, all eight teams were transferred into two different divisions for the 2020–21 NHL season. The American-based teams were moved to the West Division, while the Canadian-based teams were placed into the North Division.

With the addition of the expansion Seattle Kraken to the division in the 2021–22 NHL season and the NHL becoming a 32 team league, the Coyotes were moved to the Central Division to balance out the divisional alignment of eight teams per division.[1]

Division lineups

1993–1995

1993–95 Teams

Changes from the 1992–93 season

  • The Pacific Division is formed as a result of NHL realignment
  • The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks come from the Smythe Division
  • The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are added as an expansion team

1995–1998

1995–98 Pacific Division Teams
  • Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
  • Calgary Flames
  • Colorado Avalanche
  • Edmonton Oilers
  • Los Angeles Kings
  • San Jose Sharks
  • Vancouver Canucks

Changes from the 1994–95 season

1998–2006

1998–2006 Pacific Division Teams

Changes from the 1997–98 season

  • The Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks move to the Northwest Division
  • The Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes come from the Central Division

2006–2013

2006–13 Pacific Division Teams
  • Anaheim Ducks
  • Dallas Stars
  • Los Angeles Kings
  • Phoenix Coyotes
  • San Jose Sharks

Changes from the 2005–06 season

  • The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim changed their name to the Anaheim Ducks

2013–2014

2013–14 Pacific Division Teams
  • Anaheim Ducks
  • Calgary Flames
  • Edmonton Oilers
  • Los Angeles Kings
  • Phoenix Coyotes
  • San Jose Sharks
  • Vancouver Canucks

Changes from the 2012–13 season

  • The Northwest Division is dissolved due to NHL realignment
  • The Dallas Stars move to the Central Division
  • The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks come from the Northwest Division

2014–2017

2014–17 Pacific Division Teams
  • Anaheim Ducks
  • Arizona Coyotes
  • Calgary Flames
  • Edmonton Oilers
  • Los Angeles Kings
  • San Jose Sharks
  • Vancouver Canucks

Changes from the 2013–14 season

  • The Phoenix Coyotes changed their name to the Arizona Coyotes

2017–2020

2017–20 Pacific Division Teams
  • Anaheim Ducks
  • Arizona Coyotes
  • Calgary Flames
  • Edmonton Oilers
  • Los Angeles Kings
  • San Jose Sharks
  • Vancouver Canucks
  • Vegas Golden Knights

Changes from the 2016–17 season

  • The Vegas Golden Knights are added as an expansion team

2020–2021

  • Division not used for the 2020–21 NHL season

Changes from the 2019–20 season

  • Due to COVID-19 restrictions the NHL realigned into four divisions with no conferences for the 2020–21 season
  • The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights move to the West Division
  • The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks move to the North Division

2021–present

2021–present Pacific Division Teams
  • Anaheim Ducks
  • Calgary Flames
  • Edmonton Oilers
  • Los Angeles Kings
  • San Jose Sharks
  • Seattle Kraken
  • Vancouver Canucks
  • Vegas Golden Knights

Changes from the 2020–21 season

  • The league returned to using a four division and two conference alignment
  • The Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights come from the West Division
  • The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks come from the North Division
  • The Seattle Kraken are added as an expansion team

Division champions

Season results

(#) Denotes team that won the Stanley Cup
(#) Denotes team that won the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, but lost Stanley Cup Finals
(#) Denotes team that qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs
‡ Denotes winner of the Presidents' Trophy
Season 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
1993–94 (2) Calgary (97) (7) Vancouver (85) (8) San Jose (82) Anaheim (71) Los Angeles (66) Edmonton (64)
1994–95[a] (2) Calgary (55) (6) Vancouver (48) (7) San Jose (42) Los Angeles (41) Edmonton (38) Anaheim (37)
1995–96 (2) Colorado (104) (6) Calgary (79) (7) Vancouver (79) Anaheim (78) Edmonton (68) Los Angeles (66) San Jose (47)
1996–97 (1) Colorado (107)‡ (4) Anaheim (85) (7) Edmonton (81) Vancouver (77) Calgary (73) Los Angeles (67) San Jose (62)
1997–98 (2) Colorado (95) (5) Los Angeles (87) (7) Edmonton (80) (8) San Jose (78) Calgary (67) Anaheim (65) Vancouver (64)
1998–99 (1) Dallas (114)‡ (4) Phoenix (90) (6) Anaheim (83) (7) San Jose (80) Los Angeles (69)
1999–2000 (2) Dallas (102) (5) Los Angeles (94) (6) Phoenix (90) (8) San Jose (87) Anaheim (83)
2000–01 (3) Dallas (106) (5) San Jose (95) (7) Los Angeles (92) Phoenix (90) Anaheim (66)
2001–02 (3) San Jose (99) (6) Phoenix (95) (7) Los Angeles (95) Dallas (90) Anaheim (69)
2002–03 (1) Dallas (111) (7) Anaheim (95) Los Angeles (78) Phoenix (78) San Jose (73)
2003–04 (2) San Jose (104) (5) Dallas (97) Los Angeles (81) Anaheim (76) Phoenix (68)
2004–05 No season due to 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–06 (2) Dallas (112) (5) San Jose (99) (6) Anaheim (98) Los Angeles (89) Phoenix (81)
2006–07 (2) Anaheim (110) (5) San Jose (107) (6) Dallas (107) Los Angeles (68) Phoenix (67)
2007–08 (2) San Jose (108) (4) Anaheim (102) (5) Dallas (97) Phoenix (83) Los Angeles (71)
2008–09 (1) San Jose (117)‡ (8) Anaheim (91) Dallas (83) Phoenix (79) Los Angeles (79)
2009–10 (1) San Jose (113) (4) Phoenix (107) (6) Los Angeles (101) Anaheim (89) Dallas (88)
2010–11 (2) San Jose (105) (4) Anaheim (99) (6) Phoenix (99) (7) Los Angeles (98) Dallas (95)
2011–12 (3) Phoenix (97) (7) San Jose (96) (8) Los Angeles (95) Dallas (89) Anaheim (80)
2012–13[b] (2) Anaheim (66) (5) Los Angeles (59) (6) San Jose (57) Phoenix (51) Dallas (48)
2013–14 (1) Anaheim (116) (2) San Jose (111) (3) Los Angeles (100) Phoenix (89) Vancouver (83) Calgary (77) Edmonton (67)
2014–15 (1) Anaheim (109) (2) Vancouver (101) (3) Calgary (97) Los Angeles (95) San Jose (89) Edmonton (62) Arizona (56)
2015–16 (1) Anaheim (103) (2) Los Angeles (102) (3) San Jose (98) Arizona (78) Calgary (77) Vancouver (75) Edmonton (70)
2016–17 (1) Anaheim (105) (2) Edmonton (103) (3) San Jose (99) (WC1) Calgary (94) Los Angeles (86) Arizona (70) Vancouver (69)
2017–18 (1) Vegas (109) (2) Anaheim (101) (3) San Jose (100) (WC1) Los Angeles (98) Calgary (84) Edmonton (78) Vancouver (73) Arizona (70)
2018–19 (1) Calgary (107) (2) San Jose (101) (3) Vegas (93) Arizona (86) Vancouver (81) Anaheim (80) Edmonton (79) Los Angeles (71)
2019–20[c] (3) Vegas
(71 gp
86 pts.
.606 ppct.)
 (5) Edmonton
(71 gp
83 pts.
.585 ppct.)
 (7) Vancouver
(69 gp
78 pts.
.565 ppct.)
 (8) Calgary
(70 gp
79 pts.
.564 ppct.)
 (11) Arizona
(70 gp
74 pts.
.529 ppct.)
 Anaheim
(71 gp
67 pts.
.472 ppct.)
 Los Angeles
(70 gp
64 pts.
.457 ppct.)
 San Jose
(70 gp
63 pts.
.450 ppct.)
2020–21 Division suspended for season; temporary realignment
2021–22 (1) Calgary (111) (2) Edmonton (104) (3) Los Angeles (99) Vegas (94) Vancouver (92) San Jose (77) Anaheim (76) Seattle (60)
2022–23 (1) Vegas (111) (2) Edmonton (109) (3) Los Angeles (104) (WC1) Seattle (100) Calgary (93) Vancouver (83) San Jose (60) Anaheim (58)
2023–24 (1) Vancouver (109) (2) Edmonton (104) (3) Los Angeles (99) (WC2) Vegas (98) Calgary (81) Seattle (81) Anaheim (59) San Jose (47)
Notes
  • a The 1994–95 NHL season was shortened to 48 games due to the lockout.
  • b The 2012–13 NHL season was shortened to 48 games due to the lockout.
  • c The 2019–20 NHL season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the imbalance in the number of games played among teams, the regular season standings were determined by points percentage.

Stanley Cup winners produced

Presidents' Trophy winners produced

Pacific Division titles won by team

Teams in bold are currently in the division.

Team Wins Last win
Anaheim Ducks 6 2017
San Jose Sharks 6 2011
Dallas Stars 5 2006
Calgary Flames 4 2022
Colorado Avalanche 3 1998
Vegas Golden Knights 3 2023
Arizona Coyotes 1 2012
Vancouver Canucks 1 2024
Edmonton Oilers 0 —
Los Angeles Kings 0 —
Seattle Kraken 0 —

References

  1. ^ Kaplan, Emily (December 4, 2018). "Seattle gets NHL expansion team, to debut in 2021-22 season". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 12, 2018.