Starting Off Skatingly
With the addition of the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets next season, the NHL will number 30 teams. The Mighty Ducks joined in the league’s seventh expansion in 1993-94, along with the Florida Panthers. The Kings were part of the first expansion in 1967-68, along with the California Seals (who, in a very roundabout way, are now the Dallas Stars), Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues.
The NHL expansion teams with the best first-year records:
1. Florida (1993-94) 33-34-17 (83 points)
2T. Hartford (1979-80) 27-34-19 (73)
2T. Philadelphia (1967-68) 31-32-113 (73)
4. Kings (1967-68) 31-33-10 (72)
5. Mighty Ducks (1993-94) 33-46-5 (71)
Reported by BOB ROHWER/Los Angeles Times
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