Professional Hockey

Hockey games that feature paid professional players who are affiliated with teams that are members of the National Hockey League (NHL), the American Hockey League, the East Coast Hockey League, the West Coast Hockey League, the Central Hockey League, the United Hockey League, the International Hockey League or other professional leagues. Also included are the games of major junior leagues whose operations are similar to that of professional franchises in terms of paid attendance and team ownership even though the players may still be attending school. The NHL fields major league professional hockey teams. All of the other professional leagues field minor league teams, many of which are affiliated with specific NHL teams. The annual championship for the National Hockey League is the Stanley Cup. Included are organizations that sponsor, organize, hold, promote, sell tickets to and publicize the events; provide information about game schedules; and/or maintain information about player statistics and team standings.