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The Smythe Division was one of the playing divisions of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was formed in 1974, and was part of the new Clarence Campbell Conference. A conference is a group of divisions. The division was named after Conn Smythe, owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1927 to 1961. In 1993, the league divisions changed, and most of the Smythe Division became the Pacific Division. The Smythe Division won the Stanley Cup six times.
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The first teams that played in the Smythe Division were:
The Canucks were the only team moved from the old East Division. The Blackhawks, Blues, and North Stars were moved from the old West Division. The Scouts were a new team. The Scouts now play as the New Jersey Devils.[1] The North Stars now play as the Dallas Stars.[2]
The new Patrick Division was also in the Clarence Campbell Conference. The other conference was the Prince of Wales Conference. The East Division and the new Adams Division were in the Prince of Wales Conference. This was the first year for conferences in the NHL. The old West Division teams were moved into all of the new divisions.[3]
In 1976, the Scouts moved to Denver, Colorado and started playing as the Colorado Rockies.[1] In 1978, the North Stars move to the Adams Division.[2]
In 1979, the World Hockey Association (WHA) went out of business. Four teams from the WHA join the NHL. The Edmonton Oilers[4] and the Winnipeg Jets[5] join the Smythe Division.
In 1981, the NHL changed the conference and division lineups. A number of teams moved to new divisions and conferences. The Blackhawks and the Blues left the Smythe Division for the Norris Division, which was now a part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The Calgary Flames left the Patrick Division, and the Los Angeles Kings left the Norris Division. Both teams joined the Smythe Division. The Smythe Division now had the following teams:
In 1982 the Rockies moved to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey and started playing as the New Jersey Devils.[6] They also joined the Patrick Division. The Winnipeg Jets moved from the Norris Division to the Smythe Division.[7]
The division lineup stayed the same until 1991, when a new team, the San Jose Sharks was formed in San Jose, California and joined the Smythe Division.[8]
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In 1993, the NHL again changed the conferenes and divisions. The Eastern Conference contained the Northeast Division and the Atlantic Division. The Western Conference contained Central Division and the Pacific Division. The Jets were moved to the Central Division. All the other teams in the Smythe Division were moved to the Pacific Division.[9] They were joined by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a new team that played in Anaheim, California.[10]
In 1984, the Oilers were the first team in the Smythe Division to win the Stanley Cup. They also won the Stanley Cup in 1985, 1987, and 1988. In 1989, the Flames won the Stanley Cup. In 1990, the Oilers won the last Stanley Cup for the Smythe division.[3][7]
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