Western Conference
The 15 teams in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League are split into three divisions; Northwest, Central, and Pacific. The Conference is spread out geographically, spanning four time zones and ranging from Ohio to Texas, and California to British Columbia.
The Detroit Red Wings, one of the ‘Original Six’ hockey teams, are the most successful team in the Western Conference, having won 10 Stanley Cups, while the Edmonton Oilers are second with five Cup wins. Four of those Oiler Cups were won with Wayne Gretzky as the captain during a time when he rewrote the National Hockey League record book and most of its individual scoring records. The Edmonton Oilers team of the mid 1980’s is still regarded as one of the best collection of hockey players ever assembled.
At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams in the Western Conference enter the playoffs and play several rounds of best-of-seven series until a Western Champion is determined. That champion then plays the Eastern Conference Champion for the Stanley Cup, one of the most prized trophies in professional sports.
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