NHL Announces Plans for Quarter-Century Teams

The NHL announced plans for selecting and sharing Quarter-Century Teams for every franchise.

Nov 26, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; NHL puck with French logo during the warmup period before a game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The NHL is adding another way to honor and acknowledge the talent in the league with the announcement of a Quarter-Century Team for every organization. The NHL Public Relations outlined the plans for the upcoming multi-phased process in their official announcement.

"Starting at the Discover NHL Winter Classic later this month and continuing daily through January, the NHL will reveal each Club’s First and Second Quarter-Century Teams," they wrote. "Both the First Team and Second Team will consist of three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender."

They also shared exactly how those teams will be chosen and some specifications for what players are eligible. According to the league, a panel made of media, former players, and franchsie input.

"Each Club’s First and Second Quarter-Century Teams will be selected by a panel of media, retired players and executives specific to that Club," they wrote. "Players under consideration for selection are those who have appeared in a game for the respective franchises since Jan. 1, 2000."

The decision to announce this type of team is a new venture for the NHL. Century teams are a common practice across sports and all-decade teams are another, but this is the first time the league will celebrate this time period of players. After the selection process is done, one franchise's Quarter-Century Team will be presented each day beginning December 30th and running through January.

The NHL also announced that following the reveal of these teams, a fan vote will also take place to determine the NHL's Quarter-Century Team. This vote will determine the top 25 players, "regardless of position," from the last 25 years of NHL action.

The first franchise to have their Quarter-Century Team shared is the St. Louis Blues. With a Stanley Cup winning team in 2019 and a large group of Hall of Famers and elite players passing through their organization, the panel should have a difficult time putting their choices together.

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