Hockey facts can sound believable even when one small detail is wrong. This true-or-false NHL quiz is built around that challenge: read each statement carefully, decide whether it is correct, and then check the explanation to see what the real hockey fact is.
The questions cover NHL teams and arenas, Stanley Cup history, playoff milestones, rink rules, equipment, international hockey, records, legends and famous nicknames. Instead of relying on one season, most statements are anchored to historical dates, established records or long-running parts of the sport.
Use it for a hockey trivia night, a quick challenge with friends or a solo test of your NHL knowledge. Some statements are straightforward; others change one important name, number, season or rule to catch even experienced fans.
Think before you reveal the answer. Choose True or False for every statement. Keep the explanation panels closed while you play, then use “See Answers & My Score” at the end to reveal the facts and calculate your result.
- ✔ NHL teams, franchises and arenas
- ✔ Stanley Cup and playoff history
- ✔ NHL rules, rink and equipment facts
- ✔ Hockey history and international tournaments
- ✔ All-time records and milestones
- ✔ Legends and famous nicknames
NHL Teams, Franchises & Arenas (Q1–10)
TEAMS & ARENASDecide whether statements 1 to 10 are true or false before opening the optional explanations.
1. The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights have both competed in the NHL’s Pacific Division.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The Oilers and Golden Knights have shared the Pacific Division, along with other western NHL clubs.
2. When the NHL adopted its four-division alignment in 2013-14, the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning were placed in the Western Conference.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Both clubs were placed in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division.
3. Rogers Place opened in 2016 and became the home arena of the Edmonton Oilers.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Rogers Place opened in downtown Edmonton in 2016 and replaced Northlands Coliseum as the Oilers’ home.
4. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Toronto defeated the Montreal Canadiens in the 1967 Stanley Cup Final.
5. Connor McDavid became captain of the Edmonton Oilers in 2018.
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Correct Answer: B — False — McDavid was named Edmonton captain in 2016, becoming the youngest captain in NHL history at the time.
6. Patrick Roy, rather than Martin Brodeur, holds the NHL record for most career regular-season goaltender wins.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Martin Brodeur finished with 691 regular-season wins, the NHL career record.
7. The NHL introduced 3-on-3 overtime for the regular season in 2015-16.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The League moved from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3 regular-season overtime in 2015-16 to increase the number of games decided before a shootout.
8. Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay were all placed in the Metropolitan Division during the NHL’s 2013-14 realignment.
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Correct Answer: B — False — All three clubs were placed in the Atlantic Division.
9. Madison Square Garden has been the home arena of the New York Islanders.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Madison Square Garden is the home of the New York Rangers. The Islanders have played their home games at other New York-area arenas.
10. The Boston Bruins made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 29 consecutive seasons from 1967-68 through 1995-96.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Boston’s 29-season run is the longest consecutive playoff-appearance streak in NHL history.
Stanley Cup & Playoff History (Q11–20)
CUP & PLAYOFFSDecide whether statements 11 to 20 are true or false before opening the optional explanations.
11. The first Stanley Cup recipient in 1893 was the Montreal Hockey Club representing the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The Montreal Hockey Club of the Montreal AAA was the first recipient of the trophy donated by Lord Stanley.
12. A team needs only three wins to take a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoff series.
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Correct Answer: B — False — A best-of-seven series is won by the first team to earn four victories.
13. The Montreal Canadiens won five consecutive Stanley Cups from 1956 through 1960.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Montreal’s five straight championships remain the longest consecutive Stanley Cup title run.
14. The Stanley Cup was first awarded after the NHL was founded in 1917.
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Correct Answer: B — False — The Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1893, more than two decades before the NHL was formed.
15. The Vancouver Canucks won the Stanley Cup in 1994.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Vancouver reached the 1994 Final, but the New York Rangers won the series in seven games.
16. Wayne Gretzky finished his NHL career with 122 goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Gretzky scored 122 playoff goals, the NHL career record.
17. Under the four-round best-of-seven playoff format, a Stanley Cup champion must win 16 games.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Winning four games in each of four rounds produces the 16 victories needed for the championship.
18. The New York Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 through 1983.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The Islanders captured four straight titles and won 19 consecutive playoff series during their dynasty.
19. Patrick Roy recorded more career Stanley Cup Playoff shutouts than Martin Brodeur.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Brodeur finished with 24 playoff shutouts, one more than Roy’s 23.
20. Since the NHL introduced the regular-season shootout, Stanley Cup Playoff games have also been decided by shootouts after one scoreless overtime.
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Correct Answer: B — False — The playoffs use full sudden-death overtime periods and do not use a shootout.
NHL Rules, Rink & Equipment Facts (Q21–30)
RULES & EQUIPMENTDecide whether statements 21 to 30 are true or false before opening the optional explanations.
21. An official NHL hockey puck is three inches in diameter.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The standard puck is three inches across and one inch thick.
22. A regulation NHL game is played in four 15-minute periods.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Regulation consists of three 20-minute periods.
23. Bobby Orr set the single-season record for points by a defenseman with 139 in 1974-75.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Orr’s 139-point season came in 1970-71. He had 135 points in 1974-75.
24. The standard NHL player-stick length limit is 70 inches, with no special approval needed.
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Correct Answer: B — False — The standard maximum is 63 inches from heel to the end of the shaft. Approved exemptions can allow up to 65 inches.
25. The NHL introduced the regular-season shootout in 2005-06.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The shootout was added after the 2004-05 lockout to eliminate ties in regular-season games.
26. Martin Brodeur finished his NHL career with 125 regular-season shutouts.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Brodeur’s 125 shutouts are the NHL career record.
27. An official NHL puck is one inch thick.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The standard puck measures one inch thick and three inches in diameter.
28. Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams finished his NHL career with fewer than 2,000 penalty minutes.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Williams accumulated 3,971 penalty minutes, the NHL career record.
29. A Gordie Howe hat trick means a player records a goal, an assist and a fight in the same game.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The phrase is an unofficial hockey term for that three-part combination.
30. Wayne Gretzky recorded 30 career regular-season hat tricks.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Gretzky recorded 50 career regular-season hat tricks, the NHL record.
Hockey History & International Facts (Q31–40)
HOCKEY HISTORYDecide whether statements 31 to 40 are true or false before opening the optional explanations.
31. The Western Hockey League has been one of the major junior development leagues under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The WHL has developed many players from Western Canada and the western United States on their way toward professional hockey.
32. The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Montreal.
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Correct Answer: B — False — The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario.
33. The Calgary Flames franchise played in Atlanta before relocating to Calgary in 1980.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The Atlanta Flames entered the NHL in 1972 and moved to Calgary in 1980.
34. The Frozen Four is the name of the championship stage for NCAA men’s basketball.
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Correct Answer: B — False — The Frozen Four is associated with NCAA ice hockey, including the men’s national championship semifinals and final.
35. Sweden has produced NHL stars including Peter Forsberg, Mats Sundin and Nicklas Lidstrom.
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Correct Answer: A — True — All three are celebrated Swedish players who built major NHL careers.
36. The arena nickname ‘The Shark Tank’ refers to Madison Square Garden in New York.
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Correct Answer: B — False — ‘The Shark Tank’ is a long-standing nickname for the San Jose Sharks’ home arena, SAP Center.
37. The Edmonton Oilers are one of the NHL’s Original Six franchises.
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Correct Answer: B — False — The Original Six are Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, the New York Rangers and Toronto.
38. The IIHF World Championship is primarily an under-20 tournament.
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Correct Answer: B — False — The IIHF World Championship is a senior national-team tournament. The World Junior Championship is the under-20 event.
39. The IIHF World Junior Championship is built around national teams of under-20 players.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The World Juniors showcase many of the best young international players before or early in their professional careers.
40. The Seattle Kraken played their inaugural 2021-22 home schedule at Climate Pledge Arena.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Seattle entered the NHL in 2021-22 and opened Climate Pledge Arena as its home venue.
NHL Legends, Records & Nicknames (Q41–50)
LEGENDS & RECORDSDecide whether statements 41 to 50 are true or false before opening the optional explanations.
41. Dominik Hasek was widely known by the nickname ‘The Dominator.’
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Correct Answer: A — True — Hasek’s unconventional style and elite goaltending earned him one of hockey’s most recognizable nicknames.
42. Sidney Crosby was selected first overall in the 2005 NHL Draft.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The Pittsburgh Penguins chose Crosby with the No. 1 pick in 2005.
43. Steven Stamkos was captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning during their Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.
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Correct Answer: A — True — Stamkos wore the ‘C’ during Tampa Bay’s back-to-back championship runs.
44. Connor McDavid was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2015 NHL Draft.
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Correct Answer: B — False — The Edmonton Oilers selected McDavid first overall in 2015.
45. Patrick Kane’s best-known hockey nickname is ‘The Russian Rocket.’
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Correct Answer: B — False — Patrick Kane is widely known as ‘Showtime.’ ‘The Russian Rocket’ is associated with Pavel Bure.
46. A regulation NHL goal opening is six feet wide and four feet high.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The goal frame measures six feet across and four feet from the ice to the crossbar.
47. Nicklas Lidstrom was often called ‘The Perfect Human’ during his NHL career.
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Correct Answer: A — True — The nickname reflected Lidstrom’s calm, efficient two-way play and consistency with the Detroit Red Wings.
48. Pavel Bure won his consecutive NHL goal-scoring titles in 1997-98 and 1998-99.
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Correct Answer: B — False — Bure won consecutive Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophies in 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
49. Guy Lafleur was best known by the nickname ‘The Moose.’
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Correct Answer: B — False — Lafleur was famously known as ‘The Flower.’ ‘The Moose’ is associated with other hockey figures, including Mark Messier.
50. An empty-net goal can only be scored during a penalty shot.
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Correct Answer: B — False — An empty-net goal usually happens after the opposing team pulls its goaltender for an extra skater, often late in a game.
How many false facts caught you out? Share your score with another hockey fan, then try another quiz from the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is true or false hockey trivia?▾
It is a quiz format where each statement is either correct or incorrect. This page uses NHL and ice-hockey facts covering teams, Stanley Cup history, rules, records and famous players.
Are these NHL true or false questions evergreen?▾
Most questions are anchored to historical events, records, dates or long-established facts rather than a single current season. Rule-based items can still be reviewed when the NHL changes its rulebook.
Does this hockey quiz include Stanley Cup and NHL history?▾
Yes. The quiz includes franchise history, Stanley Cup dynasties, playoff records, arenas, equipment, international hockey and player facts.
Do the answers include explanations?▾
Yes. Every statement has an optional answer panel showing whether it is true or false and explaining the fact.
Is this different from the main NHL trivia questions page?▾
Yes. The main NHL trivia page uses standard multiple-choice questions, while this page is built entirely around true-or-false statements for a different quiz experience.
This quiz is designed to stay useful beyond a single NHL season. Historical statements are anchored to specific dates, records or events. Rule-based facts should still be reviewed periodically because league rules can change.
