Metropolitan Division
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 2013 |
Area served | United States (New York metropolitan area, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, D.C.) |
| Products | Ice hockey competition |
The Metropolitan Division of the National Hockey League was created in 2013 as part of a league-wide realignment, becoming one of the two divisions within the Eastern Conference. It replaced the former Atlantic Division and partially took over teams from the Southeast Division. Six of its teams have roots in the earlier Patrick Division (1981–1993). Notably, this division stands out as the sole NHL division without any Canadian franchises. Its membership includes five teams located in either the New York metropolitan area or Pennsylvania, with the remaining three based in North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington, D.C..
This division hosts some of the NHL’s most intense and historic rivalries, such as those between the Flyers–Penguins rivalry, Devils–Rangers rivalry, and Capitals–Penguins rivalry. Its teams represent key U.S. markets: three clubs (Rangers, Islanders, Devils) are based in New York, one team plays in Philadelphia (Flyers), and another is located in Washington, D.C. (Capitals). Games within this division often receive national broadcast exposure, significantly boosting their commercial appeal and media presence.
2013–2020
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- New York Rangers
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Washington Capitals
Adjustments from the 2012–13 season
- Formation of Metropolitan Division following NHL restructuring; dissolution of Northeast and Southeast Divisions
- New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins transferred from original Atlantic Division
- Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals relocated from Southeast Division
- Columbus Blue Jackets moved from Central Division
2020–2021
- Metropolitan Division was inactive for the 2020–21 NHL season
Modifications from the 2019–20 season
- NHL reorganized into four divisions without conferences due to COVID-19 protocols
- Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets reassigned to Central Division
- New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals placed in East Division
2021–present
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- New York Rangers
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Washington Capitals
Changes compared to 2020–21 season
- NHL returned to a four-division format with two conferences
- Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets moved back from Central Division
- New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals shifted from East Division
Division champions
- 2014 – Pittsburgh Penguins (51–24–7, 109 points)
- 2015 – New York Rangers (53–22–7, 113 points)
- 2016 – Washington Capitals (56–18–8, 120 points)
- 2017 – Washington Capitals (55–19–8, 118 points)
- 2018 – Washington Capitals (49–26–7, 105 points)
- 2019 – Washington Capitals (48–26–8, 104 points)
- 2020 – Washington Capitals (41–20–8, 90 points)
- 2021 – Season not held for division
- 2022 – Carolina Hurricanes (54–20–8, 116 points)
- 2023 – Carolina Hurricanes (52–21–9, 113 points)
- 2024 – New York Rangers (55–23–4, 114 points)
- 2025 – Washington Capitals (51–22–9, 111 points)
Season outcomes
| (#) | Indicates Stanley Cup champion |
| (#) | Indicates Prince of Wales Trophy recipient who was defeated in Stanley Cup Finals |
| (#) | Marks teams qualifying for Stanley Cup playoffs |
| ‡ | Identifies Presidents' Trophy winner |
| Season | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:NHL Year | (1) Pittsburgh (109) | (2) NY Rangers (96) | (3) Philadelphia (94) | (WC1) Columbus (93) | Washington (90) | New Jersey (88) | Carolina (83) | NY Islanders (79) |
| Template:NHL Year | (1) NY Rangers (113)‡ | (2) Washington (101) | (3) NY Islanders (101) | (WC2) Pittsburgh (98) | Columbus (89) | Philadelphia (84) | New Jersey (78) | Carolina (71) |
| Template:NHL Year | (1) Washington (120)‡ | (2) Pittsburgh (104) | (3) NY Rangers (101) | (WC1) NY Islanders (100) | (WC2) Philadelphia (96) | Carolina (86) | New Jersey (84) | Columbus (76) |
| Template:NHL Year | (1) Washington (118)‡ | (2) Pittsburgh (111) | (3) Columbus (108) | (WC1) NY Rangers (102) | NY Islanders (94) | Philadelphia (88) | Carolina (87) | New Jersey (70) |
| Template:NHL Year | (1) Washington (105) | (2) Pittsburgh (100) | (3) Philadelphia (98) | (WC1) Columbus (97) | (WC2) </ sup > New Jersey < small > (97) </ small > | Carolina < small > (83) </ small > | NY Islanders < small > (80) </ small > | NY Rangers < small > (77) </ small > |
| Template:NHL Year | (1) </ sup > Washington < small > (104) </ small > | <(2)> NY Islanders <(103)> | Pittsburgh<(100)>|(WC1)|Carolina<(99)>|(WC2)|Columbus<(98)>|(6)|Philadelphia<(82)>|(7)|NY Rangers<(78)>|(8)|New Jersey<(72)> | |||||
| Template:NHL Year | (3) </ sup > Washington < small >(69 gp 90 pts. .652 ppct.)</ small >< br/> |
<(4)> Philadelphia < small >(69 gp 89 pts. .645 ppct.)</ small >< br/> |
Pittsburgh < small >(69 gp 86 pts. .623 ppct.)</ small >< br/> |
Carolina < small >(68 gp 81 pts. .596 ppct.)</ small >< br/> |
NY Islanders < small >(68 gp 80 pts. .588 ppct.)</ small >< br/> |
Columbus < small >(70 gp 81 pts. .579 ppct.)</ small >< br/> |
NY Rangers < small >(70 gp 79 pts. .564 ppct.)</ small >< br/> |
New Jersey < small >(69 gp 68 pts. .493 ppct.)</ small > |
| Template:NHL Year | Season paused; temporary realignment implemented | |||||||
| Template:NHL Year | (1) </ sup > Carolina <(116)> | <(2)> NY Rangers <(110)> | <(3)> Pittsburgh <(103)> | Washington <(100)> | NY Islanders <(84)> | Columbus <(81)> | New Jersey <(63)> | Philadelphia <(61)> |
| Template:NHL Year | <(1)> Carolina <(113)> | <(2)> New Jersey <(112)> | <(3)> NY Rangers <(107)> | NY Islanders <(93)> | Pittsburgh <(91)> | Washington <(80)> | Philadelphia <(75)> | Columbus <(59)> |
| Template:NHL Year | <(1)> NY Rangers (114)<smaller><superior>†</superior></smaller>|bgcolor= "# bbffbb " |<(2)> Carolina (111)|(3)|NY Islanders (94)|(WC2)|Washington (91)|(5)|Pittsburgh (88)|(6)|Philadelphia (87)|(7)|New Jersey (81)|(8)|Columbus (66) | |||||||
| Template:NHL Year | <(1)> Washington (111)|(2)|Carolina (99)|(3)|New Jersey (91)|(4)|Columbus (89)|(5)|NY Rangers (85)|(6)|NY Islanders (82)|(7)|Pittsburgh (80)|(8)|Philadelphia (76) | |||||||
- Remarks
- The 2019–20 NHL campaign was abbreviated due to the COVID-19 outbreak; rankings were determined by points percentage because of unequal game counts played.
Stanley Cup Champions Developed
- 2016 – Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2017 – Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2018 – Washington Capitals
Presidents' Trophy Recipients Developed
- 2015 – New York Rangers
- 2016 – Washington Capitals
- 2017 – Washington Capitals
- 2024 – New York Rangers
Metropolitan Division Titles by Franchise
Teams shown in bold are active members of the division.
| Franchise | Titles Won | Most Recent Title |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Capitals | 6 | 2025 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2 | 2023 |
| New York Rangers | 2 | 2024 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1 | 2014 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 0 | — |
| New Jersey Devils | 0 | — |
| New York Islanders | 0 | — |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 0 | — |