The National Hockey League has seen numerous franchises fold, relocate, or merge throughout its century-long history, with several teams vanishing entirely due to financial instability, ownership struggles, or the impacts of major historical events like the Great Depression and World War II. One of the most prominent defunct franchises is the original Ottawa Senators, who played in the NHL from the league's inception in 1917 until 1934 before relocating to St. Louis to become the Eagles for a single disastrous season before folding altogether. Other classic defunct teams include the Montreal Maroons, a successful franchise that won multiple Stanley Cups in the 1920s and 1930s before succumbing to financial ruin in 1938 due to the economic pressures of the era and the overwhelming popularity of the Montreal Canadiens. Additionally, short-lived franchises such as the New York Americans—who played as the Brooklyn Americans in their final season—the Philadelphia Quakers, the St. Louis Eagles, and the Hamilton Tigers all faded into history as the league contracted down to the famous "Original Six" era, which stabilized the league for a quarter-century before expansion began anew in 1967. These defunct teams represent a fascinating era of hockey development where markets shifted dramatically, arenas were vastly different, and economic survival was an ongoing battle for independent franchise owners operating before the modern era of lucrative television contracts, national broadcast deals, and centralized revenue sharing.