The National Hockey League commonly referred to as the NHL is the official professional ice hockey of North America. It comprises of teams from Canada mostly and the USA. The NHL hosts the best of the world’s hockey talent. Even though NZ hockey is not as huge as the NHL, Kiwis enjoy watching and betting on the league. the fast pace high adrenaline nature of the sport spills over into the betting arenas. Betting on NHL is as exciting as watching the game, there are a wide selection of bets Kiwis can wager.
The selection of bets is not the only entertaining thing about the NHL. There are 63 teams in four unique divisions which all compete for the NHL grand finale, the Stanley Cup. Besides the grand NHL cup, there are division level championships which all bettors including Kiwis can wager on. We have a brief look at what makes up the NHL, betting tips and odds. Additionally, we have compiled a list of the best NHL betting sites in New Zealand.
Best Rated NHL Online Betting Sites
 | NZ$50 Bonus | 180+ Sports | 98% Payout | LeoVegas |
 | NZ$200 Bonus | 1000+ Sports | 96% Payout | Spin Sports Review |
 | NZD$100 Bonus | 1000+ Sports | 97% Payout | 22 Bet |
 | NZD$50 Bonus | 1000+ Sports | 97% Payout | 10 Bet |
 | NZD$100 Bonus | 1000+ Sports | 96.8% Payout | 1XBet |
 | NZ$50 Bonus | 170+ Sports | 98% Payout | Intertops Sportsbook |
 | NZ$50 Bonus | 500+ Sports | 98% Payout | William Hill |
 | NZD$100 Bonus | 1000+ Sports | 97% Payout | Karamba |
 | NZD$100 Bonus | 700+ Sports | 97% Payout | Royal Panda |
Different Types of NHL Betting
The NHL is a highly competitive league and this is reflected as well in the intense loyalty displayed by fans of the teams. They religiously follow the league to learn how different teams perform in a variety of settings. This enables them to make smart ice hockey bets. Besides know how teams and players perform in the league, punters need to understand the most popular bets in NHL. Below is a list of the most common NHL bets:
- Moneyline
- Totals (Over/under
- Puck line
- Underdog
- Parlay
- Prop bets
All these hockey bets are explained in depth in the general hockey section.
Top NHL Betting TipsF
- Follow conference and division stats.
- Trends which teams have won div / conference then went on to win NHL
- Playoffs bets
National Hockey League Conferences & Divisions
There are two conferences – the Eastern and western conference with two divisions under each conference. The four divisions in the NHL- Atlantic; Central; Metropolitan and Pacific. Each having 8 teams in each division. Central and pacific divisions fall under the Western conference while the Atlantic and Metropolitan fall under the Eastern Conference. There are divisional championships which can give bettors a good idea who will likely perform well in NHL playoffs for the Stanley Cup.
Atlantic Division Teams
The Atlantic division of the NHL was founded in 1993. This division has held the NHL Championship Cup five teams and the teams that brought it home are the NY Rangers; New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins.
- Boston Bruins
- Buffalo Sabres
- Detroit Red Wings
- Florida Panthers
- Montreal Canadiens
- Ottawa Senators
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Toronto Maple Leafs
Central Division Teams
The central division is the only division in the NHL with 7 teams only. Since its inception in 1993 it has won the Stanley Cup a total of seven times split between two teams- Detroit Red Wings who have since moved to the Atlantic Division and Chicago Blackhawks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Colorado Avalanche
- Dallas Stars
- Minnesota Wild
- Nashville Predators
- Louis Blues
- Winnipeg Jets
Metropolitan Division Teams
This division was founded in 2013. The Metropolitan division has produced two NHL Stanley Cup Winners and won a total of three times.
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- New York Rangers
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Washington Capitals
Pacific Division Teams
The Pacific Division was established in 1993 and since then has won the prestigious Stanley Cup five times. LA Kings brought the trophy home twice, while the other three times were split between Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.
- Anaheim Ducks
- Arizona Coyotes
- Calgary Flames
- Edmonton Oilers
- Los Angeles Kings
- San Jose Sharks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Vegas Golden Knights