Ice hockey has national teams which compete internationally.
Ice hockey . In North America , the National Hockey League ( NHL ) is the highest level for men 's hockey and the most popular . The National Hockey League ( NHL ; Ligue nationale de hockey -- LNH ) is a professional ice hockey league currently comprising 30 teams -- 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada -- with a 31st team in Las Vegas scheduled to begin play in the 2017 -- 18 season .