How Many NHL Teams Are Named after Natural Disasters?

The National Hockey League (NHL) has three teams named after natural disasters — the Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche — which is more than any other North American pro sports league. The only North American pro sports league that comes close is Major League Soccer, which has the Chicago Fire and the San Jose Earthquakes.

More facts about sports team names:

• The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the only North American pro sports league that has a team named after a dinosaur: the Toronto Raptors.


• Some minor league sports teams have inventive names, including the Albequerque Isotopes from Pacific Coast League baseball; the Newport Beach Beach Ballers, from the American Basketball Association; and the Rockford Icehogs, from the United Hockey League.


• The only North American pro sports team to be named after a car part is the Detroit Pistons, an NBA team.