Parity.

As it had through much of the previous decade, the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1970s suffered from shrinking attendance, yet the league continued its aggressive program of expansion begun in the late 1960s, when the NHL doubled in size from six teams to twelve. By 1975 the league had grown to eighteen teams, and NHL owners and officials were predicting even further expansion. As the game moved from the snowbelt to exotic places such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Kansas City, many sportswriters and longtime hockey fans feared that the quality of play would diminish. With each team added the talent became more thinly spread across the league. The magic word among NHL officials, however, was parity—a word soon echoed in other professional sports circles. The NHL looked forward to the day when each of its teams was a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, and, hence, when each of its teams was a viable moneymaker.