The NHL is the top professional ice hockey league in North America — the United States and Canada. The letters stand for National Hockey League. Though actually, “national” is a little tidy: the league covers two countries, and many of the best players come from elsewhere in the world.

The NHLNHL is the top professional ice hockey league是北美最頂級的職業冰球聯盟，in North America在北美——the United States and Canada美國和加拿大。The letters這幾個字母 stand for National Hockey League代表 National Hockey League。Though actually不過其實，'national'「national」（國家的） is a little tidy說得有點簡化：the league這個聯盟 covers two countries涵蓋兩個國家，and而且 many of the best players很多最頂尖的球員 come from elsewhere in the world來自世界其他地方。

Teams are split into two groups, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. After the regular season, the strongest sides play a long knockout competition; the winners lift the Stanley Cup, a famous silver trophy.

Teams球隊 are split into two groups被分成兩組，the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference東區和西區聯盟。After the regular season例行賽結束後，the strongest sides最強的幾隊 play a long knockout competition會打一輪很長的淘汰賽；the winners冠軍 lift the Stanley Cup捧起史丹利盃，a famous silver trophy一座有名的銀色獎盃。

In the US and Canada, “hockey” almost always means ice hockey, not field hockey. People talk about the NHL the way they talk about the NBA for basketball: the league on television, with the biggest stars and the biggest money. It is a proper name, so we say the NHL.

In the US and Canada在美國和加拿大，'hockey'「hockey」 almost always means幾乎都是指 ice hockey冰球，not field hockey不是曲棍球。People人們 talk about the NHL談論 NHL 的方式，the way they talk about the NBA for basketball就像談論籃球的 NBA 一樣：the league這個聯盟 on television在電視上，with the biggest stars and the biggest money有最大牌的球星和最多的錢。It它 is a proper name是專有名詞，so所以 we say we 會說 the NHLthe NHL。