Perhaps the most important event of the decade happened at the end of the 1941-42 season, when the Brooklyn Americans (formerly the New York Americans) folded. That left the NHL with six teams -- and that's how it would stay for the next quarter century. It marked the beginning of what many believe was the greatest era in league history.

Another significant event of the 1940's took place in 1947 -- the first annual NHL All-Star Game. In the beginning, it would take place just prior to the start of the regular season, and it would pit the defending Stanley Cup Champion against a team of stars from the other teams. In 1951 and 1952, the league experimented with having two all-star teams playing against one another before permanently adopting that concept in 1969.

To view the uniforms from a particular season, select a season at the top from the pull-down menu. Beginning with this decade, you can click on a uniform to zoom in on it.