The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most spectacular teams in the NHL and the sport of hockey in general. The Maple Leafs were one of the “Original Six” teams that made up the NHL during the Great Depression and have been a strong part of the league ever since being formed in 1917.

With iconic blue and white jerseys, the Maple Leafs are based out of the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, and have had many experienced and amazing players among the ranks.

Some of these players have even been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, including George Armstrong in 1975, Bernie Parent in 1984, Lanny McDonald in 1992, and recently, Dave Andreychuk in 2017.

Another one of the “Original Six” teams within the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings actually hold the most Stanley Cup playoff championships out of any United States-based team. And since the Red Wings were founded in 1926, they have won the third most Stanley Cup playoffs in the entire NHL league.

The Red Wings are one of the most beloved American hockey teams, with a wide fan base, plenty of revenue, and even political affiliations— after their Stanley Cup win in 2002, the Red Wings were even invited to the White House to meet then-President George Bush.

Based out of the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, their red and white jerseys are iconic among hockey outfits. Some of the most famous players from the Red Wings’ history of hockey include trophy-holding goalie Terry Sawchuck, goal-scoring legend Gordie Howe, and three-time Stanley Cup champion Sergei Fedorov.

As the hockey team that has operated for the longest continuous period in the entire world, the Montreal Canadiens were founded in 1909. They were also one of the core teams when the NHL was created, and indeed, the Canadiens are the only one to predate the founding of the league itself.

The Canadiens hold the record for most Stanley Cup championship wins throughout the entire NHL, both in Canada and the United States. With a whopping 24 championship wins, this team is undoubtedly one of the greatest hockey organizations to have ever existed.

And as a testament to the Montreal Canadiens’ prowess in the world of hockey, some of the best players to don the red, white, and blue jersey include save-percentage master Patrick Roy, slapshot champion Yvan Cournoyer, and incredible defenceman Guy Lapointe.

Founded in 1966, the Chicago Bulls are a formidable force in the world of basketball, including a reputation for winning NBA Finals. In fact, the Bulls have never lost an NBA Finals series and hosted basketball powerhouse Michael Jordan in his career, making the Bulls incredibly popular during the 1990s.

Playing in their Chicago-based United Center arena and dressed in red and black, the Bulls have many famous players, like Michael Jordan, who set many of the franchise’s best records such as steals and scoring. Other notable players include shooting champion Mickey Johnson, rebounder Tom Boerwinkle, and all-star Bob Boozer.

Since being formed in 1947, the Los Angeles Lakers have continued to be one of the best teams in the NBA. This team has a longstanding rivalry with the Boston Celtics based primarily around losing six NBA Finals to the Celtics, but this contention has thrilled fans and boosted ticket sales since the 1960s when it began.

The Lakers have also drafted many NBA MVP (Most Valuable Player) award winners, including Wilt Chamberlain in 1972, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975, and Shaquille O’Neal in 1996.

The Boston Celtics are one of the original teams from the time of the NBA’s founding, originally created in 1946. The Celtics were also the first team within the NBA to draft a person of color to their ranks when Chuck Cooper signed in 1950.

The Celtics have also famously had a contentious relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers, as previously mentioned, with the Celtics’ Larry Bird and the Lakers’ Magic Johnson as rivals.

Throughout their history, many of the most talented basketball players belonged to the Celtics, including Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, and Dave Cowens, each of whom also won multiple NBA MVP awards while playing. In fact, the total of MVP awards held by Celtics players is the record amount!

The San Francisco 49ers are a superstar team in the world of football. They are sorted into the NFC West division, playing since 1946 under a different league and only joining the NFL in 1949. They play in red, gold, and white uniforms at their home of Levi’s Stadium.

And with many record-setting achievements in the NFL, including the most away games won consecutively and the most field goals in a single season, for many fans listing which franchise is the best football team, the answer is the 49ers. Since 1981, the team has won five Super Bowl titles and become division champions.

The biggest names of the 49ers include quarterback Joe Montana, running back Joe Gore, wide receiver Jerry Rice, cornerback Ronnie Lott, and quarterback Steve Young.

As the oldest team in the AFC division, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been around since 1933 and have been one of the most successful and best football teams in the country.

Over the years, the Steelers have hosted and played in the most conference championships out of all the NFL teams, and are tied with the New England Patriots for total Super Bowl wins.

The Steelers also run a strong philanthropic aspect of their organization, working to help minorities and women by pushing boundaries and breaking tradition. For example, the first person of color to be a quarterback was drafted by the Steelers in 1973, when Joe Gilliam signed on.

Other notable players include defensive lineman Joe Greene, linebacker Jack Lambert, running back Franco Harris, quarterback Terry Bradshaw, and wide receiver Hines Ward, playing out of Heinz Field in black and gold uniforms.

The Dallas Cowboys are part of the NFC East section, and have been with the NFL since 1960. They don uniforms of blue, silver, and white, and play out of the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Cowboys were also the first team of any sport to hit $4 billion in franchise value, when they became the most valuable sports team internationally in 2015. The team has also won five out of eight Super Bowls and holds the record for consecutive winning seasons.

To power the Cowboys, some of the most talented players include quarterback Roger Staubach, running back Emmitt Smith, quarterback Troy Aikman, and receiver Michael Irvin.

A member of AFC East, the New England Patriots were founded in 1959 as one of the original members of the American Football League. The Patriots found themselves under NFL leadership in 1970 when the two leagues brokered a merger and now play in the Gillette Stadium with their original colors of blue, red, silver, and white.

The Patriots are tied for the record of winning the most Super Bowl championships out of any NHL team, with the Pittsburgh Steelers sharing that honor. However, the Patriots do hold the record of the most appearances at the Super Bowl and the most wins during a ten-year time frame.

And under coach Bill Belichick and legendary quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots were able to continue their victories, including the longest winning streak of both season and playoff games.

Apart from Brady, other big Patriot names include line guard John Hannah, linebacker Andre Tippett, tight end Rob Gronkowski, cornerback Ty Law, and defensive tackle Richard Seymour.

As one of the best baseball team franchises, the Boston Red Sox has been a winning team since being established under the American League’s East division of the MLB in 1901. Wearing their iconic red, blue, and white uniforms, the Red Sox have been hitting it out of Fenway Park since 1912.

The team’s unique name originated from a prior team uniform that included red stockings under Boston owner John Taylor, and when creating a brand new baseball team, he brought that image with him— thus, the Boston Red Stockings, or the Boston Red Sox.

Some of the most notable players for the Red Sox include outfielder Ted Williams, left fielder Carl Yastrzemski, pitcher Pedro Martínez, third baseman Wade Boggs, and pitcher Roger Clemens.

The St. Louis Cardinals are part of the MLB’s National League Central division, and have been around for a long time— since 1882, in fact! And once the National League was formed, the team joined it in 1892 under the name the Browns, which later became the Cardinals in 1900.

As a baseball franchise, the Cardinals team stands as one of the highest-priced clubs in the entire MLB, as the seventh most valuable team. They are also notable for a variety of MLB achievements, including a single-season home run record by Mark McGwire, the fewest errors in 2019, and the most extra base hits in 2003. The Cardinals currently play out of Busch Stadium.

Players of note within the Cardinals include infielder Albert Pujols, shortstop Ozzie Smith, outfielder Stan Musial, pitcher Dizzy Dean, and left-fielder Lou Brock, suited up in red, blue, yellow, and white uniforms.

Since being formed in 1901, the New York Yankees have been sweeping the field with their talented players and successful strategies as soon as the team donned their blue, gray, and white uniforms and took to Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees are one of the most valuable and highest-earning baseball teams, not only in the MLB but also in the entire United States sporting sector. They also have one of the highest win-loss ratios, at .570%, and also hold the MLB records for World Series championship games won at 27.

The players behind the Yankees’ success include the legendary outfielder and MVP Babe Ruth, first baseman Mickey Mantle, pitcher Mariano Rivera, infielder Derek Jeter, and catcher Yogi Berra.