The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL). The club was founded in 1926 as one of the league's first American franchises, joining in the same year as the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings (then known as the Detroit Cougars). Owing to the Blackhawks' long history, they are considered one of the NHL's "Original Six" teams—a term reserved for the six teams that comprised the NHL from the 1942–43 season until the league expanded in 1967. As of June 13, 2011, 831 players have played at least one game for the franchise, either in the NHL regular season or in the playoffs.