They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference ( NFC ) in the National Football League ( NFL ).

They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ( NHL ), and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.

After defeating the St. Louis Blues in seven games the Wings would fall in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche.

The following season, the Wings looked poised to " three-peat " for the first time in franchise history, acquiring three-time top blueliner Chris Chelios from his hometown Chicago Blackhawks in March 1999, but they would end up losing the Western Conference Semifinals to Colorado in six games.

The Wings posted the league's best record in the 2001-02 regular season and defeated Colorado in seven games in the Western Conference Finals after beating the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues in rounds one and two.

The Red Wings finished the season second in the Western Conference and third overall in the NHL.

The Wings finished first in the Western Conference and tied for first in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, but the Sabres were awarded the Presidents ' Trophy by virtue of having the greater number of wins.

The Red Wings lost to the eventual Stanley Cup winning team-the Anaheim Ducks, in the Western Conference Finals four games to two.

The Wings entered the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second overall seed in the Western Conference.

This run helped them secure the fifth playoff seed in the Western Conference.

They earned the # 3 seed in the Western Conference for the Stanley Cup playoffs ( extending their professional sports record of post-season appearances to 20 seasons ), finishing behind the Vancouver Canucks ( 117 ) and San Jose Sharks ( 105 ).

The map of Europe was redrawn at the Yalta Conference and divided as it became the principal zone of contention in the Cold War between the two power blocs, the Western countries and the Communist bloc.

However, under head coach Weeb Ewbank and the leadership of quarterback Johnny Unitas, the Colts would go onto a 9 – 3 record during the 1958 season and reached the NFL Championship Game for the first time in their history by winning the NFL Western Conference.

In the years 1953 – 66 the Colts played in the NFL Western Conference ( also known as division ), but were never known to have a significant rivalry with any of the other franchises in that alignment, seeing as they were the eastern-most team and the rest of the division included the Great Lakes franchises Green Bay, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and after 1961, the Minnesota Vikings.

Category: Western Conference Pro Bowl players

For the 1997 Major League Soccer season, their record was 21 – 11 ; they won the Western Conference regular season championship.

The Wizards had losing records for the 1998 and 1999 seasons, ending up last place in the Western Conference both years.

The Wizards would finish the 1999 season with a disastrous record of 8 – 24, which put them in last place in the Western Conference once again.

Despite getting back Preki, the Wizards sat in last place in the Western Conference in 2002.

The Wizards lost only 2 games in September and finished the season on a 6 game unbeaten streak to finish 14 – 9 – 9, for the Western Conference regular season championship.

Bob Costas filled in those games, and Albert returned to call Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings.

They currently participate in the North Division of the National Football Conference ( NFC ); prior to that the Vikings were in the NFC Central Division, and before that they were in the NFL's Western Conference Central Division.

Since the breakup of the Chicago Bulls championship roster in the summer of 1998, the Western Conference has dominated, with the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs combining to win the title in nine of fourteen years.

According to an independent study by Ronald Beech of Game 6 of the NBA 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Kings, although the refs increased the Lakers ' chances of winning through foul calls during the game, there was no collusion to fix the game.

Helped by the return of Penny Taylor, the Mercury once again locked up first place in the Western Conference and advanced to the 2009 Finals.

Colorado progressed to the playoffs, defeating the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks in the first two rounds, both in six games and the Presidents ' Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals in six games as well.

During a rematch of the previous year Western Conference Finals, the Avalanche lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games.

After defeating both the San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings in six games in the first two rounds, Colorado met the Presidents ' Trophy-winning Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals, where they lost in seven games.

" The team would overcome Forsberg's injury ; in the Western Conference Finals, Colorado beat the St. Louis Blues 4 – 1 and progressed to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they faced the defending champion New Jersey Devils.

The Avalanche made the Western Conference Finals for the fourth consecutive season ( and sixth overall in the last seven seasons ), meeting the Detroit Red Wings in the playoffs for the fifth time in seven years.

In 1996, the Colorado Avalanche met the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals and won the series 4 – 2.

The teams met again in the Western Conference Finals that season, with the Red Wings emerging victorious and going on to win the Stanley Cup.

Led by Mark Aguirre, original draft pick Brad Davis, Rolando Blackman, Derek Harper, Sam Perkins and Detlef Schrempf, the Mavericks made the playoffs six of seven times from 1983 to 90, winning the Midwest Division in 1986 – 87 and reaching the Western Conference Finals in 1988.

They returned to the NBA Finals after winning 57 games, winning a close 6-game 1st round series against the Portland Trail Blazers ; dethroning the NBA Champions of the past two years — the Los Angeles Lakers — in the Western Conference Semifinals ( four-game sweep ); and defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games in the Western Conference Finals on home court in Dallas to win their second Western Conference Championship.

Despite losing in the first round in their first seven attempts, the Timberwolves won their first division title in 2004 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

Despite their regular season success, the Spurs were unable to win any NBA championships, losing in the Western Conference playoffs to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 1981 and the Los Angeles Lakers in in 4 games 1982 and in 6 games in the 1983 Western Finals despite getting both wins at the Forum in the 1983 series.

The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual NBA Champion Houston Rockets 4 – 2.

The team was just as dominant in the playoffs, rolling through the Western Conference with a record of 11 – 1, including consecutive four-game sweeps of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinal series and the Portland Trailblazers in the Western Conference Finals.

Having clinched the 2nd overall seed for the Western Conference in the 2008 playoffs, the Hornets beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round but eventually lost to the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the conference semifinals.

The Spurs would go on to finish with a 45 – 39 record, good for 3rd place in the Western Division.

For the first few seasons of the decade, the Spurs continued their success of the 1970s with records of 52 – 30 in 1980 – 81, 48 – 34 in 1981 – 82, and 53 – 29 in 1982 – 83 ( it was during this period that the Spurs were moved to the Western Conference ).

The Spurs eventually lost in the Western Conference semifinals after losing a seven-game series to the eventual Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers.

The Spurs finished the next season ( 1995 – 96 ) under Hill at 59 – 23 and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals to the Jazz.

The Spurs would battle all year for the top spot in the Western Conference, as they ended the season on another strong note winning their final 11 games.

With the later additions of center Nazr Mohammed from New York ( acquired in a midseason trade of Malik Rose ), and veteran forward Glenn Robinson from free agency, alongside regulars Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, and Tim Duncan, the Spurs would be near the top in the Western Conference all season, battling the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA.

Once again, the Spurs would get challenged within their own division by the Dallas Mavericks as they held the two best records in the Western Conference all season, battling for first place.

With that streak, the Spurs began climbing back up in the Western Conference standings.

The Mavericks ' upset loss set the Spurs second-round series against the Phoenix Suns as the key series in the entire NBA Playoffs, as this series featured the teams with the two best records remaining in the Western Conference.

The 2007 – 2008 season saw the Spurs go 56 – 26 and finish 3rd in the Western Conference where 7 games separated all 8 playoff teams.

The Spurs and the Hornets would battle for seven hard fought games ( with New Orleans earning the upper hand throughout much of the series ), but the Spurs scrapped together a game 7 win on the road ( marking their first ever game 7 win on the road and series win after being down 0 – 2 ) to advance to the Western Conference Finals against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, where their run would come to an end after five games.

During the first game of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs ' victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder tied the longest winning streak extending into the playoffs ( 19 games ) in NBA history.

The Spurs began their off-season after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Western Conference Finals 4-2, and entered the 2012 NBA Draft with the second to the last pick, their only pick of the draft.

The San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers, two American professional basketball teams who are members of the NBA's Western Conference, have played each other since the 1970s.

However, the Spurs lost in the second round to the eventual Western Conference Champions Utah Jazz.

Statistically though, Duncan remained strong ; after another convincing season with averages of 22. 3 points, 12. 4 rebounds, 3. 1 assists and 2. 7 blocks, he led the Spurs into the Western Conference Semifinals.