In this NHL Playoffs Explained guide, you’ll learn how the NHL Playoffs work, including the qualification process, Wild Card teams, playoff seeding, each postseason round, overtime rules, and how one team ultimately earns the right to lift the legendary Stanley Cup.
But when it comes to the real meat of hockey season, things get exciting! It all kicks off with the NHL Playoffs Explained where the stakes are high and even one little blunder could make your favorite team lose their shot at a championship.
So what do the terms “Wild Card”, “Conference Finals”, “best-of-seven series”, and “Stanley Cup Final” really mean? Fear not dear fan, for there is hope yet! We’re here to break down everything you need to know about how the NHL Postseason works from playoff qualification and seeding all the way up to who will eventually take home the big prize!
Let’s dive right into it shall we? Here is our guide on How the NHL Playoffs Work!
If you’re brand-new to American sports, why not read through our Most Popular Sports in the USA article to see where ice hockey falls when it comes to popularity.
If you’re new to American sports, start with our Most Popular Sports in the USA guide to understand where ice hockey ranks among the nation’s favorite sports.
What are the NHL playoffs?
More formally called the “Stanley Cup Playoffs,” the NHL playoffs form the postseason tournament of the National Hockey League to determine its champion.
During the regular season, which consists of all 32 NHL teams competing over the course of 82 games, only the top performing teams make it to the playoffs.
During these playoff round series, teams compete until they are eliminated from contention. Once the winners of all the series have been determined, the last team standing is awarded the coveted Stanley Cup — one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in professional sports.
Understanding the NHL’s League Structure
Before getting into understanding the playoffs, you need to understand the organization of the NHL itself.
So the league has 32 teams divided into two conferences:
- Eastern Conference
- Western Conference
There are two divisions at each conference.
Eastern Conference
- Atlantic Division
- Metropolitan Division
Western Conference
- Central Division
- Pacific Division
Now, during the regular season, they compete against each other to accumulate enough points to make it into the playoffs. How many teams are making the NHL playoffs? A total of 16 teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
How many teams make the NHL playoffs?
A total of 16 teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Each conference sends eight teams:
The format for determining who makes the playoffs in the NHL consists of three automatic qualifiers from each division, along with two Wild Card teams. This forms an eight-team playoff bracket within each of the league’s two conferences (Eastern Conference & Western Conference).
Though the playoffs consist of 16 teams, only one will claim the coveted Stanley Cup at the end of the season.
How do teams qualify for the NHL playoffs?
Qualification depends on the NHL standings at the end of the regular season.
Teams earn points throughout the season:
- Team wins (regardless of score) get 2 points.
- Ties in overtime/shootout games count as 1 point.
- Losses by regulation time give 0 points.
Teams with higher total points win playoff slots.
One notable difference from other leagues is that teams get rewarded for making it to overtime despite losing – unlike many other leagues.
Because of this system, there are usually tight playoff races toward the end of each team’s regular season.
So what exactly are wild card teams?
Let’s find out about the NHL’s wild card system.
Here’s how it works in each conference:
The first step in figuring out who will make the playoffs is that the top three teams from each division automatically qualify. That leaves us with only 6 teams on this list.
Now we need to determine which other teams can still qualify for the playoffs. The next two highest ranked teams in the conference (regardless of their division) get automatic bids into the postseason — these teams are known as Wild Card teams. This way, teams that have great competition within their own division but are not quite good enough to win their own division have an opportunity to compete against others.
How Does NHL Playoffs Explained Seeding Work?
Once the regular season concludes, here’s how NHL playoff seeding works:
The division winner with the superior regular-season record will be that conference’s top seed.
The bracket generally follows this format:
- Division Winner vs. Wild Card
- Second Place vs. Third Place
Keep divisional rivals together until later rounds to create more exciting match-ups for you.
As with most sports brackets, teams are not re-seeded after each round.
The NHL’s bracket doesn’t get shuffled around once we pass the first round either!
How Does the NHL Playoff Bracket Work?
Here’s how each conference’s playoffs bracket works.
The postseason follows four rounds:
First Round
There are eight teams competing within each of our conferences.
Winners will advance!
↓
Second Round
Four of the four remaining teams will be competing to get into the Conference Finals
↓
Conference Finals
The last two teams in each conference are trying to claim the conference championship crown.
↓
Stanley Cup Final
In this scenario, the Eastern Conference champion would face the Western Conference champion for the Stanley Cup.
With such a simple format, it’s easy enough for fans to track each team’s path towards the championship.
NHL Playoffs Explained: The First Round
In Opening Round, there are 8 series across the NHL.
All match-ups will be best of seven series.
The first team to get 4 wins advances.
The possible series results include:
- 4–0
- 4–1
- 4–2
- 4–3
Each game is vital — which means we will see some huge upsets and amazing playoff moments happen here.
For many fans, watching Round One makes them get excited about what’s to come down the road. With all 16 playoff teams still on the floor, many feel that this is the most exciting round.
NHL Playoffs Explained: The Second Round
Winners from the First Round advance into this second round.
Sometimes referred to as the Division Finals, the winners of each conference’s second round get to represent their divisions at the Conference Finals.
Just like the first round, all matchups are decided by best-of-seven series.
As we move through this postseason, there are going to be a lot of high-intensity moments on the ice where coaches will have to make some key strategic moves and where goaltenders will play an increasingly significant role.
In addition, each time a team gets into a scoring position, that can also spell huge consequences for all involved.
If you’re interested in comparing hockey’s postseason with another major American league, read our How the NBA Playoffs Work guide to see how basketball crowns its champion using a different playoff format.
NHL Playoffs Explained: Conference Finals
There are 2 remaining teams from every conference after this round.
They will meet in the Eastern & Western Conference Final, respectively.
The winner of each Conference Final will then compete against one another for the Stanley Cup (best-of-7).
While winning your Conference Final is certainly a huge feat, there’s always that next game to get ready for—the Stanley Cup! Each matchup will have some of hockey’s finest talents on display with their own passionate fanbases behind them.
And who can forget about those elite goaltenders? Some of these matches will be nothing short of incredible.
What exactly makes up the Stanley Cup Final then?
The Stanley Cup Final is the championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL) season. It pitting the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals against each other in a best-of-seven series to decide the league’s champion.
The winner of this series is awarded the Stanley Cup – the oldest championship trophy in North American professional sports.
Every single player on that victorious team’s names are engraved onto this trophy. Unlike other sports trophies where only some players get an engraving, all the names can be seen there – hence why the Stanley Cup is regarded as one of the most iconic traditions within sports.
It doesn’t matter how good you think you are at playing professional ice hockey – nothing beats the experience of actually lifting up the Stanley Cup. This award is thought to be the greatest achievement within the world of professional ice hockey!
NHL Playoffs Explained: Home-Ice Advantage
Home-ice advantage is an important factor during the NHL playoffs.
The team with the best regular season record hosts more games than the other way around, in the event that a series goes to seven games.
The 2-2-1-1-1 format is as follows:
- Game 1: higher seed hosts
- Game 2: higher seed hosts
- Game 3: lower seed hosts
- Game 4: lower seed hosts
- Game 5: higher seed hosts (if necessary)
- Game 6: lower seed hosts (if necessary)
- Game 7: higher seed hosts (if necessary)
The team with home-ice advantage has the benefit of playing in a familiar location in front of their own fans, while the rival team has to travel there and back, which can be tiring. However, the NHL playoffs are famous for upsets, so having home-ice advantage is not as important as one may think.
How Does Overtime Work In The NHL Playoffs?
One of the biggest differences between the regular season and the playoffs is overtime.
Shootouts are not allowed in the playoffs, so if the game is tied after three periods, the teams will play a 20 minute overtime period.
There are no more stoppages of the game unless a player scores, which results in a sudden death victory.
If the game is still tied after 20 minutes, another overtime period will be played.
This will continue until one team scores the winning goal.
Since there is no limit to the number of overtimes that can be played, some playoff games have lasted multiple hours.
Why are the hockey playoffs so exciting
Many hockey fans agree that the Stanley Cup playoffs are the most thrilling aspect of the sport.
There are numerous reasons for this,
such as:
- There are always best-of-seven series.
- The games become much more physical.
- The goaltending is exceptional.
- There are exciting overtime finishes.
- The rivalries can become intense.
- Upsets are common during the playoffs.
Injuries are more prevalent during the playoffs due to the physical nature of the games.
NHL Regular Season vs. NHL Playoffs Explained
Although both are part of the same season, the regular season and playoffs are very different.
| Regular Season | Stanley Cup Playoffs |
|---|---|
| 82 games | Best-of-seven series |
| All 32 teams compete | Only 16 teams qualify |
| Teams earn points | Teams must win four games to advance |
| Shootouts allowed | No shootouts |
| Determines playoff qualification | Determines the Stanley Cup Champion |
The regular season rewards consistency, while the playoffs reward teams that perform under the highest pressure.
Want to compare hockey with basketball? Read our How the NBA Playoffs Work guide to see how the two leagues use different postseason formats.
Can Wild Card Teams Win the Stanley Cup?
Yes!
Wild cards do have a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
Once the playoffs start, any team has a shot at winning four rounds and the big prize, the Stanley Cup. Momentum, strong goaltending, solid defense, and clutch scoring can carry a team through the postseason, regardless of their regular-season record
Hockey history is full of underdog stories, and many fans have fallen in love with the sport because of the excitement and unpredictability of the playoffs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teams make the playoffs in the NHL?
Sixteen teams make up the NHL playoffs bracket, eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference.
How long are the series during the playoffs?
Each playoff series is a best-of-seven matchup, meaning that the first team to win four games advances to the next round.
Do NHL playoff games have shootouts?
No, unlike regular season games, ties during the playoffs are broken during sudden-death overtime.
What is the final round of the NHL playoffs called?
The Stanley Cup Final makes up the final round of the playoffs. It is a best-of-seven series between the champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences.
What is the trophy called for the winning team of the Stanley Cup playoffs?
The Stanley Cup is the trophy presented to the winning team of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Final Thoughts
The NHL Playoffs Explained are without a doubt the best part of the regular season.
From the jump of the opening faceoff of the First Round game to the final buzzer of the Stanley Cup Final, the playoffs are chock-full of heart-stopping action, physical play, stunning goal-scoring displays, and more.
From being able to understand the playoffs format, such as how Wild Card teams make it into the playoffs bracket, how the best-of-seven series works, to sudden-death overtimes during playoff games, you can now enjoy and understand the excitement that the NHL playoffs bring to fans around the globe.
Whether it be your first game or your one-thousandth, understanding how the Stanley Cup playoffs work will allow you to enjoy the sport as millions of hockey fans do.
If you’re exploring different sports around the world, don’t miss our Olympic Sports Explained guide to learn how ice hockey fits into the Winter Olympic Games.
