The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league with 33 teams—26 in the U.S. and 7 in Canada. It was formed in 1917, replacing the National Hockey Association (NHA). The league expanded to the U.S. in 1924.
The regular season runs from October to April. Then, 16 teams enter the Stanley Cup playoffs. The playoffs decide the NHL champion. The final round is called the Stanley Cup Finals. The Montreal Canadiens have the most NHL titles with 25. The Stanley Cup is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.
Read More: NHL Playoff Rules
Playoff rounds are in the NHL
The NHL playoffs have four rounds: the First Round, the Second Round, the Conference Finals, and the Stanley Cup Finals, as per the official website of the NHL.
First Round
In the first round, the 16 qualifying teams are matched up based on seeding. The division winners with the best records in each conference face the wild card teams with the lowest records in their respective conferences, while the other division winners face the other wild card teams. Each matchup is a best-of-seven series.
Second Round
The winners of the first-round matchups advance to the second round. Similar to the first round, matchups are determined by seeding, with the division winners facing each other and the wild-card teams facing each other. Again, each series is a best-of-seven.
Conference Finals
The winners of the second-round matchups face off in the conference finals. These series determine the champions of each conference. As with the previous rounds, the Conference Finals are a best-of-seven series.
Stanley Cup Finals
The champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences compete in the Stanley Cup Finals to determine the overall winner of the Stanley Cup. This series is also a best-of-seven matchup.
Throughout the playoffs, the format for each series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 structure, with the team with home-ice advantage hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other team hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. The team that wins four games in each series advances to the next round, with the ultimate goal being to win four games in the Stanley Cup Finals to claim the Stanley Cup.
Read More: NHL Playoff Bracket
FAQ's On NHL Playoffs
A. The NHL playoffs consist of four rounds: the First Round, the Second Round, the Conference Finals, and the Stanley Cup Finals.
A. Each playoff series in the NHL is a best-of-seven matchup.
A. Sixteen teams qualify for the NHL Playoffs.
A. The Florida Panthers won their first Stanley Cup in the 2023–24 season.
A. The Montreal Canadiens hold the record with 25 championships.
