The NHL annual elimination tournament to crown the league champion is known as the Stanley Cup playoffs. NHL’s full form is National Hockey League, which is the organization responsible for professional hockey in the United States. By default, the NHL champion is also the Stanley Cup winner. Based on total points earned during the regular season, eight clubs from each of the two conferences advance to the playoffs.
The Stanley Cup Finals, which feature the two conference champions, is the name of the decisive round.
In the playoffs, overtime is played in a series of sudden-death, 20-minute five-on-five minutes until one side scores, unlike the regular season, where a game may ultimately be settled in a shootout.
Even though a playoff game may theoretically go on forever, only two games have ever gone through six overtimes and none of those games went over that number. The only break during playoff overtime sessions is to clear the loose ice shavings at the first break, which occurs halfway through the period.
In 1906, only professional teams were first permitted to contend for the Stanley Cup. The National Hockey Association (NHA) champion and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champion have officially competed for the Stanley Cup since 1915.
Before the 1926–1927 season, the Stanley Cup was the NHL's championship trophy following a number of league mergers and folds, including the 1917 founding of the NHL as the NHA's successor.
A playoff tournament has always been employed by the NHL to choose its champion. Since the NHL's founding in 1917 until it seized control of the Cup in 1926, the playoff structure of the league has undergone several changes.
National Hockey League (NHL) Playoff Format
There are four rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs: the first round, the second round, the conference finals, and the Stanley Cup final.
The top team in the conference takes on the second wild-card team in the first round. The first wild-card team will face the other divisional winner. The No. 2 team in a division faces the No. 3 team in the same division.
The teams are not reseeded for the second round after that. Rather, the series winner for a division with the No. 2 and No. 3 teams plays the series winner, with their division champion playing the wild-card team.
The Bruins, Maple Leafs, and Lightning, for instance, finished first through third in the Atlantic during this postseason, respectively. In addition to the Maple Leafs and Lightning playing each other, the Bruins take on a wild-card team. Regardless of whether the wild-card team is from the Atlantic, the losers of the two series face off in the second round.
The conference finals include the final two teams from each conference after the second round. The Prince of Wales Trophy is given to the winner of the Eastern Conference, and the Clarence S. Campbell Trophy is given to the winner of the Western Conference.
Finally, the Stanley Cup Final brings together the conference winners to crown the season champion.
National Hockey League (NHL) Playoff Schedule
The NHl 2023-2024 playoff series began on April 20, 2024. A total of 16 teams were seeded based on their regular-season points. The teams are Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, Tampa bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals from the Eastern Conference. Teams from Western Conference are Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, and Vegas golden Knights.
NHL playoffs First Round Eastern Conference
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 21 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 2–3 | Florida Panthers |
| April 23 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 2–3 OT | Florida Panthers |
| April 25 | Florida Panthers | 5–3 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| April 27 | Florida Panthers | 3–6 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| April 29 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 1–6 | Florida Panthers |
Florida won series 4–1
Toronto Maple Leafs Vs. Boston Bruins
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1–5 | Boston Bruins |
| April 22 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3–2 | Boston Bruins |
| April 24 | Boston Bruins | 4–2 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| April 27 | Boston Bruins | 3–1 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| April 30 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2–1 OT | Boston Bruins |
| May 2 | Boston Bruins | 1–2 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| May 4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1–2 OT | Boston Bruins |
Boston won series 4–3
Washington Capitals Vs. New York Rangers
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 21 | Washington Capitals | 1–4 | New York Rangers |
| April 23 | Washington Capitals | 3–4 | New York Rangers |
| April 26 | New York Rangers | 3–1 | Washington Capitals |
| April 28 | New York Rangers | 4–2 | Washington Capitals |
New York won series 4–0
New York Islanders Vs. Carolina Hurricanes
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 | New York Islanders | 1–3 | Carolina Hurricanes |
| April 22 | New York Islanders | 3–5 | Carolina Hurricanes |
| April 25 | Carolina Hurricanes | 3–2 | New York Islanders |
| April 27 | Carolina Hurricanes | 2–3 2OT | New York Islanders |
| April 30 | New York Islanders | 3–6 | Carolina Hurricanes |
Carolina won series 4–1
Western Conference first round
Vegas Golden Knights Vs. Dallas Stars
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 22 | Vegas Golden Knights | 4–3 | Dallas Stars |
| April 24 | Vegas Golden Knights | 3–1 | Dallas Stars |
| April 27 | Dallas Stars | 3–2 OT | Vegas Golden Knights |
| April 29 | Dallas Stars | 4–2 | Vegas Golden Knights |
| May 1 | Vegas Golden Knights | 2–3 | Dallas Stars |
| May 3 | Dallas Stars | 0–2 | Vegas Golden Knights |
| May 5 | Vegas Golden Knights | 1–2 | Dallas Stars |
Dallas won series 4–3
Colorado Avalanche Vs. Winnipeg Jets
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 21 | Colorado Avalanche | 6–7 | Winnipeg Jets |
| April 23 | Colorado Avalanche | 5–2 | Winnipeg Jets |
| April 26 | Winnipeg Jets | 2–6 | Colorado Avalanche |
| April 28 | Winnipeg Jets | 1–5 | Colorado Avalanche |
| April 30 | Colorado Avalanche | 6–3 | Winnipeg Jets |
Colorado won series 4–1
Nashville Predatots Vs. Vancouver Canucks
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 21 | Nashville Predators | 2–4 | Vancouver Canucks |
| April 23 | Nashville Predators | 4–1 | Vancouver Canucks |
| April 26 | Vancouver Canucks | 2–1 | Nashville Predators |
| April 28 | Vancouver Canucks | 4–3 OT | Nashville Predators |
| April 30 | Nashville Predators | 2–1 | Vancouver Canucks |
| May 3 | Vancouver Canucks | 1–0 | Nashville Predators |
Vancouver won series 4–2
Los Angeles Kings Vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 22 | Los Angeles Kings | 4–7 | Edmonton Oilers |
| April 24 | Los Angeles Kings | 5–4 OT | Edmonton Oilers |
| April 26 | Edmonton Oilers | 6–1 | Los Angeles Kings |
| April 28 | Edmonton Oilers | 1–0 | Los Angeles Kings |
| May 1 | Los Angeles Kings | 3–4 | Edmonton Oilers |
Edmonton won series 4–1
NHL Playoffs Round Two Eastern conference
Boston Bruins Vs. Florida panthers
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 6 | Boston Bruins | 5–1 | Florida Panthers |
| May 8 | Boston Bruins | 1–6 | Florida Panthers |
| May 10 | Florida Panthers | 6–2 | Boston Bruins |
| May 12 | Florida Panthers | 3–2 | Boston Bruins |
| May 14 | Boston Bruins | 2–1 | Florida Panthers |
| May 17 | Florida Panthers | 2–1 | Boston Bruins |
Florida won series 4–2
Carolina Hurricanes Vs. New York Rangers
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5 | Carolina Hurricanes | 3–4 | New York Rangers |
| May 7 | Carolina Hurricanes | 3–4 2OT | New York Rangers |
| May 9 | New York Rangers | 3–2 OT | Carolina Hurricanes |
| May 11 | New York Rangers | 3–4 | Carolina Hurricanes |
| May 13 | Carolina Hurricanes | 4–1 | New York Rangers |
| May 16 | New York Rangers | 5–3 | Carolina Hurricanes |
New York won series 4–2
Western Conference Round Two
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7 | Colorado Avalanche | 4–3 OT | Dallas Stars |
| May 9 | Colorado Avalanche | 3–5 | Dallas Stars |
| May 11 | Dallas Stars | 4–1 | Colorado Avalanche |
| May 13 | Dallas Stars | 5–1 | Colorado Avalanche |
| May 15 | Colorado Avalanche | 5–3 | Dallas Stars |
| May 17 | Dallas Stars | 2–1 2OT | Colorado Avalanche |
Dallas won series 4–2
| Date | Away Team | Score | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8 | Edmonton Oilers | 4–5 | Vancouver Canucks |
| May 10 | Edmonton Oilers | 4–3 OT | Vancouver Canucks |
| May 12 | Vancouver Canucks | 4–3 | Edmonton Oilers |
| May 14 | Vancouver Canucks | 2–3 | Edmonton Oilers |
| May 16 | Edmonton Oilers | 2–3 | Vancouver Canucks |
| May 18 | Vancouver Canucks | 1–5 | Edmonton Oilers |
| May 20 | Edmonton Oilers | 3–2 | Vancouver Canucks |
Edmonton won series 4–3
Eastern Conference Finals Round
| Date | Away Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| May 22 | Florida Panthers | 8:00 p.m. |
| May 24 | Florida Panthers | 8:00 p.m. |
| May 26 | New York Rangers | 3:00 p.m. |
| May 28 | New York Rangers | 8:00 p.m. |
| May 30 | Florida Panthers | 8:00 p.m. |
| June 1 | New York Rangers | 8:00 p.m. |
| June 3 | Florida Panthers | 8:00 p.m. |
Western Conference Finals Round
| Date | Away Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| May 23 | Edmonton Oilers | 8:30 p.m. |
| May 25 | Edmonton Oilers | 8:00 p.m. |
| May 27 | Dallas Stars | 8:30 p.m. |
| May 29 | Dallas Stars | 8:30 p.m. |
| May 31 | Edmonton Oilers | TBD |
| June 2 | Dallas Stars | TBD |
| June 4 | Edmonton Oilers | TBD |
FAQs
A. The NHL's annual elimination tournament is known as the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A. Eight clubs from each of the two conferences advance to the playoffs based on total points earned during the regular season.
A. In the playoffs, overtime is sudden-death, 20-minute five-on-five periods until one team scores, unlike the regular season, where games can end in a shootout.
A. The Prince of Wales Trophy is awarded to the Eastern Conference winner, and the Clarence S. Campbell Trophy is awarded to the Western Conference winner.
