Understanding the NHL Stanley Cup playoff format and structure

Of the 32 NHL teams, 16 make the Stanley Cup Playoffs each year. Playoff spots are determined by number of points in the 82-game regular season. The top three teams from each division, Metropolitan, Atlantic, Pacific and Central, qualify to the playoffs, and the remaining spots are made up of two wild card teams per conference with the next highest amount of points.

Each of the four divisions have at least three teams in the playoffs, and it could be four or five depending on wild card spots. Each conference, Eastern and Western, have a total of eight teams in the playoffs.

So, what is the exact format of the Stanley Cup playoffs?

What is the format of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The Stanley Cup Playoffs format consists of a best-of-seven series set-up in each round. In a playoff series, the team that wins four games advances to the next round. The playoffs last four rounds: the First Round, Second Round (or Conference Semifinals), Conference Finals, and Stanley Cup Final.

Home-ice advantage in the first two rounds is decided by regular season standings per division. In the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, home-ice advantage is determined by regular season record, not specific to division standings.

The first round of the playoffs has eight match-ups. In each conference, the highest-ranking division winner faces the second-seeded wild card team. The other division winner faces the first-seeded wild card team. The second and third place teams from each division face each other. There are four match-ups in the second round. Winners of each series move on to the second round and face another winning team based on the bracket they are in.

When a team qualifies to the Conference Finals, they face the other team in their conference that remains. Western Conference and Eastern Conference champions are decided between these two match-ups. The final round is the Stanley Cup Final, the series between the last two teams standing. One team emerges victorious with the Stanley Cup.

One notable difference between the regular season and the playoffs is overtime rules. During the regular season, there is one overtime period of 3-on-3 play that lasts up to five minutes. If no one scores, the game is decided in a shootout. In the playoffs, there is no shootout. Tie games continue in sudden death with as many OT periods as necessary until a team scores.

The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2024. The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin Apr. 19 the earliest after the conclusion of the 2024-25 NHL season.