How Do NHL Playoffs Work?

How do NHL playoffs work? Find out everything you need to know about the Stanley Cup playoffs, from the qualifying round to the Stanley Cup Final.

Introduction

NHL playoffs are a thrilling time for any hockey fan. But if you’re new to the game, or just want to know more about how the playoffs work, you may be feeling a little lost.

Here’s a quick guide to how the NHL playoffs work, from the regular season to the Stanley Cup Final.

## Regular season

The NHL regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The standings are then used to determine which teams will make the playoffs.

The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs, as do the two teams with the best records in each conference (regardless of division). These teams are seeded according to their regular-season record, with the team that had the best record being seeded first.

The remaining four spots in each conference are filled by wild-card teams, which are also seeded according to their regular-season records.

## playoff format

Once the field is set, the playoffs begin! The first two rounds of the playoffs are played within each conference and follow a best-of-seven format, meaning that the team that wins four games advances to the next round. (If both teams have won three games apiece after six games, then a seventh and deciding game is played.)

The Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final follow a traditional best-of-seven format as well.

How the Playoffs Work

The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament among 16 teams that have qualified for the playoffs.1 The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series of the playoffs and is a best-of-seven series played between the Eastern and Western conference champions.2 The winning team is awarded the Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.

The playoff format

The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament among 16 teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). Eight teams from each of the league’s two conferences qualify for the playoffs. The final round, the Stanley Cup Finals, is a best-of-seven series to determine the league champion and the winner of the Stanley Cup.

Playoff qualifying

The top three teams in each division make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four spots are filled by the two next-best teams in each conference, based on regular-season record and regardless of division. This is commonly referred to as being “wild card” teams. The home team for each playoff series is determined by seeding number, not position on the bracket. However, if two teams from different divisions finish with identical records and tiebreakers cannot separate them, it is possible for both to make the playoffs in a process commonly known as “crossovers”. In such a case, whoever finishes higher in the regular season standings would receive home ice advantage.

Once all 16 playoff spots are filled, the tournament bracket is organized according to seed—#1 hosts #16 (in its conference), #2 hosts #15 and so on—with conference match-ups coming before cross-conference play, should any be necessary in later rounds due to identical records among wild card qualifiers (see below).The first round of playoffs consists of fourmatchups in each conference:the first seed plays against hewild card team withthe worst record whilethe second and thirdseeds play agianst thenumbers two andthree wildcardteams respectively;therefore, inthe second roundthe winners of theseed one versuswild card matchupwill play againsteach other whiletheseed two versusseed three matchupwinners also faceeach other. Fromthe second roundonwards there areno restrictions onwhich team fromwhich conferencecan play againstwhich other teamfrom which otherconference; any twoteams that havenot previously metin that year’splayoffs canface each othershould they Bothadvance farenough to becrossed overinto thoseround(s).

The seeding process

The seeding process begins with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, four best-of-five series in which the Stanley Cup Playoffs field is determined. The first two rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven series.

The NHL uses a slightly different seeding system for the playoffs than it does during the regular season. In the regular season, each team is ranked within its own conference and division according to its winning percentage.

For the playoffs, however, the NHL re-seeds the teams after every round so that the team with the best remaining record always faces off against the team with the worst remaining record. This ensures that things are as fair as possible and that every matchup is as evenly matched as possible.

The Stanley Cup Final

After the conference finals, the two remaining teams face off in the Stanley Cup Final. This is a best-of-seven series with all games played at the home arenas of the competing teams. If a seventh game is necessary, it will be played at a neutral site.

The team that scores the most goals in the four games wins the series and is crowned Stanley Cup champion. In the event of a tie, overtime periods of 20 minutes each are played until one team scores. The National Hockey League awards the Stanley Cup to the winning team’s captain, who then passes it to each player on his team to drink from and take turns hoisting above their heads in triumph.

Conclusion

NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament among 16 teams that qualified by having one of the top four records in their conference during the regular season. The Stanley Cup Finals is the last best-of-seven series of the playoffs and determines the champion of the NHL.