Who’s Playing in the NHL?

Keep updated with the NHL schedule and find out which teams are playing when.

NHL Players

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, composed of 31 teams: 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL’s Stanley Cup is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. The NHL is the premier professional ice hockey league in the world and is widely considered to be the top hockey league in the world.

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Patrick Crosby, ONS (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who serves as captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed “Sid the Kid” and dubbed “The Next One”, Crosby was selected first overall by the Penguins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, becoming the youngest player ever to be drafted in the NHL at 18 years, 231 days.

Alexander Ovechkin

Alexander Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time, and has led the league in goal scoring eight times.

Ovechkin was selected by the Capitals first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He was nicknamed “The Great Eight” as he was one of the eight superstars drafted that year, and has since shown himself to be one of the best players of his generation. He quickly became one of the NHL’s most popular players, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in 2005.

Ovechkin has been named to 14 NHL All-Star Games, including 12 consecutive appearances from 2007 to 2018, and has been named the league’s MVP three times (2008, 2009, 2013). He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion (2018, 2019, 2020).

Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane (born November 19, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the first overall pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. He has won both the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 2008–09 and the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL Most Valuable Player in 2016. Kane also won the Art Ross Trophy in 2015–16 as the league’s leading scorer, becoming only the second American-born player to do so after Phil Esposito.

NHL Teams

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs approach, it’s time to start familiarizing yourself with the teams that are still in the running. From the East to the West and everything in between, here’s a comprehensive guide to the NHL teams that are still vying for the coveted Cup.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). They have won six Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926. The Blackhawks are one of the “Original Six” NHL teams along with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The franchise was established in 1967 as one of six teams joining the NHL as part of a merger with the rival World Hockey Association (WHA), and has played in Pittsburgh since its inception. The Penguins have won five Stanley Cup championships, winning their first two back-to-back in 1991 and 1992 and most recently in 2016 and 2017. They have also won nine division championships and made 35 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Capitals are owned by Ted Leonsis, and ranked first overall in the NHL standings for the 2018–19 season. The team plays its home games at Capital One Arena, located in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington.

NHL Standings

As of today’s date, January 14th, 2020, the NHL standings are as follows. In the lead we have the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Eastern Conference

The top three teams in each division earn berths in the playoffs. The next two teams with the best records in each conference also qualify for the playoffs, giving each conference a total of eight playoff teams.

In the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the division winner with the best record in each conference is matched against the wild-card team with the lesser record; while the other division winner is matched against the wild-card team with the better record. The second and third seed remaining in each conference will play against one another in the First Round.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. Boston Bruins*
2. Tampa Bay Lightning*
3. Toronto Maple Leafs*
4. Florida Panthers
5. Montreal Canadiens

Western Conference

The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Conference is made up of 15 teams, divided into two divisions, the Central and the Pacific. As of the 2019-20 NHL season, all but one team in the conference (the Arizona Coyotes) are based in Canada.

The Central Division includes the following teams:
-Chicago Blackhawks
-Colorado Avalanche
-Dallas Stars
-Minnesota Wild
-Nashville Predators
-St. Louis Blues
-Winnipeg Jets

The Pacific Division includes the following teams:
-Anaheim Ducks
-Calgary Flames
-Edmonton Oilers
-Los Angeles Kings
-San Jose Sharks
-Vancouver Canucks

NHL Playoffs

The NHL playoffs are in full swing and there are some great match-ups this year. In the first round, we have the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Lightning are the defending Stanley Cup champions and are looking to make it back to the finals again this year. The Blue Jackets are a tough team and will be looking to upset the Lightning.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are a combination of seven best-of-seven series in the first two rounds and four best-of-seven series in the last two rounds. The first three rounds determine which team from each conference will advance to the final round, or Stanley Cup Finals.

Conference Quarterfinals:
(1A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (WC1) Columbus Blue Jackets
(1B) Boston Bruins vs. (WC2) Toronto Maple Leafs
(2A) Washington Capitals vs. (3A) Carolina Hurricanes
(2B) New York Islanders vs. (3B) Pittsburgh Penguins

Conference Semifinals:
(1A/WC1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (4A) Florida Panthers*
(1B/WC2) Boston Bruins vs. (4B/2B) New York Islanders*
(2A/3A) Washington Capitals vs. (3B/W2B)*

Conference Finals

The Conference Finals are the last hurdle before the quest for the Stanley Cup begins. This is where things really start to heat up and the pressure is at its highest. Eight teams enter, but only four will move on to the Stanley Cup Final. Who will be left standing when it’s all said and done?

In the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators will take on the Winnipeg Jets. This series features two of the best teams in the NHL and should be a very close matchup. The Predators are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2017, while the Jets are hoping to make their first appearance in franchise history.

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bruins are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2013, while the Lightning are hoping to make their second appearance in franchise history (and their first since 2015).

Both series are sure to be exciting, so be sure to catch all the action!

Stanley Cup Final

The Stanley Cup Final is the championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion and the winner of the Stanley Cup.