How Many Teams Go Into The NHL Playoffs?

The NHL playoffs are upon us, and as always, there are plenty of questions surrounding the teams that will be participating. One of the most common questions is: how many teams go into the playoffs?

The answer is 16, with eight teams from each conference qualifying for the postseason. The top three teams in each division automatically qualify, with the remaining two spots in each conference going to the two wild-card teams.

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How the NHL Playoffs Work

The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven tournament held after the conclusion of the NHL regular season to determine the league champion. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded to the playoff champion at the end of the playoffs.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket

The Stanley Cup Playoffs (French: Les Séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley) is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League (NHL) consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series to determine the league champion and the winner of the Stanley Cup. Eight teams from each of the two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season points totals. The final round of the playoffs, the Stanley Cup Finals, pits the conference champions against each other. The two conference champions receive home ice advantage, meaning they can play up to four games at their home arena while their opponent can only play three, giving them a possible advantage of 1–0 before the series even starts.

During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially during the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals, multiple games take place at once. As both series are played concurrently, there is potential for one team to have an extra day of rest between games, while their opponents are playing a game. These “off days” are commonly referred to as “travel days”. Because of this potential advantage, teams are not allowed to schedule more than two off days during any round of the playoffs.

The seeding of the teams

The seeding of the teams is very important because it sets up the playoff bracket. The top three seeds in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs. The next two teams with the best records in each conference, regardless of division, also qualify for the playoffs, giving each conference a total of eight playoff teams. In all, 16 teams make the playoffs.

How Many Teams Make the Playoffs?

There are a lot of teams that go into the NHL playoffs. In fact, there are so many teams that it can be hard to keep track of them all. But, how many teams actually make the playoffs?

The number of teams that make the playoffs has varied over the years

The number of teams that make the playoffs has varied over the years, but since the 2014-2015 season, 16 teams have made the playoffs.

The current playoff format

In the current playoff format, which was introduced for the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, the top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs (the Pacific and Central get an extra team because they each have one more team than the other two divisions). The next two best teams in the league, regardless of divisional affiliation, also qualify for the playoffs, giving us a total of eight wild-card teams.

Why the Number of Teams in the Playoffs Has Changed

The number of teams in the NHL playoffs has changed throughout the years for a variety of reasons. The most recent change was increasing the number of teams from 8 to 16, which began in the 2014-2015 season. There are a few reasons why the NHL made this change.

The reason for the change in the 2004-05 season

In order to generate more interest in the regular season and ensure that more teams had a realistic chance of making the playoffs, the NHL realigned its divisions in 1998. This added a third division to each conference and created a more balanced schedule.

In the new format, the top team in each division would automatically qualify for the playoffs, as would the next five best teams in each conference, regardless of division. This system remained in place until the 2003-04 season, when it was tweaked slightly. The addition of the Nashville Predators as an expansion team in 1998 also prompted a reevaluation of playoff qualification.

The current system, which has been in place since the 2004-05 lockout, gives automatic playoff bids to the top three teams in each division. The next two best teams in each conference also earn a spot in the playoffs, regardless of division. This system ensures that all 30 teams have a shot at making the postseason, while still rewarding those who perform well during the regular season.

The reason for the change in the 2013 season

The National Hockey League (NHL) is changing the number of teams that make the playoffs for the 2013 season. The NHL Board of Governors approved a new playoff format for the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The top three teams in each division will make the playoffs, and two wild card teams (the next two best teams in the conference) will also make it to the playoffs. This means that there will be a total of 16 teams in the playoffs, instead of the current 14.

The reason for this change is that the NHL wants to create more “fairness” in the playoffs. In the past, there have been times when a team with a losing record has made it to the playoffs, while a team with a winning record has not. With the new format, the NHL is hoping to avoid this kind of situation.

Some people are worried that this change will make it harder for small-market teams to make the playoffs. But NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says that this is not a concern. He believes that this change will actually increase parity between all teams in the league.

How the Playoffs Have Changed Since the 2004-05 Lockout

The NHL playoffs have changed a lot since the 2004-05 lockout. In the 2005-06 season, the playoffs featured 16 teams, 8 from each conference. The first two rounds were best-of-seven series, and the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final were best-of-seven series. In the 2006-07 season, the playoffs featured 8 teams from each conference, and the first two rounds were best-of-seven series. The Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final were best-of-seven series.

The new playoff format

When the NHL lockout finally ended in 2005, the league returned with a new playoff format designed to generate more excitement and more rivalries. The number of teams qualifying for the playoffs was increased from six to eight in each conference, with the top seed earning a bye to the conference semifinals.

The first round of the playoffs became a best-of-seven series, which meant that there was potential for more upsets since the lower seeds now had three chances to win instead of two. Additionally, divisional rivals were now more likely to meet in the playoffs, which added an extra layer of intensity to those match-ups.

The new playoff format has been generally well-received, and it has resulted in some great moments over the past 15 years. Here are some of the most memorable moments from the new era of NHL playoff hockey.

The new divisional alignment

In the decade since the last NHL lockout, the playoff structure has changed several times. The most recent change came in 2013, when the league realigned its divisions and increased the number of teams qualifying for the postseason from 16 to 18.

The new alignment pits the top three teams from each division against each other in the first two rounds of the playoffs, with two “wild card” teams rounding out the field in each conference. The divisional winner with the best record receives a bye to the third round.

This setup has had a major impact on how teams approach the regular season. In years past, it was not uncommon for clubs to “rest” players down the stretch if they had already clinched a playoff berth; now, they are more likely to push for every point they can get, in order to secure a favorable position in the postseason brackets.

How the Playoffs Could Change in the Future

The NHL playoffs are a time where the best of the best face off against each other to crown a Stanley Cup champion. The playoffs are also a time where there is a lot of talk about how the system could be improved. This year, there are 16 teams that have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. But, there have been calls to change the system so that more teams have a chance to win.

Potential changes to the playoff format

In the past, the NHL has toyed with the idea of expanding the playoffs to include more teams. The most recent proposal would see the playoffs expanded to include 24 teams, which is up from the current 16-team format. This would mean that each conference would have 12 teams in the playoffs, rather than the current 8.

While this change would certainly be exciting for fans, it remains to be seen if it would actually impact the competitive balance of the league. Some critics argue that expanding the playoffs would simply water down the field and make it easier for lower-seeded teams to advance. Others believe that it would add an extra layer of excitement to the postseason and make it more competitive overall.

At this point, it is unclear if or when this change could be implemented. It would likely need to be approved by a majority of NHL owners before moving forward.

Potential changes to the divisional alignment

One potential change for the NHL playoffs is the realignment of the divisions. For example, the Central Division could be realigned to include teams from the East and West, while the Pacific Division could include teams from the North and South. This would create more balanced divisions and could potentially lead to more competitive playoffs.

Another change that could be made to the NHL playoffs is the number of teams that qualify. Currently, 16 teams make the playoffs, but this number could be increased or decreased in future years. This would affect how many games are played in each round and could lead to a more or less competitive playoffs.

Finally, the format of the NHL playoffs could be changed in future years. For example, the first round could be expanded to best-of-seven games, or the Stanley Cup Finals could be played as a best-of-nine series. These changes would create a more exciting and competitive playoffs for fans to enjoy.