Who Makes The Playoffs In The NHL?

It’s that time of year again! The NHL regular season is coming to a close and we’re left to wonder: who makes the playoffs in the NHL?

NHL Playoffs

The National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament among 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 16 teams in the Western Conference. The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series of the NHL playoffs.

What teams are in the playoffs?

The NHL playoffs are an elimination tournament held after the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 82-game regular season to determine which team from each conference will advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs: the top three division winners and the two wild card teams with the next highest number of points who are not division winners.

In each conference, the division winners earn the top seed, while the wild card teams earn seeds 2–4 based on regular season points. The Bruins clinched both the Presidents’ Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs for having tallied the most points during the regular season.

How are the playoffs structured?

The playoffs are structured so that the four best teams in each conference play each other in the first two rounds. The two winners of those series move on to play in the conference finals. The winner of each conference final then moves on to play in the Stanley Cup Final.

What is the Stanley Cup?

The Stanley Cup is a trophy, and the championship prize of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was donated by Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston in 1892, and is named after him. The Stanley Cup is also informally known as “The Cup”, “the Holy Grail” or colloquially as “the Stanley”, and has been referred to as Lord Stanley’s Cup, Hockey’s Holy Grail, the ultimate prize, one of the most coveted trophies in North America, or simply one of the greatest championships in sports.

The trophy was originally intended to recognize the top amateur hockey club in Canada and was silver with a base. It stood 18.5 inches (47 cm) tall and weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces (3.5 kg). Unlike trophies awarded today, initially there was no prestigious presentation associated with it nor was there any physical reward given to the winning team; rather it was simply inscribed with the words “From Stanley of Preston” and then placed on display at a local London jeweler.

NHL Teams

As the NHL regular season comes to an end, we take a look at the teams who have made the playoffs. In the Eastern conference, the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Toronto Maple Leafs have all clinched a spot.

What are the NHL teams?

As of the 2019-20 NHL season, there are 31 teams in the National Hockey League. 24 of those teams are based in the United States and 7 are based in Canada. The teams are:

Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville PredatorsNew Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Vancouver Canucks Vegas Golden Knights Winnipeg Jets

What are their records?

The 2017-2018 NHL season is in full swing and as teams jockey for position in the standings, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at each team’s record and see how they stack up. As of the morning of January 2nd, here are the records for each team in the NHL:

Tampa Bay Lightning: 27-9-2 (56 points)
Boston Bruins: 25-9-4 (54 points)
Vegas Golden Knights: 25-9-2 (52 points)
St. Louis Blues: 24-10-2 (50 points)
Nashville Predators: 23-10-3 (49 points)
Winnipeg Jets: 23-11-4 (50 points)
Toronto Maple Leafs: 22-13-3 (47 points)
Calgary Flames: 21-13-4 (46 points)
Dallas Stars: 20-15-3 (43 points)

Who are the star players?

The NHL playoffs are just around the corner, and fans are wondering who the star players are on each team. Here is a list of some of the top players in the league, along with their team and position.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, Center
Crosby is one of the most well-known and decorated players in the NHL. He has won multiple Stanley Cups and Olympic gold medals, and is considered one of the best players of his generation.

Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, Left Wing
Ovechkin is one of the most prolific goal scorers in NHL history. He has won multiple MVP awards and has led his team to several playoff appearances.

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, Center
McDavid is one of the league’s youngest stars, but he has already made a big impact. He is a two-time scoring champion and was named MVP in 2017.

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks, Right Wing
Kane is another decorated player who has won multiple Stanley Cups and individual awards. He is known for his great playmaking ability and has been one of the Blackhawks’ top players for many years.

NHL Players

NHL teams who have the most points in their conference at the end of the regular season make the playoffs. The conference seeding is based on the standings at the end of the regular season. The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, as well as two wild card teams from each conference.

Who are the best players in the NHL?

Many fans of the National Hockey League follow the sport closely to see which players are performing well, and at the end of each season, awards are given out to the league’s best performers. The most prestigious individual award is the Hart Memorial Trophy, which goes to the “player judged most valuable to his team.”

To be eligible for the Hart Trophy, a player must not have served more than six games in any one previous season in a professional hockey league. In addition, he must have played at least 70 percent of his team’s total number of games during the season.

The trophy was first awarded in 1910 and has been given out every year since 1924. It was named after Francis Hodgson, a former director of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association.

Players who have been awarded the Hart Trophy multiple times include Wayne Gretzky (nine times), Gordie Howe (six times), and Eddie Shore (four times). In recent years, players such as Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Carey Price have all won the award multiple times.

What are their stats?

forwards Connor McDavid of the Oilers and Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks continue to lead the NHL scoring race. McDavid has 36 goals and 82 assists for 118 points, while Kane has 41 goals and 76 assists for 117 points. The two players appear to be on a collision course to win the Hart Trophy, awarded to the league’s most valuable player, as they are far ahead of the pack in voting by NHL writers.

What awards have they won?

The National Hockey League hands out several awards each year to recognize the top players in the league. The most prestigious award is the Stanley Cup, which is awarded to the team that wins the NHL playoffs. Other awards include the Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the league’s most valuable player, and the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the top rookie.