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How many teams make the playoffs in the NHL?
The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven tournament held after the conclusion of the NHL regular season.
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How the NHL Playoffs Work
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded to the playoff champion at the end of each season.
The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the NHL regular season. Qualifying teams compete for the Stanley Cup, with 16 teams (8 from each conference) advancing to the playoffs.
How Many Teams Make the Playoffs
NHL teams that make the playoffs compete for the Stanley Cup, which is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.
In order to be eligible to compete for the Stanley Cup, teams must first make the playoffs. The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven series played between the top eight teams in each conference.
The conference champions then advance to the Stanley Cup Finals to compete for the Stanley Cup.
The Format of the NHL Playoffs
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League (NHL) consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. The first three rounds determine which team from each conference will advance to the final round, or Stanley Cup Finals.
Currently, 16 teams make the playoffs: the top three teams in each division and two wild-card teams in each conference (for a total of eight divisional playoff teams). The two wild-card teams in each conference play each other in the first round.
The First Round of the NHL Playoffs
The first round of the NHL playoffs is a best-of-seven series between the eight teams that qualified for the playoffs. The four teams with the best record in each conference are seeded one through four, and they play the opening round against the wild card teams in their respective conferences. The five-game series are played between April 11 and April 28.
The Second Round of the NHL Playoffs
The second round of the NHL playoffs is a best-of-seven series between the four teams remaining in the playoffs. The team with the better record in each series will have home-ice advantage.
The Third Round of the NHL Playoffs
In the NHL, the third round of the playoffs is commonly referred to as the Conference Finals. This round features the two remaining teams from each of the league’s two conferences, with each conference’s winner advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Since the Conference Finals are a best-of-seven series, there is a possibility for a seventh and deciding game. In this case, the team with home-ice advantage (i.e., the higher seed) would host Game 7.
Over the course of its history, the NHL has had anywhere from four to eight teams qualify for the playoffs. However, since 2012, only 16 teams have been able to advance to this round of playoffs.
The Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL), a professional ice hockey league. The Stanley Cup Finals is a best-of-seven series between the Eastern Conference champions and the Western Conference champions, who play each other for the Stanley Cup, which is awarded to the league’s Playoff champion.
The NHL Playoffs Schedule
The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs, as do the two teams in each conference with the next best records regardless of division. Fourteen teams make the playoffs in all.
The first two rounds of the playoffs are divisional, meaning that each team plays its division rival in a best-of-seven series. The higher-seeded team will have home-ice advantage, meaning that four of the possible seven games will be played at their home arena.
In the first round of the playoffs, the matchups are as follows:
(1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (WC2) Columbus Blue Jackets
(1) Nashville Predators vs. (WC1) Dallas Stars
(2) Winnipeg Jets vs. (3) St. Louis Blues
(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (3) Vegas Golden Knights
The second round then sees the winners of those series face off against each other regardless of seed or conference affiliation. The matchups for the second round are as follows:
(1A) Tampa Bay/Columbus winner vs. (2A) Nashville/Dallas winner
(1B) Winnipeg/St. Louis winner vs. (2B) San Jose/Vegas winner
NHL Playoff Bracket
The NHL playoff bracket is made up of 16 teams, 8 from the Eastern Conference and 8 from the Western Conference. The top 3 teams in each division make the playoffs, along with 2 wild card teams from each conference.
NHL Playoff TV Schedule
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 playoffs and is played between the two conference champions.
