The NHL Playoff format is different from all other major professional sports like the NFL and NBA. We’ll go over the basics for you on how the Stanley Cup Playoffs are setup so you can better follow the bracket for the playoffs this postseason. Once you get into it a little bit, the format makes a lot of sense. The NHL differs from the NFL in that it does not reseed. The NBA has their Play-In madness and sets up their brackets solely based on seeds and not so much on the division performance. We’ll get into the nitty gritty for the NHL below for you.
NHL Playoff Format Basics
First, there are 16 teams who earn a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs every postseason. The format is setup as a bracket by conference with there being wild card teams. The NHL will first pick the top three teams in each division to get us to 12 teams. Then, the remaining four spots are filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference. This is based on the team’s regular season record and is independent of what division they are in. As a result, it is possible for a division to send up to five teams to the playoffs.
Who Gets Home-Ice Advantage?
Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, the team that placed higher in the regular season gets the home-ice advantage. Each of the four rounds is a best-of-seven setup. The first team who wins four goes on to the next round of play, so you can see how home-ice can become a big deal in those matchups that go the full seven matches.
How is the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoff Setup?
The first round of the playoffs puts the division winner with the best record up against the Wild-Card team with the lesser record. Then, the wild card team with the better record plays the other division winner. The teams who finish second and third in their division will meet within the bracket that has their division winner.
How is the Second Round of the NHL Playoff Setup?
The Second Round has the first-round winners in each bracket play each other. This will determine who plays in the conference finals (four total teams).
Conference Finals & Stanley Cup Final Setup
In the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, home-ice advantage goes to the team that had the better regular-season record – regardless of the teams’ final standing in their respective divisions. This helps reward teams who perform throughout the season. You can checkout an example of a blank, printable NHL Playoff bracket below to see how things are setup as well.
