The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule starts on April 19th, 2026. The playoffs wrap up with the Stanley Cup Finals in June 2026. The NHL playoff rounds are all best-of-seven single-elimination matches. All dates are based on the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule until the NHL confirms the dates for us later in the season.
When do the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Start?
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs start up on or around April 19th, 2026 with the first round of play. We’ll likely see a lot of movement right up to the end of the 2025-26 NHL regular season for the 2026 NHL Playoff picture. The opening round of play will go through May 3rd or 4th, 2026. The Stanley Cup Finals will start on or around June 9th, 2026 and go until a team wins four games. The start date of the playoffs can change a big based on when the league decides to start up the postseason fun for us. You can look at the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff bracket as well to get a feel for how the 2026 playoffs will be setup.
2026 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule
There are four rounds of play in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule. If you want to see which teams won (and came in second) for the Stanley Cup winners list, they are listed here. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule.
- First Round: April 19-May 3.
- Second Round: May 4 – TBD
- Conference Finals: TBD
- Stanley Cup Finals: June 9-TBD (Last Possible day is June 23, 2026)
When do the Stanley Cup Finals 2026 Take Place?
The 2026 Stanley Cup Finals start on or around June 9th, 2026. If the series goes to a game seven, the last possible date for a game is June 23rd, 2026 but could be adjusted a day or two later.
What is the 2026 NHL Playoff TV Schedule?
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff TV schedule varies depending on if you live in the U.S. or Canada. We have confirmation that we will get games on TNT, TBS, TruTV, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Hulu, and ESPN+ for the American fans. For those who live in Canada, the games will be shown on CBC and Sportsnet. We also may see additional streaming options put into place before we get started with the 2025-26 NHL regular season.
2026 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule starts on April 19th, 2026. There are 16 teams who earn spots in the playoffs. There are eight from each conference. As we get additional information from the NHL, we’ll update the dates for you here.
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – First Round
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Seed 1 vs. Seed 8 | April 19- May 4 | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 2 vs. Seed 7 | April 19- May 4 | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 3 vs. Seed 6 | April 19- May 4 | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 4 vs. Seed 5 | April 19- May 4 | TBD | TBD |
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Second Round
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Winner of 1-8 vs. Winner of 4-5. | May 5- TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Winner of 2-7 vs. Winner of 3-6. | May 5 – TBD | TBD | TBD |
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Conference Finals
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Winner of 1-4-5-8 vs. Winner of 2-3-6-7. | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Stanley Cup Finals Schedule – 2026
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Game 1 | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 2 | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 3 | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 4 | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 5* | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 6* | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 7* | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
