The top sixteen of the 32 teams in the league advance to the playoffs, which comprises eight teams from each conference. Each conference consists of two divisions, and the top three teams from each division advance directly to the playoffs. The two remaining spots are taken by the two best teams in terms of points after the division leaders. That is the shortened explanation. However, what makes people confused is the seedings and set bracket, and here comes the full description.
NHL Playoff Format at a Glance:
Every rule you need, current for the 2026-27 season.
| Teams that qualify | 16 out of 32 |
|---|---|
| Teams per conference | 8 |
| Automatic berths | The top three finishers in each of the four divisions, which is 12 teams |
| Wild cards | 2 per conference, which is 4 teams |
| Rounds | 4: First Round, Second Round, Conference Final, Stanley Cup Final |
| Series length | Best-of-seven in every round |
| Games needed to win the Cup | 16 |
| Maximum games a team can play | 28 |
| Bracket | Fixed. There is no reseeding between rounds |
| Home ice, rounds 1 and 2 | The team that finished higher in the regular-season standings |
| Home ice, Conference Final and Cup Final | The team with the better regular-season record, regardless of seed |
| Home game pattern | 2-2-1-1-1. Higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 |
| Overtime | Full 20-minute sudden-death periods at 5-on-5, repeated until someone scores |
| Shootouts | None. Shootouts do not exist in the playoffs |
| Regular-season points | 2 for a win, 1 for an overtime or shootout loss, 0 for a regulation loss |
| First tiebreaker | Regulation wins, then regulation plus overtime wins |
| Current format introduced | 2013-14, alongside the league’s realignment into four divisions |
| Only exception since | 2020, when a temporary play-in round was used because of the pandemic |
| Trophy for best regular season | The Presidents’ Trophy, which is separate from the playoffs |
| 2026 champions | Carolina Hurricanes, who beat the Vegas Golden Knights in six games |
How Teams Qualify:
The qualifications are divided based on divisional rather than conference criteria, which explains most of the idiosyncrasies of the system. There are four divisions from which the top three from each make up twelve of the sixteen teams. The other four slots are wildcards: in each conference, the top two points-getters that do not qualify as top three from their divisions.
A team earns points in the regular season; they get two points for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and zero points for a regulation loss. If there is a tie in points, the tiebreaker is regular season wins followed by wins in regulation and overtime.
How the First Round Matchups Are Set:
This is the one you should read twice, for it is not a simple one-on-eight battle. Each division’s winner gets paired with the other in their conference, and the better record division winner will face the second wild card (the lesser of the two wild cards). The other division winner will face the first wild card. The last two series will be all divisions’ affairs – in each of the divisions, second place will play third place.
A Real Example:
In 2026, the two division winners in the Western conference were Colorado and Vegas. Colorado won their division with the better record and therefore got the West second wildcard spot, the Los Angeles Kings. Therefore, the Vegas Wild got the first wild card spot against the Utah Mammoth. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild played against each other. This example shows one of the worst aspects of this format, which is discussed below.
The Fixed Bracket:
Once the initial round has been drawn, there are no changes to the bracket in subsequent rounds. This means that the two teams winning their first round games on the same side of the bracket will play each other in the second round, irrespective of how well they played before the playoffs. A team making it to the next round by virtue of winning the wildcard round will not switch sides.
This was a conscious decision made when this format was implemented in 2013-14. This ensures divisional rivalries in the initial rounds since the first two rounds will essentially be played inside divisions. The NHL likes that, but it also results in the things that fans don’t like.
The Four Rounds:
The postseason runs through four rounds, all best-of-seven.
- First Round: 16 teams, eight series. Winners advance.
- Second Round, sometimes called the Division Final: eight teams, four series.
- Conference Final: four teams, two series. The winners become conference champions.
- Stanley Cup Final: the Eastern and Western champions meet for the Cup.
A team must win four series to take the Cup, which is 16 wins. If every series went the distance, a champion would play 28 games, on top of an 84-game regular season.
Home Ice Advantage:
Home ice for teams depends on the round, making it confusing for many. For the first two rounds, it is assigned based on the teams that performed better in their regular season rankings. For the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals, it is awarded to the team that had a better record during their regular seasons. There is a 2-2-1-1-1 format for games. The team with the home ice gets to host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. The opponent hosts Games 3, 4 and 6.
Playoff Overtime Rules:
Playoff OT is nothing like regular season OT; this is why people stay up till 2 am in April. No shootouts here. In case of a tie after 60 minutes, two 20-minute sudden death periods are played at five-on-five with an intermission in between. In case nobody scores, there is another period and yet another one. The game ends only if somebody manages to score, be it in the first or sixth period. The three-on-three OT and shootout from the regular season have no bearing on playoff games.
Why the Format Gets Criticised:
This criticism is justified and it has merit since the system favors teams winning divisions over those that have a good record, and sometimes forces top teams to knock each other out in the opening round.
The Western Conference of 2026 is a perfect example of that in recent years. The Vegas Golden Knights won the Pacific Division but ended up with 95 points, fourth-best in the whole conference. Meanwhile, Minnesota and Dallas had better records with 104 points and knocked out each other due to their placement behind Colorado in the Central Division. As a result, one of the two best teams of the conference in terms of record was eliminated right away, while the other team with nine points less got an easier schedule.
Under the one-through-eight conference seeding system, this would not be possible. The argument from the league’s perspective is that divisional matchups promote rivalries and television interest, as Gary Bettman admitted publicly.
Watch Out for Invented Playoff Formats Online:
This should be stated since misinformation about this subject matter has been especially rampant. One particular site presently provides a 2026 playoff guide stating that the NHL expanded into six teams per conference, and that the top four in each division qualify automatically, and the first round is best-of-five. All of this is incorrect information. The teams participating are sixteen in total, not per conference, the top three in each division qualify, and every round is best-of-seven.
Any source stating a different playoff format than what is mentioned above must first be checked at NHL.com before being believed. The invented formats have been prevalent since they appear authoritative.
Recent Changes Worth Knowing:
The format of the play-off has remained the same; however, there have been two rules introduced under the current collective bargaining agreement. There is now a salary cap in place for the postseason, and there have been amendments to the rules regarding long-term injury. Under these new rules, teams will only receive full salary cap relief if the injured player is deemed unavailable until the end of the season and the playoffs. This was done in response to the tendency of some teams to put their highest-salaried player on long-term injury and use them only in the playoffs. There is now also an extended regular season, which is 84 games for the 2026-27 season.
Final Take:
Teams: Sixteen Teams; Rounds: Four Rounds; All best-of-seven; Wins Required for Cup: Sixteen Wins for the Cup; How Qualify for Playoffs: Twelve teams qualified through division standings and four as wildcards. Bracket Set In Stone: Yes, first two rounds are divisional; Overtime Policy: Overtime until someone scores. The playoffs have an actual flaw that the critics have every right to bring up. And it isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How many teams make the NHL playoffs?
Sixteen out of 32, with eight from each conference. Twelve qualify by finishing in the top three of their division and four enter as wild cards.
How do NHL wild cards work?
Each conference has two wild card spots, awarded to the two teams with the most points that did not finish in the top three of their division. The first wild card plays the weaker division winner and the second wild card plays the stronger one.
Are NHL playoff series best-of-seven?
Yes, in all four rounds. A team needs four wins to take a series and 16 wins in total to lift the Stanley Cup.
Does the NHL reseed the playoff bracket?
No. The bracket is fixed once the first round is set, so winners advance to a predetermined position rather than being matched against the highest remaining seed.
Is there a shootout in the NHL playoffs?
No. Playoff games go to full 20-minute sudden-death overtime periods at five-on-five, repeated as many times as needed until someone scores.
Who gets home ice advantage in the NHL playoffs?
In the first two rounds, the team that finished higher in the standings. In the Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final, the team with the better regular-season record regardless of seed. Home games follow a 2-2-1-1-1 pattern.
How many games are in the NHL playoffs?
A team must win 16 games to take the Cup. If every series went to seven games, a champion would play 28 postseason games.
What is the first NHL playoff tiebreaker?
Regulation wins, followed by regulation plus overtime wins.
When was the current NHL playoff format introduced?
In 2013-14, when the league realigned into four divisions. The only exception since was 2020, when a temporary play-in round was used because of the pandemic.
Also read about: How Many NHL Teams Are There? The Full 2026-27 Answer
