The 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin on Saturday, April 19, 2025, following the conclusion of the regular season on April 17. The postseason will culminate with the Stanley Cup Finals, scheduled to conclude no later than June 23, 2025.
NHL Playoff Format
The NHL playoffs feature 16 teams: the top three teams from each of the four divisions, along with two wild card teams from each conference. The playoff structure consists of four rounds, each being a best-of-seven series. The home-ice advantage follows a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
If playoffs started today
Eastern Conference
(1A) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (WC1) Ottawa Senators
(2A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3A) Florida Panthers
(1M) Washington Capitals vs. (WC2) Montreal Canadiens
(2M) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3M) New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
(1P) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Minnesota Wild
(2P) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3P) Edmonton Oilers
(1C) Winnipeg Jets vs. (WC2) St. Louis Blues
(2C) Dallas Stars vs. (3C) Colorado Avalanche
How to Watch the 2025 NHL Playoffs
United States:
- ABC
- ESPN & ESPN2
- TNT & TBS
- truTV
Canada:
- CBC
- Sportsnet
- TVA Sports (French-language coverage)
Streaming Options:
- ESPN+
- Hulu + Live TV
- YouTube TV
- DirecTV Stream
- Sling TV
- Max (for TNT Sports games)
Notable Storylines
- The Winnipeg Jets clinched the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
- The Ottawa Senators return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
- For the first time ever, all four U.S.-based Original Six teams (Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers) missed the playoffs in the same season.
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