The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are here, and 16 teams will compete for the championship. With the regular season complete, the playoff picture is now set.
Eastern Conference
Rematch Alert: The Tampa Bay Lightning will face the Montreal Canadiens in a sequel to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. Plus, the Battle of Pennsylvania returns as the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
Atlantic Division Standings
| Seed | Team | Record | Points | First-Round Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Sabres | 50-23-9 | 109 (Y) | vs Boston Bruins |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 50-26-6 | 106 (X) | vs Montreal Canadiens |
| 3 | Montreal Canadiens | 48-24-10 | 106 (X) | vs Tampa Bay Lightning |
| WC1 | Boston Bruins | 45-27-10 | 100 (X) | vs Buffalo Sabres |
Metropolitan Division Standings
| Seed | Team | Record | Points | First-Round Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Hurricanes | 53-22-7 | 113 (Z) | vs Ottawa Senators |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 41-25-16 | 98 (X) | vs Philadelphia Flyers |
| 3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 43-27-12 | 98 | vs Pittsburgh Penguins |
| WC2 | Ottawa Senators | 44-27-11 | 99 (X) | vs Carolina Hurricanes |
Western Conference
Pacific Division Update: The Vegas Golden Knights clinched first place on Wednesday night, finishing the season on a 7-0-1 run under John Tortorella. The Los Angeles Kings avoided a fifth straight first-round clash with the Edmonton Oilers, instead facing the Colorado Avalanche. The Oilers will meet the Anaheim Ducks.
Central Division Standings
| Seed | Team | Record | Points | First-Round Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Avalanche | 55-16-11 | 121 (P) | vs Los Angeles Kings |
| 2 | Dallas Stars | 50-20-12 | 112 (X) | vs Minnesota Wild |
| 3 | Minnesota Wild | 46-24-12 | 104 (X) | vs Dallas Stars |
Pacific Division Standings
| Seed | Team | Record | Points | First-Round Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegas Golden Knights | 39-26-17 | 95 (Y) | vs Utah Mammoth |
| 2 | Edmonton Oilers | 41-30-11 | 93 (X) | vs Anaheim Ducks |
| 3 | Anaheim Ducks | 43-33-6 | 92 | vs Edmonton Oilers |
| WC1 | Utah Mammoth | 43-33-6 | 92 (X) | vs Vegas Golden Knights |
| WC2 | Los Angeles Kings | 35-27-20 | 90 (X) | vs Colorado Avalanche |
NHL Playoff Seeding Rules
How teams qualify: The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs. Each conference also has two wild-card spots.
First-round matchups: The top division winner in each conference plays the second wild card team, while the other division winner faces the first wild card team. The second and third-place teams in each division match up with each other.
Tiebreakers: Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker, followed by regulation plus overtime wins.
Note: (X) denotes clinched playoff berth; (Y) denotes clinched division; (Z) denotes clinched conference; (P) denotes clinched Presidents' Trophy.