Sixteen NHL teams. Four rounds of best-of-seven series. Sudden-death overtime that never ends until someone scores. Hockey's ultimate prize — and arguably the most intense playoff format in professional sports.
The most demanding championship run in professional sports.
To win the Stanley Cup, a team must win four consecutive series — each a best-of-seven — requiring a minimum of 16 wins over a period that can stretch nearly two months. No other major North American championship demands this many wins from its champion. The path is designed to reward the best teams, not just the hottest ones — though hot teams certainly benefit from the momentum that builds across a long run.
Every playoff game that is tied after regulation goes to sudden-death overtime: full 20-minute periods of five-on-five hockey, no shootout, until someone scores. The first goal ends the game immediately. This rule creates moments of extraordinary tension — games that stretch past midnight, goalies making 50 saves, and exhausted players digging deep for one more shift. The overtime goal-scorer becomes an instant legend in their city.
The Eastern and Western Conferences run parallel brackets from Round 1 through their respective Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference Champion and Western Conference Champion meet in the Stanley Cup Final for the championship. This means teams from opposite coasts may not face each other until the final round — building anticipation for the biggest matchup in hockey.
The playoffs come with rituals that make the experience richer for fans. Players grow "playoff beards" from the first game until they win or are eliminated — a tradition of superstition and solidarity. Fans wear white for "white-out" crowds in certain cities. And at the end of every series, both teams line up to shake hands — a sportsmanship tradition unique to hockey that persists even after the fiercest battles.
Eight series, 16 teams — all started April 18, 2026.
Start here — everything you need to follow along.
All first-round series dates, game times, TV channels, and the full playoff bracket through the Stanley Cup Final.
Who qualified, how they got here, key players to watch, and what makes each franchise's playoff run interesting — East and West.
Seeding explained, the 2-2-1-1-1 format, overtime rules, home ice advantage, and how a team goes from first round to Stanley Cup champion.
The Stanley Cup's remarkable story — from 1893 to the present. Great dynasties, legendary moments, and the traditions that surround hockey's ultimate prize.
Never watched an NHL game? The hockey hub explains how the game works, the league structure, and the playoff format in plain English — start here.
Tied after 60 minutes? In the playoffs, there are no shootouts. Full 20-minute periods of five-on-five sudden death continue until someone scores. Games can go through the night.
The Stanley Cup is the most unique trophy in professional sports. Unlike the Lombardi Trophy or the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, the Stanley Cup itself travels with the winning team. Every player, coach, and team staff member gets to spend a private day with the Cup during the off-season — taking it to their hometown, their family, their favourite spot. It has visited beaches, farms, pubs, and mountains. One player took it to his hometown in the Czech Republic. Another baptized his child in it. The Cup has a life that belongs to the people who won it.