🏁
Round 1
Conference Quarterfinals
8 series
16 teams → 8
Began April 18
⚔️
Round 2
Conference Semifinals
4 series
8 teams → 4
~May 6
🥇
Round 3
Conference Finals
2 series
4 teams → 2
~May 22
🏆
Round 4
Stanley Cup Final
1 series
2 teams → Champion
Begins June 4
Series A — Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres
Game 1
Boston Bruins at TD Garden
April 19 · Boston, MA · ESPN/TVA Sports
Game 2
Boston Bruins at TD Garden
April 21 · Boston, MA · TNT/TVA Sports
Games 3 & 4
Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center
April 23 & April 25 · Buffalo, NY · TBS/ESPN2
Games 5–7
If necessary — home ice alternates per 2-2-1-1-1 format
Dates and times announced as series progresses
Series B — Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators
Game 1
Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena
April 18 · Raleigh, NC · ESPN/TVA Sports — Opened Round 1
Games 2–4
Raleigh (Games 2) then Ottawa (Games 3–4)
April 20 (Raleigh) · April 22 & 24 (Ottawa) · Various networks
Games 5–7
If necessary — home ice alternates per 2-2-1-1-1 format
Dates and times announced as series progresses
Series C — Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
Games 1–2
Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena
April 18 & April 20 · Tampa, FL · ESPN/TNT
Games 3–4
Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre
April 22 & April 24 · Montreal, QC · TVA Sports/ESPN2
Games 5–7
If necessary — home ice alternates per 2-2-1-1-1 format
Dates and times announced as series progresses
Series D — Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Games 1–2
Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena
April 19 & April 22 · Pittsburgh, PA · ESPN
Games 3–4
Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center
April 25 & April 27 · Philadelphia, PA · TBS
Games 5–7
If necessary — home ice alternates per 2-2-1-1-1 format
Dates and times announced as series progresses
Series E — Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks
Games 1–2
Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place
April 18 & April 20 · Edmonton, AB · ESPN/Sportsnet
Games 3–4
Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center
April 22 & April 24 · Anaheim, CA · TNT/Sportsnet
Games 5–7
If necessary — home ice alternates per 2-2-1-1-1 format
Dates and times announced as series progresses
Series F — Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild
Games 1–2
Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center
April 19 & April 21 · Dallas, TX · ESPN2/TNT
Games 3–4
Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center
April 23 & April 26 · St. Paul, MN · TBS/ESPN2
Games 5–7
If necessary — home ice alternates per 2-2-1-1-1 format
Dates and times announced as series progresses
Series G — Vegas Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth
Games 1–2
Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena
April 18 & April 20 · Las Vegas, NV · ESPN/TNT
Games 3–4
Utah Mammoth at Delta Center
April 22 & April 24 · Salt Lake City, UT · TBS/ESPN2
Games 5–7
If necessary — home ice alternates per 2-2-1-1-1 format
Dates and times announced as series progresses
Series H — Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings
Games 1–2
Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena
April 21 & April 23 · Denver, CO · ESPN/TNT
Games 3–4
Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena
April 26 & April 28 · Los Angeles, CA · TBS/ESPN2
Games 5–7
If necessary — home ice alternates per 2-2-1-1-1 format
Dates and times announced as series progresses
Round 2 — Conference Semifinals
~May 6
Conference Semifinals Begin
Four series — Eastern Conference Semis and Western Conference Semis. Matchups determined by who advances from Round 1. Bracket is pre-set (no reseeding).
Round 3 — Conference Finals
~May 22
Conference Finals Begin
Two series — the Eastern Conference Final and the Western Conference Final. The winners become the two Stanley Cup Finalists.
Round 4 — Stanley Cup Final
June 4
🏆 Stanley Cup Final — Game 1
Eastern Conference Champion vs. Western Conference Champion. Best-of-seven. Home ice to higher-seeded finalist. Series ends no later than June 21.
ESPN / ABC (USA)
Primary US broadcast partner. ESPN carries many early-round games; ABC carries select high-profile matchups and Stanley Cup Final games.
TNT / TBS / Max (USA)
Turner's networks carry a significant share of playoff games. Max (streaming) carries all TNT/TBS games for cord-cutters.
Sportsnet / TVA Sports (Canada)
Canada's primary hockey broadcasters carry essentially all playoff games — especially vital for Canadian teams like Edmonton, Ottawa, and Montreal.
🔌 Streaming Options
ESPN+ and Max both offer streaming access to playoff games carried on their respective networks. Check your local cable or streaming provider for full listings. International viewers can access coverage via NHL.tv or local broadcast agreements in their region.