The pinnacle of the NHL season, 16 teams battle it out for supremacy in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2027 Stanley Cup playoffs start date
The Stanley Cup playoff schedule for 2027 is yet to be confirmed though they will most likely begin in April and run until the final in June as usual, spanning across nine weeks or so.
2027 Stanley Cup playoff teams
The teams for the 2027 Stanley Cup will be determined over the course of the regular season, with six teams from each of the two conferences advancing, together with four wildcards.
2026 Finalists
The 2026 final was contested by the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights, with the Hurricanes prevailing 4-2.
2027 Stanley Cup playoffs schedule
The playoffs commenced with the First Round, which started in April, before the Second Round took place in early May.
The Second round victors then advanced to the Conference Finals, which were held in late-May, with the Stanley Cup Finals pencilled in for June.
Stanley Cup Finals schedule
The full schedule for 2027 is yet to be confirmed, though it is expected that the playoffs will start in April and the finals will be seven days in June next year.
2027 Stanley Cup playoffs format
There are four rounds in the Stanley Cup playoffs: First Round, Second Round, Conference Finals and Finals.
Competing in a best-of-seven, each series is played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with the better record will receive home advantage in Games 1, 2, 5, and 7.
With eight teams from each conference, the 16 competitors are seeded in the first round i.e. the top team in the conference will play the second wildcard team.
In the next round, teams are not reseeded and the victors in the second round will face off in the conference finals. Each conference winner will then meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Stanley Cup history
The Florida Panthers have won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, despite their first of the two, in 2023/24 being their maiden victory.
Colorado Avalanche were triumphant in 2022, sealing their third Stanley Cup and maintaining their status as the only team in history with a 100% record in the Finals.
Montreal Canadiens are by far and away the most successful team in NHL history, making 35 Finals appearances and winning 24 titles, though their last success was all the way back in 1993.
Toronto Maple Leafs, who haven't reached the Finals since 1967, are second on the all-time list with 13 Stanley Cups, ahead of Detroit Red Wings on 11.
Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks are the most successful teams in the 21st century, winning three Stanley Cups apiece.
Most Stanley Cups
Titles | Finals Appearances | |
Montreal Canadiens | 24 | 35 |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 | 21 |
Detroit Red Wings | 11 | 24 |
Boston Bruins | 6 | 20 |
Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | 13 |
Edmonton Oilers | 5 | 8 |
Pittsburgh Penguins | 5 | 6 |
New York Rangers | 4 | 11 |
New York Islanders | 4 | 5 |
