2025 NHL Playoff Bracket: How does it work?

2025 NHL Playoff Bracket

The 2024-2025 NHL playoff bracket is set after the regular season on April 17, 2025. The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs begin on Saturday, April 19, and end with the 2025 Stanley Cup finals will be held on Monday, June 23, 2025.

The 32 teams are playing in the league divided into two conferences of 16 teams and four divisions of 4 teams. Each division’s top three teams make the playoffs automatically. For each conference, two additional teams also qualify for the playoffs selected by the highest overall records out of the remaining teams. These teams will play in the wild-card round. Only 8 teams from each conference can clinch the playoffs and the rest will be eliminated from the postseason rounds.

2025 NHL Playoff Bracket and Seeds:

Eastern Conference:

  1. Washington Capitals
  2. Toronto Maple Leafs
  3. Tampa Bay Lightning
  4. Carolina Hurricanes
  5. Florida Panthers
  6. New Jersey Devils
  7. WC 1. Ottawa Senators
  8. WC 2. Montreal Canadiens
  • (A-1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators (WC-1)
  • (A-2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers (A-3)
  • (M-1) Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens (WC-2)
  • (M-2) Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils (M-3)

Note: Metropolitan Division – M, Atlantic Division – A, Wild Card – WC

Western Conference:

  1. Winnipeg Jets
  2. Vegas Golden Knights
  3. Dallas Stars
  4. Los Angeles Kings
  5. Colorado Avalanche
  6. Edmonton Oilers
  7. WC 1 . Minnesota Wild
  8. WC 2. St. Louis Blues
  • (C-1) Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues (WC-2)
  • (C-2) Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche (C-3)
  • (P-1) Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild (WC-1)
  • (P-2) Los Angeles Kings vs Edmonton Oilers (P-3)

Note: Central Division – C, Pacific Division – P, Wild Card – WC

2025 NHL Finals Schedule:

How NHL Playoffs format does work?

We know that there are 8 teams from each conference, a total of 16 teams that will make the playoffs each year, while it actually depends on two divisions Metropolitan, and Atlantic in the East and two divisions Central, and Pacific in the West.

That means, 8 team teams from each conference will come up from two divisions. The top 4 teams from the Metropolitan and the top 4 teams from the Atlantic divisions will make the playoff in the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, the top 4 teams from the Central and the top 4 teams from the Pacific divisions will make the playoff in the Western Conference.

How the game plan does work in the playoffs?

In the Round 1 best four winners of the 7-game series, the No.1 seeded team in both Conferences will play against the 4th seeded team, and the 2nd seeded team will face the 3rd seed in the same division.

In the first round’s playoffs, the division winners between, 1 vs. 4, and 2 vs. 3 will make the second round in both conferences. Then the winners will play in the conference finals and two conference champions will meet up in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The matchups between the two teams will play for the best of seven series where must need to win four games. In this series of both East and West conferences, the 2-2-1-1-1 format will work, where the top-seeded team will earn the home first two games, then two away, back to home, and the last one at home.

2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule format does work by seed?

Eastern Conference Schedule: First Round Results

  • (A1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators (WC1): Leafs won series 4-2
  • (A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs (A3) Florida Panthers: Panthers won series 4-1
  • (M1) Washington Capitals vs (WC2) Montreal Canadiens: Capitals won series 4-1
  • (M2) Carolina Hurricanes vs (M3) New Jersey Devils: Hurricanes won series 4-1

Western Conference Schedule: First Round

  • (C1) Winnipeg Jets vs (WC2) St. Louis Blues: Jets won series 4-3
  • (C2) Dallas Stars vs (C3) Colorado Avalanche: Stars won series 4-3
  • (P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs (WC1) Minnesota Wild: Knights won series 4-2
  • (P2) Los Angeles Kings vs (P3) Edmonton Oilers: Oilers won series 4-2

Eastern Round 2 Matchups and Results

  • (A1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs (A3) Florida Panthers: Panthers Lead series 3-2
  • (M1) Washington Capitals vs (M2) Carolina Hurricanes: Hurricanes won series 4-1

Western Round 2 Matchups and Results

  • (C1) Winnipeg Jets vs (C2) Dallas Stars : Stars lead series 3-2
  • (P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs (P3) Edmonton Oilers : Oilers won series 4-1

Conference Finals Game Schedule:

  • (M2) Carolina Hurricanes vs A1 or A3
  • (P3) Edmonton Oilers vs C1 or C2

When are the Stanley Cup Finals 2025?

The Eastern Conference Champion and the Western Conference Champion will play in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals from June 3 to June 23.