{"id":610730,"date":"2026-04-17T18:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T18:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/610730\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T18:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T18:22:14","slug":"the-nhls-playoff-format-is-awful-and-it-needs-to-change-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/610730\/","title":{"rendered":"The NHL’s Playoff Format Is Awful, and It Needs to Change\u2014Here’s How"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are set<\/a> to get underway on Saturday. As seedings get finalized, we\u2019ve reached the point in the year where hockey fans, both casual and die-hard, come forth with a plethora of questions about the league\u2019s slightly bizarre playoff format. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a poorly structured system that many fans aren\u2019t too fond of. And for good reason. Before explaining what\u2019s wrong with the setup, let\u2019s briefly go over how seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs works. <\/p>\n

NHL Stanley Cup playoffs seeding format<\/p>\n

Sixteen of the NHL\u2019s 32 teams will qualify for the playoffs, including eight from both the Western and Eastern conferences. The top three teams from each of the league\u2019s four divisions make up the first 12 playoff seeds, while the final two seeds in each conference are determined by the wild-card race.<\/p>\n

The division winner with the best record in each conference will face off against the lower of the conference\u2019s two wild-card teams, while the second division winner matches up with the better of the two wild-card teams. For example, this year the Avalanche and Golden Knights won the two Western Conference divisions. Because Colorado had a better record overall, it will face the West\u2019s bottom wild-card team\u2013\u2013the Kings\u2013\u2013in the first round, while the Knights will play the conference\u2019s top wild card team, the Mammoth. <\/p>\n

The rest of the first round matchups are determined by division, wherein the second and third-placed teams in each division will face off in the opening round. They\u2019ll be in the section of the bracket in which the winner of their division is the No. 1 seed.<\/p>\n

2025-26 NHL playoff bracket<\/p>\n

The NHL playoff bracket is split into four sections, each representing a division. Here\u2019s how it would shape up if the season ended today: <\/p>\n

WEST:
(C1) Avalanche vs. (WC2) Kings
(C2) Stars vs. (C3) Wild<\/p>\n

(P1) Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Mammoth
(P2) Oilers vs. (P3) Ducks<\/p>\n

EAST:
(M1) Hurricanes vs. (WC2) Senators
(M2) Penguins vs. (M3) Flyers<\/p>\n

(A1) Sabres vs. (WC1) Bruins
(A2) Lightning vs. (A3) Canadiens<\/p>\n

Why the Stanley Cup playoffs format needs to change<\/p>\n

The NHL\u2019s unique playoff format comes with its share of pros and cons. The format causes divisional rivals to meet in the opening round, which has resulted in many repeat matchups over the past few years. Most notably, the Kings and Oilers have met in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. That\u2019s exciting in that it enhances their rivalry on a yearly basis, but seeing the same two teams meet in the opening round can also get a bit stale, and also takes away the opportunity for fans to see some other intriguing matchups. <\/p>\n

Additionally, 2026 is prime example of how the current format overvalues winning the division. The Golden Knights\u2019 95 points are the most in the Pacific Division, but in the Western Conference as a whole, Vegas has just the fourth-best record. The Wild and Stars, who placed second and third in the Central Division behind the Avs respectively, both fared significantly better than the Knights in the regular season. Despite that, Dallas and Minnesota will meet in the first round, meaning one of them will be bounced early in the playoffs despite an exceptional regular season. <\/p>\n

The NHL\u2019s playoff format effectively penalizes teams that succeed in the regular season but fail to win their division. The Wild, who had 104 points in the regular season, will be a No. 3 seed in their section of the bracket, and are effectively treated like a No. 6 seed in the West because they\u2019ll likely face the President\u2019s Trophy-winning Avs in round two. <\/p>\n

The same problem exists for the East, wherein four of the best five teams in the conference are all in the Atlantic Division. The Penguins and Flyers are slated to meet in the opening round of play, due to the fact that they finished second and third respectively in the Metro division. If the NHL seeded its playoff teams by overall record? Pittsburgh and Philadelphia would be the final two teams in the playoffs as the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds. Rather than face the top teams in the conference, the two playoff teams with the worst record are now meeting in the opening round, exposing a significant flaw in the current system. Somehow, in the current NHL landscape, the worst playoff teams are being awarded the easiest matchups. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes, who were the top team in the East, will now face the Senators (No. 6 seed) in the first round, somehow winding up with a more difficult opening-round matchup than both the Flyers and Penguins.<\/p>\n

Clearly, there are some glaring issues with the current NHL playoff format. So, what\u2019s the fix? <\/p>\n

How to fix the Stanley Cup playoffs<\/p>\n

The NHL needs to revert back to its old playoff format, one which essentially mirrors that of the NBA\u2019s postseason, not including the play-in tournament. It\u2019s the system they moved away from starting in the 2013-14 season, as the league aimed to up the ante on rivalries between divisional foes.<\/p>\n

Division winners should both be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but they should not be guaranteed a top-two seed. Additionally, there should be no automatic playoff bids for coming in second and third in your respective division. Instead, outside of the conference winner, the remaining seven teams should be ranked in the order of their regular-season records. <\/p>\n

The Golden Knights winning the Pacific Division is a big accomplishment, but they didn\u2019t have as strong of a regular season as some of the teams ranked below them. Winning the division should serve as a means of guaranteeing a spot in the playoffs, but nothing more. That would make it a more level playing field for teams that participated in a stronger division and still performed well, while not rewarding those who managed to cling onto the top spot of a weaker division.<\/p>\n

If the NHL seeded its teams one to eight, here\u2019s how things would tentatively look in the West:<\/p>\n

1. Avalanche
2. Stars
3. Wild
4. Golden Knights
5. Mammoth
6. Oilers
7. Ducks
8. Kings<\/p>\n

The first-round matchups would be as follows: Avalanche vs. Kings, Stars vs. Ducks, Wild vs. Oilers and Golden Knights vs. Mammoth. <\/p>\n

And here\u2019s how it would tentatively look for the East: <\/p>\n

1. Hurricanes
2. Sabres
3. Lightning
4. Canadiens
5. Bruins
6. Senators
7. Penguins
8. Flyers<\/p>\n

The first-round matchups would be as follows: Hurricanes vs. Senators, Sabres vs. Flyers, Lightning vs. Penguins and Canadiens vs. Bruins. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a more balanced format that would result in a much higher chance of the top teams meeting in the conference finals. Instead, the top three teams in the Western Conference will meet before the end of round two, and only one will qualify for the conference finals.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, if the league is determined to award division winners a guaranteed top-2 seed in the playoffs, seeding the remaining six teams in each conference by their record would be a way to re-balance things and still provide a seeding that adequately correlates to the strength of each team\u2019s regular season.<\/p>\n

The changes the NHL needs to make are nothing new in postseasons across major sports leagues, but prioritizing divisional rivalries more than the results of the regular season just leads to more confusion and disgruntled fan bases than anything. <\/p>\n

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