Hockey fans, the most wonderful time of the year has arrived: the Stanley Cup playoffs. And the 2025 version might be as good as ever, with what looks like a wide-open race going into the postseason.
Sixteen teams have the same quest: to take home Lord Stanley’s Cup. Only one will emerge victorious and etch its name into NHL history.
MORE: Watch the 2025 NHL playoffs on ESPN with Fubo
The reigning champion Panthers look to become the first back-to-back champs since the Sunshine State-rival Lightning won in 2020 and 2021. The Avalanche, Stanley Cup winners in 2022, will also be in the mix, as will the 2023-champion Golden Knights.
Other storylines include Connor McDavid trying to win his first Cup with the Oilers, all-time NHL scoring leader Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals vying to put an exclamation point on a strong season, and the breakout Blues looking to continue the torrid run they mounted in the final months of the regular season.
Excited to watch some postseason hockey? Here’s the full schedule for every series of the 2025 NHL Playoffs.
2025 NHL playoffs schedule
First Round — Eastern Conference
Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens (M1 vs. WC2)
| Gm. | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/stream |
| 1 | Apr. 21 | WAS | 4 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 2 | Apr. 23 | WAS | 4 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 3 | Apr. 25 | MON | 4 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| 4 | Apr. 27 | MON | 3:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 5* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils (M2 vs. M3)
| Gm. | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/stream |
| 1 | Apr. 20 | CAR | 12:00 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 2 | Apr. 22 | CAR | 3 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 3 | Apr. 25 | NJ | 5 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 4 | Apr. 27 | NJ | 12:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 5* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators (A1 vs. WC1)
| Gm. | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/stream |
| 1 | Apr. 20 | TOR | 4 p.m. | ESPN2, Fubo |
| 2 | Apr. 22 | TOR | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN2, Fubo |
| 3 | Apr. 24 | OTT | 4 p.m. | ESPN2, Fubo |
| 4 | Apr. 26 | OTT | 4 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 5* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers (A2 vs. A3)
| Gm. | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/stream |
| 1 | Apr. 22 | TB | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 2 | Apr. 24 | TB | 3:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 3 | Apr. 26 | FLO | 10 a.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 4 | Apr. 28 | FLO | TBD | TBD |
| 5* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues (C1 vs. WC2)
| Gm. | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/stream |
| 1 | Apr. 19 | WPG | 3 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| 2 | Apr. 21 | WPG | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN2, Fubo |
| 3 | Apr. 24 | STL | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN2, Fubo |
| 4 | Apr. 27 | STL | 10 a.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 5* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche (C2 vs. C3)
| Gm. | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/stream |
| 1 | Apr. 19 | DAL | 5:30 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| 2 | Apr. 21 | DAL | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 3 | Apr. 23 | COL | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 4 | Apr. 26 | COL | 6:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 5* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild (P1 vs. WC1)
| Gm. | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/stream |
| 1 | Apr. 20 | LV | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 2 | Apr. 22 | LV | 8 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| 3 | Apr. 24 | MIN | 6 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 4 | Apr. 26 | MIN | 1 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 5* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers (P2 vs. P3)
| Gm. | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/stream |
| 1 | Apr. 21 | LA | 7 p.m. | ESPN2, Fubo |
| 2 | Apr. 23 | LA | 7 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 3 | Apr. 25 | EDM | 7 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| 4 | Apr. 27 | EDM | 6:30 p.m. | TBS, Sling |
| 5* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
What channel is the 2025 NHL playoffs on?
- TV channels (U.S.): ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, TruTV, ABC
- TV channels (Canada): Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports
The NHL playoffs will be split in the United States between the ESPN family of networks and Turner family channels. The two media corporations are in the fourth year of their seven-year contracts with the league.
In Canada, all the playoff games will be aired on Sportsnet and CBC and TVA Sports in French.
How to stream the 2025 NHL playoffs
- Live stream (U.S.): ESPN+, Fubo, Sling
- Live stream (Canada): SN NOW, CBC Gem
Fans in the United States looking to stream the NHL playoffs have options. Games on ESPN’s platforms can be streamed through ESPN+ and Fubo, while games broadcast on TNT can be streamed through the TNT app and Sling.
For the Canadian audience, games on Sportsnet are available to stream on SN NOW. Any contests on CBC can be streamed through CBC Gem.
NHL Playoffs 2025 radio station
- Channels: SiriusXM channels 91, 167, 219, 220
Fans can also listen to the 2025 NHL Playoffs on SiriusXM, with live play-by-play coverage for every game of the postseason.
Postseason games will be broadcast on SXM channels 91, 167, 219 and 220 throughout the road to the Stanley Cup Final.
NHL playoff bracket 2025
SN’s NHL HQ: Live NHL scores | Updated NHL standings | Full NHL schedule
When do the NHL playoffs start?
- Start date: Saturday, April 19
The first round of the NHL playoffs starts on Saturday, April 19. The Stanley Cup Final will begin in June.
How will the 2025 NHL playoffs work?
Sixteen teams qualify for the NHL playoffs, eight from each conference. The top three teams in each division will get the top six seeds in their respective conference’s playoff bracket. The remaining two spots in each conference will be filled with the next two highest-placed finishers, regardless of division. So, theoretically, one division could send five teams to the playoffs while the other sends only three.
In the first round, the division winner with the best record in each conference will face the worst wild-card team. Then, the teams that finished second and third in their division will face off. The winners from those games will play each other in the second round. Those winners will duke it out in the conference finals, sending one representative to the Stanley Cup Finals from each conference. Each round of the playoffs is best-of-seven, so the first team to win four games will advance.
How many teams make the NHL playoffs?
In total, 16 teams make the playoffs — eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference.
For each conference, the top three teams from each division are guaranteed spots in postseason, with the winners of the divisions earning the top two seeds.
The last two playoff spots in each conference go to wild-card teams, which have the two best records out of the rest of the field. This means they can come from the same division.
How many rounds are in the NHL playoffs?
There are four rounds in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In the first round, the top team in the conference plays the second wild-card team. The other division winner takes on the first wild-card team. The No. 2 and No. 3 teams in each division face each other.
After that, the teams do not get reseeded in the second round. Rather, the series winner of the No. 2 and No. 3 teams for a division plays the winner of the series between their division winner and a wild card team
After the second round, the last two teams standing in each conference square off in the conference finals. The winner of each conference final advances to the Stanley Cup Final.
How many games are in a series?
Every series, no matter the round, will play a best-of-seven series, meaning the first team to win four games advances to the next round.
Each series is played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with the better record plays the first two games at its home arena, while its opponent hosts the next two games. The teams then alternate who hosts in the final three games of the series, if it is pushed that far.
NHL standings 2025
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
| 1 | Maple Leafs – X | 82 | 52-26-4 | 108 |
| 2 | Lightning – X | 82 | 47-27-8 | 102 |
| 3 | Panthers – X | 82 | 47-31-4 | 98 |
Metropolitan Division
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
| 1 | Capitals – X | 82 | 51-22-9 | 111 |
| 2 | Hurricanes – X | 82 | 47-30-5 | 99 |
| 3 | Devils – X | 82 | 42-33-7 | 91 |
Wild Card
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
| 1 | Senators – X | 82 | 45-30-7 | 97 |
| 2 | Canadiens -X | 82 | 40-31-11 | 91 |
| Blue Jackets – E | 82 | 40-33-9 | 89 | |
| Red Wings – E | 82 | 39-35-8 | 86 | |
| Rangers – E | 82 | 39-36-7 | 85 | |
| Islanders – E | 82 | 35-35-12 | 82 | |
| Penguins – E | 82 | 34-36-12 | 80 | |
| Sabres – E | 82 | 36-39-7 | 79 | |
| Flyers – E | 82 | 33-39-10 | 76 | |
| Bruins – E | 82 | 33-39-10 | 76 |
X = clinched playoff
E = eliminated
Western Conference
Central Division
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
| 1 | Jets – X | 82 | 56-22-4 | 116 |
| 2 | Stars – X | 82 | 50-26-6 | 106 |
| 3 | Avalanche – X | 82 | 49-29-4 | 102 |
Pacific Division
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
| 1 | Golden Knights – X | 82 | 50-22-10 | 110 |
| 2 | Kings – X | 82 | 48-25-9 | 105 |
| 3 | Oilers – X | 82 | 48-29-5 | 101 |
Wild Card
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
| 1 | Wild – X | 82 | 45-30-7 | 97 |
| 2 | Blues – X | 82 | 44-30-8 | 96 |
| Flames – E | 82 | 41-27-14 | 96 | |
| Canucks – E | 82 | 38-30-14 | 90 | |
| Utah – E | 82 | 38-31-13 | 89 | |
| Ducks – E | 82 | 35-37-10 | 80 | |
| Kraken – E | 82 | 35-41-6 | 76 | |
| Predators – E | 82 | 30-44-8 | 68 | |
| Blackhawks – E | 82 | 25-46-11 | 61 | |
| Sharks – E | 82 | 20-50-12 | 52 |
X = clinched playoff
E = eliminated
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