NHL standings 2026: Updated Stanley Cup playoff bracket, clinching scenarios through April 4

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The end of the 2025-2026 NHL regular season is approaching, but worry not, fans, playoff hockey rises above all other sports, so some of the most exciting action of the entire year is almost upon us.

Sixteen teams, eight from each conference, will make the playoff field. The final games of the regular season are scheduled for Thursday, April 16, with the first-round playoff matchups set to begin the following weekend. The Stanley Cup Finals will be held in June, giving us almost two months of playoff hockey.

The Florida Panthers won the 2025 Stanley Cup, the franchise's second consecutive trophy. Ironically, they played the Edmonton Oilers both years. With two weeks left in the regular season, the Panthers are sitting outside of the playoff picture, suggesting there will likely be a new champion crowned in 2026.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

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NHL playoff bracket 2026​

Bracket as of results on April 4

Eastern Conference

(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (WC1) Boston Bruins

(A2) Montreal Canadiens s. (A3) Buffalo Sabres

(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC2) Ottawa Senators

(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (M3) Philadelphia Flyers

Western Conference

(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Nashville Predators

(C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C3) Minnesota Wild

(P1) Edmonton Oilers vs. (WC1) Utah Mammoth

(P2) Anaheim Ducks vs. (P3) Vegas Golden Knights

NHL standings 2026​

The tables below will be updated with the latest NHL standings on a daily basis until the playoffs begin (current through April 4).

Eastern Conference​

Atlantic Division

Seed	Team	Games	Record	Points
1	Lightning	76	48-22-6	102
2	Canadiens	76	45-21-10	100
3	Sabres	77	46-23-6	100

Metropolitan Division

Seed	Team	Games	Record	Points
1	Hurricanes - X	77	49-22-6	104
2	Penguins	78	40-22-16	96
3	Flyers	77	39-26-12	90

Wild Card

Seed	Team	Games	Record	Points
1	Bruins	78	43-26-9	95
2	Senators	77	40-27-10	90
Islanders	78	42-31-5	89
Red Wings	77	40-26-8	88
Blue Jackets	77	38-27-12	88
Capitals	77	39-29-9	87
Devils	76	39-34-3	81
Maple Leafs-E	77	32-31-14	78
Panthers-E	77	37-37-3	77
Rangers - E	77	32-36-9	73

X = clinched playoff
E = eliminated

Western Conference​

Central Division

Seed	Team	Games	Record	Points
1	Avalanche -X	75	50-15-10	110
2	Stars - X	77	45-20-12	102
3	Wild - X	77	44-21-12	100

Pacific Division

Seed	Team	Games	Record	Points
1	Oilers	77	39-29-9	87
2	Ducks	77	41-31-5	87
3	Golden Knights	77	35-26-16	86

Wild Card

Seed	Team	Games	Record	Points
1	Mammoth	76	40-30-6	86
2	Predators	76	36-31-9	81
Kings	76	31-26-19	81
Sharks	75	36-32-7	79
Jets	76	33-31-12	78
Blues	75	32-31-12	76
Kraken	75	32-32-11	75
Flames	76	32-36-8	72
Blackhawks - E	77	28-35-14	70
Canucks - E	76	22-46-8	52

X = clinched playoff
E = eliminated

NHL clinching scenarios today​

There are 7 games on the slate for Sunday, April 5.

Needing one point to clinch the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Ottawa Senators.

The Montreal Canadiens clinched a playoff birth after the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Minnesota Wild.

The Colorado Avalanche can clinch the Central Division title and home-ice through the Western Conference playoffs with a win over the St. Louis Blues.

When do the NHL playoffs start?​

• Start date: Saturday, April 18

The first round of the NHL playoffs is expected to start on Saturday, April 18, two days after the culmination of the regular season.

MORE: Golden Knights making shocking move to fire Bruce Cassidy, hire John Tortorella

How will the 2026 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.

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