NHL 2026/27 Season: Schedule, Key Dates & Complete Preview

The NHL has run since 1917, making it one of the oldest professional sports leagues in North America, and the Stanley Cup it awards predates the league itself. Here's how the 2026/27 season is structured. If IPTV terminology is new to you, our IPTV basics guide covers the basics.

Regular Season Format

32 teams split across two conferences and four divisions play an 82-game regular season running from October through mid-April, with the schedule weighted toward divisional and conference opponents.

Playoff Format

Sixteen teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs — the top three in each of the four divisions, plus two wild-card teams per conference. Every round is a best-of-seven series, starting within divisions before moving to conference finals and finally the Stanley Cup Final between the two conference champions.

Key Dates

The season typically opens in early-to-mid October and runs through mid-April, followed by roughly two months of playoffs with the Stanley Cup Final usually concluding in June. Exact matchup dates come from the league's official schedule release each year.

FAQ

How many teams make the playoffs? Sixteen total — half the league, drawn from divisional leaders and conference wild cards.

Why does the format prioritize divisional matchups? It's designed to build rivalries and reward strong divisional performance before the bracket opens up to cross-conference matchups in later rounds.

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