2024 NHL Playoff Bracket: Seedings, Round 1 Matchups & Schedule

The Western Conference is set, with eight teams that have clinched a playoff spot: the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, and Los Angeles Kings

The Eastern Conference is also set now, with eight teams that have clinched: the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders and Washington Capitals.

NHL Playoff Matchups

NHL Playoff Matchups as of Apr. 18, 2024.

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NHL Playoff Schedule

The NHL 2024 Stanley Cup Final Playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 20th and will conclude on Monday, June 17th (at the latest). You can view the NHL schedule for today (and beyond) below.

It’s important to note that the original start date of the 2024 NHL Playoffs was Monday, April 22nd, but the NHL has confirmed the playoffs will instead begin on Saturday, April 20th, 2024. That is just two days after the conclusion of the NHL regular season.

How is the NHL Playoff Bracket Set up?

With the NHL playoff structure reverted to its regular format, the seeding will work this way. Eight teams from both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will make it to the postseason.

The Eastern Conference will have the top three teams from the Metropolitan Division and Atlantic Division, along with two wild-card spots. The Western Conference playoff schedule will feature the top three teams from both the Pacific and Central Division, along with the two best teams outside of those six as the wild cards.

The top two seeds in each division in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will play the Wild Card teams in Round 1. Meanwhile, the other #2 and #3 seeds in each division will play each other in the first round. A team may be ahead of another team in regular-season points but could be in a Wild Card spot because all three teams in their division are ahead of them.

How Many Teams Make the NHL Playoffs?

16 total teams make the Stanley Cup playoffs, eight from the East and eight from the West. Most teams will play a seven-game series against a team from their division.

NHL Teams Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Three NHL Western Conference teams, the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Anaheim Ducks, have been eliminated from playoff contention. At least for Chicago, phenom Connor Bedard remains the favorite in the Calder Trophy odds.

In the Eastern Conference portion of the NHL PLayoff Bracket, only the Columbus Blue Jackets have been eliminated so far. They will miss the postseason for the third straight year.

How Long Do The Stanley Cup Playoffs Last?

The Stanley Cup Playoffs last an average of 57 days. In the 2022 NHL Playoffs, the postseason began on May 2nd, 2022 and finished on June 26th, 2022 (56 days). Based on the average length, the 2024 NHL Playoffs will approximately conclude on June 13, 2023.

How long the Stanley Cup Playoffs last is ultimately dependent on the number of games played. If every series goes to a Game 7, there would be a maximum number of 105 total games played. On the other hand, if every series is a sweep, there would be only 60 total games played. The average amount of games played in an NHL playoff is 86.

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The Carolina Hurricanes are sure to make some noise this postseason, which is great news with the recent launch of online sports betting in North Carolina. Bettors living in the Tar Heel state can now wager on their favorite teams!

NHL Playoff Bracket FAQs