The 2024 NHL Playoff bracket will get started soon after the regular season play is complete. The last game in the 2023-24 NHL regular season is scheduled to take place on April 18th. The first round of the 2024 NHL playoff schedule will now start on April 20nd, 2024. The NHL will confirm the specific game dates and times as we get closer to the playoffs. The Stanley Cup Finals will normally occur in early June. The second round of the playoffs will normally take place in early May. Depending on how long each round takes, the latest we could see a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals in 2024 is June 24th. We’ll have updates on the final matchups, seeds, brackets and Stanley Cup Playoff schedules for you after game play concludes on April 18th, 2024. We have included the latest on the NHL playoff picture for you below.
How Many Teams are in the 2024 NHL Playoffs?
If you are new to following the NHL, then you may not realize how many teams make the playoffs. The setup is very similar to the NBA Playoffs. There are eight teams from each conference in the NHL who earn a spot in the postseason. This gives us a total of eight first round series that we get to enjoy.
What is the format of the Playoff Matchups?
Every series in the NHL (unlike MLB) is a best of seven series in the single elimination bracket. The rotation of games is HHAAHAH, where H stands for the home team of the better team (or seed closer to the #1). The first team to win four games wins the series and moves on to the next round of play in the NHL playoffs.
How are the Seeds Determined by the NHL?
In the Stanley Cup, the top team in each conference is the overall #1 seed. They will play the second ranked Wild Card team in the conference. The other divisional winner will play the better of the two Wild Card teams. This works the same way for each conference. Similarly, the #2 and #3 seeds play each other in the brackets. There is no reseeding in the Stanley Cup Playoffs like there is in the NFL. The teams play up to four rounds if they don’t lose (First Round, Second Round, Conference Finals, and the Stanley Cup Final).
Printable 2024 NHL Playoff Bracket (Blank)
If you are looking for a blank, printable 2024 NHL Playoff bracket, we have one available for you in PDF format here. Once the final bracket seeds and matchups are set by the NHL, we’ll update and provide a filled in bracket for you to use. Until then, you can take a look at the latest NHL Playoff picture and fill out your own brackets to run through the various scenarios. We all look forward to the battle for the 2024 Stanley Cup this year.
2024 NHL Playoff Picture and Matchups
All 16 teams are now set for the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2024 NHL Playoff Bracket with Teams
NHL Eastern Conference bracket
A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
A2 Boston Bruins vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 New York Rangers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New York Islanders
NHL Western Conference bracket
We can see some movement across the seeds based on results from the April 18th matchups.
C1 Dallas Stars vs. WC2 Vegas Golden Knights
C2 Winnipeg Jets vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vancouver Canucks vs. WC1 Nashville Predators
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 LA Kings
2024 NHL Playoff Schedule
Here is the updated 2024 NHL Playoff schedule for the opening round of games. We’ll keep you updated as the rest of the Stanley Cup Playoff schedule finalizes.
| Matchup | Game | Date | Time (ET) |
| New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes | 1 | April 20 | 5 p.m. |
| Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins | 1 | April 20 | 8 p.m. |
| Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers | 1 | April 21 | 12:30 p.m. |
| Washington Capitals at New York Rangers | 1 | April 21 | 3 p.m |
Printable 2024 NHL Playoff Bracket (Complete)
The 2024 NHL Playoff Bracket for the Stanley Cup is now set. We have the updated bracket here in PDF for you. The games get started on April 20th, so it should be a fun Stanley Cup playoff. We have the complete first round schedule posted here for you too.
Updated 2024 NHL Playoff Bracket (May 2)
Here’s the updated 2024 NHL Playoff Bracket as we get to the back end of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We have it up here in PDF for you as well.
