The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are expected to begin on Saturday, April 18, 2026, following the conclusion of the regular season on April 16. Due to the 19-day mid-season break for the 2026 Winter Olympics in February, the postseason race is anticipated to be one of the most condensed in league history. The Stanley Cup Finals are scheduled to take place throughout June 2026.
Key 2026 NHL Postseason Dates
- Regular Season Ends: April 16, 2026
- Playoffs Expected Start: April 18, 2026
- NHL Trade Deadline: March 6, 2026
- Stanley Cup Finals: June 2026
- 2026 NHL Draft: June 26-27, 2026
Expert Note from the Sports Brackets Analyst: The 2026 postseason will be uniquely impacted by the Olympic break in February. In our analysis, teams with heavy veteran representation in Milan – like the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning—may face significant fatigue issues in the opening round. Look for ‘rested’ teams that missed the Olympic cut to provide major upset potential in your 2026 NHL bracket.
The 2026 NHL Playoff schedule start in late April 2026. The playoffs wrap up with the Stanley Cup Finals in June 2026. The NHL playoff rounds are all best-of-seven match affairs. All dates are based on the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule until the NHL confirms the dates for us later in the season. It’s never too early to plan though from my experience. The 2025-26 NHL regular season is underway, running from October 7, 2025, to April 16, 2026, with a mid-season break (February 6-24, 2026) for NHL players participating in the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
Last Updated: Feb 20, 2026
When do the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Start?
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs start up on or around April 19th, 2026 with the first round of play. We’ll likely see a lot of movement right up to the end of the 2025-26 NHL regular season for the 2026 NHL Playoff picture. They always start a few weeks after college basketball fans finish up with March Madness. The opening round of play will go through May 3rd, 2026. The Stanley Cup Finals will start on or around June 9th, 2026, and go until a team wins four games. The start date of the playoffs can change a big based on when the league decides to start up the postseason fun for us. You can look at the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff bracket as well to get a feel for 2026. We also have the blank, printable 2026 NHL Playoff bracket up here for you.
Key NHL Schedule Dates
- Regular Season End: Thursday, April 16, 2026 (6 games).
- Stanley Cup Playoffs Start: Saturday, April 18, 2026 (First Round).
- Conference Finals: Likely mid-May 2026.
- Stanley Cup Final: Starts early June 2026 (latest end June 21).
Olympic Break Impact: Season paused Feb 6-24; resumes Feb 25. No schedule changes to playoffs. Many stars (e.g., Matthews, McDavid, Crosby) gaining Olympic experience. Trade deadline was March 6 (pre-break).
2026 NHL Playoff Schedule
There are four rounds of play in the 2026 NHL Playoff schedule. If you want to see which teams won (and came in second) for the Stanley Cup winners list, we have that posted up for you. Here’s the 2026 NHL Playoff schedule.
| Round | Expected Dates | Notes |
| First Round | April 18–May 3, 2026 (start window April 18-25) | Best-of-7; higher seed hosts Games 1,2,5,7 |
| Second Round (Division Finals) | Early-mid May 2026 | Winners advance within divisions |
| Conference Finals | Late May 2026 | Eastern vs. Western champs decided |
| Stanley Cup Finals | Early June 2026 (Game 1 ~June 3-9; Game 7 possible ~June 23) | ABC/ESPN broadcast; potential venue TBD |
- Exact game-by-game times/TV assigned post-regular season.
When do the Stanley Cup Finals 2026 Take Place?
The 2026 Stanley Cup Finals start on or around June 9th, 2026. If the series goes to a game seven, the last possible date for a game is June 23rd, 2026.
When is the 2026 NHL Olympic Break?
The 2026 NHL Olympic Break is: Feb. 6-24, 2026. There are no games in this timeframe, and there is no All Star game this season.
What is the 2026 NHL Playoff TV Schedule?
The 2026 NHL Playoff TV schedule varies depending on if you live in the U.S. or Canada. We’ll get specific game assignments closer to the playoffs starting from the NHL and TV networks. We have confirmation that we will get games on TNT, TBS, TruTV, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Hulu, and ESPN+ for the American fans. For those who live in Canada, the games will be shown on CBC and Sportsnet. We also may see additional streaming options put into place before we hit the postseason.
NHL Playoffs Format & Bracket Notes
- 16 teams qualify: 3 division winners + 2 wild cards per conference (top points).
- Matchups: Higher seed vs lower wild card, etc. (no reseeding after Round 1).
- Series: 2-2-1-1-1 (higher seed hosts Games 1,2,5,7).
- Add: “Current playoff picture (as of Feb 5 break): Eastern leaders Florida/Tampa Bay; Western Winnipeg/Dallas (full standings at NHL.com). Projections favor contenders like Edmonton, Florida, Carolina. Bracket fills post-April 16.
2026 NHL Playoff Schedule
The 2026 NHL Playoff schedule starts on April 19th, 2026. There are 16 teams who earn spots in the playoffs. This breaks down to eight teams from each conference. The two dates that are confirmed by the league are the start date (April 19th), and the date of a game seven (if required) for the Stanley Cup Finals (June 23rd).
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – First Round
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Seed 1 vs. Seed 8 | April 19- May 4 | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 2 vs. Seed 7 | April 19- May 4 | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 3 vs. Seed 6 | April 19- May 4 | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 4 vs. Seed 5 | April 19- May 4 | TBD | TBD |
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Second Round
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Winner of 1-8 vs. Winner of 4-5. | May 5- TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Winner of 2-7 vs. Winner of 3-6. | May 5 – TBD | TBD | TBD |
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Conference Finals
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Winner of 1-4-5-8 vs. Winner of 2-3-6-7. | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Stanley Cup Finals Schedule – 2026
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Game 1 | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 2 | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 3 | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 4 | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 5* | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 6* | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
| Game 7* | June TBD – 23 | TBD | TBD |
Playoff Picture Snapshot (Frozen at Olympic Break – Feb 5, 2026)
Current playoff picture (as of Feb 5 break): Eastern leaders Florida/Tampa Bay; Western Winnipeg/Dallas (full standings at NHL.com). Projections favor contenders like Edmonton, Florida, Carolina. Bracket fills post-April 16.
Favorites: Edmonton (McDavid/Draisaitl), Florida (defending champs), Carolina (depth). Olympic participation (e.g., USA’s Matthews/Hughes, Canada’s Crosby) could boost momentum post-break. Full projections update Feb 25 resumption.
Eastern Conference Leaders: Florida Panthers (Atlantic), Carolina Hurricanes (Metro), wild cards Tampa Bay/Boston/Toronto.
Western Conference Leaders: Winnipeg Jets (Central), Dallas Stars (Central runner-up), wild cards Edmonton/Vegas.
