The NHL regular season has ended and the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs open Saturday with entertaining first-round matchups and a different-looking field.
The New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild are back after a one-year absence and the Ottawa Senators (2017), Montreal Canadiens (2021) and St. Louis Blues (2022) ended longer droughts.
Five 2024 playoff teams missed out: the New York Rangers (a big drop from the 2024 Presidents’ Trophy), Boston Bruins (ending an eight-year run), Vancouver Canucks (last year’s Pacific Division winner), New York Islanders and Nashville Predators.
The Winnipeg Jets clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as top regular-season team for the first time. The Washington Capitals jumped from the 2024 second wild card seed to the best record in the Eastern Conference as Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. The 2024 champion Florida Panthers and runner-up Edmonton Oilers will start this year on the road.
Here’s a look at the NHL playoff bracket, when the postseason series begin, plus final standings and draft lottery odds:
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Key: M – Metropolitan Division. A – Atlantic Division. WC – wild card
- Washington (M1) vs. Montreal (WC2)
- Carolina (M2) vs. New Jersey (M3)
- Toronto (A1) vs. Ottawa (WC1)
- Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Florida (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth.
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Key: C – Central Division P – Pacific Division. WC – wild card
- Winnipeg (C1) vs. St. Louis (WC2)
- Dallas (C2) vs. Colorado (C3)
- Vegas (P1) vs. Minnesota (WC1)
- Los Angeles (P2) vs. Edmonton (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth..
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 19, with two games.
- St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets, 6 | TNT | truTV | Max | Sling
- Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, 8:30 | TNT | truTV | Max | Sling
NHL playoff schedule openers for each series
Saturday: St. Louis at Winnipeg; Colorado at Dallas
Sunday: New Jersey at Carolina; Ottawa at Toronto; Minnesota at Vegas
Monday: Montreal at Washington; Edmonton at Los Angeles
Tuesday: Florida at Tampa Bay
The full schedule can be found here
Eastern Conference final standings
Metropolitan Division
- Washington Capitals (51-22-9, 111 points)
- Carolina Hurricanes (47-30-5, 99)
- New Jersey Devils (42-33-7, 91)
Atlantic Division
- Toronto Maple Leafs (52-26-4, 108)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8, 102)
- Florida Panthers (47-31-4, 98)
Wild cards
- Ottawa Senators (45-30-7, 97)
- Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11, 91)
Out of playoffs
- Columbus Blue Jackets (40-33-9, 89)
- Detroit Red Wings (39-35-8, 86)
- New York Rangers (39-36-7, 85)
- New York Islanders (35-35-12, 82)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (34-36-12, 80)
- Buffalo Sabres (36-39-7, 79)
- Boston Bruins (33-39-10, 76)
- Philadelphia Flyers (33-39-10, 76)
Western Conference final standings
Central Division
- Winnipeg Jets (56-22-4, 116 points)
- Dallas Stars (50-26-6, 106)
- Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4, 102)
Pacific Division
- Vegas Golden Knights (50-22-10, 110)
- Los Angeles Kings (48-25-9, 105)
- Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5, 101)
Wild card
- Minnesota Wild (45-30-7, 97)
- St. Louis Blues (44-30-8, 96)
Out of playoffs
- Calgary Flames (41-27-14, 96)
- Vancouver Canucks (38-30-14, 90)
- Utah Hockey Club (38-31-13, 89)
- Anaheim Ducks (35-37-10, 80)
- Seattle Kraken (35-41-6, 76)
- Nashville Predators (30-44-8, 68)
- Chicago Blackhawks (25-46-11, 61)
- San Jose Sharks (20-50-12, 52)
Final draft lottery odds
The draft lottery winner can move up a maximum of 10 spots, so only the bottom 11 teams have a chance to win the No. 1 pick. The last-place team has an 18.5% chance of winning outright, plus would retain the first overall pick if a team that finishes 12th to 16th from the bottom wins the lottery. The Rangers dealt their pick to Vancouver in the J.T. Miller trade but it’s top-13 protected.
- San Jose Sharks – 25.5% (18.5% outright)
- Chicago Blackhawks – 13.5%
- Nashville Predators – 11.5%
- Philadelphia Flyers – 9.5%
- Boston Bruins – 8.5%
- Seattle Kraken – 7.5%
- Buffalo Sabres – 6.5%
- Anaheim Ducks – 6.0%
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 5.0%
- New York Islanders – 3.5%
- New York Rangers – 3.0%
- Detroit Red Wings – 2.5%
- Columbus Blue Jackets – 2.0%
- Utah Hockey Club – 1.5%
- Vancouver Canucks – 0.5%
- Montreal Canadiens (from Calgary Flames) – 0.5%
Regular-season awards
Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer): Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, 121 points
Rocket Richard Trophy (most goals): Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, 52 goals
William Jennings Trophy (fewest team goals allowed): Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NHL playoff schedule: Bracket, when do playoffs start
The NHL regular season has ended and the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs open Saturday with entertaining first-round matchups and a different-looking field.
The New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild are back after a one-year absence and the Ottawa Senators (2017), Montreal Canadiens (2021) and St. Louis Blues (2022) ended longer droughts.
Five 2024 playoff teams missed out: the New York Rangers (a big drop from the 2024 Presidents’ Trophy), Boston Bruins (ending an eight-year run), Vancouver Canucks (last year’s Pacific Division winner), New York Islanders and Nashville Predators.
The Winnipeg Jets clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as top regular-season team for the first time. The Washington Capitals jumped from the 2024 second wild card seed to the best record in the Eastern Conference as Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. The 2024 champion Florida Panthers and runner-up Edmonton Oilers will start this year on the road.
Here’s a look at the NHL playoff bracket, when the postseason series begin, plus final standings and draft lottery odds:
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Key: M – Metropolitan Division. A – Atlantic Division. WC – wild card
- Washington (M1) vs. Montreal (WC2)
- Carolina (M2) vs. New Jersey (M3)
- Toronto (A1) vs. Ottawa (WC1)
- Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Florida (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth.
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Key: C – Central Division P – Pacific Division. WC – wild card
- Winnipeg (C1) vs. St. Louis (WC2)
- Dallas (C2) vs. Colorado (C3)
- Vegas (P1) vs. Minnesota (WC1)
- Los Angeles (P2) vs. Edmonton (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth..
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 19, with two games.
- St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets, 6 | TNT | truTV | Max | Sling
- Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, 8:30 | TNT | truTV | Max | Sling
NHL playoff schedule openers for each series
Saturday: St. Louis at Winnipeg; Colorado at Dallas
Sunday: New Jersey at Carolina; Ottawa at Toronto; Minnesota at Vegas
Monday: Montreal at Washington; Edmonton at Los Angeles
Tuesday: Florida at Tampa Bay
The full schedule can be found here
Eastern Conference final standings
Metropolitan Division
- Washington Capitals (51-22-9, 111 points)
- Carolina Hurricanes (47-30-5, 99)
- New Jersey Devils (42-33-7, 91)
Atlantic Division
- Toronto Maple Leafs (52-26-4, 108)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8, 102)
- Florida Panthers (47-31-4, 98)
Wild cards
- Ottawa Senators (45-30-7, 97)
- Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11, 91)
Out of playoffs
- Columbus Blue Jackets (40-33-9, 89)
- Detroit Red Wings (39-35-8, 86)
- New York Rangers (39-36-7, 85)
- New York Islanders (35-35-12, 82)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (34-36-12, 80)
- Buffalo Sabres (36-39-7, 79)
- Boston Bruins (33-39-10, 76)
- Philadelphia Flyers (33-39-10, 76)
Western Conference final standings
Central Division
- Winnipeg Jets (56-22-4, 116 points)
- Dallas Stars (50-26-6, 106)
- Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4, 102)
Pacific Division
- Vegas Golden Knights (50-22-10, 110)
- Los Angeles Kings (48-25-9, 105)
- Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5, 101)
Wild card
- Minnesota Wild (45-30-7, 97)
- St. Louis Blues (44-30-8, 96)
Out of playoffs
- Calgary Flames (41-27-14, 96)
- Vancouver Canucks (38-30-14, 90)
- Utah Hockey Club (38-31-13, 89)
- Anaheim Ducks (35-37-10, 80)
- Seattle Kraken (35-41-6, 76)
- Nashville Predators (30-44-8, 68)
- Chicago Blackhawks (25-46-11, 61)
- San Jose Sharks (20-50-12, 52)
Final draft lottery odds
The draft lottery winner can move up a maximum of 10 spots, so only the bottom 11 teams have a chance to win the No. 1 pick. The last-place team has an 18.5% chance of winning outright, plus would retain the first overall pick if a team that finishes 12th to 16th from the bottom wins the lottery. The Rangers dealt their pick to Vancouver in the J.T. Miller trade but it’s top-13 protected.
- San Jose Sharks – 25.5% (18.5% outright)
- Chicago Blackhawks – 13.5%
- Nashville Predators – 11.5%
- Philadelphia Flyers – 9.5%
- Boston Bruins – 8.5%
- Seattle Kraken – 7.5%
- Buffalo Sabres – 6.5%
- Anaheim Ducks – 6.0%
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 5.0%
- New York Islanders – 3.5%
- New York Rangers – 3.0%
- Detroit Red Wings – 2.5%
- Columbus Blue Jackets – 2.0%
- Utah Hockey Club – 1.5%
- Vancouver Canucks – 0.5%
- Montreal Canadiens (from Calgary Flames) – 0.5%
Regular-season awards
Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer): Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, 121 points
Rocket Richard Trophy (most goals): Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, 52 goals
William Jennings Trophy (fewest team goals allowed): Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NHL playoff schedule: Bracket, when do playoffs start
