The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2024–25 season. The playoffs began on April 19, 2025, and concluded on June 17, 2025, with the Florida Panthers winning their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Edmonton Oilers four games to two in the Stanley Cup Final and for the second consecutive season.
The Winnipeg Jets made the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most points (i.e. best record) during the regular season. They are also the first Canadian-based team since the 2011–12 Vancouver Canucks to win the award. The Toronto Maple Leafs extended their playoff streak to nine years, reaching the playoffs every season since 2017; this became the longest active playoff streak after the Boston Bruins, who were previously tied with them for the longest active playoff streak in the NHL, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, snapping an eight-year playoff streak. The New York Rangers became the fourth defending Presidents' Trophy winner to miss the playoffs and the first to do so twice. The Ottawa Senators qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2017, ending what had been the league's third-longest active playoff drought. For the first time in League history, all four of the U.S.-based Original Six teams missed the playoffs. For the first time since 2017, every team in Eastern Canada (the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Maple Leafs) qualified for the playoffs. In addition, five Canadian-based teams qualified for the postseason, the most since the expanded 2020 playoffs, and the most in a 16–team playoff since 2017. For the first time since 2018, all three New York state-based teams missed the playoffs, while for the third consecutive season, both Pennsylvania-based teams missed the playoffs.
For the first time since 2004, three Canadian teams advanced to the second round. For the sixth consecutive season, a Florida-based team reached the Stanley Cup Final. For the first time since 2007, a Canadian-based team advanced to the Finals for the second consecutive season. For the first time since , neither Finals opponent had home-ice advantage in any rounds prior to the Finals. It was also the first rematch of Finals opponents since . Leon Draisaitl became the first player in league history to score four overtime goals in one playoff year.
For the first time since 2016, no series ended in a four-game sweep.
Playoff seeds
This was the tenth year in which the top three teams in each division made the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference (for a total of eight playoff teams from each conference).
The following teams qualified for the playoffs:
Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlantic Division champions – 108 points Tampa Bay Lightning – 102 points Florida Panthers – 98 points
Metropolitan Division Washington Capitals, Metropolitan Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions — 111 points Carolina Hurricanes – 99 points New Jersey Devils – 91 points
Wild Cards Ottawa Senators – 97 points Montreal Canadiens – 91 points
Western Conference Central Division Winnipeg Jets, Central Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 116 points Dallas Stars – 106 points Colorado Avalanche – 102 points
Pacific Division Vegas Golden Knights, Pacific Division champions – 110 points Los Angeles Kings – 105 points Edmonton Oilers – 101 points
Wild Cards Minnesota Wild – 97 points St. Louis Blues – 96 points
Playoff bracket In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The team with home ice advantage played at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team played at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top three teams in each division made the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference, for a total of eight teams from each conference.
In the first round, the lower seeded wild card in the conference played against the division winner with the best record while the other wild card played against the other division winner, and both wild cards were de facto #4 seeds. The other series matched the second and third-place teams from the divisions. In the first two rounds, home-ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better seed. Thereafter, it was awarded to the team that had the better regular season record.
Legend A1, A2, A3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Atlantic Division, respectively M1, M2, M3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Metropolitan Division, respectively C1, C2, C3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Central Division, respectively P1, P2, P3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Pacific Division, respectively WC1, WC2 – The first and second place teams in the Wild Card, respectively
First round Eastern Conference first round
(A1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (WC1) Ottawa Senators The Toronto Maple Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division with 108 points. The Ottawa Senators earned 97 points to finish as the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two rivals with Toronto winning all four previous series. They last met in the 2004 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, which Toronto won in seven games. Ottawa won all three games in this year's regular season series.
The Maple Leafs defeated the Senators in six games. Mitch Marner scored a goal and provided two assists in game one while goaltender Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves to backstop the Maple Leafs to a 6–2 victory. In game two, the Senators came back from a two-goal deficit to tie the game and force overtime, but in overtime Max Domi scored to give the Maple Leafs a 3–2 victory. Game three also required overtime as Maple Leafs defenceman Simon Benoit scored the overtime-winning goal, giving Toronto a 3–2 victory and 3–0 series lead. In game four, the Maple Leafs came back from a two-goal deficit to force overtime, but in the extra period, Jake Sanderson scored to give the Senators a 4–3 victory, staving off elimination to force a fifth game. Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped all 29 shots he faced in game five, forcing a sixth game with a 4–0 shutout. In game six, the Maple Leafs prevented a two-goal comeback from the Senators by scoring the series-winning goal with 5:39 left in the third period to emerge victorious 4–2 and advance to the second round.
(A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A3) Florida Panthers The Tampa Bay Lightning finished second in the Atlantic Division with 102 points. The Florida Panthers earned 98 points to finish third in the Atlantic. This was the second consecutive and fourth overall playoff meeting between these two rivals with Tampa Bay winning two of the three previous series. Florida won the previous season's Eastern Conference first round series in five games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.
The Panthers defeated the Lightning in five games. In game one, Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and provided an assist for the Panthers, who collected a 6–2 victory in the process. Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 19 shots by the Lightning in game two, shutting out Tampa Bay 2–0. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 33 saves for the Lightning in game three who emerged victorious 5–1. In game four, Anton Lundell scored a goal and provided an assist in Florida's 4–2 victory, giving the Panthers a 3–1 series lead. Eetu Luostarinen scored a goal and assisted thrice in game five, giving Florida a 6–3 victory and a second round berth.
(M1) Washington Capitals vs. (WC2) Montreal Canadiens The Washington Capitals finished first in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference earning 111 points. The Montreal Canadiens earned 91 points to finish as the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 2010 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, which Montreal came back from a 3–1 series deficit to defeat Washington in seven games. Washington won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.
The Capitals defeated the Canadiens in five games. In game one, Alexander Ovechkin scored twice, including the overtime-winning goal, for the Capitals, defeating the Canadiens 3–2. Connor McMichael scored twice for the Capitals in game two, giving Washington a 2–0 series lead with a 3–1 victory. Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook both scored a goal and assisted in Montreal's 6–3 victory in game three. In game four, Brandon Duhaime scored twice for the Capitals, defeating the Canadiens 5–2 to take a 3–1 series lead. Goaltender Logan Thompson made 28 saves for Washington in game five, sending the Capitals to the second round with a 4–1 victory.
(M2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (M3) New Jersey Devils The Carolina Hurricanes finished second in the Metropolitan Division with 99 points. The New Jersey Devils earned 91 points to finish third in the Metropolitan. This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams with Carolina winning four of the five previous series. They last met in the 2023 Eastern Conference second round, which Carolina won in five games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.
The Hurricanes defeated the Devils in five games. In game one, Logan Stankoven scored twice for Carolina, defeating New Jersey 4–1. Goaltender Frederik Andersen made 25 saves for the Hurricanes in game two, defeating the Devils 3–1. In game three, the Hurricanes came back from a two-goal deficit and forced overtime, but in double-overtime, Simon Nemec scored for New Jersey to give the Devils a 3–2 victory. Andrei Svechnikov scored a hat trick in game four, leading the Hurricanes to a 5–2 victory. In game five, the Hurricanes came back from a three-goal deficit, along with a one-goal deficit, to force overtime, and in double-overtime, Sebastian Aho scored to send Carolina to the second round with a 5–4 victory.
Western Conference first round
(C1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (WC2) St. Louis Blues The Winnipeg Jets earned the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's best regular season team with 116 points. The St. Louis Blues earned 96 points to finish as the second wild card in the Western Conference, winning the tiebreaker against Calgary with 32 . This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with St. Louis winning all two previous series. They last met in the 2019 Western Conference first round, which St. Louis won in six games. Winnipeg won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.