The 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2025–26 season. The playoffs began on April 18, 2026, and concluded on June 14, 2026, with the Carolina Hurricanes winning their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights four games to two in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Colorado Avalanche qualified for the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most points (i.e., best record) during the regular season. The Buffalo Sabres ended their NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2011. The Anaheim Ducks qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2018, ending their seven-year playoff drought. The Philadelphia Flyers also ended their five-year playoff drought by making the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Toronto Maple Leafs failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2015–16 season, ending what was the longest playoff streak in the NHL. The longest active playoff streak is now held jointly by the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning, who have qualified for the playoffs every year since 2018. Additionally, the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers failed to qualify for the playoffs, becoming the first defending champions to fail to qualify since the 2014–15 Los Angeles Kings, and the first two-time defending champions to miss the playoffs since the 1969–70 Montreal Canadiens. The Winnipeg Jets also became the fifth defending Presidents' Trophy winner to fail to qualify for the playoffs. This is also the first time in league history that consecutive defending Presidents' Trophy winners failed to make the playoffs, as the New York Rangers failed to make the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024. The Utah Mammoth tied the Seattle Kraken as the second-fastest expansion team to clinch their first playoff berth, doing so in their second season, and for the first time since 1966, none of the New York metropolitan area-based teams (the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers) qualified for the playoffs.
For the first time since 2019, following Tampa Bay's elimination in the first round, neither of the NHL's Florida-based teams made it to the Stanley Cup Final. The Carolina Hurricanes became the first team to have a 12–1 record going into the Final, and the fewest number of losses since the 1975–76 Montreal Canadiens.
The Hurricanes finished the playoffs with a 16–3 record, the fewest amount of losses for a Stanley Cup winner since the 1987–88 Edmonton Oilers.
Playoff seeds
This was the eleventh year in which the top three teams in each division make 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 Buffalo Sabres, Atlantic Division champions – 109 points Tampa Bay Lightning – 106 points (40 ) Montreal Canadiens – 106 points (34 )
Metropolitan Division Carolina Hurricanes, Metropolitan Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions – 113 points Pittsburgh Penguins – 98 points (34 ) Philadelphia Flyers – 98 points (27 )
Wild Cards Boston Bruins – 100 points Ottawa Senators – 99 points
Western Conference
Central Division Colorado Avalanche, Central Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 121 points Dallas Stars – 112 points Minnesota Wild – 104 points
Pacific Division Vegas Golden Knights, Pacific Division champions – 95 points Edmonton Oilers – 93 points Anaheim Ducks – 92 points
Wild Cards Utah Mammoth – 92 points Los Angeles Kings – 90 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 plays at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team plays 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 Wild Card teams, respectively
First round Eastern Conference first round (A1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (WC1) Boston Bruins The Buffalo Sabres finished first in the Atlantic Division with 109 points. The Boston Bruins earned 100 points to finish as the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams with Boston winning six of the eight previous series. They last met in the 2010 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, which Boston won in six games. The Sabres qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Boston won three of the four games in the regular season series.
The Sabres defeated the Bruins in six games. Tage Thompson scored two of the four Sabres goals in the third period of game one, coming back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Boston 4–3. In game two, Viktor Arvidsson scored twice for Boston as the Bruins emerged victorious with a 4–2 victory. Alex Lyon made 24 saves in game three, backstopping the Sabres to a 3–1 victory. In game four, Lyon stopped 23 shots as six different players scored for the Sabres, defeating the Bruins 6–1 to take a 3–1 series lead. David Pastrňák kept the Bruins' season alive in game five, scoring the overtime goal to force a sixth game in a 2–1 affair. In game six, Lyon made 25 saves and Tage Thompson assisted twice for the Sabres, sending Buffalo to the second round for the first time since 2007 with a 4–1 triumph.
(A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A3) Montreal Canadiens The Tampa Bay Lightning finished second in the Atlantic Division with 106 points. The Montreal Canadiens also earned 106 points to finish third in the Atlantic Division as Tampa Bay won the first tie-breaker of regulation wins. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams with Tampa Bay winning three of the four previous series. They last met in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, which Tampa Bay won in five games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.
The Canadiens defeated the Lightning in seven games, with each game-winning goal scored in the third period or overtime. In addition, each game was decided by one goal, the first time in a seven-game series since 2015 and the third overall. In game one, Juraj Slafkovský's hat trick goal in overtime gave the Canadiens a 4–3 victory. Game two also required overtime in which J. J. Moser scored for Tampa Bay to tie the series 1–1 with a 3–2 victory. In game three, Lane Hutson scored the overtime winner for the Canadiens, giving Montreal a 3–2 victory. Brandon Hagel scored twice in game four, tying the series 2–2 for the Lightning with a 3–2 victory. In game five, Jakub Dobeš made 38 saves for the Canadiens in a 3–2 victory, taking a 3–2 series lead in the process. The Lightning forced a seventh game as Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 30 shots he faced and Gage Goncalves scored in overtime in a 1–0 victory. In game seven, Kaiden Guhle assisted twice and Dobeš made 28 saves to send Montreal to the second round with a 2–1 victory. The Canadiens set an NHL record for the fewest shots on goal in a playoff win, registering only nine shots.
(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC2) Ottawa Senators The Carolina Hurricanes finished first in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference earning 113 points. The Ottawa Senators earned 99 points to finish as the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Carolina won two of the three games in the regular season series.
The Hurricanes defeated the Senators in a four-game sweep. In game one, Frederik Andersen stopped all 22 shots he faced, backstopping the Hurricanes to a 2–0 shutout. Game two required overtime, wherein Mark Jankowski originally scored in the first overtime for the Hurricanes. However, the goal was overturned for being offside. Jordan Martinook was then given a penalty shot following the overturn, becoming the fifth player to be given a penalty shot in overtime. He did not score on the penalty shot, but did score in the second overtime. The Hurricanes took a 3–0 series lead after game three with Taylor Hall assisting twice in Carolina's 2–1 victory. In game four, Sebastian Aho scored twice and Logan Stankoven scored in his fourth consecutive game to send the Hurricanes to the second round for the sixth straight season with a 4–2 victory.
(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (M3) Philadelphia Flyers The Pittsburgh Penguins finished second in the Metropolitan Division with 98 points. The Philadelphia Flyers also earned 98 points to finish third in the Metropolitan Division as Pittsburgh won the first tie-breaker of regulation wins. This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two intrastate rivals, with Philadelphia winning four of the seven previous series. They last met in the 2018 Eastern Conference first round, which Pittsburgh won in six games. The Flyers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2020. These teams split their four-game regular season series.
The Flyers defeated the Penguins in six games. Porter Martone scored the game-winning goal with 2:37 left in game one to give Philadelphia a 3–2 victory. In game two, Daniel Vladař stopped all 27 shots he faced against the Penguins, helping Philadelphia win 3–0. In game three, Trevor Zegras provided a goal and an assist in the Flyers' 5–2 victory, giving Philadelphia a 3–0 series lead. Pittsburgh avoided elimination in game four as both Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell provided a goal and an assist in a 4–2 Penguins victory. The Penguins continued to avoid elimination in game five as Crosby scored and assisted in Pittsburgh's 3–2 triumph. Game six remained scoreless into overtime, where Cam York scored for Philadelphia, advancing the Flyers to the second round.
Western Conference first round (C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Los Angeles Kings The Colorado Avalanche earned the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's best regular season team with 121 points. The Los Angeles Kings earned 90 points to finish as the second wild card in the Western Conference. This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams with Colorado winning both previous series. They last met in the 2002 Western Conference quarterfinals, which Colorado won in seven games. Colorado won all three games in the regular season series.