16 Teams Qualify for Stanley Cup Playoffs

Format and Bracket

The Stanley Cup Playoffs, the annual postseason tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL), will feature 16 teams competing for the Stanley Cup. The teams are divided into two conferences, East and West, with each conference split into two divisions: the Metropolitan and Atlantic in the East, and the Central and Pacific in the West.

Division-Based System

The top three teams from each division automatically qualify for the playoffs. The remaining three teams from each conference will qualify as wild cards, based on their regular season point totals. The playoffs are played in a set bracket system, with the division winners playing the wild cards in the first round.