NHL playoffs schedule 2025: Full bracket, dates, times, TV channels, live streams for road to Stanley Cup

Hockey fans, the most wonderful time of the year has arrived: the Stanley Cup playoffs. And the 2025 version might be as good as ever, with what looks like a wide-open race going into the postseason.

Sixteen teams have the same quest: to take home Lord Stanley’s Cup. Only one will emerge victorious and etch its name into NHL history.

MORE: Watch the 2025 NHL playoffs on ESPN with Fubo

The reigning champion Panthers look to become the first back-to-back champs since the Sunshine State-rival Lightning won in 2020 and 2021. The Avalanche, Stanley Cup winners in 2022, will also be in the mix, as will the 2023-champion Golden Knights. 

Other storylines include Connor McDavid trying to win his first Cup with the Oilers, all-time NHL scoring leader Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals vying to put an exclamation point on a strong season, and the breakout Blues looking to continue the torrid run they mounted in the final months of the regular season.

Excited to watch some postseason hockey? Here’s the full schedule for every series of the 2025 NHL Playoffs. 

2025 NHL playoffs scheduleFirst Round — Eastern ConferenceWashington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens (M1 vs. WC2)

Gm.DateSiteTime (ET)TV/stream1Apr. 21WAS4 p.m.ESPN, Fubo2Apr. 23WAS4 p.m.ESPN, Fubo3Apr. 25MON4 p.m.TNT, Sling4Apr. 27MON3:30 p.m.TBS, Sling5*TBDTBDTBDTBD6*TBDTBDTBDTBD7*TBDTBDTBDTBDCarolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils (M2 vs. M3)

Gm.DateSiteTime (ET)TV/stream1Apr. 20CAR12:00 p.m.ESPN, Fubo2Apr. 22CAR3 p.m.ESPN, Fubo3Apr. 25NJ5 p.m.TBS, Sling4Apr. 27NJ12:30 p.m.TBS, Sling5*TBDTBDTBDTBD6*TBDTBDTBDTBD7*TBDTBDTBDTBDToronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators (A1 vs. WC1)

Gm.DateSiteTime (ET)TV/stream1Apr. 20TOR4 p.m.ESPN2, Fubo2Apr. 22TOR4:30 p.m.ESPN2, Fubo3Apr. 24OTT4 p.m.ESPN2, Fubo4Apr. 26OTT4 p.m.TBS, Sling5*TBDTBDTBDTBD6*TBDTBDTBDTBD7*TBDTBDTBDTBDTampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers (A2 vs. A3)

Gm.DateSiteTime (ET)TV/stream1Apr. 22TB5:30 p.m.ESPN, Fubo2Apr. 24TB3:30 p.m.TBS, Sling3Apr. 26FLO10 a.m.TBS, Sling4Apr. 28FLOTBDTBD5*TBDTBDTBDTBD6*TBDTBDTBDTBD7*TBDTBDTBDTBDWinnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues (C1 vs. WC2)

Gm.DateSiteTime (ET)TV/Result1Apr. 19WPG3 p.m.Jets 5, Blues 32Apr. 21WPG4:30 p.m.ESPN2, Fubo3Apr. 24STL6:30 p.m.ESPN2, Fubo4Apr. 27STL10 a.m.TBS, Sling5*TBDTBDTBDTBD6*TBDTBDTBDTBD7*TBDTBDTBDTBDDallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche (C2 vs. C3)

Gm.DateSiteTime (ET)TV/stream1Apr. 19DAL5:30 p.m.TNT, Sling2Apr. 21DAL6:30 p.m.ESPN, Fubo3Apr. 23COL6:30 p.m.ESPN, Fubo4Apr. 26COL6:30 p.m.TBS, Sling5*TBDTBDTBDTBD6*TBDTBDTBDTBD7*TBDTBDTBDTBDVegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild (P1 vs. WC1)

Gm.DateSiteTime (ET)TV/stream1Apr. 20LV7 p.m.ESPN, Fubo2Apr. 22LV8 p.m.ESPN, Fubo3Apr. 24MIN6 p.m.TBS, Sling4Apr. 26MIN1 p.m.TBS, Sling5*TBDTBDTBDTBD6*TBDTBDTBDTBD7*TBDTBDTBDTBDLos Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers (P2 vs. P3)

Gm.DateSiteTime (ET)TV/stream1Apr. 21LA7 p.m.ESPN2, Fubo2Apr. 23LA7 p.m.TBS, Sling3Apr. 25EDM7 p.m.TNT, Sling4Apr. 27EDM6:30 p.m.TBS, Sling5*TBDTBDTBDTBD6*TBDTBDTBDTBD7*TBDTBDTBDTBDWhat channel is the 2025 NHL playoffs on?TV channels (U.S.): ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, TruTV, ABCTV channels (Canada): Sportsnet, CBC, TVA SportsThe NHL playoffs will be split in the United States between the ESPN family of networks and Turner family channels. The two media corporations are in the fourth year of their seven-year contracts with the league. 

In Canada, all the playoff games will be aired on Sportsnet and CBC and TVA Sports in French.

How to stream the 2025 NHL playoffsLive stream (U.S.): ESPN+, Fubo, SlingLive stream (Canada): SN NOW, CBC GemFans in the United States looking to stream the NHL playoffs have options. Games on ESPN’s platforms can be streamed through ESPN+ and Fubo, while games broadcast on TNT can be streamed through the TNT app and Sling. 

For the Canadian audience, games on Sportsnet are available to stream on SN NOW. Any contests on CBC can be streamed through CBC Gem. 

NHL Playoffs 2025 radio stationChannels: SiriusXM channels 91, 167, 219, 220Fans can also listen to the 2025 NHL Playoffs on SiriusXM, with live play-by-play coverage for every game of the postseason.

Postseason games will be broadcast on SXM channels 91, 167, 219 and 220 throughout the road to the Stanley Cup Final. 

NHL playoff bracket 2025SN’s NHL HQ: Live NHL scores | Updated NHL standings | Full NHL schedule

When do the NHL playoffs start?Start date: Saturday, April 19The first round of the NHL playoffs starts on Saturday, April 19. The Stanley Cup Final will begin in June. 

How will the 2025 NHL playoffs work?Sixteen teams qualify for the NHL playoffs, eight from each conference. The top three teams in each division will get the top six seeds in their respective conference’s playoff bracket. The remaining two spots in each conference will be filled with the next two highest-placed finishers, regardless of division. So, theoretically, one division could send five teams to the playoffs while the other sends only three. 

In the first round, the division winner with the best record in each conference will face the worst wild-card team. Then, the teams that finished second and third in their division will face off. The winners from those games will play each other in the second round. Those winners will duke it out in the conference finals, sending one representative to the Stanley Cup Finals from each conference. Each round of the playoffs is best-of-seven, so the first team to win four games will advance. 

How many teams make the NHL playoffs?In total, 16 teams make the playoffs — eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference.

For each conference, the top three teams from each division are guaranteed spots in postseason, with the winners of the divisions earning the top two seeds.

The last two playoff spots in each conference go to wild-card teams, which have the two best records out of the rest of the field. This means they can come from the same division.

How many rounds are in the NHL playoffs?There are four rounds in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

In the first round, the top team in the conference plays the second wild-card team. The other division winner takes on the first wild-card team. The No. 2 and No. 3 teams in each division face each other.

After that, the teams do not get reseeded in the second round. Rather, the series winner of the No. 2 and No. 3 teams for a division plays the winner of the series between their division winner and a wild card team 

After the second round, the last two teams standing in each conference square off in the conference finals. The winner of each conference final advances to the Stanley Cup Final.

How many games are in a series?Every series, no matter the round, will play a best-of-seven series, meaning the first team to win four games advances to the next round. 

Each series is played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with the better record plays the first two games at its home arena, while its opponent hosts the next two games. The teams then alternate who hosts in the final three games of the series, if it is pushed that far.

NHL standings 2025Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

SeedTeamGamesRecordPoints1Maple Leafs – X8252-26-41082Lightning – X8247-27-81023Panthers – X8247-31-498Metropolitan Division

SeedTeamGamesRecordPoints1Capitals – X8251-22-91112Hurricanes – X8247-30-5993Devils – X8242-33-791Wild Card

SeedTeamGamesRecordPoints1Senators – X8245-30-7972Canadiens -X8240-31-1191 Blue Jackets – E8240-33-989 Red Wings – E8239-35-886 Rangers – E8239-36-785 Islanders – E8235-35-1282 Penguins – E8234-36-1280 Sabres – E8236-39-779 Flyers – E8233-39-1076 Bruins – E8233-39-1076X = clinched playoff
E = eliminated

Western ConferenceCentral Division

SeedTeamGamesRecordPoints1Jets – X8256-22-41162Stars – X8250-26-61063Avalanche – X8249-29-4102Pacific Division

SeedTeamGamesRecordPoints1Golden Knights – X8250-22-101102Kings – X8248-25-91053Oilers – X8248-29-5101Wild Card

SeedTeamGamesRecordPoints1Wild – X8245-30-7972Blues – X8244-30-896 Flames – E8241-27-1496 Canucks – E8238-30-1490 Utah – E8238-31-1389 Ducks – E8235-37-1080 Kraken – E8235-41-676 Predators – E8230-44-868 Blackhawks – E8225-46-1161 Sharks – E8220-50-1252X = clinched playoff
E = eliminated

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