Season structure of the NHL facts for kids
The National Hockey League (NHL) season is an exciting time for ice hockey fans! It's split into two main parts: the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs. During the regular season, teams play many games to earn points and see where they rank. The best teams then get to compete in a special tournament called the playoffs to find out who will win the famous Stanley Cup.
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What is the NHL Season?
The NHL season is the yearly competition for professional ice hockey teams in North America. It brings together the best players from Canada and the United States. The main goal for every team is to win the Stanley Cup, which is one of the oldest and most respected trophies in sports.
How the NHL is Organized
The NHL has 32 teams, divided into two main groups called conferences. These are the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference is then split into two smaller groups called divisions. This setup helps organize the schedule and playoff matchups.
Eastern Conference Divisions
- Atlantic Division
- Metropolitan Division
Western Conference Divisions
- Central Division
- Pacific Division
The Regular Season: Earning Your Spot
The regular season is a long stretch of games where every team tries its best to earn points. These points decide their standings, which is like their rank in the league.
How Many Games Do Teams Play?
Each team plays 82 games during the regular season. This is a lot of hockey! These games are played against teams from their own division, their own conference, and even teams from the other conference.
How Teams Earn Points
Teams earn points based on the outcome of each game:
- A win in regulation time (before overtime) gives a team 2 points.
- A win in overtime or a shootout also gives 2 points.
- A loss in overtime or a shootout gives 1 point (this is called a "loser point").
- A loss in regulation time gives 0 points.
These points add up throughout the season. The team with the most points at the end of the regular season wins their division or conference.
Why the Regular Season Matters
The regular season is super important because it decides which teams get to play in the playoffs. Only the top teams from each conference move on. It also determines their "seeding," which means their rank in the playoffs. A higher seed often means playing against a lower-ranked team first.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Road to Glory
The Stanley Cup playoffs are an exciting knockout tournament. Teams play a series of games against each other, and the loser is eliminated.
How Teams Qualify for Playoffs
After the regular season, 16 teams qualify for the playoffs. This includes:
- The top three teams from each of the four divisions (12 teams total).
- Two "wild card" teams from each conference. These are the two teams with the next best records that didn't finish in the top three of their division.
Playoff Format: Best of Seven
Each playoff matchup is a "best-of-seven" series. This means two teams play against each other until one team wins four games. The first team to win four games wins the series and moves on to the next round. The losing team is out of the playoffs.
Playoff Rounds
There are four rounds in the playoffs:
- First Round: Teams play within their conference.
- Second Round: Winners from the first round play each other.
- Conference Finals: The last two teams in each conference play to decide the conference champion.
- Stanley Cup Final: The champion from the Eastern Conference plays the champion from the Western Conference. The winner of this series lifts the Stanley Cup!
The Stanley Cup: The Ultimate Prize
The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy awarded to the NHL playoff winner. It's one of the most famous trophies in all of sports. Players often skate around the ice with the Cup above their heads after winning. Each player on the winning team gets to spend a day with the Cup during the summer.
