Stanley Cup playoffs facts for kids

The Stanley Cup playoffs are an exciting tournament held every year after the National Hockey League (NHL) regular season. In the playoffs, teams compete in an elimination-style tournament to win the Stanley Cup, which is the NHL's championship trophy.

The playoffs are a four-round tournament where teams play a series of games to see who moves on. Sixteen teams—eight from each of the league's two conferences—earn a spot in the playoffs based on how well they did in the regular season. The final round, where the two conference champions face off, is called the Stanley Cup Finals.

The NHL is unique among North America's major sports leagues because it names its playoffs after its championship trophy. This is because the Stanley Cup is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. It was first donated in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston, who was the Governor General of Canada at the time. It started as a "challenge trophy" for the best amateur hockey team in Canada.

Professional teams began competing for the Cup in 1906. By 1915, it became the prize for a championship series between the winners of the top hockey leagues. After the NHL was formed in 1917 and other leagues folded, the Stanley Cup became the official championship trophy of the NHL in 1926.

How the Playoffs Work

The Stanley Cup playoffs logo on the ice during a 2017 game between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Tournament Structure

The Stanley Cup playoffs have four rounds of what's called a best-of-seven series. This means that two teams play each other until one team wins four games. A series can be as short as four games or as long as seven.

Each series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 format for home games. The team with the better record gets home-ice advantage, meaning they host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. Their opponent hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. Games 5, 6, and 7 are only played if a team hasn't won four games yet.

How Teams Qualify

Sixteen teams make it to the playoffs. The league is split into two conferences (Eastern and Western), and each conference is split into two divisions.

• The top three teams from each of the four divisions automatically qualify. That's 12 teams in total.
• The next two teams in each conference with the best records, who didn't finish in the top three of their division, get in as wild cards.

In the First Round, the division winner with the best record in the conference plays against the wild card team with the worse record. The other division winner plays the other wild card team. The second and third-place teams in each division play each other. The winners of these series move on to the Second Round, then the Conference Finals, and finally the Stanley Cup Finals.

Overtime Rules

Unlike the regular season, there are no shootouts in the playoffs. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams play 20-minute, five-on-five overtime periods. The first team to score a goal wins the game. This is called "sudden death." Playoff games can sometimes last for many overtime periods, making them some of the most exciting games in hockey.

History of the Playoffs

The Cup's Early Days

The Stanley Cup was first created in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada. He wanted to award a trophy to Canada's best amateur ice hockey team. The first team to win it was the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893.

From 1893 to 1914, the Stanley Cup was a "challenge cup." This meant that the champion team kept the Cup until another team from a top league challenged them and won it in a special game or series.

As the Cup became more famous, professional teams wanted to compete for it. In 1915, the top leagues agreed that their champions would play each other for the Stanley Cup every year. This ended the old challenge system.

The NHL Emerges

The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in 1917. At first, the NHL champion had to play against the champions of other leagues, like the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), to win the Stanley Cup.

By 1926, the other major leagues had folded, and the NHL took control of the Stanley Cup. From then on, the Stanley Cup playoffs became the NHL's own championship tournament. The playoff format changed many times over the years. At first, it involved a few teams from different divisions playing each other.

The Original Six Era (1942–1967)

From 1942 to 1967, the NHL had only six teams, now known as the "Original Six." During this time, four of the six teams made the playoffs. The first-place team played the third-place team, and the second-place team played the fourth-place team. The winners of those series then played in the Stanley Cup Finals. All playoff series were best-of-seven.

The Expansion Era (1967–1993)

The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks warm up before a game in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals.

In 1967, the NHL doubled in size from six to twelve teams. This was the beginning of the expansion era. The league created new divisions, and the playoff format was updated to include more teams. Over the next few decades, the league continued to add more teams, and the playoff format changed to match. By 1980, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs, which is similar to today's format.

The Modern Era (1993–Present)

In 1993, the league changed the playoff format to be based on conferences. The top eight teams in each conference made the playoffs and were seeded from 1 to 8. This system was used until 2013.

The current playoff format began in the 2013–14 season. It brought back a focus on divisions, with the top three teams in each division and two wild cards from each conference getting in. This format creates exciting matchups within divisions in the first two rounds.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, special playoff formats were used in 2020 and 2021 to adapt to the unusual seasons. The league returned to the current format for the 2021-22 season.

Playoff Traditions

The Stanley Cup playoffs are known for their unique traditions.

• Playoff Beards: Many players grow beards and don't shave until their team is eliminated or wins the Stanley Cup. This tradition was started by the New York Islanders in the 1980s.
• The Handshake Line: After a playoff series is over, both teams line up on the ice and shake hands. It is a sign of respect for the hard-fought series.
• Conference Trophies: The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals are awarded trophies. However, many players have a superstition about not touching these trophies. They believe that the Stanley Cup is the only trophy that matters and wait to lift that one instead.
• Playoff Upsets: It's common for lower-seeded teams to beat higher-seeded teams in the NHL playoffs. A team with a "hot" goaltender who is playing exceptionally well can shut down even the best scoring teams and lead their team to a surprise victory.
• Conn Smythe Trophy: Unlike other sports that give an MVP award for just the final series, the NHL awards the Conn Smythe Trophy to the most valuable player of the entire postseason.

Postseason Appearances

Correct as of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs

Appearances by Active Teams

See also

• List of NHL playoff series