The Stanley Cup playoffs are every fan’s favorite part of the NHL season.  This is because it’s the culmination of the entire regular season ending with a single team getting the honor of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup.  It works like this:

The regular NHL season generally runs from October to mid-April with each team in the league playing 82 games.  At the end of the regular season, the 16 top teams (eight from each conference) are decided based on the NHL points system.  They enter into the Stanley Cup playoffs, which is four rounds of play that decide the championship team.

Round 1 - Conference Quarterfinals

This first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is a best of seven series.  Each of the eight teams pair off with the top seed facing the bottom seed in each conference.  For example: 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5.  The first team to win four games moves on to the next round of the playoffs.  Eight teams in total (four teams from each conference) will advance.

Round 2 - Conference Semifinals

This second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is another best of seven series.  Each of the remaining teams will matchup with the top remaining seed pairing off with the bottom remaining seed.  Once again, the first team to win four games heads to the next round of the playoffs.  Four teams in total (two from each conference) will advance.

Round 3 - Conference Finals

This third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will decide each conference’s championship team and who will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.  Once again, it’s a best of seven series, and the first team from each conference to win four games will be named the Eastern and Western Conference Champions.  The East awards the Prince of Wales Trophy and the West awards the Clarence Campbell Trophy.  These two winning teams advance to the final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Round 4 - Stanley Cup Finals

This is the final and most anticipated round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  It’s when the two conference champions take to the ice in a best of seven series for a chance to hoist the Cup.  Whoever wins four games first becomes the Stanley Cup champions and will get the honor of holding onto the Stanley Cup until the next champion is named the following year.

For more information on the famous Stanley Cup, check out our some of our other Stanley Cup pages.  Or, for information on how you can put down a wager on the Stanley Cup playoffs, check out NHL Bets.