When Do NHL Playoffs Start 2027? Dates, Schedule & Format
Updated Sept. 21, 2026
So, when do NHL playoffs start? The 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs are expected to begin in mid-April 2027, right after the regular season ends on Saturday, April 10, 2027. The NHL has not released the exact date yet.
Based on how the league has scheduled the last four postseasons, Round 1 should open the week of Monday, April 12, 2027. Sixteen teams qualify. The Stanley Cup Final is expected to start in early June 2027 on TNT.
2027 NHL Playoffs: Quick Facts
| Regular season ends | Saturday, April 10, 2027 |
| Round 1 starts | Week of Monday, April 12, 2027 (projected) |
| Conference Finals | Mid to late May 2027 (projected) |
| Stanley Cup Final starts | Early June 2027 (projected) |
| Teams in the playoffs | 16 of 32 |
| Series format | Best of seven, all four rounds |
| US TV | ESPN, ABC, TNT, truTV. TNT has the Final |
| Canada TV | Sportsnet, TVA Sports. Prime Video streams select early series |
Dates marked projected are not official. The NHL usually confirms Round 1 dates in the final week of the regular season, once every matchup is set. This page gets updated the day those dates land.
When Do NHL Playoffs Start in 2027?
Round 1 of the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs is projected for the week of April 12, 2027.
The reason is simple. The 2026-27 regular season ends Saturday, April 10, 2027. All 32 teams play that day. The NHL then needs a short gap to sort out seeding, tiebreakers and travel. Over the last four seasons that gap has been two or three days.
Here is the pattern the league has followed:
- 2023 playoffs started Monday, April 17
- 2024 playoffs started Saturday, April 20
- 2025 playoffs started Saturday, April 19
- 2026 playoffs started Saturday, April 18
So a start between Monday, April 12 and Saturday, April 17, 2027 is the realistic window. We are not going to guess a single day and call it confirmed. When NHL.com posts the real date, it goes at the top of this page.
When Does the 2026-27 NHL Regular Season End?
The regular season ends Saturday, April 10, 2027.
This season is longer than the ones before it. The new collective bargaining agreement moved the league to an 84-game schedule, the first since 1993-94. That is 1,344 games in total, up from 1,312. The season started Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.
All 32 teams are on the ice on the final day. That matters for playoff races. A wild card spot can flip on the last night, which is why the league waits until the season is over before locking in Round 1 start times.
You can follow the race all season on our NHL standings page.
2027 NHL Playoff Schedule: Round by Round
Every round is a best of seven series. A team needs four wins to move on and 16 wins to lift the Cup.
| Round | Projected window | Format | Teams left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 (First Round) | Mid April 2027 | Best of seven | 16 |
| Round 2 (Second Round) | Late April to early May 2027 | Best of seven | 8 |
| Conference Finals | Mid to late May 2027 | Best of seven | 4 |
| Stanley Cup Final | Early to mid June 2027 | Best of seven | 2 |
A full playoff run takes about eight weeks. In 2026 the postseason ran from April 18 to June 14. In 2025 it ran from April 19 to June 17.
So if Round 1 opens around April 12, 2027, the Cup should be handed out somewhere between June 6 and June 18, 2027, depending on how many series go the distance.
How Does the NHL Playoff Format Work?
Sixteen teams make the playoffs, eight from each conference. The format has not changed for 2027.
Each conference fills its eight spots this way:
- The top three teams in each division qualify automatically. That is six teams per conference.
- The next two best teams in the conference, by points, take the wild card spots.
The bracket is built inside each division. The division winner with the better record in a conference plays the lower wild card team. The other division winner plays the other wild card. The second and third place teams in each division play each other.
Winners move forward inside their half of the bracket. The NHL does not reseed after Round 1. That is why a team can face a stronger opponent early and an easier one later.
Home ice goes to the team with more regular season points. That team hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7.
How Many Games Are in the NHL Playoffs?
A team must win 16 games to win the Stanley Cup.
Every round is best of seven. So one team can play a minimum of 16 games and a maximum of 28 games in a single postseason.
The Stanley Cup Final is also best of seven. It can end in four games or stretch to seven. The 2024 Final between Florida and Edmonton went the full seven. The 2026 Final ended in six, with Carolina beating Vegas 4-2.
Across the whole tournament, the playoffs produce between 60 and 105 games.
When Does the 2027 Stanley Cup Final Start?
The 2027 Stanley Cup Final is expected to start in early June 2027.
The exact date depends on how long the earlier rounds run. Here is how recent Finals lined up:
| Year | Final started | Final ended | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | June 3 | June 13 | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 2024 | June 8 | June 24 | Florida Panthers |
| 2025 | June 4 | June 17 | Florida Panthers |
| 2026 | June 2 | June 14 | Carolina Hurricanes |
TNT carries the 2027 Stanley Cup Final in the United States. It is the third and final Cup Final under the network’s seven-year deal. truTV simulcasts the games and HBO Max streams them.
How to Watch the 2027 NHL Playoffs
United States. ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, TNT, TBS and truTV split the coverage. ESPN gets first pick of the 2027 conference finals. TNT has the Final.
Canada. Sportsnet produces the playoffs and the Final under the new 12-year Rogers agreement that started this season. TVA Sports holds the French language rights, including the Final. Prime Video streams two first round series and one second round series, but not the Final. CBC no longer carries NHL games.
Round 1 is the busiest stretch of the year. On the opening weekend you can get four to six games in a single day, with puck drops spread from about 12:00 PM ET to 10:30 PM ET. Start times are set a day or two ahead once series schedules are released.
What I’m Watching
The 84-game schedule is the thing to keep an eye on. Two extra games per team sounds small, but it adds 32 games to the calendar and pushes the regular season finish to April 10, which is later than the April 16 and April 17 finishes of recent years.
The league kept the same June window for the Final. That means the gaps between rounds could be tighter this spring, and a team that sweeps a series may sit longer than usual waiting for the next one.
NHL Playoff Start Dates by Year
| Year | Round 1 started |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Monday, April 17 |
| 2024 | Saturday, April 20 |
| 2025 | Saturday, April 19 |
| 2026 | Saturday, April 18 |
| 2027 | Week of April 12 (projected) |
Mid April is the normal window. The one recent exception was 2021, when the pandemic pushed the start to May.
NHL Playoffs Start 2027 FAQ
When do NHL playoffs start in 2027?
Round 1 is projected to start the week of Monday, April 12, 2027. The NHL has not confirmed the exact date. The regular season ends Saturday, April 10, 2027.
How many teams make the NHL playoffs?
Sixteen. Eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference. That is half the league.
How long do the NHL playoffs last?
About eight weeks. The 2026 postseason ran from April 18 to June 14, a span of 58 days.
Is the NHL playoff format changing for 2027?
No. The divisional bracket with two wild cards per conference stays in place. The 84-game regular season is the change this year, not the playoff structure.
How many games are in the Stanley Cup Final?
The Final is best of seven. It can end in four games or go to seven. A team needs four wins.
Does the NHL reseed after the first round?
No. Teams stay in their side of the bracket through the conference final.
What channel are the 2027 NHL playoffs on?
In the US, ESPN, ABC, TNT and truTV. TNT has the Stanley Cup Final. In Canada, Sportsnet and TVA Sports, with some early series on Prime Video.
When is Game 1 of the 2027 Stanley Cup Final?
Early June 2027. The exact date is set once the conference finals end. The last four Finals began between June 2 and June 8.
When do NHL playoffs start? Mid April 2027 is the answer, with Round 1 expected the week of April 12 after the regular season closes on April 10. Sixteen teams, four best of seven rounds, and a Stanley Cup Final on TNT in early June.
This page updates the moment the NHL confirms the bracket and the Round 1 dates. Until then, you can follow every series on our NHL playoffs page.
Dates and broadcast details checked against NHL.com and the official broadcasters. Spot an error? Let us know.
