Printable 2026 NHL Playoff Bracket

Printable 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff Bracket

Click on this image below to open the NHL Playoff Bracket as a downloadable PDF!

How the NHL Playoffs Work

At the end of the regular season, 16 teams advance to the playoffs. Here is a breakdown of how teams are selected.

The top three teams from each division automatically make the playoffs. Division rankings are based on regular-season point totals, with points awarded to teams that win games, lose in overtime, or lose in shootouts. 

Each conference will have two wild-card teams, comprising the two teams with the best records outside the automatic qualifiers. Wild card teams can be from any division, and a division can send two wild card teams.

In the event of a tie in ranking at the end of the regular season, a series of tiebreakers comes into play. They include:

• RW – Regulation Wins
• ROW – Regulation and Overtime Wins (Minus shootouts)
• Total wins, including shootouts.

Should teams remain tied, other tiebreakers include the highest point totals in head-to-head games, season goal differential, or goals for statistics. In the extremely rare event that two teams are identical in all tiebreakers, a one-game playoff is held to break the tie.

The NHL Playoffs are held in a bracket format. There are four rounds, with each round of the playoffs a best-of-7 series. The first team to win four games advances to the next round.

In the first round, the No. 1 seed with the best record will face the wild card team with the worst record. The other wild card faces the other division winner. The 2 and 3 seeds face each other. 

First-round winners then face off against each other in the second round, also known as the Division Finals, to determine the four teams that advance to the Conference Finals. 

The winners of each Conference face off in the Conference Finals to determine the two participants in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Seeding and Home Ice Advantage

Teams in the NHL playoffs are seeded based on their overall record. The winners of each division are the 1 Seed. Wild card teams are automatically seeded as the 4th seeds. Teams are not reseeded after the first round.

Home-ice advantage in the first two rounds goes to the higher-seeded team. The higher seed hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7 in the first two rounds. 

In the Conference and Stanley Cup Finals, home-ice advantage goes to the team with the regular-season record.

Key Matchups and Predictions

While the Florida Panthers are current back-to-back champions, key injuries make it unlikely that they will three-peat. Instead, many believe that the Colorado Avalanche will take down the title, with many considering them the early favorites to win.

Of the two conferences, the Western is looking to be the most competitive. Many believe that the conference is a two-horse race between the Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers, but the reality is that several teams have a legitimate shot, including the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes were among the preseason favorites. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning are also starting to make a push for a title. You can’t completely count out the Florida Panthers to three-peat, but with injury issues, they could as likely flame out and miss the playoffs.

Betting on the NHL Playoffs

There are a myriad of ways that you can bet on the NHL. At a minimum, online sportsbooks will accept action on individual games, offering many of the following bets:

Moneyline – You pick the winner of the game

Puck Line – This is equal to a points spread in basketball.

Team Totals – This is your Over/Under bet where you pick how many goals you think a team or both teams combined will score.

Typically, you will be able to bet on a myriad of other options, including shots on goal, assists, and game leaders. Many sportsbooks will also offer prop bets such as correct score and winning margin. These types of bets increase in popularity as the playoffs approach the Stanley Cup. 

Sportsbooks will take bets on games up to the time of the first puck drop, with many also accepting Live Betting action during games. Your NHL printable playoff bracket can also tie in directly to your betting strategy. Here are some ways to align your bracket logic with betting opportunities:

Odds will change dramatically as the playoffs approach. Below is a table with the latest futures odds from top Stanley Cup sportsbooks.

Responsible Betting 

While betting on your team and tracking their progress with our downloadable bracket is exciting, it’s crucial that you do so safely and responsibly. Remember to set limits on your play and understand the odds and risks involved. Lastly, only bet money you can afford to lose.

Summary

The playoffs will be here before you know it, so go ahead and download your free, printable 2026 NHL Playoffs bracket. You can start working on your betting strategy for the upcoming playoffs. 

As history has shown, anything can happen in the NHL, and any team can win once they make the playoffs. Download the printable 2026 NHL Playoff bracket and fill it in as matchups are announced.