Stanley Cup playoffs field set as NHL regular season winds down
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Three NHL teams clinched Stanley Cup playoff berths on Monday, April 13. They squeezed in just before the door closed on the 2025-26 postseason field.
The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings earned spots in the Western Conference, while the Philadelphia Flyers snagged the final Eastern Conference berth.
With that, the playoff field is set with three days remaining in the regular season. Although dangling questions about seeding and matchups remain, 16 teams are in the postseason. After that, the Stanley Cup playoffs begin Saturday, April 18.
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NHL Public Relations trumpeted the news early on Tuesday, April 14, with interesting statistics about the field.
Six teams that didn’t qualify in 2025
- Buffalo Sabres
- Boston Bruins
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Utah Mammoth
- Anaheim Ducks
Seven teams with new head coaches
- Sabres (Lindy Ruff, second stint)
- Penguins (Dan Muse)
- Flyers (Rick Tocchet)
- Bruins (Marco Sturm)
- Ducks (Joel Quenneville)
- Vegas Golden Knights (John Tortorella)
- Dallas Stars (Glen Gulutzan, second stint)
Last four spots in Eastern Conference last season
- Penguins
- Sabres
- Bruins
- Flyers
In the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes clinched the No. 1 seed and will meet the second wild card in the first round. The Boston Bruins lead the Ottawa Senators by one point for the top wild card with one game remaining for each team.
The top wild-card team will face off against the Atlantic Division champion Buffalo Sabres, who ended an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought. Buffalo Sabres right wing Jack Quinn (22) and defenseman Bowen Byram (4) celebrate the goal by left wing Jason Zucker (17) against the New York Rangers. | Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
The No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup in each Eastern Conference division is set, although home-ice advantage has yet to be determined. In the Atlantic, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens meet for the first time in the postseason since the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. In the Metropolitan, longtime rivals in the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers meet.
Meanwhile, the setup is a bit more complex in the Western Conference. The Colorado Avalanche own the No. 1 seed after winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the fourth time in franchise history. Also in the Central Division, the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild in the No. 2 vs. No. 3 series.
That’s where things get complicated. In the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks could still finish in any of the top three spots. To make matters even more interesting, the Los Angeles are just one point out of the third spot and could sneak into the top three as well.
Finally, the Utah Mammoth are locked in as a wild card for the first postseason berth in franchise history. However, it is unclear if they will be the first or second wild card.
The NHL will announce matchups, Game 1 times and TV/streaming information soon.
