2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup
Final bracket, series results, and head-to-head history for every matchup of the 2026 NHL postseason, covering all 16 participating franchises.
Bracket
Winning team highlighted with their primary color. Numbers show series wins.
First Round
Best-of-7. Winners advance to the Second Round.
Eastern Conference
Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators
FinalPhiladelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
FinalBoston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres
FinalMontréal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning
FinalWestern Conference
Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild
FinalColorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings
FinalUtah Mammoth vs Vegas Golden Knights
FinalAnaheim Ducks vs Edmonton Oilers
FinalSecond Round
Conference semifinals. Winners advance to the Conference Finals.
Eastern Conference
Carolina Hurricanes vs Philadelphia Flyers
FinalBuffalo Sabres vs Montréal Canadiens
FinalWestern Conference
Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild
FinalAnaheim Ducks vs Vegas Golden Knights
FinalConference Finals
Last step before the Stanley Cup Final. Best-of-7 in each conference.
Eastern Conference
Stanley Cup Final
East champion vs West champion. First to four wins lifts the Cup.
All-Time Playoff History
Across the 16 franchises in this year's bracket, here is what their head-to-head playoff record looks like.
Stanley Cup Playoffs FAQ
How does the NHL playoff format work?
Sixteen teams qualify: the top three in each of the four divisions plus two wild cards in each conference. Round 1 is intra-division (1 vs WC, 2 vs 3). Every series is best-of-seven, with home ice alternating 2-2-1-1-1. Winners advance through Round 2, the Conference Finals, and finally the Stanley Cup Final. There are no reseeding rules between rounds. The bracket is fixed at the start.
What does the bracket above show?
The bracket shows all 15 series from the completed 2026 postseason. Each row is a team, paired into its series. The winning team is highlighted, and the number on the right is its final series-win total.
How are series cards updated?
The data was refreshed after completed NHL game days. Each 2026 card now shows the final series score and last result date. The prior playoff-history comparison comes from the full all-time matchup file for that pair.
Why is the bracket showing dates from spring 2026?
NHL seasons span two calendar years. The 2025-26 postseason is called the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs because it finished in 2026. Dates reflect when games were played, from the opening round in April through the Final on June 14.
Where can I see full head-to-head history for a series?
Click any series card. You will land on the full H2H matchup page for that pair, which includes regular-season + playoff splits, biggest wins, longest streaks, last meeting, and decade-by-decade breakdowns. NHL data covers all the way back to 1917 (with pre-2005 ties shown explicitly).
Are these playoff series final?
Yes. All 15 series are final. Carolina won the Stanley Cup by defeating Vegas 4-2 in the Final, which ended on June 14, 2026.
Methodology & Data Sources
Last updated
Every head-to-head record on SharkBetting is computed from scored game logs. The NHL archive covers available regular-season and playoff results from 1917 onward, while recent scores are refreshed from the official NHL data service. Franchise identity is checked against official NHL records. All-time records, recent form, playoff splits, margins, streaks, decades, and seasons are calculated from the same listed results. Ties remain separate, and records without a final score are excluded from decided-game statistics.
Read the full NBA and NHL data methodology →
Stats are refreshed after completed game days when new source data is available. Each page's Last updated date shows when its underlying data was actually synced. If you spot an error, head to our contact page with the game date and we will verify against the source feeds.