How may NHL teams make the playoffs?

Answer 1

The NHL is divided into 2 conferences and then 3 divisions per conference. The teams with the most points in each division are seeded 1-3 and the next highest teams are seeded 4-8 for each conference. 16 teams make the playoffs and each round consists of a best of 7 series.

Round 1 (quarterfinals): 16 teams (8 per conference). 1vs8, 2vs7, 3vs6, 4vs5. Seeds 1-4 have home ice advantage*.

Round 2 (semifinals): 8 teams (4 per conference). After the first round, the teams are re-seeded so that the highest ranking team plays the lowest ranking team. i.e. If seeds 1, 2, 5, 6 won in round one, then the matchups would be 1vs6, and 2vs5, with the higher seeds having home ice advantage.

Round 3 (conference finals): 4 teams. Same as round 2. Western winner is awarded the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and the Eastern winner is awarded the Prince of Wales Trophy.

Round 4 (Stanley Cup finals): 2 teams. The winners from each conference play each other for the Stanley Cup, the oldest trophy in pro sports history. The team with the better regular season has home ice advantage.

*home ice advantage means:

Game 1: better team plays at home

Game 2: better team plays at home

Game 3: better team plays away

Game 4: better team plays away

Game 5: better team plays at home

Game 6: better team plays away

Game 7: better team plays at home

Answer 2

Teams are not "chosen" as such. The top team in each division are seeded 1-2-3 in each conference regardless of the number of points they have. Then the next five teams with the most points are seeded 5-8. These eight teams in each conference then play best of seven series, 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5. After each round, teams are reseeded in terms of points and rounds continue until the two conference winners are left to face each other in the Stanley Cup Final.

Answer 3

The highest seed gets to play the lowest seed in the first and second rounds. In the second round, the other two teams have to face each other. That is the only thing that is different from other sports brackets.

All series are a best of seven with the higher seed schedule being Home,Home,Away,Away,Home,Away,Home. Both conferences are alike. In the first round of the playoffs the 1 seed plays the 8 seed in their conference. The 2 seed plays the 7 seed. The 3 seed plays the 6 seed. The 4 seed plays the 5 seed. The four teams that win their series go on to the 2nd round. The highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed. The two middle teams play each other. After those series the two remaining teams play each other for the conference championship. Again the team with the higher team has home-ice advantage. After this series is over the remaining team goes on to the Stanley cup finals to play the other team that won their conference. "Home ice advantage in each NHL playoff series prior to the Stanley Cup Finals is granted by superior seed, even if the 'wild card' team had a better regular season record. For the Finals, the team with the better record will receive home ice advantage." -Google

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Answer 4

There are 8 teams in each conference that go to the playoffs. They are put in seeds based on their record in the regular season. The 1 seed and the 8 seed go against each other, the 2 seed and the 7 seed go against each other and so forth. It is a best of 7 series. After the first round the winner of the 1/8 games and the 4/5 games go against each other. And it is a normal bracket from there.

Answer 5

The playoffs start off with the 8 teams in each conference with the most points. These teams are put into series' of two teams. The teams play in a best-of-seven series. The winner advances to the next round. It continues like that until someone wins the Stanley Cup. The playoffs started because the league needed a simple and fair way to decide a winner.

Answer 6

The NHL playoff schedule works similarly every year. There are sixteen teams that make the playoffs and these face off in best of seven series until only eight teams remain.

Answer 7

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