The NHL Playoffs First Round marks the opening stage of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with eight best-of-seven series across the Eastern and Western Conferences beginning on Saturday 18 April 2026. Sixteen teams will battle for the right to advance to the Second Round, with first-round action running through to 4 May. As the regular season wraps up on 16 April, the projected matchups are taking shape, with the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild already having clinched their spots.
What is the NHL Playoffs First Round?
The NHL Playoffs First Round is the opening phase of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the annual post-season tournament that determines the National Hockey League champion. Sixteen teams qualify for the playoffs: the top three finishers from each of the four divisions (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific), plus two wild card teams per conference. In the First Round, the top division winner in each conference faces the lower-seeded wild card team, the other division winner faces the higher-seeded wild card, and the second and third-place teams in each division meet each other. Each series is a best-of-seven, played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, meaning the higher-seeded team hosts Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. The first team to four wins advances.
When is the NHL Playoffs First Round?
The First Round begins on Saturday 18 April 2026, approximately two days after the regular season concludes on 16 April. Eight series will run concurrently, with games scheduled across most evenings. The round is expected to wrap up by Monday 4 May 2026, though individual series may conclude earlier if one team wins four straight or in five or six games. Start times for individual matchups are typically announced 1-2 days before each game, with most evening starts falling between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM ET.
Where is the NHL Playoffs First Round?
First Round games are played at the home arenas of the 16 qualifying teams across North America. In the 2-2-1-1-1 format, each series alternates between cities, with the higher seed enjoying home-ice advantage for up to four of the seven possible games. Arenas range from intimate 17,000-seat venues to larger 20,000-plus capacity buildings. Notable playoff venues this season are expected to include Ball Arena in Denver (Colorado Avalanche), Lenovo Center in Raleigh (Carolina Hurricanes), American Airlines Center in Dallas (Stars), and Amalie Arena in Tampa (Lightning).
Key Contenders
The Colorado Avalanche enter the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference with 108 points and a 49-15-10 record, making them strong favourites to advance. In the East, the Carolina Hurricanes lead the way on 102 points with a 48-21-6 mark. The Tampa Bay Lightning (100 points) and Buffalo Sabres (100 points) round out the Atlantic Division’s top seeds, while the Dallas Stars (102 points) and Minnesota Wild (96 points) look formidable in the Central. The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, who won their second consecutive title in June 2025, are fighting for a playoff place but are not guaranteed a spot as the regular season concludes.
How to Watch
In the United States, First Round coverage is split between ESPN (including ESPN2, ABC, and streaming on ESPN+) and TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, with selected simulcasts on TruTV). The two networks share roughly half the games each in the first two rounds. In Canada, Sportsnet and CBC provide comprehensive playoff coverage, with CBC offering free-to-air broadcasts of selected games. In the United Kingdom, TNT Sports holds the NHL broadcast rights and will show live playoff games, available through the TNT Sports subscription or via the Discovery+ app. Internationally, NHL games are available through NHL.tv and various regional broadcast partners.
History and Records
The Stanley Cup Playoffs date back to 1893, though the modern four-round, best-of-seven format across two conferences was established in 1987. Since then, the First Round has produced some of the post-season’s most memorable moments. First-round sweeps (4-0 victories) have occurred around 25 times, while 52 series have gone the full seven games. In the 2025 playoffs, the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues produced a remarkable seven-game first-round series in which the home team won every game. The 2019 playoffs saw the Tampa Bay Lightning, that season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, become the first team in NHL history to be swept 4-0 in the opening round after finishing with the league’s best regular-season record.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for each First Round series go on sale through the participating teams’ official channels, with Ticketmaster serving as the NHL’s official ticket marketplace. Prices vary significantly by matchup and market, with upper-level seats starting from around $40-80 and premium centre-ice and lower-bowl tickets reaching several hundred dollars. For high-demand matchups involving teams like the Avalanche or Hurricanes, prices will be at the higher end. Secondary market platforms including StubHub and SeatGeek also list first-round tickets. Fans should be aware that the window between the regular season ending (16 April) and the playoffs starting (18 April) is extremely short, so acting quickly is advisable.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the NHL Playoffs First Round start?
The First Round begins on Saturday 18 April 2026, two days after the regular season concludes.
Where is the NHL Playoffs First Round being held?
Games are played at the home arenas of all 16 qualifying teams across the United States and Canada.
How can I watch the NHL Playoffs First Round?
In the US, games are broadcast on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and TBS. In Canada, coverage is on Sportsnet and CBC. In the UK, TNT Sports holds the rights.
Who won the Stanley Cup last year?
The Florida Panthers won the 2025 Stanley Cup, defeating the Edmonton Oilers four games to two for their second consecutive championship.