February 28, 2025
In a landmark decision aimed at increasing excitement and fairness, the National Hockey League (NHL) unveiled sweeping changes to its playoff format for the 2025-2026 season. On February 28, 2025, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman revealed a new playoff structure that will see the league expand its postseason field to 32 teams, adding a new wild card division and restructuring the existing conference system. The bold move is designed to further enhance competition, reward consistent performance, and give fans even more action as they follow the path to the Stanley Cup.
The most significant change in the revamped playoff format is the introduction of a new “Wild Card Division,” which will see the top teams in each conference ranked according to their regular-season points. The teams finishing 1st through 4th in each conference will still receive automatic berths to the playoffs, but the new Wild Card Division will include the next eight highest-placed teams, regardless of conference, making the race for the postseason even more intense.
“This change reflects our ongoing commitment to innovation in the game and to giving our fans more high-stakes action,” said Bettman during the announcement. “The new format allows for a wider range of teams to compete for the Cup and gives smaller market teams the opportunity to fight for a playoff spot even if they’re in a strong conference. The 2025-2026 season promises to be one of the most competitive in NHL history.”
As part of the new system, the traditional divisional and conference-based seeding will remain, but the expansion of the wild card division introduces greater complexity and excitement to the playoff picture. Under the new format, the top eight teams in each conference (the four division winners and the four wild card spots) will be placed into two divisions, with each team facing a series of matchups in a modified bracket system. This results in more cross-conference competition, ensuring that fans will see more inter-conference rivalries and intriguing matchups throughout the postseason.
Another key aspect of the new playoff system is the introduction of “seeded matchups” in the opening round. Rather than simply pairing division winners against wild card teams, the new format will see the highest-seeded team play the lowest-seeded wild card team, regardless of division, which aims to balance competition more evenly. This adjustment is designed to make the opening rounds of the playoffs more unpredictable and exciting, with higher-seeded teams facing off against lower-seeded opponents who have earned their place based on overall performance rather than divisional standing.
Additionally, the new playoff format also includes an expanded second round, where the remaining teams will play in a best-of-seven series to advance to the Conference Finals. The expansion of series and matchups in this round will provide more opportunities for players and teams to showcase their skills, increasing fan interest in deeper playoff runs.
The NHL’s decision to expand the playoff format is seen as a response to the growing demand from fans for more thrilling postseason experiences. The regular season is increasingly competitive, with more teams vying for playoff positions, and the NHL aims to keep fans engaged by allowing more teams to remain in contention for a playoff spot until the very end of the season. The move is also designed to increase television ratings and viewership by offering more meaningful games leading up to the postseason.
“The changes we’ve announced today will keep every team, every fan, and every city engaged all the way until the final game of the regular season,” said Bettman. “With the new Wild Card Division, we’re adding another layer of drama and excitement to what’s already the most intense playoff format in sports.”
The new playoff format is expected to have wide-reaching effects on the NHL’s competitiveness, creating more storylines and opportunities for teams to make deep playoff runs, regardless of their division or conference. The 2025-2026 NHL season is poised to deliver even more edge-of-your-seat moments, with more teams in the hunt for the Stanley Cup and more fan bases getting the chance to experience the thrill of postseason hockey.
As the countdown to next season begins, NHL fans are already buzzing about the upcoming changes, with expectations running high for what promises to be a historic year of hockey. The expanded playoff format will not only shake up the dynamics of the NHL postseason but also elevate the stakes for all teams involved.
