When do the NHL playoffs start? Key dates, schedule, TV channels & more for 2023 postseason | Sporting News (2024)

The best time of the year is here. By that, we're talking about the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The 2022-23 NHL regular season is over, and the 16 teams playing in the NHL postseason are set. The first round of the playoffs begin on Monday with four series in action.

Playoff hockey always brings the fireworks. From overtime thrillers and heart-breaking buzzer beaters to jaw-dropping dangles and spectacular saves, the NHL never fails to deliver come postseason time.

Can the Avalanche repeat as Stanley Cup champions? Will the Bruins' regular-season dominance translate to the postseason? And of course, is this finally the year the Maple Leafs win a playoff series? We will find those answers soon enough.

NHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

The Sporting News has details on the start of the 2023 NHL playoffs and more.

When do the 2023 NHL playoffs start?

  • Start:Monday, April 17

The NHL is going to start the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs on Monday, April 17, three days after the final regular season finale on Friday, April 14.

When is the 2023 Stanley Cup Final?

  • Start: Saturday, June 3

The league has set a tentative date for the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. That date is Saturday, June 3, however, it is subject to change depending on how long the prior series go.

What channel is the 2023 NHL playoffs on?

  • TV channel (U.S.): ESPN, ABC, TNT, TBS
  • TV channel (Canada): Sportsnet, CBC

The NHL playoffs will be split in the United States between the ESPN family of networks and Turners. The two media corporations are in the second year of their seven-year contracts with the league.

In the first round, Saturday night games will air on ABC. Other first-round contests may air on ESPN and TNT's other channels, such as ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, TBS or TruTV.

ESPN and TNT are splitting the second-round series, as well as the conference final. Since ESPN aired the Stanley Cup Final last year, it is TNT's turn, the first time the network will broadcast hockey's championship series.

In Canada, all the playoff games will be aired on Sportsnet and CBC.

How to stream the 2023 NHL playoffs

  • Live stream (U.S.): ESPN+, SlingTV, Fubo
  • Live stream (Canada): SN NOW, CBC Gem

Fans in the United States looking to stream the NHL playoffs have options. Games on ESPN's platforms can be streamed through ESPN+ or through Fubo, while those on TNT can be streamed through the TNT app and SlingTV.

For the Canadian audience, games on Sportsnet are available to stream on SN NOW. Any contests on CBC can be streamed through CBC Gem.

How many teams make the NHL playoffs?

In total, 16 teams make the postseason in the NHL— eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference.

For each conference, the top three teams from each division are guaranteed placement in the postseason, with the winners of the divisions getting the top two seeds for the playoffs.

The last two spots go to the teams with the two best records out of the rest of the field, meaning they can come from the same division. Those are the wild-card teams.

How many rounds are in the NHL playoffs?

There are four rounds in the Stanley Cup playoffs— first round, second round, conference finals and finals.

In the first round, the top team in the conference plays the second wild-card team. The other division winner takes on the other wild-card team. The No. 2 team from a division plays the No. 3 team from the same division.

After that, the teams do not get reseeded in the second round. Rather, the series winner with the No. 2 and No. 3 teams for a division plays the winner of the series with their division winner playing the wild card team.

For example, for this postseason, let's say the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Lightning place first through third in the Atlantic in that order. The winner of the Bruins' first-round series against the wild-card team faces the winner of the Maple Leafs-Lightning matchup.

Then, the last two teams in each conference square off in the conference finals. Each conference winner then gets to fight for the Stanley Cup in the finals.

How many games are in a series?

Every series, no matter the round, will play a best-of-seven series, meaning the first team to win four games advances to the next round.

Each series is played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, which means the team with the better record plays Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 at its home arena, while its opponent hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. Only the first four games in the series are guaranteed, with Games 5, 6 and 7 played if necessary.

When do the NHL playoffs start? Key dates, schedule, TV channels & more for 2023 postseason | Sporting News (2024)

FAQs

When do the NHL playoffs start? Key dates, schedule, TV channels & more for 2023 postseason | Sporting News? ›

When do the 2023 NHL playoffs

NHL playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs (French: Les séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley) is the annual elimination tournament to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, and the league champion of the National Hockey League (NHL). The four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held after the NHL's regular season.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Stanley_Cup_playoffs
start? The NHL is going to start the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs on Monday, April 17, three days after the final regular season finale on Friday, April 14.

What channel are the Stanley Cup playoffs on? ›

The new deal is highlighted by: exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final on ABC in four of the seven years of the agreement, with the ability to simulcast/megacast on ESPN+ and additional ESPN networks; the return of live NHL action to ESPN networks with 100 exclusive national regular-season games across ESPN, ESPN+ ...

Who is televising the 2023 NHL playoffs? ›

The 2023-24 NHL season is underway, and the ESPN family of networks is your home for hockey. There will be 100 exclusive games across ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu and ABC this season, plus 1,050-plus out-of-market games available on NHL Power Play on ESPN+. ABC, ESPN and ESPN+ was the home for the 2024 All-Star Weekend (Feb.

When did the 2023 NHL playoffs start? ›

Will ESPN show NHL playoffs? ›

Like the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the NHL conference finals will air on ESPN (Eastern Conference) and TNT or TBS (Western Conference).

Where can I watch the Stanley Cup playoffs for free? ›

Fans can watch the NHL playoffs for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. If those streaming methods have already been used, then Sling offers new users a first month discount.

What channel are the NHL playoffs on in 2024? ›

2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule

Following the second round, ABC will have the first choice of conference finals, with TNT set to air the other selection. ABC will then have exclusive coverage of the 2024 NNL Stanley Cup Finals.

How to watch NHL playoffs without cable? ›

Sling TV is the most comprehensive and affordable way to stream all the networks that carry NHL Conference Finals games. The streamer's Sling Orange + Blue package includes ESPN, TNT and ABC, while for a limited-time, you can get the first month of service for only $35/Month (and $60/Month afterwards).

What is the best streaming service for the NHL playoffs? ›

Our top pick for streaming the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is DirecTV Stream, which carries ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, and TruTV in its most affordable package, the Entertainment plan. This plan starts with a five-day free trial and then costs $79.99 a month after that.

Who is favored to win the Stanley Cup? ›

2024-25 NHL championship odds: Florida Panthers are betting favorites - ESPN.

Who is most likely to win the NHL 2023? ›

The Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this season, but the field is still wide open, according to preseason predictions by NHL.com staff writers and editors.

Who will play in the Stanley Cup in 2024? ›

NEW YORK (May 30, 2024) – The National Hockey League today announced the schedule for the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, which will match the Florida Panthers, winner of the Eastern Conference Final, against the winner of the Western Conference Final (either the Dallas Stars or Edmonton Oilers).

What channel will the NHL Playoffs be on? ›

Every game of the Stanley Cup playoffs is televised nationally in the U.S. and Canada and available on streaming platforms. The NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Games are carried in the U.S. on an ABC, ESPN, TNT or TBS and in Canada on CBC or Sportsnet in English and TVA Sports in French.

What channel are the Stanley Cup finals on? ›

The Stanley Cup Finals will be airing on ABC and ESPN+.

Will the Stanley Cup finals be on TNT? ›

TNT will exclusively present the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final in the U.S. with expansive digital content and highlights from Bleacher Report's Open Ice all series long.

What channel is game 5 of the Stanley Cup on? ›

The fifth game of the Final is set for Tuesday, June 18 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, where the Panthers are 8-3 so far in these playoffs. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast live on ABC, with streaming options on FuboTV (Free Trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream and ESPN+.

Where can I watch the NHL game tonight? ›

Watch the NHL Live on Hulu

Catch your favorite hockey games all season long with Hulu + Live TV, now with Disney+ and ESPN+. Enjoy over 95 live channels, plus Hulu's entire streaming library.

What channel is game 4 Stanley Cup? ›

Game 4 of the Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers NHL Stanley Cup Final will be played on Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT). The game will air on ABC and stream on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.

What day will the Stanley Cup Finals start? ›

NHL unveils 2024 Stanley Cup Final schedule, to begin June 8 - The Athletic.

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