Stanley Cup Playoffs 1st Round schedule announced
Postseason to begin with 3 games on Saturday
www.nhl.comHere are the latest publicly reported details on the 2026 NHL playoff schedule and key dates.
- Start of playoffs: The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs began in mid-April 2026, with first-round series kicking off on a weekend triple-header format in some markets. This aligns with the NHL’s schedule release announcing April 18, 2026 as the start in many outlets [Bleacher Report coverage; The Hockey News summaries].[3][6]
- First-round overview: The opening weekend featured multiple series getting under way on April 18–19, 2026, with teams like Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins among those highlighted in early round matchups [Bleacher Report article on Game 1 details].[3]
- Second round updates: By early May 2026, second-round schedules and broadcast information were being published, with series like Wild vs. Avalanche and Hurricanes vs. Flyers receiving updated dates and times as teams advanced [Bleacher Report update; The Hockey News second-round coverage].[4][8]
- Where to watch: Major outlets continued to publish watch information and start times for each round, including ET start times and network/streaming details for Fans across 2026 playoffs [Sporting News bracket article; The Hockey News second-round piece].[2][8]
Illustration of typical schedule structure (example, not actual dates):
- First-round: 8 series, multiple games across consecutive days, often starting on Saturdays with games at 1–8 PM ET windows.
- Second-round: 4 series, staggered by a few days, with 2–3 games per series per week depending on series length.
- Conference finals and Stanley Cup Final: 2 series in each conference, culminating in the Finals to crown the champion.
If you’d like, I can pull a precise, up-to-date game-by-game schedule for your preferred round (First Round, Second Round, Conference Finals, or Stanley Cup Final), including dates, start times in ET, and TV streams. I can also tailor the info to your time zone in Valletta, Malta (GMT+2 during May), and provide a concise calendar you can export.