NHL announces regular-season schedule for 2025-26
Begins with tripleheader on Oct. 7; 1,312-game slate concludes April 16
www.nhl.comHere’s the latest I can share about the NHL 2025-26 playoffs schedule (horaires des séries NHL 2026).
- Playoffs timing: The NHL season schedule I can confirm publicly shows the regular season running from October 2025 to mid-April 2026, with playoffs starting shortly after the regular season ends in April 2026. This aligns with typical NHL playoff timing, where the first round begins in mid-April and the Stanley Cup Final concludes in June 2026.[3][7]
- Format: The playoffs consist of 16 teams (8 per conference) competing in best-of-seven series across four rounds, culminating in the Stanley Cup Final.[7]
- International/special events: The 2025-26 schedule included notable events such as international exhibitions (Global Series in Europe), outdoor games (Winter Classic/Stadium Series), and a February Olympic break, affecting the regular-season flow and scheduling of playoff preparation windows.[1][4][7]
- Where to find exact dates: The NHL’s official site released the full regular-season schedule with detailed dates and telecast info; playoff dates are generally announced later, around the end of the regular season or shortly after, with series-by-series matchups determined by seeding at the end of the regular season.[10][3]
If you’d like, I can pull the precise playoff start dates and series-by-series matchup timelines for your preferred team(s) or for Buffalo, NY-area viewing options. I can also provide a compact calendar of all playoff rounds once those dates are published. Please tell me which team(s) you want included.