2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Begin April 18

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday, April 18, with 16 National Hockey League teams vying for the championship in a postseason that guarantees a new winner following the Florida Panthers' victory in 2024. The first-round matchups feature intense rivalries and storylines, including the Buffalo Sabres' return after ending the league's longest playoff drought and three Canadian clubs seeking to lift the Cup for the first time since 1993.

In the Eastern Conference, the schedule kicks off with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Ottawa Senators at 3 p.m. ET, followed by the Dallas Stars welcoming the Minnesota Wild at 5:30 p.m. and the Pittsburgh Penguins facing the Philadelphia Flyers at 8 p.m. The Senators, who clinched the second wild-card spot with 97 points, will challenge the Hurricanes, who topped the Metropolitan Division with 113 points. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, both at 98 points, renew their Pennsylvania rivalry, with the Flyers securing their first playoff berth in six years via a shootout win over Carolina.

Sunday's slate includes the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins, the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Montreal Canadiens, the Utah Mammoth visiting...