There aren’t going to be changes to the NHL’s playoff format any time soon.
Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media at the league’s general managers meetings on Wednesday, taking questions on a variety of topics. Among them was about whether the league would consider changing how its playoffs are structured.
Starting in the 2013-14 season, the NHL changed from a 1-vs-8 playoff format with reseeding to a division-based bracket style for the playoffs. The criticism about the current format is that elite teams have to go up against each other in the first two rounds, which is something Bettman doesn’t view as a problem.
“The best team to win the Stanley Cup has got to get through the best teams,” Bettman said. “Having great matchups in the first round, that’s terrific. That’s not a problem. That’s a great thing.”
The Central Division appears to be the toughest gauntlet this season. The Winnipeg Jets are tied for the NHL lead in points with 100, the Dallas Stars are in third in the league with 90 points, and the Colorado Avalanche are up to 87 points after going 8-1-1 in their last ten games. The Stars and Avs could feasibly finish in the top five of the league standings and play each other in the first round.
Bettman also poured water on the idea of the NHL having a play-in tournament before the start of the playoffs. The NBA introduced a change to its playoff format in 2019-20 that sees four teams per conference battle for the seventh and eighth seeds with a series of elimination games. Bettman noted that competitive games in March and April are the NHL’s play-in tournament.
“You guys know I’m pretty dug-in on this,” Bettman said. “I like exactly what we have and if you look at the races that we’re having for the regular season, playoffs have started already. We’re in our play-in tournament and I think it’s terrific. What can be more compelling and exciting and entertaining than that?”
The 2025-26 NHL season will start on October 7 and the Stanley Cup will be awarded in late June because the league will go on a three-week break in February for the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
