Skip to content
iGaming Ontario
en-ca GO TO bet365 Sports
  1. NHL

2024 NHL Playoffs: Dates, schedule, history & odds

The 2024 NHL Playoffs - also known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs - will stage 16 teams against eachother, all vying to etch their names in the record books and be crowned Stanley Cup champions.

A number of teams have genuine aspirations of going all the way, but only one will be able to successfully navigate their way through four rounds of best-of-seven series between April and June.

What2024 NHL Playoffs
WhereUnited States and Canada
WhenApril to June 2024
How to watchSportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports
Odds (Stanley Cup Outright)COL Avalanche +850, TOR Maple Leafs +900, EDM Oilers +900, VGS Golden Knights +1100

NHL Playoffs date

The exact start date for the 2024 NHL Playoffs is still yet to be determined, but the postseason will begin shortly after the regular season ends on April 18.

NHL Playoffs format

Eight teams from each conference will participate in the playoffs, with each round played in a best-of-seven format.

The top three teams in each of the four divisions qualified automatically, plus two teams from each conference were awarded a Wild Card by way of having the highest point totals out of the remaining teams in the conference.

In each conference, the lower seeded Wild Card plays against the divisional winner with the best record, while the other Wild Card plays against the other divisional winner.

The other two series match the second and third-placed teams from the divisions against each other.

For the first two rounds of the NHL Playoffs, home-ice advantage goes in favor of the side with the better seeding, and in the later rounds, it is given to the team with the better regular season record.

Most NHL Playoff appearances

The NHL team that has made the playoffs most is the Montreal Canadiens, with 62 appearances. They have also won the Stanley Cup the most times, with 24 championships.

The top 10 NHL teams with the most playoff appearances are as follows:

  1. Montreal Canadiens (62)
  2. Boston Bruins (59)
  3. Detroit Red Wings (54)
  4. Toronto Maple Leafs (53)
  5. Chicago Blackhawks (51)
  6. New York Rangers (50)
  7. Philadelphia Flyers (49)
  8. Pittsburgh Penguins (48)
  9. Edmonton Oilers (47)
  10. Minnesota Wild (46)

Stanley Cup favourites

The Stanley Cup is awarded to the team that wins the final series of the NHL Playoffs. Here are the favourites to win it in the 2023/24 season:

VGS Golden Knights+700
COL Avalanche+800
TOR Maple Leafs+900
NY Rangers+950
DAL Stars+1000
BOS Bruins+1000
CAR Hurricanes+1000
NJ Devils+1100
EDM Oilers+1500

Related Articles

bet365 uses cookies

We use cookies to deliver a better and more personalised service. For more information, see our Cookie Policy

New to bet365? Bet $1 & Get $100 in Bet Credits

Join Now

Deposit required. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of qualifying bet. Returns exclude Bet Credits wager. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.