When do the 2025 NHL playoffs start and how do they work?

The field for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is starting to take shape.

The Colorado Avalanche on April 3 became the latest team to clinch an NHL postseason berth. Colorado will make its eighth straight playoff appearance, a stretch that included a Stanley Cup championship triumph in 2022.

The Avs are the seventh team to join this year's playoff field so far. And over the final week-plus of the 2024-25 regular season, several other clubs will earn a trip to the postseason for a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup.

So, when will the playoffs start and how do they work? Here's what to know:

How many games are in an NHL season?

All NHL teams play 82 regular-season contests.

When does the NHL season end?

The final games of the regular season take place on Thursday, April 17.

When do the 2025 NHL playoffs start?

The postseason action gets underway just two days later on Saturday, April 19.

How many teams make the NHL playoffs?

Half of the 32-team league qualifies for the postseason, with eight Eastern Conference teams and eight Western Conference squads making up the field.

There are four total divisions -- two per conference -- and the top three finishers in each earn playoff berths. The postseason bracket is then rounded out by wild-card berths, which are awarded to the two best remaining teams in each conference.

What is the tiebreaker for the NHL playoffs?

Here's a look at the NHL's tie-breaking procedure in the event that two or more teams finish with the same number of points:

1. Greater number of regulation wins
2. Greater number of combined regulation and overtime wins
3. Greater number of total wins
4. Greater number of points earned in games against each other
5. Greater goal differential over regular season
6. Greater number of goals scored over regular season

What teams are going to the NHL playoffs in 2025?

Here's an updated look at the teams that have officially clinched a playoff berth:

Eastern Conference

• Washington Capitals
• Carolina Hurricanes
• Toronto Maple Leafs

Western Conference

• Winnipeg Jets
• Dallas Stars
• Colorado Avalanche
• Vegas Golden Knights

How do the NHL playoffs work?

Division winners face wild-card teams in the first round. The top-ranked division winner in each conference draws the second-ranked wild-card team while the second-ranked division faces the top-ranked wild card. The rest of Round 1 pits the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in each division up against one another.

Do the NHL playoffs reseed teams?

The postseason follows a bracket format rather than reseeding teams, setting up more potential divisional matchups in the second round.

When is the Stanley Cup Final 2025?

The only thing currently known about the Stanley Cup Final schedule is that Game 7 will be played no later than June 23.