* For the first time, Gen Z accounted for 60% of NHL players (61% born 1997-2012; 39% Millennials, born 1981-1996).

* A total of 23 players played as a teenager this season, including seven who were NHL regulars (min. 30 GP). Sixteen of those 23 players were still teenagers when the 2025-26 season ended, and nine will still be teenagers when the 2026-27 campaign begins (Matthew Schaefer, Anton Frondell, Ben Kindel, Brady Martin, Michael Misa, Braeden Cootes, James Hagens, Porter Martone and Victor Eklund).

* Three players selected in last year’s draft were NHL regulars this season (Matthew Schaefer, Ben Kindel and Michael Misa) – among a group of nine whose names were called last June that have played this season. The 2025 draft class was the first that had at least nine players debut the following season since 2017 (12 in 2017-18).

* Gen Z players led 19 teams in points. Anaheim, Chicago and San Jose were all topped by a player age 22 or younger at the end of the season.

* Gen Z players led 18 teams in goals. Anaheim, Dallas and San Jose were all topped by a player age 22 or younger at the end of the season.

* Gen Z accounted for nearly two-thirds of the League’s top point scorers (60%; 31 of 52 players with 70+ points) and more than half of its top goal scorers (51%; 23 of 45 players with 30+ goals).
 
THE ROOKIE CLASS

Matthew Schaefer (age 18), New York Islanders

* Unphased by facing Sidney Crosby (active points leader, 2x NHL MVP), Alex Ovechkin (all-time goals leader; 3x NHL MVP) and Connor McDavid (6x scoring leader including 2025-26, 3x NHL MVP) within the first week of his NHL career, Schaefer got off to a record-setting start and never looked back during his historic season – which includes a long list of achievements detailed on this fact sheet. The No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft less than one year ago, Schaefer accumulated the most goals and points ever by an 18-year-old defenseman. Schaefer regularly honors his mom, Jennifer, who passed away from cancer in February 2024 and since entering the NHL has signed on as a Hockey Fights Cancer champion while continuing his efforts to support kids who have lost loved ones.

Matthew Schaefer Fact Sheet By #NHLStats

Ben Kindel (age 18), Pittsburgh Penguins

* The second-youngest NHL regular this season, Kindel hadthe most goals and points by a Penguins rookie in his lifetime. Kindel’s four game-winning goals were among the most in League history by an 18-year-old. The No. 11 pick from the 2025 NHL Draft, Kindel will celebrate his 19th birthday on April 19, which will be the second day of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both his parents played professional soccer and for Canadian national teams.

Michael Misa (age 19), San Jose Sharks

* One of the youngest goal scorers in franchise history, the No. 2 pick from the 2025 NHL Draft was part of a youthful Sharks roster. He represented Canada at the World Junior Championship this season and missed some time due to injury but otherwise has been an NHL regular in 2025-26. His brother, Luke, is an NHL prospect who played at Penn State University this season alongside Gavin McKenna, the potential No. 1 pick in June.

Porter Martone (age 19), Philadelphia Flyers
* The No. 6 pick in the NHL Draft made his League debut on March 31 and found the score sheet in seven of nine games to help the Flyers clinch their first playoff berth since 2020. Martone beat the Bruins in extra time on April 5 and became the first player in franchise history to score his first career goal in overtime.
 

Sam Dickinson (age 19), San Jose Sharks

* The second-youngest full-time NHL defenseman this season behind Matthew Schaefer, Dickinson was the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft – the highest defenseman selected by the Sharks in more than 25 years. He had the second-most games played, assists and points by a teenage defenseman in franchise history, behind Marc-Edouard Vlasic who tallied 3-21—24 in 76 games at that age – embarking on what would become a 19-season career with the club. He was a goalie when he started playing hockey.

Beckett Sennecke (age 20), Anaheim Ducks

* After being “shocked” when his name was called with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Sennecke made the most of the opportunity during his first NHL campaign – nearly setting franchise rookie records for assists and points. Sennecke, who turned 20 in January, reached a number of milestones including becoming the fastest Ducks rookie to 50 points and second-youngest with a hat trick, as well as contributing to his team’s knack for late-game heroics. He became the third Ducks player to lead all NHL rookies in goals (also Bobby Ryan and Paul Kariya).

Ivan Demidov (age 20), Montreal Canadiens

* After making his NHL and Stanley Cup Playoffs debuts last season, Demidov contributed regularly throughout his first full NHL campaign – posting Montreal’s highest point total by a rookie forward in more than 20 years (and among the highest counts overall in the franchise’s 108-season history). The No. 5 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft was two back of the highest assist total by a rookie forward in franchise history. One season after teammate Lane Hutson claimed the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year, Demidov joined him as the second straight Canadiens player to lead all NHL rookies in assists or points (the last team to do that was VAN from 2018-19 to 2019-20). Teammate Oliver Kapanen (age 22) finished the season one back of the NHL rookie goals leaders.

Zeev Buium (age 20), Vancouver Canucks

* The youngest American to play full-time in the NHL this season, Buium ranked among the NHL leaders for assists and points by a rookie defenseman. After making his NHL debut during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Minnesota Wild, Buium was a focal point of a blockbuster trade in December 2025 and made an immediate impact with his new club in Vancouver. With an athletic pedigree, Buium is a champion at both the NCAA and World Junior levels and in 2024-25 was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and a First Team All-American before turning pro. He is among a small group of active California-born defensemen in the NHL and got his start in roller hockey before his parents relocated the family to support the hockey dreams of Zeev and his brother, Shai (a prospect with the Detroit Red Wings).

Jimmy Snuggerud (age 21), St. Louis Blues

* The latest member of his family to play in the NHL after his father, Dave, Snuggerud led NHL rookies in goals, assists and points since the Olympic break and had the highest single-season point total by a Blues rookie in 34 years. Snuggerud was named the NHL’s “Rookie of the Month” for March and became the first Blues player with the honor in seven years (Jordan Binnington, March 2019).

SOPHOMORE AND MORE

Macklin Celebrini (age 19), San Jose Sharks

* The No. 1 pick from the 2024 NHL Draft became the sixth different teenager in NHL history to post a 100-point season, and the fourth teenager in NHL history to finish among the top five in League scoring. He also became the third player (of any age) with a 100-point campaign for the Sharks and passed the legendary “Jumbo” Joe Thornton (114 in 2006-07) for the single-season franchise scoring record. Of note, Thornton is the person who called Celebrini’s name at the draft two years ago, and served as his “landlord” during his rookie season. Celebrini had a record-setting performance as the youngest NHL player at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Connor Bedard (age 20), Chicago Blackhawks

* The second-youngest non-rookie in the NHL behind Macklin Celebrini, Bedard is the highest-scoring player before age 21 in the 99-season history of his franchise – ranking ahead of second-place Eddie Olczyk (65-115—180 in 228 GP) for goals, assists and points. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft led Chicago in assists and points during each of his three NHL seasons and became the youngest player in franchise history to score 30 goals in a season.

Did You Know? Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard both hail from North Vancouver, are friends away from the rink and train together during the offseason.

Leo Carlsson (age 21), Anaheim Ducks

* Selected with the No. 2 pick in 2023, Carlsson ranks among the NHL leaders from that draft class and has established a number of benchmarks for the Ducks including the most goals (49), assists (66) and points (115) before age 21. He has increased his output in all three of those categories in each of his three NHL seasons and ranked second in team scoring (behind Cutter Gauthier, age 22). Carlsson, who has stuttered his entire life, has partnered with an organization to support young people who stutter. The second youngest full-time Swedish forward in the NHL, Carlsson was featured in the NHL My World series, played at the 4 Nations Face-Off and was named to the Olympic roster but missed the tournament due to injury.

THIS AND THAT

* Lane Hutson (MTL) turned 22 in February and became the first Canadiens defenseman with a 70-point season since Chris Chelios (73 in 1988-89) while tying the single-season franchise record for assists by a defenseman for the oldest team in the NHL. He is one of three members of his family to play in the NHL this season, along with brothers Quinn (age 24; EDM) and Cole Hutson (age 19; WSH) – who achieved a rare feat alongside Alex Ovechkin during his League debut March 18.

* Of 147 NHL Olympic participants, nearly half were Gen Z (46%; 68 of 147) and five were age 21 or younger when the tournament began (Macklin Celebrini, Dalibor Dvorsky, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, Juraj Slafkovský and Simon Nemec). Celebrini, Dvorsky and Slafkovský all had standout performances.

10 statements that defined the 2025-26 regular season, and the players and stats that brought them to life. But first, here’s the TL;DR:

* There will be six new teams in the running when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday and for the first time since 2015, the postseason will begin with one guarantee: a new champion will be crowned. 

* Players spanning three generations – highlighted by the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer – had record-setting performances.

* The international reach of the game was on full display in 2025-26, including historic performances with the return of NHL players to the Olympic Winter Games – capped by Jack Hughes’ “Golden Goal.”

1. TURNOVER AND TURN-AROUNDS WERE THE STORY OF THE SEASON

The 2025-26 regular season saw an unprecedented Rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, highlighted by a six-team turnover – the second-highest total in NHL history – and teams soaring up the standings to turn deficits into playoff spots.

* Stanley Cup Playoffs hockey will head to Buffalo for the first time since 2011, to Anaheim for the first time since 2018 and to Utah for the first time ever. Philadelphia (2020), Pittsburgh (2022) and Boston (2024) also return after at least one season outside the bracket.

* The Sabres were the NHL’s top team since mid-December – when their franchise record-tying winning streak began – en route to their first Atlantic Division crown. Buffalo is the only playoff team to qualify after ranking last place in its conference more than a month into the 2025-26 season (most recently Dec. 17). They also are the only playoff team in 2026 to sit 32nd in the overall standings this season (all in the second week, Oct. 11-14).

* The Senators overcame the largest standings deficit of any club that made the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – sitting 10 points out as late as Jan. 30. Ottawa is the only playoff team to qualify after ranking last place in its division after the holiday break in 2025-26 (most recently Feb. 4).

* The Flyers tied for the most wins and third-most points in the NHL after the Olympic break to clinch a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Philadelphia faced a standings deficit as large as nine points (March 10) and became the first team in NHL history to qualify for the postseason after overcoming a deficit of that size 60-plus games into a season.

* The Pacific Division had six of its eight teams still in playoff contention entering the final weekend of the season and the division title secured by Vegas in game No. 82. The Golden Knights became the second team to finish as the No. 1 seed in its division after hiring a new head coach within its last 20 games (John Tortorella: March 30 debut; 8 GR), while the fourth-place Kings (WC2) were the only other playoff team to make in-season coaching change (D.J. Smith: March 1). Vegas and Los Angeles finished just five points apart, the third time since divisions were introduced in 1967-68 that the top four clubs in one division were separated by that small a margin (also 2018-19 Metropolitan and 1967-68 West). Overall, it took until the penultimate game on the League schedule (1,311 of 1,312) to decide the ranks of seeds 2-4 within the Pacific.

2. TEENAGERS LED A GROUP OF YOUNG STARS

Matthew Schaefer, 18, and Macklin Celebrini, 19, paced a group of 23 teenagers (including six 18-year-olds) that played in 2025-26 – the most since 2018-19 (27). Schaefer was one of nine players from the 2025 NHL Draft who played in 2025-26, the most to debut the season after their draft since the 2017 class and tied for the second-highest total over the past 16 drafts.

#NHLStats Pack: Young Stars of the 2025-26 NHL Season

* Schaefer (NYI) set the League benchmark for most points by an 18-year-old defenseman, tied the single-season NHL record for most goals by a rookie defenseman and became the first defenseman in more than 90 years – and fourth in NHL history – to lead all NHL rookies in goals (tied or outright). Check out the Schaefer Fact Sheet for more on his historic season and impact off the ice.

* Celebrini (SJS) became the sixth teenager in NHL history with a 100-point season, broke Joe Thornton’s franchise record for points in one season, posted the second-highest goal total in club history and rode that performance to a fourth place finish in NHL scoring – joining Sidney Crosby (1st in 2006-07) and Wayne Gretzky (2nd in 1979-80) as the only teenagers to rank that high. Celebrini, who lifted the Sharks into the playoff race by factoring on 46% of the team’s goals (second to Connor McDavid: 49% w/ EDM), completed his final NHL campaign before turning 20 and will have the fifth-highest career point total as a teenager in League history (4th in assists, 7th in goals, t-2nd GWG).

* The Canadiens boasted the second-youngest roster in the NHL at the end of the season, including rookie points leader Ivan Demidov, one of five 20-goal rookies in Oliver Kapanen, rookie wins leader Jakub Dobes had the highest total by a Canadiens rookie since Ken Dryden 54 years ago and was joined in the top five by Jacob Fowler (the first Florida-born goaltender in NHL history) and had defenseman Lane Hutson, 22, match a 49-year old franchise record in his second full season.

* Other young players with breakout seasons include Beckett Sennecke (ANA), who shared the rookie goals lead and is part of a top three in team scoring whose average age is 22; Jimmy Snuggerud (STL), the highest-scoring rookie post-Olympics ahead of Schaefer; and Connor Bedard (CHI), the youngest 30-goal scorer in Blackhawks history.

3. IT WAS ANOTHER THREE-HORSE RACE FOR THE SCORING TITLE

For a second time in three years, the combination of Connor McDavid (EDM; 138 points), Nikita Kucherov (TBL; 130) and Nathan MacKinnon (COL; 127) finished as the top three in the Art Ross Trophy race – just the third grouping in League history to rank 1-3 in League scoring multiple times (any order). The three players combined to lead the Art Ross Trophy race for 138 of 167 game days in 2025-26 (79%; McDavid: 72; MacKinnon: 60; Kucherov: 6), including 136 in a row from Nov. 8 onward. The last player to lead before that trio took over was 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini (SJS; through Nov. 7), who finished his second NHL season ranked fourth in League scoring.

* McDavid became the fourth player to win the Art Ross Trophy six times, joining Wayne Gretzky (10), Gordie Howe (6) and Mario Lemieux (6). McDavid, who became the fifth player in NHL history to claim 15 individual awards, did so in a campaign in which he hit a collection of career milestones (1,100 points; 1,200 points; 400 goals; 800 assists) as well as single-season benchmarks including his ninth 100-point season and third 130-point season. McDavid secured the Art Ross Trophy in his final game of the season when he helped the Oilers lock in home ice in the First Round with a 0-4—4 showing that lifted him ahead of Bobby Orr (4-assist games; 7th) and Jari Kurri (4-point games; 10th)on a pair of all-time NHL lists. McDavid finished with more assists (90) than 99% of the League had points and became the sixth player in League history with multiple 90-assist seasons (also 100 in 2023-24).

* Kucherov topped the NHL in points-per-game (1.71) and trailed in the scoring race by as many as 22 points (Dec. 23, 2025) but paced all players with 85 points after the Christmas break – 14 more than the next closest player – to finish among the top two in League scoring for the fourth time in his career (the others were his Art Ross Trophy wins). Kucherov topped the NHL in four-point games (9) – the second most by any player over the past 29 seasons (McDavid: 10 in 2022-23) – and finished second in multi-point (40) and three-point (19) showings, behind McDavid (43) in the first category and MacKinnon (20) in the latter. Kucherov will enter his 13th NHL season needing 13 points to tie Tampa Bay’s career scoring record.

* MacKinnon led the NHL in even-strength points (97), the most since Wayne Gretzky 35 years ago, and topped his team in points for the eighth time – overtaking Peter Stastny (7x) to trail only Joe Sakic (12x) for the second-most instances in franchise history. MacKinnon picked up a career first by securing the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL goals leader with 53 – just the second player in franchise history to claim the honor. MacKinnon, who in December became the career leader for goals in Avalanche team history, held at least a share of the NHL goals lead for 136 consecutive game days from Nov. 8 onward (standing as the outright leader from Dec. 2 until the end of the season).

* The list of NHL leaders from the defensive end was a mix of established veterans and newcomers, with Evan Bouchard (EDM) topped all blueliners in assists (74) and points (95) – the second Oilers defenseman to top both lists after Paul Coffey (4x) – while Jakob Chychrun (WSH) had 26 goals (including an NHL record-tying 8 GWG) to finish ahead of second-place Matthew Schaefer (NYI) and pace a group of six 20-goal scorers from the back end – the most the NHL has seen in 32 years.

* Other notable veteran contributors to those totals: Zach Werenski (CBJ; 10th defenseman in NHL history to lead his team in points in consecutive seasons), Cale Makar (COL; first defenseman in 34 years with three straight 20-goal seasons), Quinn Hughes (MIN; franchise records for assists and points by defensemen after in-season trade), Rasmus Dahlin (BUF; most points by a Sabres defenseman in 36 years) and Darren Raddysh (TBL; franchise record 22 goals for a blueliner). Achievements by the two youngest defensemen among the defensive scoring leaders, Lane Hutson and Schaefer, are explored above in Section 2.

4. SID AND OVI KEPT IT 100

Twenty-one seasons into their NHL careers, 38-year-old Sidney Crosby and 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin continued to make an impact as both players led their team in points in a campaign capped by their 100th all-time head-to-head meeting during the final weekend of the season.

* Crosby (16x, all w/ PIT) now trails only Wayne Gretzky (19x; 9 w/ EDM, 7 w/ LAK, 3 w/ NYR) and Gordie Howe (17x, all w/ DET) for the most seasons as any team’s points leader – with Ovechkin (15, all w/ WSH) and Anze Kopitar (15x, all w/ LAK) right behind them. From a single franchise perspective, Crosby moved within one campaign of matching Howe’s mark set with Detroit.

* Crosby extended his NHL record by averaging a point-per-game or better for the 21st time in his 21-season career, ahead of second-place Gretzky (19) and five more than the closest active player (Evgeni Malkin: 16). In the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2022, Crosby captained Team Canada to silver at the Olympics in campaign in which he also: overtook Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman to climb into seventh place on the all-time points list, breaking Lemieux’s franchise scoring record in the process; reached milestones for assists (1,100), games played (1,400) and points (1,700); climbed into third all-time for career multi-point games (breaking another franchise record); matched Yzerman as the longest tenured captain in NHL history (19 seasons) while overtaking both him and Adam Oates to move into eighth place for career assists – with his 1,107 now within four of tying Ray Bourque (1,111 w/ BOS) for the most in NHL history with a single franchise. Crosby (1,761) also trails only Howe (1,809 w/ DET) for the most points with one franchise all-time.

* Ovechkin also led the Capitals in goals for the 21st time in his 21-season career, by far the most in League history (Howe: 15) and 11 more than the closest active player (Crosby: 10). Set to make a decision on his future this summer, Ovechkin played in all 82 games in 2025-26 and achieved many feats in the process – building the pot for THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer with each tally: first player to 900 regular-season goals; second player to 1,000 total NHL goals; 21st career 20-goal season (2nd all-time); 20th career 30-goal season (extending NHL record); reached 1,500 games played; overtook Joe Sakic for 10th place on the all-time points list; set the NHL record for total career game-winning goals; moved into fourth place for career hat tricks; posted the third-most goals by a 40-year-old in League history (32; behind Howe: 44 in 1968-69 and Johnny Bucyk: 36 in 1975-76); and climbed within four of tying longtime teammate Nicklas Backstrom’s club record for career assists.

5. IT TRULY WAS A RECORD-BREAKING SEASON

Other veterans made their mark in 2025-26 as the League’s oldest player, 41-year-old Brent Burns (COL), became the second in NHL history to play 1,000 consecutive games, and the League’s oldest goaltender, 40-year-old Jonathan Quick (NYR), climbed into 12th place on the all-time wins list before announcing his retirement. Quick will retire alongside Anze Kopitar (LAK), his teammate in Los Angeles for 16 seasons and two Stanley Cup wins. Kopitar will aim to add another Cup to his tally before hanging up the skates in a season that saw him break the Kings’ all-time points record – a benchmark held by Marcel Dionne for more than 45 years. Another longtime teammate of theirs, Drew Doughty (LAK), set a new Kings record for career goals by a defenseman.

* It was a historic year on many fronts as 15 teams had a major all-time or single-season scoring record broken or matched. Among the highlights not mentioned elsewhere in this recap: Auston Matthews (TOR) and Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) set career goals records; Mark Scheifele (WPG) set career and single-season points records and also became the franchise leader in games played; Jared Spurgeon (MIN) became the franchise leader in assists and points by a defenseman; while New York teams had records set by Mika Zibanejad (NYR; power-play goals), Ilya Sorokin (NYI; career shutouts, tied single-season) and Matthew Schaefer (NYI; a long list).

* Patrick Kane (DET) hit 500 goals and 1,400 points during the same campaign in which he became the all-time leader for points by both a U.S.-born player and by an American national – and finished within two of Phil Housley’s American benchmark for career assists. In addition, Nikolaj Ehlers (CAR) set the mark for assists by Danish players – adding to the goal and point records he already held.

6. THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS FROM OTHER STARS

A collection of other notable stats from the 2025-26 regular season, which was led nearly gate-to-gate by the Avalanche, who sat atop the NHL standings for 153 games days overall including 143 in a row to end the campaign. The club capped the regular season with a hat trick of NHL awards: its fourth Presidents’ Trophy, as well as individual honors to Nathan MacKinnon (Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy) and goaltenders Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood,who claimed the William M. Jennings Trophy. ICYMI: Wedgewood and Blackwood were recently featured in the latest Skates Off where they discussed their chemistry and explored goalie mask artistry.

* Wedgewood finished as the NHL leader in both goals-against average (2.02) and save percentage (.921) – with sizeable advantages atop both lists – while Blackwood (2.51; 8th) also ranked among the top 10 for goals-against average. Colorado set a franchise record for points (121), matched their benchmark for road wins (29) and had their second-highest win total overall (55) – thanks in part to a pair of double digit winning streaks.

* Like the Avalanche, the Hurricanes spent the entire season inside the playoff bracket including 104 consecutive game days atop its division and sat as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for more than half the campaign (53%). That was thanks in large part to the emergence of 27-year-old first-year NHLer Brandon Bussi, an undrafted netminder who became the fastest goaltender in NHL history to 30 career wins (37 GP) and the eighth goaltender in NHL history with 30-plus in his debut campaign. 

* Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL; 39) led the NHL in wins for the first time since 2021-22 and sixth time overall, which matches Clint Benedict (6x) for second place in League history behind Martin Brodeur (9x; tied or outright). Vasilevskiy’s active streak of nine consecutive 30-win seasons ranks second all-time and helped him edge second-place Karel Vejmelka (UTA; 38) atop the wins list. Vejmelka had the highest single-season win total by a Czech goaltender in nearly 20 years and third highest all time (tied).

* A snapshot of some of the top-scoring duos in 2025-26: In Montreal, Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki recorded the first 50-goal and 100-point seasons in 36 and 40 years, respectively. In Winnipeg, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor factored on the same goal a League-best 65 times. Set to face off in the First Round, Dallas (Jason Robertson & Wyatt Johnston) and Minnesota (Kirill Kaprizov & Matt Boldy) each had multiple 40-goal scorers in the same season for the first time in team history, while Nashville did so for the second time (Steven Stamkos & Filip Forsberg).

* The Canadiens and Ducks both qualified for the playoffs after sharing the League lead with 26 comeback wins, a franchise record for both (tied for ANA) and outdone by only seven teams in NHL history. Both also made a habit of late rallies: Anaheim paced all teams in third-period comeback wins (12) ahead of Montreal and Vegas (tied w/ 10). Overall, the Ducks scored 68 tying goals – tied for the second-highest total in League history (1985-86 CHI: 73) – including 11 in the final five minutes of regulation. Furthermore, Anaheim set an NHL record with tying or go-ahead goals scored in the final five minutes of regulation (previous: 16 by 2008-09 DET, 2000-01 BOS & 1986-87 NYI).

* An all-time high 17 players skated in their 1,000th game, including four who hit the mark in the final three weeks of the season: Brock Nelson (COL), Evander Kane (VAN), Adam Larsson (SEA) and Mika Zibanejad (NYR). Larsson became the third player to reach the milestone while wearing a Kraken sweater.

7. NHL PLAYERS BROUGHT HISTORIC PERFORMANCES IN RETURN TO OLYMPICS

NHL players returned to the Olympic Winter Games, an event that culminated with an unforgettable Canada-USA showdown for gold and included a long list of record-setting performances. A few highlights:

* Jack Hughes (NJD) scored the “Golden Goal” in overtime to secure his country’s first Olympic gold medal in 46 years, finishing the tournament as the team’s top goal scorer and tied for second among Americans in points behind brother Quinn Hughes (MIN) – who set or tied Olympic records for assists (7) and points (8; tied) by an American NHL player. Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) made 41 saves in the gold medal game – including highlight-reel stops against the two tournament scoring leaders – as he secured Best Goaltender honors and joined Quinn on the tournament All-Star team. After the break, Jack ranked second in scoring with 41 points, behind Olympic MVP Connor McDavid (EDM; 42).

* A total of 91 Olympians will be part of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – including 16 from Team USA who will now pursue a second championship in 2025-26.

* Other notable achievements were had by: Canadian teammates McDavid and Macklin Celebrini (SJS), the youngest NHL player at the event; Sebastian Aho (CAR), the top goal-scorer for Finland’s bronze-medal entry; Czech tandem Martin Necas (COL) and David Pastrnak (BOS); German trio Leon Draisaitl (EDM), Tim Stützle (OTT) and Moritz Seider (DET); Swedish and Swiss scoring leaders Lucas Raymond (DET) and Roman Josi (NSH); as well as the young Slovak pairing Juraj Slafkovský (MTL) and Dalibor Dvorsky (STL).

* Many of those players also had notable performances during the NHL campaign; some highlights not covered elsewhere in this document: Necas and Pastrnak became the first Czech players to have 100 points in the same season; Stützle (also 2022-23) joined Alexei Yashin (5x) as the second player in Senators history to lead the team in goals, assists and points multiple times; Aho matched Eric Staal (8x) for the most seasons as points leader for the Hurricanes/Whalers; Seider extended his consecutive games played streak to 410 games (the longest ever to begin a career for a defenseman); Slafkovský became the first Slovakian 30-goal scorer since Marian Hossa a dozen years ago.

8. HIGH-SCORING, COMPETITIVE BALANCE TRENDS CONTINUED

With half the League still in playoff contention entering the final weekend of the regular season (16 teams had not yet clinched or been eliminated) and the final Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket determined after the penultimate game, the competitive balance in the standings was paired with high-scoring close games on the ice.

* Teams that missed the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs had a .533 points percentage, the fourth-highest rate in any 82-game season (tied). Their collective .474 winning percentage also tied for fourth.

* 20 teams improved their point total versus last season, the most ever in one campaign.

* This was the fifth straight season that at least 40% of games were comeback wins (an NHL first).

* Nearly half of all games were tied in the third (46%), the highest rate over the past nine seasons.

* An NHL record 246 tying or go-ahead goals were scored in the final five minutes of regulation. The 148 tying goals in that window were a record, while the 98 go-ahead tallies ranked fourth.

* This was the third time in five seasons that goals-per-game was 6.3 or higher, and the fifth time in eight campaigns that it hit at least 6.0. By contrast, the League averaged 6.0 goals-per-game only once over 21 seasons from 1996-97 to 2017-18.

9. THE BUSINESS OF THE GAME AND OFF-ICE IMPACT ARE STRONGER THAN EVER

The NHL set a total attendance record for the fourth consecutive regular season, with 23,158,522 fans – 97.5% of capacity – eclipsing the previous high of 23,014,458 set in 2024-25. The per-game average was 17,651 and includes contests at 35 venues. Click here for more on the attendance four-peat. Many of those fans sported new jerseys, with Connor Bedard (CHI) the go-to choice for many.

* More than 100,000 fans attended the two outdoor games this season – the first two ever held in Florida. First, 36,153 in attendance at loanDepot park in Miami saw Mika Zibanejad (NYR) score the first Winter Classic hat trick and set an outdoor record with five points. The Rangers also came up with a hat trick in the first-ever Inside Out Classic in April.

* The second outdoor game in Florida was staged less than one month later when a capacity crowd of 64,617 packed inside a football stadium on the coldest Feb. 1 in Tampa in 126 years. They witnessed countless memorable moments in a game oozing with intensity and record-setting performances before the Lightning claimed a Stadium Series victory with the largest comeback win in its history and the largest outdoor rally across the 45 NHL outdoor contests.

* More kids are playing hockey around the world than ever before in NHL, NHLPA and 32 Club programs. Leaguewide, NHL Clubs invest nearly $100 million in their communities each season. The NHL’s charitable foundations – NHL Foundation U.S., Inc. and NHL Foundation Canada – granted $400,000 to 13 best-in-class organizations in the U.S. and Canada this season. And in collaboration with Megan Keller, who scored the gold-medal winning goal, the NHL Foundation U.S. will make a $100,000 donation to two organizations as part of its Empowerment Grant for Girls Hockey.

* The final week of the season saw the Blues become the first in the NHL to broadcast a regional game in American Sign Language, with the game holding special significance to Jake Neighbours (STL). The NHL in ASL will return for the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.

10. NHL EDGE SHOWCASES STARS, HIGHLIGHTS UNDERLYING TALENTS OF EVERY PLAYER

* Connor McDavid (EDM; 151) was once again the NHL leader in speed burst of 22+ mph – with more than triple the amount of all but one player across the rest of the League (Owen Tippett, PHI: 61) – and covered the most miles (330.27).

* The 2025-26 leaderboards included players who set new NHL EDGE era benchmarks: Louis Crevier (CHI) for the hardest shot resulting in a goal (102.54 mph) and Beck Malenstyn (BUF) for the fastest max skating speed (24.94 mph).

* Devin Cooley (CGY; 73.1%) was one of two goaltenders with a save percentage greater than .900 in at least 73% of his starts, showing his personality both in the media and part of an all-California goaltending tandem in Calgary alongside Dustin Wolf, who made a young fan’s day during the team’s final homestand.

https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/28043715/embed

An action-packed regular season went down to the wire with 16 teams set to begin a new quest and compete for the Stanley Cup. It’ll take 16 more wins to hoist hockey’s most prestigious trophy, so here are 16 key questions – and answers – that you need to know heading into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* * *

It seems like there are a lot of new teams in the playoffs. Is this the biggest year-over-year turnover in Stanley Cup Playoffs history?
 

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs feature six teams that did not qualify for the postseason last year (ANA, BOS, BUF, PHI, PIT & UTA). That’s one shy of the largest year-over-year turnover in NHL history (7 in 2020-21, 2017-18, 2016-17 & 2014-15).

* * *

With so many new teams in the playoffs, is it likely that we’ll see a first-time Stanley Cup winner?
 

Four of 16 teams in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are in search of their first-ever championship: the Sabres, Senators, Wild and Mammoth.
 

The past eight Cups have been won by six different teams, with four of those being first-time winners: the Panthers in 2024, the Golden Knights in 2023, the Blues in 2019 and the Capitals in 2018.
 

And for the first time since 2015, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are guaranteed to finish with a new champion year-over-year.

* * *

Speaking of the Sabres, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, how do teams generally fare in the postseason following long droughts?

Among the four other teams that snapped playoff droughts of nine-plus years, the Hurricanes (2019; 9 seasons) and Devils (1988; 9 seasons) each advanced the Conference Finals, the Oilers (2017; 10 seasons) reached the Second Round and the Panthers (2012; 10 seasons) got to Game 7 of their opening series.

* * *

Head coach Lindy Ruff led the Sabres to their last series win in 2007. Has any coach ever gone 10-plus years between series wins with a franchise?

Should he lead the Sabres to the Second Round, Lindy Ruff’s 19-year gap between series wins with one franchise would be by far the largest in NHL history.
 

Only two other head coaches have gone 10 years between series wins with one team: Claude Ruel (11 years from 1969 to 1980 w/ MTL) and Harry Sinden (10 years from 1970 to 1980 w/ BOS).

* * *

The Mammoth are set to skate in their first postseason ever. Historically, how do teams perform in their first-ever playoff run?
 

The NHL’s two newest teams before the Mammoth – the Kraken and Golden Knights – each won at least one round in their first playoff run. Like Utah, Seattle also finished as the first Wild Card in the West before defeating the Central Division-leading Avalanche in the 2023 First Round. Vegas advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.
 

Going back to the 1990s, the Ducks won a round in their first playoff run in 1997, the Panthers reached the Final in 1996 and the Sharks upset the Red Wings in the opening round of the 1994 postseason.

* * *

The Penguins are back in the playoffs and looking for their fourth Stanley Cup in the Sidney Crosby era. How rare is that?
 

The Penguins trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have won three Stanley Cups together since 2009 and can help Pittsburgh become the first team to win four championships in 20 years (or fewer) since Detroit won four from 1997 to 2008 – a span of just 11 years.
 

Crosby, Malkin and Letang can also join their former teammate Chris Kunitz (3 w/ PIT, 1 w/ ANA)as the only skaters to win four Stanley Cups since the turn of the millennium.

* * *

The NHL’s two highest-scoring rookies, Ivan Demidov and Beckett Sennecke, will be in the playoffs. Do rookies tend to make an impact in their first postseason?
 

Recent playoffs have seen rookies become more impactful. Eighteen rookies in NHL history have recorded 15-plus points in a playoff run – seven of those instances have occurred since 2009-10. Jake Guentzel (21 in 2016-17 w/ PIT) and Ville Leino (21 in 2009-10 w/ PHI) were among that cohort, tying Dino Ciccarelli (21 in 1980-81 w/ MNS) for the most points in a playoff run by a rookie.

* * *

Who are the most dynamic players to watch this postseason according to NHL EDGE?
 

According to NHL EDGE, the fastest skater participating in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs is Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn (24.94 mph on March 12), while the player with the hardest shot is Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven (103.51 mph on Jan. 31).
 

Oilers forward Connor McDavid led all skaters with 151 bursts of 22+ mph in the regular season, and Bruins forward Morgan Geekie is the only player in the postseason that recorded two 100+ mph shots in 2025-26.

* * *

How often does the team that wins the Presidents’ Trophy and/or the No. 1 seed in the overall League standings go on to win the Stanley Cup?
 

Since the NHL’s expansion era (1967-68), the team that finished first in the overall NHL standings has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 15 times in 57 years (26.3%). It has happened only four times since 1999-00 (CHI in 2013, DET in 2008 & 2002, COL in 2001).

* * *

The regular season featured some intense Wild Card races. Do Wild Card teams have a shot in the playoffs?
 

At least one Wild Card team has advanced out of the First Round in six of the 10 previous years under that format, including multiple teams four times in a single postseason. In 2019, all four Wild Card teams advanced to the Second Round.

A Wild Card team has never won the Stanley Cup, but two have reached the Final: the Panthers (2023) and Predators (2017).

* * *

Will another Atlantic Division team make the Final?
 

A team currently in the Atlantic Division has reached the Stanley Cup Final in seven consecutive seasons. In the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Atlantic Division makes up five of the eight playoff teams in the East: Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa and Tampa Bay.
 

Atlantic Division Teams in Stanley Cup Final, Since 2019:
2025 – Florida (Won Cup)
2024 – Florida (Won Cup)
2023 – Florida (Lost Final)
2022 – Tampa Bay (Lost Final)
2021 – Tampa Bay (Won Cup)
2020 – Tampa Bay (Won Cup)
2019 – Boston (Lost Final)

* * *

The Oilers will aim to reach the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight year. How rare is that feat?
 

Only seven teams in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) have reached the Final in three straight years, and only two have done so in the past four decades: the Panthers (2023 – 2025) and Lightning (2020 – 2022). Each of the last six NHL franchises to skate in at least three straight championship series won at least one Stanley Cup.

* * *

Need a veteran to root for? Here are the players in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the most regular-season games played that have not won a Stanley Cup.
 

1,579 GP – Brent Burns (COL)
1,345 GP – Claude Giroux (OTT)
1,287 GP – Nick Foligno (MIN)
1,252 GP – Jamie Benn (DAL)
1,195 GP – Matt Duchene (DAL)
1,159 GP – Erik Karlsson (PIT)
1,139 GP – Tyler Myers (DAL)
1,058 GP – Adam Henrique (EDM)
1,058 GP – Marcus Johansson (MIN)
1,048 GP – Jeff Petry (MIN)
 

* * *

Which players this postseason have appeared in the most career playoff games?
 

All five of the most experienced players in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have won at least one championship: three now skating for the Lightning, and two on the Penguins. Lightning forward Corey Perry leads the list and has the fourth-most playoff games in NHL history behind only Chris Chelios (266 GP), Nicklas Lidstrom (263 GP) and Patrick Roy (247 GP).
 

237 GP – Corey Perry (TBL; Stanley Cup in 2007)
196 GP – Ryan McDonagh (TBL; Stanley Cup in 2021 & 2020)
180 GP – Sidney Crosby (PIT; Stanley Cup in 2017, 2016 & 2009)
177 GP – Evgeni Malkin (PIT; Stanley Cup in 2017, 2016 & 2009)
170 GP – Victor Hedman (TBL; Stanley Cup in 2021 & 2020)

* * *

Which of this year’s playoff teams have waited the longest to win the Stanley Cup?
 

The Sabres have never won the Stanley Cup in their 55-season history, marking the longest wait of any team in the postseason and the second-longest drought in the NHL behind only the Maple Leafs (58 seasons since 1967). The Flyers are also in the midst of a 50-plus year drought following their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 1974 and 1975.

* * *

Which players can move up all-time lists on Records.NHL.com?
 

Penguins forward Sidney Crosby enters the postseason with 201 career playoff points and needs one to pass Jaromir Jagr for sole possession of the fifth most in NHL history. Crosby (130) also needs seven assists to tie Paul Coffey (137) for the fourth most in NHL history.
 

Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (118) needs five helpers to tie Jagr (123) and break into the top-10 list for most postseason assists.
 

Crosby’s 71 goals are tied for the 18th most in postseason history and he enters the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs eight shy of Jean Beliveau (79) for 10th place. Crosby is also six goals behind Alex Ovechkin (77) for the most among active skaters.
 

Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (28) is tied for the ninth-most power-play goals in playoff history and needs three to tie Ovechkin (31) for fifth place – and the most among active skaters.
 

Lightning forward Corey Perry has five career playoff overtime goals – only two players have more: Joe Sakic (8) and Maurice Richard (6). Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl trails closely with four.
 

Draisaitl has eight career overtime points in the playoffs, one back of Doug Gilmour and Adam Oates (both w/ 9) for second most in NHL history behind Sakic (14).
 

Lightning blueliner Victor Hedman (120) needs one point to tie Chris Pronger (121) for the 10th-most postseason points by a defenseman in League history.
 

Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (67) needs one victory to tie Andy Moog (68) for the 11th-most wins in postseason history and three to match Jacques Plante (71) for 10th place.
 

Malkin (53) needs one multi-point game to tie Sakic for seventh most in postseason history and three to tie Glenn Anderson and Coffey for fifth most.
 

Draisaitl’s eight four-point games are tied with Lemieux for the fifth most in NHL history and one shy of Coffey (9) for fourth most.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Buffalo Sabres – 1st in Atlantic Division

The Sabres sat last in the Eastern Conference through November, but since Dec. 1 no team in the NHL has had a better record than Buffalo, who on April 4 clinched the franchise’s return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs ending a 14-season drought. The only tie to Buffalo’s last trip to the postseason is Lindy Ruff, who has guided the Sabres back to the playoffs in his second tour of duty with the franchise and was behind the bench in their previous postseason appearance in 2011. The majority of Buffalo’s core will be making their postseason debut: Captain and top defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, three-time 40-goal scorer Tage Thompson and homegrown talents Owen Power, Jack Quinn and Zach Benson. Local product and fan-favorite Alex Tuch (Syracuse, N.Y.) has topped 30 goals in three of the last four seasons and brings 66 games (w/ VGK: 2018 to 2021) of playoff experience to the fold as do the three Stanley Cup winners on the roster: Bowen Byram (2022 w/ COL) and in-season deadline acquisitions Luke Schenn (2020 & 2021 w/ TBL) and Tanner Pearson (2014 w/ LAK).

Key Players: Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Tuch, Josh Doan

Tampa Bay Lightning – 2nd in Atlantic Division

Across the previous 10 playoff years, no team has more postseason appearances (10), series wins (15) or Stanley Cups (2; tied) than the Lightning have since 2015-16. With that being said, Tampa Bay will look to advance out of the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since falling in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final – which was their third straight trip to the definitive series after winning in 2020 & 2021. A lot of familiar, proven playoff performers remain from those championship teams including head coach Jon Cooper behind the bench: Nikita Kucherov, who led all players in playoff scoring in 2020 and 2021, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has more playoff wins than any active goaltender and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2021, Brayden Point, who led all players in postseason goals in 2020 and 2021 and defenseman Victor Hedman (injured), who has more playoff points than any active defenseman and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020. In total, the current Lightning roster has combined for 18 Stanley Cup rings, the highest total among teams in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Key Players: Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point

Montreal Canadiens – 3rd in Atlantic Division

The youngest team to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs (average age 26.08; 2nd only to CHI among all teams) not only clinched a playoff spot for a second straight season (after doing it on their final day of the campaign in 2024-25) but did so riding the performances of young stars. Captain Nick Suzuki (age 26) became the first Canadiens player to record a 100-point season in 40 years (Mats Naslund in 1985-86), Cole Caufield (age 25) the first Montreal player to notch a 50-goal season in 36 years (Stephane Richer in 1989-90), Lane Hutson (age 22) the first Canadiens defenseman with a 75-point season in 40 years (Larry Robinson in 1985-86) and Juraj Slafkovsky (age 22) set new career highs in every offensive category including his first career 30-goal season. In addition, Montreal boasts the 2025-26 rookie points leader (Ivan Demidov, age 20) and a goaltender who led all rookies in wins and ranked top-10 League-wide in that category (Jakub Dobes, age 24). After falling to the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Capitals in the First Round in 2025 as surprise playoff participants, the young Canadiens core, firmly entrenched among the Atlantic Division’s top teams, will look to advance past the opening round for the first time since a surprise run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Key Players: Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky

***

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

Carolina Hurricanes – 1st in Metropolitan Division

The Hurricanes are set to make their franchise-record eighth consecutive playoff appearance and have earned a series win in each of those runs (including 2020 SCQ), one of five teams in NHL history with a streak that long. The entirety of the stretch, including three trips to the Conference Finals, have come since Rod Brind’Amour arrived on the scene as head coach prior to the 2018-19 season. For the eighth time across the last nine seasons, the Hurricanes are led in regular-season points by Sebastian Aho, who is also a consistent playoff performer and holds all-time franchise records for playoff goals, assists and points. In fact, four of the five all-time top playoff producers in Hurricanes/Whalers franchise history are currently with the team, a tribute to the deep runs Carolina has gone on in consecutive seasons: Aho (1st), Andrei Svechnikov (2nd), Seth Jarvis (4th) and Jaccob Slavin (5th). A key factor for the Hurricanes could be their ability to control play – according to NHL Edge Carolina spent a League-leading 45.5% of even-strength time in the offensive zone this season (a category they have finished first in every season since NHL Edge tracking started in 2021-22). When the puck is in their defensive zone, they have a goaltending tandem of first-year netminder Brandon Bussi, who put together multiple nine-game win streaks this season, as well as veteran netminder Frederik Andersen, who ranks fourth among active goaltenders with 46 career playoff victories.

Key Players: Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Jaccob Slavin, Nikolaj Ehlers

Pittsburgh Penguins – 2nd in Metropolitan Division

After finishing 11 points outside the playoff line in 2024-25, the longtime Penguins trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang – who have combined to win three Stanley Cups with the franchise – are back in the postseason for the first time since 2022. Crosby and Malkin will participate in their 16th postseason together – they have advanced past the opening round eight times previously but not since 2018. Crosby, who has won the Conn Smythe Trophy twice (Malkin has the other during their tenure), ranks among the top five in NHL history for playoff assists (5th; 130) and points (t-5th; 201) in range of climbing both lists. Three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, who joined the Penguins prior to the 2023-24 season, has 67 games of playoff experience but has not participated since helping the Sharks reach the 2019 Conference Finals. The four veterans with loads of playoff experience will get their first taste of postseason action in multiple years and look to lead a new-look Penguins roster that includes two-time Stanley Cup finalist goaltender Stuart Skinner, 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel and team goal leader Anthony Mantha (career-high 33 goals) on a deep run. 

Key Players: Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang

Philadelphia Flyers – 3rd in Metropolitan Division

The Flyers opened the season by bringing back former player and Jack Adams Award-winning head coach Rick Tocchet to lead them back into the postseason for the first time since 2020, and although the team was eight points out of a playoff spot at the Olympic break, they reeled off a 17-7-1 record after the NHL’s return from Milan to lock in third spot in the division. Of the 16 teams to qualify for the postseason, only the Canadiens and Sabres have a younger roster than the Flyers (average age 27.72) with impact producers Travis Konecny (age 29), Trevor Zegras (age 25), Owen Tippett (age 27), and Matvei Michkov (age 21) all under the age of 30. Forward Porter Martone (age 19), the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, joined the team after his season at Michigan State and has averaged over a point per game since joining the team (4-6—10 in 9 GP). With Konecny, defenseman Travis Sanheim and captain Sean Couturier the lone holdovers from their last postseason appearance in 2020, a new-look Flyers team will head into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Key Players: Trevor Zegras, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Matvei Michkov

***

EASTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD

Boston Bruins – Wild Card 1

While the Bruins have seen quite a bit of turnover since their last trip to the postseason in 2024 (Brad Marchand, Jake DeBrusk, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic are among the long-time Bruins that have moved on since then), a pillar at every position remains and has helped guide Boston back to the postseason after a short one-year absence: David Pastrnak at forward, Charlie McAvoy on defense and Jeremy Swayman in goal. Pastrnak has recorded 100 points in four straight regular seasons and enters the playoffs one goal shy of becoming the eighth player to score 40 postseason goals for the Bruins franchise and can climb within the top 10 on the Original Six franchise’s all-time playoffs points list. McAvoy and Swayman tasted a championship already this season – they both represented Team USA in the country’s gold medal-winning entry at the Olympics – with McAvoy among the top producing defensemen in the League since returning from Milan. The departures of the aforementioned veterans have helped bring in a mix of young players: Fraser Minten (age 21) scored 17 goals as a rookie with a plus-21 rating and homegrown draft pick 19-year-old James Hagens (7th overall in 2025) earned an assist in his NHL debut after arriving from Boston College in April.

Key Players: David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, Morgan Geekie

Ottawa Senators – Wild Card 2

The Senators have qualified for the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2011-12 to 2012-13 and will look to advance past the opening round for the first time since a Conference Finals appearance in 2017. The depth of the Senators roster has been built through years of drafting and development, including homegrown picks captain Brady Tkachuk (4th overall in 2018), who led Ottawa with 4-3—7 in 6 GP last postseason, leading scorer Tim Stutzle (3rd overall in 2020), first-time 30-goal scorer Drake Batherson (121st overall in 2017) and two of their top defensemen in Jake Sanderson (5th overall in 2020) and Thomas Chabot (18th overall in 2015). The mix of home developed talent with key veteran additions over the past few seasons such as Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, forward Claude Giroux (101 GP in playoffs) and Stanley Cup winners Nick Cousins (2024 w/ FLA), Michael Amadio (2023 w/ VGK) and Lars Eller (2018 w/ WSH) have Ottawa in the hunt for a second straight season.

Key Players: Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Claude Giroux

***

CENTRAL DIVISION

Colorado Avalanche – 1st in Central Division

The high-scoring Avalanche (3.63 G/GP in 2025-26; 1st) led the overall NHL standings every day from Nov. 1 through to the end of the season to lock in the franchise’s fourth Presidents’ Trophy and first since 2020-21. While Colorado didn’t win the Stanley Cup in 2021, they did the season after, and most of the key players from that 2022 Stanley Cup-winning team are back for another run: Leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon (who claimed his first career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy and whose career 1.32 P/GP rate in the playoffs ranks fifth all-time; min. 50 GP), Conn Smythe Trophy recipient and two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar (whose career 1.08 P/GP rate in the playoffs is tied for second best all-time among defensemen; min. 50 GP), captain Gabriel Landeskog (who played his first full regular season since that 2022 championship) and veteran forward Nazem Kadri, who returned at the NHL Trade Deadline after departing as a free agent the summer immediately following the 2022 Cup win. Colorado not only boasts the highest-scoring offense in the League, the goaltending tandem of Scott Wedgewood (45 GP) and Mackenzie Blackwood (39 GP) combined to win the William M. Jennings Trophy after backstopping the Avalanche to the fewest goals against allowed in 2025-26.

Key Players: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri

Dallas Stars – 2nd in Central Division

After three consecutive trips to the Conference Finals, the Stars return to the postseason with a new head coach in Glen Gulutzan, in his second tenure with the franchise, but much of the same core looking to take another deep run and push further to the Stanley Cup Final. The Stars roster includes veteran forward Mikko Rantanen, who will appear in his 100th career playoff game in Game 1 and has a career point-per-game rate of 1.24 in the postseason (7th-highest all-time; min. 75 GP). In his first postseason with the Stars, Rantanen scored nine goals in 18 games including back-to-back hat tricks in Game 7 of the First Round and Game 1 of the Second Round. Dallas’ deep offense also makes them the only team in the 2025-26 regular season to boast two 45-goal scorers in Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. Johnston has five career game-winning goals in the playoffs and is tied with Mike Modano (3) and Al MacAdam (3) for the most series-clinching goals in franchise history. At just 26 years of age, top defenseman Miro Heiskanen already has 93 games of playoff experience and holds the franchise mark for most points by a defenseman in a playoff year (26 in 2020). Heiskanen enters the postseason eight points back of Sergei Zubov for most career postseason points by a Stars/North Stars blueliner.

Key Players: Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen

Minnesota Wild – 3rd in Central Division

The Wild took a big swing this season acquiring Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes on Dec. 12. Minnesota then reeled off the eighth-best record in the League after the trade with Hughes setting a new single-season mark for points by a defenseman (in just 48 GP). Hughes is one of three Wild skaters that helped Team USA earn a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 alongside forward Matt Boldy and defenseman Brock Faber and the three will look to build off that championship experience to help Minnesota advance past the opening round for the first time since 2014-15 – the trio will look to join a short list of eight players who won Olympic gold and a Stanley Cup in the same season. Four-time 40-goal scorer Kirill Kaprizov drives the offense up front, holding the all-time franchise record for goals in the regular season and two back or surpassing Zach Parise for first on the all-time playoff goals list. An intriguing storyline could be the Trade Deadline acquisition of veteran Nick Foligno to play alongside his brother, Marcus Foligno – the pair could be the first brothers to be on the same Cup-winning team since Scott Niedermayer and Rob Niedermayer (2007 w/ ANA).  

Key Players: Kirill Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber

***

PACIFIC DIVISION

Vegas Golden Knights – 1st in Pacific Division
In just nine years of existence as an NHL franchise, the Golden Knights have finished the regular season as the top seed in their division four times (including in 2025-26), qualified for the playoffs eight times, advanced past the opening round of the postseason five times and made it all the way to two Stanley Cup Finals (winning in 2023). Vegas’ active roster includes 11 players who have won a Stanley Cup (tied for the most among playoff teams) including captain Mark Stone, who has the most playoff goals (tied) in franchise history and scored a hat trick in the 2023 Cup-clinching win, Jack Eichel, who has led the team in playoff points every year since arriving in 2021-22, and Shea Theodore, who holds every major offensive franchise record by a defenseman (regular season and playoffs). A key to Vegas’ success has been the ability to add high-end players to strengthen their group – this season that included forward Mitch Marner, who produced the most points in a debut season in franchise history and had been in the playoffs nine consecutive seasons with the Maple Leafs before joining Vegas, and in-season, defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
 
Key Players: Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore

Edmonton Oilers – 2nd in Pacific Division

Connor McDavid captured his sixth career Art Ross Trophy in the regular season, has led all players in postseason scoring three times (including each of the last two campaigns) and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2024. After consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid and the Oilers will look to return once again to capture McDavid’s first-ever Stanley Cup win and the first by the franchise since 1990. Edmonton has no shortage of playoff performers: McDavid’s career playoff point-per-game rate of 1.56 ranks third in NHL history (min. 25 GP), while Leon Draisaitl’s 1.47 rate ranks fifth all-time. Bouchard has a career 1.08 point-per-game rate in the playoffs, tied with Cale Makar for second all-time among defensemen behind only Bobby Orr (1.24 P/GP). What will be new for the Oilers is the goaltender, with Connor Ingram entering as the starter. Ingram has four games of postseason experience (2022 w/ NSH).

Key Players: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman

Anaheim Ducks – 3rd in Pacific Division

In their first season with three-time Stanley Cup-winning head coach Joel Quenneville behind the bench, the Ducks qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2018. Gone are the Ducks playoff heroes of seasons past – Anaheim qualified for the postseason 12 times in a 15-season stretch from 2002-03 to 2017-18 including a Stanley Cup win in 2007 – such as Teemu Selanne, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, replaced by a rising cast of young stars that includes leading scorer Cutter Gauthier (age 22), Anaheim’s first 40-goal scorer since Perry in 2013-14; Leo Carlsson (age 21), whose 0.96 point-per-game rate was the highest in a season by an Anaheim skater since Getzlaf in 2017-18; the productive Beckett Sennecke (age 20), just the second rookie in Ducks history to record a 60-point season; and Jackson LaCombe (age 25), whose career-high 58 points was the highest total by a Ducks defenseman since Lubomir Visnovsky in 2010-11. To help guide the young group, the Ducks have added veterans with loads of playoff experience in recent years including: Alex Killorn (140 GP; 2 Stanley Cups), John Carlson (137 GP; 1 Stanley Cup) and Chris Kreider (123 GP; in search of first Stanley Cup).

Key Players: Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, John Carlson

***

WESTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD

Utah Mammoth – Wild Card 1

For the first time in NHL history postseason hockey will be played in the state of Utah, with the Mammoth looking to join the NHL’s two other most recent franchises, the Golden Knights and Kraken, in advancing past the opening round in their debut trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While offensive catalysts leading scorer Clayton Keller (9 GP), 40-goal producer Dylan Guenther (debut) and Logan Cooley (debut) have little playoff experience going in, the Mammoth do have Stanley Cup winning pedigree on the roster, particularly on defense with two-time winners Mikhail Sergachev (2020 & 2021 w/ TBL) and Ian Cole (2016 & 2017 w/ PIT) as well as Nate Schmidt (2025 w/ FLA). Workhorse starting goaltender Karel Vejmelka appeared in more games than any goaltender this season (63 GP) and willalso make his postseason debut. Vejmelka finished the 2025-26 season with 38 wins, second only to Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (39).

Key Players: Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, Karel Vejmelka

Los Angeles Kings – Wild Card 2
Prior to the 2025-26 season Anze Kopitar, the longest-tenured player and captain (10 seasons) in franchise history, announced this would be his last in the NHL. On March 14, Kopitar checked one thing off the final season checklist, dethroning Marcel Dionne for first on the franchise’s all-time points list. A two-time Stanley Cup champion already (2012 & 2014), Kopitar will now look to end his career hoisting the Stanley Cup one more time. He’ll attempt to do so alongside veteran defenseman Drew Doughty, the only other remnant from those two Cup wins, and a group of complimentary high-end forwards including four-time 30-goal scorer Adrian Kempe, 23-year-old Quinton Byfield who notched his third straight 20-goal season and veteran producer Artemi Panarin, who averaged over a point per game since joining the Kings Feb. 4 (9-18—27 in 26 GP). In order to give Kopitar a Hollywood send-off, the Kings will need to advance past the opening round for the first time since winning the Cup in 2014.

Key Players: Anze Kopitar, Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe