2025 Stanley Cup playoffs

Regular season and playoff qualification

The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs featured the top three teams from each of the NHL's four divisions, along with two wild card teams from each conference. This marked the tenth season of this playoff qualification format. The Winnipeg Jets captured the Presidents' Trophy with a league-best 116 points, becoming the first Canadian-based team to do so since the 2011-12 Vancouver Canucks. The Toronto Maple Leafs extended their active playoff streak to nine consecutive seasons, the longest in the league after the Boston Bruins missed the postseason for the first time since 2016, snapping their own eight-year streak. The New York Rangers became the fourth defending Presidents' Trophy winner to miss the playoffs and the first franchise to do so twice. The Ottawa Senators qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2017, ending what had been the league's third-longest active playoff drought.

Five Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs, the most in a standard 16-team postseason since 2017. This included the Ottawa Senators, and for the first time since 2017, all three Eastern Canadian clubs, the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Maple Leafs, made the playoffs. Notably, all four United States-based Original Six teams missed the playoffs for the first time in league history. Other notable absences included all three New York state-based teams, missing for the first time since 2018, and both Pennsylvania-based teams, missing for the third consecutive season.

In the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets led the Central Division and the entire conference, followed by the Dallas Stars with 106 points and the Colorado Avalanche with 102 points. The Vegas Golden Knights won the Pacific Division with 110 points, with the Los Angeles Kings finishing second at 105 points and the Edmonton Oilers third with 101 points. The Minnesota Wild earned 97 points as the first Western wild card, and the St. Louis Blues claimed the second wild card with 96 points, winning a tiebreaker over the Calgary Flames with 32 regulation wins. The Eastern Conference was led by the Washington Capitals, who topped the Metropolitan Division and the conference with 111 points. The Carolina Hurricanes finished second in the Metropolitan with 99 points, and the New Jersey Devils third with 91 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Atlantic Division with 108 points, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning with 102 points and the Florida Panthers with 98 points. The Ottawa Senators (97 points) and Montreal Canadiens (91 points) took the Eastern Conference wild card positions.

First round series in the Eastern Conference

The first round of the 2025 playoffs featured several intense series, with no matchups ending in a four-game sweep. In the Battle of Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators in six games. The Senators had won all three regular season meetings, but Toronto took the first three playoff games, with Simon Benoit scoring an overtime winner in Game Three. Ottawa staved off elimination with a Linus Ullmark shutout in Game Five, but the Maple Leafs closed the series with a 4-2 victory in Game Six. The Florida Panthers dispatched their state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in five games. Sergei Bobrovsky posted a 19-save shutout in Game Two, and the Panthers' depth, including multi-point games from Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell, propelled them to a second-round berth.

The Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Alexander Ovechkin scored an overtime winner in Game One, and the Capitals never trailed in the series, with Logan Thompson making 28 saves in the clinching Game Five victory. The Carolina Hurricanes also won their series in five games over the New Jersey Devils. The series featured a double-overtime win for New Jersey in Game Three, but Carolina responded with an Andrei Svechnikov hat trick in Game Four and a dramatic double-overtime winner from Sebastian Aho in Game Five after erasing a three-goal deficit.

First round series in the Western Conference

Western Conference action was even more dramatic, featuring two seven-game series. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets needed a historic seven-game series to defeat the St. Louis Blues, with the home team winning every game. The series saw a hat trick from St. Louis's Pavel Buchnevich in a 7-2 Game Three rout and a four-goal outburst from the Blues in a 5:23 span in Game Six to force a decider. In Game Seven, the Jets' Cole Perfetti scored with three seconds left in regulation to force overtime, setting a new NHL record for the latest game-tying goal in a seventh game. Captain Adam Lowry scored in double overtime to win it, in the longest Game Seven since the 1987 Easter Epic.

The Dallas Stars also required seven games to eliminate the Colorado Avalanche. The series featured overtime winners from Colin Blackwell and Tyler Seguin for Dallas, and a Mackenzie Blackwood shutout for Colorado in Game Four. In Game Seven, Colorado's Mikko Rantanen became the first player in NHL history to score a hat trick in the third period of a seventh game, but the Stars rallied from a two-goal deficit in that same period to win 4-2. The victory improved Stars head coach Peter DeBoer's perfect Game Seven record to 9-0, making him the sole coach with nine seventh-game victories.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild in six games. Ivan Barbashev scored the overtime-winning goal for the Golden Knights in game four. Brett Howden scored the overtime-winning goal for Vegas in game five. The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 2-0 series deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Kings in six games. This marked the Oilers' fourth consecutive postseason series victory over the Kings. The Kings gave up a four-goal lead but won game one by a score of 6-5. Leon Draisaitl scored an overtime-winning goal for the Oilers in game four to tie the series. Connor Brown contributed a goal and two assists in the Oilers' series-clinching 6-4 victory in game six.

Second round matchups and results

The second round saw three Canadian teams advance, a feat not accomplished since 2004. In the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs faced off in a rematch of their 2023 series. The Panthers had won three of four regular season meetings. Toronto took a 2-0 series lead with narrow victories, but Florida rallied. Sergei Bobrovsky was instrumental, posting shutouts in Games Four and Six (a 2-0 Joseph Woll shutout for Toronto forced Game Seven) and making 31 saves in a 6-1 Game Five rout. The series culminated in a tightly contested Game Seven where Brad Marchand, who had also scored the OT winner in Game Three, and the Panthers ultimately prevailed to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

In the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers continued their playoff run against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers' high-powered offence, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, proved too much for the Golden Knights, and Edmonton advanced to the Western Conference Final. There, they met the Winnipeg Jets, setting up an all-Canadian conference final for the first time in several years. The Oilers' momentum carried them past the Jets, securing Edmonton's second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. This also marked the first time since 2007 that a Canadian-based team advanced to the Finals for the second consecutive season.

Stanley Cup Final details

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final was a rematch of the 2024 championship series, pitting the defending champion Florida Panthers against the Edmonton Oilers. It was the first Finals rematch since 2009. Neither team had held home-ice advantage in any prior round during these playoffs, a circumstance not seen since 2012. The series began in Florida, with the Panthers using their physical style and strong goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky to take an early series lead. The Oilers, led by their superstar duo, fought back to tie the series. Leon Draisaitl made history during the Final, adding to his playoff total to become the first player in NHL history to score four overtime goals in a single playoff year. Despite Edmonton's offensive prowess, the Panthers' depth and defensive structure ultimately prevailed. Florida won the series four games to two, capturing their second Stanley Cup in franchise history and becoming the first team to win consecutive championships since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. The victory marked the sixth consecutive season a team from Florida had reached the Stanley Cup Final.

Statistical highlights and records

The 2025 playoffs were marked by several individual and team milestones. Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers set a new NHL record by scoring four overtime goals in one playoff year. Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti scored with three seconds left in regulation of Game Seven against St. Louis, setting the record for the latest game-tying goal in a seventh game. Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche became the first player in league history to score a hat trick in the third period of a Game Seven, though his team ultimately lost to Dallas. Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer improved his perfect record in Game Sevens to 9-0, becoming the sole head coach with nine seventh-game victories.

For the first time since 2016, no series ended in a four-game sweep. The Winnipeg Jets defeated the St. Louis Blues in a seven-game series. The Jets' game seven victory over the Blues lasted into double overtime. That game seven was the longest since the Easter Epic in 1987. For the first time since 2012, neither Finals opponent had home-ice advantage in any rounds prior to the Finals.

Canadian team performance and national significance

The performance of Canadian teams was a major storyline of the 2025 playoffs. Five clubs qualified, and three advanced to the second round, generating significant national interest. The Edmonton Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup Final marked the second consecutive season a Canadian team had reached the championship series, a feat not achieved since 2007. The Winnipeg Jets' Presidents' Trophy win and deep playoff run highlighted the strength of Canadian-based franchises, and their first-round series against St. Louis was a marathon event that drew considerable attention across the country. The Ottawa Senators ending their seven-year playoff drought and the Montreal Canadiens' return to the postseason contributed to a sense of renewed competitiveness across the country.

The Toronto Maple Leafs extended their playoff streak to nine years. This became the longest active playoff streak after the Boston Bruins missed the playoffs. The Bruins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, snapping an eight-year playoff streak. For the first time since 2017, every team in Eastern Canada qualified for the playoffs. Five Canadian-based teams qualified for the postseason, the most since the expanded 2020 playoffs. For the first time since 2004, three Canadian teams advanced to the second round.

Broadcast coverage and media landscape

In Canada, Sportsnet served as the primary national rightsholder for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, providing comprehensive coverage across its television networks, streaming service Sportsnet+, and digital platforms. CBC also carried select playoff games as part of its Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts. The widespread participation of Canadian teams led to increased viewership and media attention throughout the country, with Sportsnet's multiplatform coverage designed to deliver every moment of every game. Coverage included extensive pre-game and post-game analysis, digital content, and radio broadcasts across the Sportsnet Radio Network.

Five Canadian-based teams qualified for the postseason, the most in a 16-team playoff since 2017. For the first time since 2017, every team in Eastern Canada qualified for the playoffs. For the first time since 2004, three Canadian teams advanced to the second round. For the first time since 2007, a Canadian-based team advanced to the Finals for the second consecutive season. The Edmonton Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season. The Florida Panthers, an American team, won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Edmonton Oilers.

Questions about 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs

Which team won the Stanley Cup in 2025?

The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2025, defeating the Edmonton Oilers four games to two in the Final. This victory marked the Panthers' second Stanley Cup championship in franchise history and their second consecutive title, as they were also the defending champions from 2024. The series was a rematch of the 2024 Final, the first such rematch since 2009. The win also extended a streak to six consecutive seasons where a team from the state of Florida reached the Stanley Cup Final.

How many Canadian teams made the 2025 NHL playoffs?

Five Canadian teams qualified for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. They were the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens. This was the highest number of Canadian teams in a standard 16-team playoff since 2017. Three of these teams advanced to the second round, a feat not accomplished since 2004. Furthermore, it was the first time since 2017 that every team in Eastern Canada (Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto) qualified for the postseason.

Who won the Presidents' Trophy in the 2024-25 season?

The Winnipeg Jets won the Presidents' Trophy in the 2024-25 season by finishing with the NHL's best regular season record of 116 points. This marked the first time a Canadian-based team had won the award for the league's best record since the Vancouver Canucks did so in the 2011-12 season. The Jets entered the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference and Central Division champions. Their playoff run ended in the Western Conference Final against the eventual runner-up, Edmonton Oilers.

What record did Leon Draisaitl set during the 2025 playoffs?

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl set an NHL record by scoring four overtime goals during the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. This achievement is unprecedented in league history for a single postseason. Draisaitl's clutch scoring was a key factor in the Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup Final. His overtime winner in Game Four of the first round against Los Angeles was part of this record-setting performance.

Did any team come back from a 3-0 series deficit in 2025?

No team came back from a 3-0 series deficit in the 2025 playoffs. However, several series featured teams rallying from deficits within games and from behind in series, such as the Edmonton Oilers overcoming a 2-0 series deficit against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. The Carolina Hurricanes also erased a three-goal deficit in Game Five of their first-round series against New Jersey before winning in double overtime.

When did the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs start and end?

The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs began on April 19, 2025, with the first round of the tournament. The playoffs concluded on June 17, 2025, when the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup. The entire postseason spanned nearly two months, featuring four best-of-seven rounds to determine the NHL champion. The schedule meant the Stanley Cup was awarded well into the month of June, a common feature of the modern NHL calendar.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-19.