NEW YORK / TORONTO – As the 16 Stanley Cup Playoffs teams prepare to face off in division rivalries and cross-border competition, fans can now make their playoffs predictions and vie for the grand prize – the opportunity to attend a 2025-26 NHL event – in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge. Brackets are now open for fans to create and submit their predictions for each playoffs series at NHL.com/Bracket or via the NHL App
Brackets will be locked before the puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 22, giving fans the chance to change their predictions based on Game 1 outcomes. A leaderboard will allow fans to see how their brackets are performing compared to fellow competitors in their leagues as well as others competing globally. Fans can share their brackets across social media with the official hashtag #NHLBracket.
The popular “Random Picks” feature will return to the program, allowing brackets to be chosen in an instant – entirely at random – with the option for fans to edit their choices before submitting. The returning “Matchup Analysis” tool allows fans to compare team stats as they make their bracket selections. This year’s Bracket Challenge will be available in English and French.
The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday, April 19 with five Canadian teams and 11 American teams vying for the most revered trophy in all of sports – the Stanley Cup. The Eastern Conference will see riveting division rivalries as the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Sunshine State, while the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Ottawa Senators in the Battle of Ontario up north. The Washington Capitals, captained by the League’s all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin, will face the Montreal Canadiens, who have surged up the standings since 4 Nations Face-Off to become the youngest playoffs team this season. In a battle of red and black, the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes will meet in the postseason for the second time in three years.
The Western Conference will see the Edmonton Oilers and LA Kings face off in their fourth straight First Round meeting. Stakes are high for each team as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl aim to lead the Oilers to a Stanley Cup championship after their historic appearance in last year’s Final, while the Kings will vie for their first series win since 2014, when the team last won the Final guided by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Another strong rivalry in the West comes as Mikko Rantanen, a recent addition to the Dallas Stars, plays his former teammates and two of the League’s top scorers Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. The clubs with the two longest winning streaks of the season, the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues, will meet in the First Round, as will the Minnesota Wild – bolstered by goaltender Filip Gustavsson with the support of three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury – and the Pacific division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge has been engaging fans in friendly competition worldwide for 12 years. The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge is presented by Skip in Canada.
The Grand Prize for the Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge will be the opportunity to attend a 2025-26 NHL event awarded to the eligible entrant who finishes at the top of the leaderboard. All prizes are subject to confirmation of eligibility and compliance with winner notification requirements, and tiebreaker rules apply in the event of a tie. There is no purchase necessary to participate in the Bracket Challenge. For Official Rules, visit NHL.com/Bracket.
The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge experience was developed in conjunction with Low6, an NHL free to play gaming provider.
