How an NHL season is built
The NHL season runs from a short preseason in September, through a regular season from late September or early October to mid-April, to four rounds of Stanley Cup playoffs that end with the Stanley Cup Final in June. The league has 32 teams, 25 in the United States and seven in Canada, split evenly into the Eastern and Western conferences, each with two eight-team divisions.
The 2026–27 season is the first since 1993–94 with an 84-game regular season, under the league's new collective bargaining agreement. It began on September 29, 2026, and the preseason was cut from six games to four to make room. That gives each team 42 home dates, half of a baseball team's 81 and five times an NFL team's eight or nine.
- Preseason: a handful of exhibition games in September, often with prospects and split squads.
- Regular season: 84 games, evenly split between home and road, with division rivals appearing most often.
- All-Star break: the 2027 All-Star Game is scheduled for February 7 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, the league's first since it staged the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and paused for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
- Playoffs: 16 teams, four best-of-seven rounds, from April into June.
The Winter Classic and other outdoor games
The NHL's outdoor games are the league's biggest single-date events outside the playoffs, and they are sold very differently from a regular home game. They are played in football or baseball stadiums with several times the capacity of an arena, so supply is larger, but many seats sit far from a rink laid across the middle of the field.
- The Winter Classic began in 2008 as an outdoor regular-season game on New Year's Day. The 2027 edition moves to December 31, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, with the Utah Mammoth hosting the Colorado Avalanche.
- The Heritage Classic is the Canadian outdoor game. The 2026 edition is set for October 25 in Winnipeg, with the Jets facing the Montreal Canadiens.
- The Stadium Series brings an outdoor game to a different stadium each year. The 2027 game is scheduled for February 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights.
- The Global Series, played abroad since 2017, sends regular-season games to Europe. For 2026–27, the Kraken and Hurricanes play in Helsinki in November, and the Blackhawks and Senators play in Düsseldorf in December.
For a stadium game, a seat in the lower rows at midfield of the football layout is usually the best compromise: high enough to see over the boards, close enough to follow the puck. Upper-deck end-zone seats are about the experience, not the hockey.
How the Stanley Cup playoffs work
Sixteen teams qualify, eight per conference: the top three finishers in each division plus two wild cards (the next two best records in the conference regardless of division). The first two rounds are played inside a divisional bracket, which is why the same division rivals so often meet in April and May. Every round is a best-of-seven series, and the Stanley Cup Final is played in June.
Playoff hockey is a short-fuse market. Home dates are confirmed only when a series is scheduled, Games 5 through 7 are conditional, and season-ticket holders get first access. If you buy a conditional game on the resale market, check what happens if the series ends early. A deep run can also put two or three home games in a single week, which tends to soften the middle game of a homestand compared with the clinching opportunity.
Which regular-season games draw the most demand
- Original Six matchups. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs carry the league's oldest rivalries, and games among them draw beyond their standings. Montreal holds the record with 24 Stanley Cups; Toronto has 13.
- Division rivals. Teams in the same division meet most often and are the likeliest playoff opponents, so late-season division games carry real weight.
- Canadian visitors. Canadian clubs often bring traveling fans to U.S. arenas within driving distance of the border, which lifts demand for those dates.
- Weekends and holidays. Saturday nights are the strongest dates on most schedules, and holiday-week games draw families.
- Opening week and the stretch run. The first home game and March and April games with a playoff spot at stake outdraw a Tuesday in January.
The softest dates are usually weeknight games against non-rivals out of contention, which are the easiest way to sit low near the glass.
The 32 teams by conference and division
Eastern Conference
- Atlantic: Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Metropolitan: Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals
Western Conference
- Central: Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Utah Mammoth, Winnipeg Jets
- Pacific: Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights
The two newest franchises are the Seattle Kraken, who began play in 2021–22 at Climate Pledge Arena, and the Utah Mammoth, who began in 2024–25 as the Utah Hockey Club at the Delta Center. The Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion club from 2017–18, won the Stanley Cup in 2023. Several teams share their arena with an NBA tenant, Madison Square Garden and the United Center among them, so the rink is covered and the floor reset on back-to-back nights.
Where to sit at a hockey game
- Center ice (the sections along the sideline at the red line) gives the best view of both ends and of line changes at the benches.
- The attack-twice end. Teams switch ends each period, so the home team attacks the same goal in the first and third periods. Seats at that end see the home team shoot twice, including the closing minutes.
- The glass seats (the first rows against the boards) put you at eye level with the hits, but the curved glass and the players distort the view of the far end. Rows 8 to 15 in the lower bowl see the whole rink better.
- The upper level works better for hockey than for most sports. The puck moves fast, and a higher angle shows the passing lanes and the shape of the play.
How to use the team and arena guides
Start with the team guide to pick the game. It covers the franchise, its rivals, which games draw the most demand, where the home team shoots twice and the gameday culture. Then open the arena guide to pick the seat: the section numbering, the best seats for hockey, getting there and the entry and bag rules, which change from season to season, so check the arena's current policy before you go.
Hockey fans travel. The Sports Events and Tourism Association counted 109.7 million attendees traveling 50 or more miles to sporting events in 2024, with 63.5 million staying overnight (Sports ETA). For a road trip to see your team, the city guides cover transit and where to stay near each arena. Every GoodSeats order is backed by a 100% guarantee. For schedule releases and outdoor-game announcements, NHL.com is the primary source.
Frequently asked questions
How many games are in an NHL season?
Starting with the 2026–27 season, each team plays 84 regular-season games, the most since 1993–94, split evenly between home and road. Earlier seasons used an 82-game schedule.
When does the NHL season start and end?
The preseason is in September, the regular season runs from late September or early October to mid-April, and the Stanley Cup playoffs run from April into June.
What is the NHL Winter Classic?
It is an outdoor regular-season game, first played in 2008, traditionally on New Year's Day in a football or baseball stadium. The 2027 game is set for December 31 in Salt Lake City, Utah Mammoth vs. Colorado Avalanche.
How many teams make the NHL playoffs?
Sixteen: the top three teams in each of the four divisions plus two wild cards per conference. Every round is a best-of-seven series.
Which end does the home team shoot at twice?
Teams switch ends each period, so the home team attacks the same goal in the first and third periods. Each arena guide notes which end that is.
Are glass seats worth it?
They are the most intense seats in the building, but the glass and the players block much of the far end. For following the whole game, rows 8 to 15 of the lower bowl near center ice are usually better.