| Each team in the NHL plays 82 regular season games, | | | | played at this team's home venue - the first and |
| 41 games at home and 41 on the road. Teams used to | | | | second, and, where necessary, the fifth and seventh, |
| play all other teams in the league at least once, but this | | | | with the other games played at the lower-ranked |
| will no longer be the case following implementation of | | | | team's home venue. |
| post-lockout changes. Teams will now play 10 | | | | One playoff that was contested in the NHL used the |
| inter-conference (that is, not in their own conference) | | | | following format: the division winners were seeded one |
| games throughout the entire season, 1 game against | | | | through three, and then the next five teams with the |
| each team in two of the three divisions in the opposite | | | | best records in the conference were seeded four |
| conference. Teams will also play 40 games against | | | | through eight. However, the league has yet to |
| non-divisional, conference opponents (4 games against | | | | announce the playoff format for the 2005-06 seasons, |
| each), and 32 games within their division (8 games | | | | and with the new scheduling format that emphasizes |
| against each). Two points are awarded for wins, one | | | | division play, the league is reportedly exploring placing |
| point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero | | | | greater emphasis on division standings by taking the |
| points for a loss in regulation time. At the end of the | | | | top 2 teams in each division, along with the teams with |
| regular season, the team that finishes with the most | | | | the next two best records for each Conference's |
| points in each division is crowned the division champion. | | | | playoff field. In the event of a tie in points in the |
| Each Conference consists of three divisions, so these | | | | standings, ties are broken first by amount of wins, and |
| three division champions and five more teams fill out | | | | then by record against the team that is tied |
| each Conference's playoff field. In total, 16 teams (3 | | | | (disregarding the first game played at the arena of the |
| division champions and 5 additional teams, for a total of | | | | team that hosted more games than the other during |
| 8 from each Conference) qualify for the Stanley Cup | | | | the season series, if applicable). Next, the tied team |
| Playoffs. | | | | with the better positive differential between goals |
| The Stanley Cup Playoffs is an elimination tournament, | | | | scored for and against is given preference, and in the |
| where two teams battle to win a best-of-seven series | | | | rare circumstance these tiebreakers are insufficient, |
| in order to advance to the next round. If the score is | | | | the Commissioner has the authority to devise some |
| tied at the end of the third period an overtime period is | | | | other means of breaking the tie. The first round of the |
| played. If the score is tied at the end of an overtime | | | | playoffs, or Conference Quarterfinals, consists of the |
| period, additional overtime periods are played until a | | | | first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing |
| winner is determined. Overtimes are also full periods of | | | | the seventh, third playing the sixth, and the fourth |
| twenty minutes (of five-on-five hockey), rather than | | | | playing the fifth. In the Conference Semifinals, the top |
| the five minutes (of four-on-four hockey, followed by a | | | | remaining Conference seed plays against the fourth |
| shootout,) in the regular season. The overtime is played | | | | remaining seed, and the second remaining seed plays |
| with golden goal rule (sudden death) so the game ends | | | | the third remaining seed. In the next round, the |
| as soon as either team scores a goal. The | | | | Conference Finals, the two remaining teams in each |
| higher-ranked team is said to be the team with the | | | | conference play each other, with the Conference |
| home-ice advantage. Four of the seven games are | | | | champions proceeding to the Stanley Cup Finals. |