The National Hockey League (NHL) has unveiled the initial schedule for Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Specific start times for Sunday’s games will be determined and announced once all regular-season games conclude and the final playoff seedings are confirmed.
Game 1 Schedule – Saturday, April 18th
- 3:00 PM ET: Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes (Broadcast on ESPN, SN, TVAS)
- 5:30 PM ET: Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars (Broadcast on ESPN, SN, TVAS)
- 8:00 PM ET: Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins (Broadcast on ESPN, SN, TVAS)
Game 1 Schedule – Sunday, April 19th
- *Western Conference Wild Card #2* at Colorado Avalanche (Time and TV broadcast to be announced)
- Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning (Time and TV broadcast to be announced)
- Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres (Time and TV broadcast to be announced)
- Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights (Time and TV broadcast to be announced)
Game 1 Schedule – Monday, April 20th
- *Pacific Division #3* at *Pacific Division #2* (Time and TV broadcast to be announced)
Note: The final two matchups for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will be determined this evening, with the Edmonton Oilers (91 points), Anaheim Ducks (90 points), and Los Angeles Kings (91 points) all having games scheduled.
NHL Draft Lottery Odds – April 16th Update
As of April 16th, here are the updated odds for winning the NHL Draft Lottery:
[Image of draft lottery odds chart would be here if it could be rendered in this format]
The image provided shows the draft lottery odds leading into the final night of the regular season.
