What 2026 NHL playoff bracket would look like under old 1-8 seeding format
The chatter around the 2026 postseason has proven especially contentious, with seeding being the subject of plenty of scrutiny in recent months.
What 2026 NHL playoff bracket would look like under old 1-8 seeding format originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The NHL employs curious playoff formatting, especially in comparison to its sister leagues.
Whereas MLB, the NFL and the NBA have embraced more common-sense approaches to seeding postseason-bound teams, the NHL's playoff methodology is distinctive. The Eastern and Western Conference are cut into two, with divisional positioning proving more important than overall rank. Postseason berths are intuitive; 16 teams -- eight from both conference -- punch their ticket to the playoffs, taking their place based on their points tally.
Their matchups are dictated by their rank in the divisional standings, however, causing uproar amongst NHL fanbases. That hasn't always been the case. From 1993-2013, the league embraced a conference-based, 1-8 playoff structure.
Things changed ahead of the 2013-14 season. Complaints have swirled ever since. The 2026 postseason has proven especially contentious, with seeding being the subject of plenty of scrutiny in recent months.