The Stanley Cup playoffs (French: Séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley, ) is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records. The final round is dubbed the Stanley Cup Finals, which matches the two conference champions.
The NHL has always used a playoff tournament to determine its champion. Its playoff system has changed over the years, from the league's inception in 1917 when ownership of the Stanley Cup was shared between different leagues, to when the NHL took over the Cup in 1926, to the current setup today.
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“Where he gets his spirits
It’s a mystery. But the stuff keeps him musical:”
—William Stanley Merwin (b. 1927)
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