How Many Games Are in an NHL Season?

The NHL schedule got longer this season. After decades of 82-game seasons, every team now plays 84. Here is how many games that is, who plays whom, and how many more games a team can play in the spring.

How many games are in an NHL season?

In 2026-27 each of the 32 NHL teams plays 84 regular-season games. Because every game involves two teams, that adds up to 1,344 games on the league schedule. Each club plays 42 games as the home team and 42 as the visitor (a few designated "home" games are played at neutral sites, such as international games and outdoor games).

The regular season runs from September 29, 2026 to April 10, 2027. For the full calendar, including the preseason, the playoffs and the draft, see NHL season dates.

Why did the NHL go from 82 to 84 games?

The NHL had played an 82-game schedule in every full season since 1995-96. The longer schedule comes from the collective bargaining agreement extension the league and the players' association agreed to in 2025, which added two games per team starting in 2026-27. Two more games per team means one more home date for every club.

It is not the first time the NHL has played more than 82. The 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons were also 84 games long.

How many games do NHL teams play against each opponent?

The schedule is built around divisions and conferences. This season every club's schedule splits the same way:

That works out to 4 games against each team in its own division, 3 against each team in the other division of its conference, and 2 against every team in the other conference. Every team plays every other team at least twice.

The heavy division schedule matters for the standings. A game against a division rival is often a "four-point game": the winner gains two points and the loser fails to gain them on a team it is directly competing with for a playoff spot. See how NHL standings work.

How many games are in the first round of the NHL playoffs?

Every round of the NHL playoffs, including the first round, is a best-of-seven series. The first team to win four games advances. A series can last anywhere from four games (a sweep) to seven.

Sixteen teams make the playoffs, eight from each conference. The full format is explained in how the NHL playoffs work.

How many games does it take to win the Stanley Cup?

A team needs 16 playoff wins to win the Stanley Cup: four in each of four rounds. The fewest games a champion can play is 16 (four straight sweeps). The most is 28, if every series goes the full seven.

So the most games any team can play in 2026-27, regular season plus playoffs, is 84 + 28. Teams that reach the Final are still playing in June after starting in late September or early October, which is why depth and health matter so much in the spring.

How many NHL games are played in a full season, including playoffs?

The regular season has 1,344 games. The playoffs add 15 series (eight in the first round, four in the second, two conference finals and the Final). That is at least 60 playoff games and at most 105, depending on how many series go long.

How many games did the NHL play in shortened seasons?

Labor disputes and the pandemic have cut several seasons short:

How many hockey games are in a season at other levels?

Schedules vary a lot outside the NHL. Minor-league pro teams play long schedules too, while college teams play far fewer games, roughly in the 30s, because players are students. Youth seasons vary by league and age group.

If you want to know where your team is in its 84-game schedule right now, every team page shows games played, games left, points pace and playoff odds. Start with the playoff picture, or go straight to a team like the Montréal Canadiens or Dallas Stars.