NHL Wild Card Standings 2025 - 2026
The NHL wild card system is a key component of the league’s playoff format, allowing two additional teams from each conference to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the top three teams in each of the four divisions earn automatic playoff spots, the next two teams with the highest point totals in each conference—regardless of division—are awarded wild card berths. This system ensures that strong teams in competitive divisions still have a chance to compete in the postseason, even if they don’t finish in the top three of their division.
The wild card format adds intensity to the final weeks of the NHL regular season, as teams on the playoff bubble fight for valuable points. Wild card teams typically face the top-seeded division winners in the first round, creating high-stakes matchups right from the start of the playoffs. Understanding how the NHL wild card race works is essential for fans tracking playoff scenarios, team performance, and postseason predictions. It brings additional excitement and strategic depth to the league’s already competitive structure.
| Acronym | Stat Name | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| GP | Games Played | The total number of games the team has played during the season. |
| W | Wins | The number of games the team has won in regulation, overtime, or shootout. |
| L | Losses | The number of games the team has lost in regulation time. |
| OTL | Overtime Losses | The number of games the team lost in overtime or shootout. Teams earn one point for each OTL. |
| PTS | Points | The total number of points earned (2 for a win, 1 for an OTL, 0 for a regulation loss). |
| RW | Regulation Wins | The number of games the team won in regulation time (used as a playoff tiebreaker). |
| GF | Goals For | The total number of goals the team has scored during the season. |
| GA | Goals Against | The total number of goals the team has allowed during the season. |
| DIFF | Goal Differential | The difference between Goals For (GF) and Goals Against (GA): DIFF = GF – GA. |
| HOME | Home Record | The team’s win-loss-overtime loss record in home games (e.g., 18-9-3). |
| AWAY | Away Record | The team’s win-loss-overtime loss record in away games. |
| S/O | Shootout Record | The team’s record in games decided by a shootout (e.g., 3-2). |
| L10 | Last 10 Games | The team’s performance over its last 10 games, typically shown as wins-losses-overtime losses. |
| STRK | Streak | The team’s current streak of wins, losses, or overtime losses (e.g., W3 for a 3-game win streak). |