By Basil Stroh

NHL Public Relations

2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS START TONIGHT

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight with two games juiced with storylines, igniting a two-month journey that will be filled with upsets, sudden-death overtime, unsung heroes and star performances before one team is ultimately crowned as champion in June. The 16-team playoff bracket includes the six teams that have combined for the past seven Stanley Cup wins – including the reigning champion Panthers – as well as seven teams looking to end a drought of at least a decade and three clubs that have never won. Follow along with #NHLStats to keep you in the know before, during and after every game.

* Clinched: #NHLStats for Teams in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
* 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Interactive Information Guide
* 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Schedule
* #NHLStats: Live Updates – Stanley Cup Playoffs Editions

GAME 1 FEATURES HELLEBUYCK VS. BINNINGTON IN 4 NATIONS REMATCH

The puck drops on the first game of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday, when Connor Hellebuyck and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets host Jordan Binnington and the Blues at Canada Life Centre. This will mark the second all-time playoff meeting between the two clubs, with St. Louis claiming a 4-2 series victory during the 2019 First Round en route to its first-ever Stanley Cup.

* In a battle of the NHL’s No. 1 team overall and No. 1 team since 4 Nations Face-Off, respectively, the Jets and Blues had the two longest winning streaks in 2024-25 despite having different campaigns. Winnipeg was the No. 1 seed in the League, conference and/or division every day since Dec. 12, while St. Louis spent only seven days ranked above Wild Card 2 since late-October and sat eight points out of a position heading into 4 Nations Face-Off (26 games remaining). The Jets hold an all-time series record of 2-3 (.667) as the higher-seeded team in a series, while the Blues are 18-16 (.529) as the lower seed.

* Hellebuyck and Binnington meet in the First Round nearly two months after the 4 Nations Face-Off final, which saw Canada claim an overtime victory. Hellebuyck (11-6-2) holds the edge in wins against Binnington (8-10-1) in their previous 19 matchups in the regular season, playoffs and 4 Nations Face-Off combined. However, Binnington (20-20) boasts more career postseason victories than Hellebuyck overall (18-27).

Another storyline to watch is the sibling rivalry between Blues captain Brayden Schenn and older brother Luke Schenn – acquired by the Jets ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline in March – who are set to face off in the postseason for the first time. The Schenns are the sixth set of brothers to face off in a playoff series in the past 20 years, following Ryan and Charlie Lindgren (2024 R1), Reilly and Brendan Smith (2014 R1), Jordan and Eric Staal (2009 CF & 2023 CF), Jordan and Marc Staal (2008 CSF, 2020 SCQ & 2023 CF) as well as Marcel and Marian Hossa (2007 CQF).

RANTANEN FACES FORMER TEAM AS STARS, AVALANCHE RENEW FAMILIAR RIVALRY

The Stars and Avalanche are set to meet for the second straight postseason and seventh time overall in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, though this edition will have a twist. Just three years after helping the Avalanche hoist a Stanley Cup – which included a series-best eight assists and eight points in the Final – and three months after being traded by Colorado, Mikko Rantanen will suit up against his former team in the First Round.

All seven Stars–Avalanche series have taken place since 1995-96 (when COL relocated), tied with the Penguins–Capitals and Stars–Oilers for the most postseason meetings between two teams in that span. Dallas has won each of the past two meetings (2024 R2 & 2020 R2) and holds a 4-2 series advantage overall.

* Rantanen, who ranks fourth in all-time Avalanche/Nordiques postseason scoring, is set to become the fourth player in the past 30 years to face a team in the playoffs with whom he had tallied 100-plus career playoff points. The others: Jaromir Jagr versus Pittsburgh (2013 CF, 2012 CQF & 2008 CSF), Brett Hull versus St. Louis (2002 CSF, 2001 CSF & 1999 CSF) and Jari Kurri versus Edmonton (1998 CQF).

#NHLSTATS EXPLORES “KEY QUESTIONS” AHEAD OF PLAYOFFS

There are plenty of storylines heading into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs and some of them are expanded on and explored in #NHLStats Pack: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Key Questions. Whether you are wondering how other legends made out in the postseason the same year they broke the NHL’s all-time goals record (on the heels of The Gr8 Chase), which fanbases have waited the longest for a Cup among the 16 teams in the playoffs, which teams have won the most playoffs series over the last five years or which players can climb all-time lists this postseason, we have you covered with this handy guide.

A playoff tradition among fans is to select a long-time veteran without a Stanley Cup ring to root for. Topping the list of players with the most regular-season games played among those participating in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is Blues defenseman Ryan Suter (1,526 GP), who will start yet another playoff journey today in Game 1 versus Winnipeg. Suter also has the most career playoff games (133 GP) among skaters in the above category.

* The only players in NHL history to win their first career Stanley Cup after their 1,400th regular-season game – something both Suter and Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns are aspiring to in 2025 – were Ray Bourque (1,612 GP; won w/ COL in 2001) and Dave Andreychuk (1,597 GP; won w/ TBL in 2004).

#NHLSTATS: REGULAR SEASON RECAP

A regular season that began in Prague and featured games in four countries – along with an in-season break for the 4 Nations Face-Off that drew spirited international competition and record ratings – produced a first-of-its-kind finish as three clubs locked in a playoff spot in their final game of the 2024-25 regular season to set the 16-team bracket for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs

* A record-setting attendance figure of 23,014,458 watched live across 36 different venues, including 41 straight sellouts at Delta Center in Utah and 17,255 in the building on Long Island when Alex Ovechkin became the NHL all-time goals leader – one of two players to break a major Wayne Gretzky record in 2024-25, along with fellow 20-season NHL veteran Sidney Crosby. Click here to read more.

QUICK CLICKS

* Connor Hellebuyck focuses on positives, out to reverse playoff fortunes for Jets

* Playoffs Buzz: Gabriel Landeskog ‘an option’ for Avalanche against Stars

* Jason Robertson week to week for Stars, out for Game 1 against Avalanche

* Young Senators lean on veterans heading into 1st-round series against Maple Leafs

* NHL sets regular-season attendance record

NHL PODCASTS WEEKLY ROUNDUP

* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (April 18): Preparing For The Madness Of The Stanley Cup Playoffs
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (April 17): 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs preview: fantasy pools & betting
* NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers (April 17): First-round previews, Logan Couture says goodbye and Magazine Dreams
* NHL @TheRink (April 16): Eddie Olczyk joins; Minnesota Wild clinch in OT thriller, Playoff predictions
* Never Offside with Julie and Cat (April 15): Veronique Fleury joins, Flower’s better half
* Energy Line with Nate and JSB (April 15): Ryan Callahan discusses Stanley Cup playoffs, Florida hockey battle
* NHL Draft Class (April 15): Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting; Final Rankings

COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS