NHL Standings 2026-27 – Updated Today

The NHL standings on this page update automatically after every game of the 2026-27 season. The tables show all 32 teams by division, by conference with the playoff picture, and as one league table, ranked by points with wins, losses, overtime losses, goal differential, streaks and each team’s next game. Everything below explains how to read them.

NHL standings 2026-27 at a glance

Teams	32, in the Eastern and Western Conference (16 each)
Divisions	4, two per conference, eight teams each
Regular season	84 games per team, 42 home and 42 away, late September to mid April
Points	2 for a win, 1 for an overtime or shootout loss, 0 for a regulation loss
Playoff teams	16: the top three in each division plus two wild cards per conference
First tiebreaker	Regulation wins (once games played are equal)
Ties in a game	None; overtime then a shootout in the regular season

How the NHL standings work

The NHL ranks teams by points, not by record. A win is worth two points, a loss in overtime or a shootout is worth one, and a regulation loss is worth nothing. That loser point is why a team with fewer wins can sit above a rival, and why the OTL column matters as much as the losses column. Records read wins-losses-overtime losses, so 30-15-5 means 65 points.

When teams have played a different number of games, points percentage (P%) shows who is really ahead. Regulation wins (RW) and regulation plus overtime wins (ROW) break ties on points and appear in the Full view.

How the NHL playoff format works

Sixteen teams qualify. The top three in each of the four divisions are in, and the two best remaining teams in each conference by points take the wild card spots. Because of the division rule, a team in fourth place with more points than another division’s third-place team can still be chasing a wild card. The playoff picture page shows the division top threes, the wild cards and who is in the hunt.

The first two rounds are played inside the division. The division winner with more points faces the second wild card, the other division winner faces the first wild card, and second plays third in each division. The higher seed has home ice, hosting games 1, 2, 5 and 7. The playoff picture page shows the bracket as it stands.

NHL tiebreakers in brief

When teams are level on points the league looks first at games played, with fewer games ranking higher. After that the order is regulation wins, regulation plus overtime wins, total wins, points in games between the tied teams, goal differential and goals for. Shootout wins count as wins but not as regulation or overtime wins, which is why RW and ROW sit in the table. The tiebreakers page shows every current tie and how it breaks today.

How to read the columns

GP is games played. W, L and OTL are wins, regulation losses and overtime or shootout losses. PTS is points and P% is points divided by the points available. RW and ROW are regulation wins and regulation plus overtime wins. GF and GA are goals for and against and DIFF is the difference. STRK is the current streak, L10 the record over the last ten games, and NEXT the next opponent, with @ for away games. The legend under each table defines every column and the clinch tags.

When are NHL standings updated?

After the final horn of every game, including the late Pacific games, so the table is correct by the morning. The timestamp under the table shows the last update in your local time, and arrows next to a team mark movement since the last results. The regular season ends in mid April; the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin the following week.

NHL divisions 2026-27

Atlantic: Bruins, Sabres, Red Wings, Panthers, Canadiens, Senators, Lightning, Maple Leafs. Metropolitan: Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Flyers, Penguins, Capitals.

Central: Blackhawks, Avalanche, Stars, Wild, Predators, Blues, Mammoth, Jets. Pacific: Ducks, Flames, Oilers, Kings, Sharks, Kraken, Canucks, Golden Knights.

Each division has its own standings page with points, head-to-head results and upcoming divisional games, and every team has a page with its schedule, scores, season charts and playoff position.

NHL standings by conference and division

• Eastern Conference standings and Western Conference standings
• Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, Pacific
• NHL playoff picture and how NHL tiebreakers work

NHL standings FAQ

The NHL standings move every night, and over 84 games the gap between a division top three and the wild card race is often a handful of loser points. Check this page in the morning after the late games, use the conference view for the playoff picture, and open the tiebreakers page when teams are level on points in March.