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The most exciting and stressful time is almost here for NHL fans. The 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs are right around the corner and some teams have already punched their ticket. The playofs are scheduled to begin around April 18, 2026, and run no later than June 21, 2026. Here is a quick look at the playoffs and what we know so far.

When an NHL team is successful year after year the organization does everything in its power to keep that group together. When a team is not good year after year, the organization makes changes to improve morale in the room. This season many teams failed to live up to expectations. A fe of them have not had success in many seasons, which is why these three teams should seriously think of doing a full rebuild. Where to begin?

The PWHL as a league is gaining steam and has arguably had its best season to date. Many players are rising to the occasion and proving they belong in the game while teams are staying competitive during what seems to be the league getting better through parity. This season has been fun to watchbut who stands out individually? Here are the top three candidates for the BIllie Jean King MVP award. Boston Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel has been nothing short of amazing since her PWHL debut in 2024-25.

There is no argument that the NHL raanks fourth amongst the four major sports. However, the fans are still coming out to support their teams and it si showing through revenue. The NHL has seen a rise financially over the years and both revenu and the league continue to soar. Let us take a look at where the league is heading financially and how much it has grown over the past few seasons. The league has done a better job recently promoting its sport and its stars.

In the past, there were two things fans could look forward to other than the Stanley Cup playoffs. Those were trade deadline day and the start of free agency. Who was your team going to sign? Was your team involved in a major trade? Did your team get worse? Every fan felt a sense of improvement and thought their team was on its way or their team did nothing and was destined for disappointment. While there is still interest today, do the outcomes make this something that will be a thing of the past?

The 2026 NHL trade deadline has come and gone with no major moves made. This is the tiem of year when team general managers look to upgrade their rosters one last time before the playoffs. While many trades were diiscussed, five trades stood out as ones that could affect a teams playoff chances. The reason? They do not include major names. However, these trades could have a major effect on the teams making those trades come playoff time. Sam Carrick is not an elite scorer. Nor is he huge is size.

From Roger Crozier to Tony Esposito to Grant Fuhr, some of the best goaltenders in thede game's history were right-handed. Offering a different angle to shooters, these goaltenders often had the upper hand because players rarely saw them. The game evolved to where they were seen more regularly and started to make a name for tehmselves. The game now has netminders with this unique quality and most of them are starters. Is the game of hockey once again going in this direction?

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes had an interesting month of February. he begins the chase for a golde medal with team USA. He then plays excellent hockey, wins a gold medal against Canada, and visits the White House. Now, he has had one of the biggest growths in social media followers following the conclusion of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The only thing that went bad for Hughes was a cracked tooth and a new smile.

Forward Alex Carpenter is a player coming into the 2026 Olympics not only motivated but with a focus like never before. Carpenter was left off the 2018 Olympics roster and has a bit of a chip on her shoulder. However, she vows to show why she belongs on the 2026 roster. Carpenter, a forward for the PWHL's Seattle Toren, was a dominant player in college for the Boston COllege Eagles of the Hockey East Association.

After successfully winning gold at the 2022 Olympics, the women's Canadian ice hockey team has one goal in mind. That is to win back-to-back gold medals in back-to-back Olympics. With a solid roster coming to the 2026 Olympics in Milano, Italy Sarah Nurse has plans to be a huge part of the team's success. in fact, she will be an X-Factor from start to finish.