When Is The National Hockey League Final Fixture?

The NHL is the most popular ice hockey league in the world. It was first organised in Montreal in 1917 and later expanded into the USA and currently comprises 32 teams, with 7 of these from Canada. At the season’s end, all the teams compete for the Stanley Cup, which is just as popular as the NBA playoffs and the NFL Super Bowl. 

Millions of fans tune in to the final of North America’s oldest professional sports trophy as they stake on NHL odds in Canada betting websites. There are competitive spreads, especially on predicted scores, where fans can win big. With the final playoffs played over six games, there are plenty of markets to pick from, like the top scorer or number of goals per match.  

So when is the 2023 final scheduled to take place? It is expected to take place on June 8th in the postseason after seven months of the regular season are over. The Colorado Avalanche, who won it in 2022, will look to reign supreme again. At the regular season’s end on April 13th 2023, it will be interesting to see which teams make the playoffs. Every coach is adamant that their team has what it takes, but only 16 teams can advance to the playoffs.

The NHL has two conferences, namely the Western Conference and Eastern Conference. Each has 16 teams, with the Seattle Kraken franchise from the State of Washington (Western conference and Pacific division) joining the league in 2022. Then each conference has eight teams per division: the Pacific, Central, Atlantic, and Metropolitan divisions. 

A regular season is competitive, with each team expected to play 82 games. In total, there are 1,312 games scheduled for the 2022/2023 season. Each team is expected to play against four or three teams in their division plus the same number against teams in the other division within the same conference. Also, if the team is from the Eastern Conference, it must play at least two games against each team from the Western Conference. 

Only the top three teams in the Pacific, Central, Atlantic, and Metropolitan divisions advance to the postseason playoffs. Four additional slots known as the Wild Cards, are guaranteed in the Eastern and Western conferences. Two teams from the Eastern Conference and two teams from the Western Conference are picked to feature in the playoffs.

The playoffs will commence on April 17th, and the 16 qualified teams will contend for a place in the final. Only two teams can compete in the final over six legs, with the Stanley Cup final starting on 8th June. If there is a tie over the six legs, game seven is scheduled for 18th June, when the champion will be crowned. 

In the build-up to the grand finale, other noteworthy fixtures in the calendar are just as popular. There will be outdoor games on January 2nd and February 18th, 2023. The former is the Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Boston Bruins at the historic Fenway Park. The second matchup between Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes will be at the State Carter – Finley Stadium on February 18th. 

The All-Star Weekend on February 3rd to 4th will showcase the best skills in the league, plus an all-star game. Highly rated players will showcase their best skills on February 3rd and then be seeded into two teams to compete on February 4th. 

The postseason playoffs promise to be a clash of titans, with the top teams in each division squaring out for a spot in the final. Fans anticipate the unpredictable, with the underdogs expected to cause major upsets to the top-seeded teams. So, will there be a tie forcing a game seven playoff, or will one team win it outright within the first four games with two games to spare? We can only wait and see and hope the best team wins.