How Do The NHL Standings Work? – NHL Points System Explained

The National Hockey League (NHL) has long faced criticism for its points system, with debates over its fairness and impact on standings. In this article, I’ll break down the NHL hockey points system, discuss its benefits and drawbacks, and explain how it affects playoff qualifications.

(Note: There is also a player points system, which I cover in detail here.)

Let’s dive in.

How Does the NHL Points System Work?

Currently, the NHL’s point system operates as follows:

• 2 points for a regulation win
• 0 points for a regulation loss
• 1 point for making it to overtime or a shootout
• 1 additional point for an overtime or shootout win (so 2 points total for winning in overtime or shootout)

You’ll often hear players and coaches say, “It was good to get the two points” or “We didn’t play well, but we managed to get the two points.” In these cases, they’re referring to securing a win, as every regular-season victory results in two points in the standings.

How Points Determine NHL Playoff Qualification

At the end of the regular season, the NHL standings determine which 16 teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The primary qualification factor is total points.

• The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs as divisional seeds.
• The remaining two spots in each conference (Eastern & Western) are designated as wild card spots.
• The two teams with the highest point totals that did not secure a top-three divisional spot will claim the wild card positions in their respective conference.

This system has sparked ongoing debates, as some argue that the overtime point system creates an imbalance by rewarding teams for simply making it past regulation. However, others believe it keeps playoff races more competitive throughout the season.

The NHL Points System: Conference and Divisional Impact on Playoff Qualification

Many new hockey fans may find it confusing when a team with more points than another fails to make the playoffs. This happens because the NHL’s playoff structure is based on conferences and divisions, rather than a league-wide ranking system.

While 16 teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the spots are evenly split between the Eastern Conference (8 teams) and the Western Conference (8 teams)—even if one conference is significantly stronger than the other in a given season.

Example: How Conference-Based Playoffs Can Affect Standings

Let’s say the playoff cutoff in the Eastern Conference is 99 points, while in the Western Conference, it’s 95 points. If a team in the Eastern Conference finishes with 97 points, they would miss the playoffs, despite having more points than a Western Conference team that qualifies with 95 points.

This system ensures balanced representation from both conferences, but it also leads to situations where strong teams miss the playoffs while weaker teams from the other conference advance. It’s a frequent topic of debate among fans and analysts.

How Does the NHL Wildcard System Work?

At first glance, the NHL wildcard system may seem complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. The NHL consists of four divisions (Pacific, Central, Atlantic, and Metropolitan), and the top three teams from each division automatically qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since 16 teams make the playoffs, this leaves four remaining spots—which are filled by wildcard teams.

How Are Wildcard Spots Determined?

Wildcard spots are awarded to teams that did not finish in the top three of their division but still had one of the next two highest point totals in their respective conference.

• Each conference has 10 teams that do not secure an automatic divisional spot.
• The two teams in each conference with the highest point totals among those remaining qualify as wildcards.

Can Both Wildcards Come from the Same Division?

Yes! The wildcard system is not restricted by division. This means:

• Both wildcard teams could come from the same division, resulting in five teams making the playoffs from one division and only three from the other.
• Alternatively, it could be an even 4-4 split between the two divisions.

This system ensures the best remaining teams in each conference make the playoffs, regardless of divisional alignment. 

How Wildcard Playoff Seeding Works in the NHL

Once the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, the top-seeded team in each conference faces off against the second wildcard team, while the other divisional winner plays the first wildcard team.

Wildcard Seeding Rules:

• Even if the second-place team in a division has more points than a divisional winner from the other division, the division champion still gets the easier matchup against the first wildcard team.
• This means that winning a division is more valuable than simply finishing with a higher point total.

Wildcard Teams and Playoff Crossover

Wildcard teams can sometimes “cross over” into the opposite division during the playoffs.

• Example: If the top team in the Eastern Conference is from the Atlantic Division, but the second wildcard team is from the Metropolitan Division, that team will “cross over” and compete in the Atlantic Division bracket.
• This can result in a wildcard team playing their first two playoff rounds outside their own division, making for unique matchups.

While the current system ensures competitive balance, some fans and analysts argue that seeding based purely on total points—rather than division-based matchups—could lead to a fairer playoff format.

Criticism of the NHL’s Wildcard and Divisional Playoff System

Before the NHL shifted to its current divisional playoff format, the league used a 1-8 seeding system in each conference. This format was simpler and provided a clear advantage to top teams:

• The 1st seed played the 8th seed,
• The 2nd seed played the 7th seed,
• The pattern continued down to the 4th vs. 5th matchup.

Under this system, the best regular-season teams were almost guaranteed a weaker opponent in the first round—and sometimes even in the second round if an upset occurred.

The Problem with the Current Divisional Playoff System

In the current format, divisions with multiple powerhouse teams often result in elite teams facing off early in the playoffs.

Examples of Top Teams Battling Too Soon:

• In the Atlantic Division, teams like Boston, Tampa Bay, and Toronto frequently clash in the first two rounds—eliminating elite contenders early.
• In the past, the Metropolitan Division saw Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals regularly meeting in the second round instead of later in the playoffs.

This format makes the road to the Stanley Cup Finals tougher for teams in stacked divisions, while teams in weaker divisions may have an easier path.

Support for Returning to the 1-8 Playoff Format

Many players, including NHL superstar Sidney Crosby, have voiced their preference for the old 1-8 seeding system, arguing that it:

• Creates fairer matchups,
• Rewards higher-seeded teams with easier first-round opponents,
• Reduces the likelihood of early eliminations for elite teams.

While the NHL’s current system helps fuel rivalries, many fans and players believe a return to the traditional format would provide fairer and more balanced playoff matchups.

How do you read hockey standings?

You aren’t alone if you’re on your favorite sports website and trying to read the standings but are confused by all the acronyms and abbreviations. Let’s go over what all these mean.

GP: Total amount of games played by a team

W: Wins

L: Losses

OTL: Overtime Losses

PTS: Points

RW: Regulation Wins

ROW: Regulation and Overtime Wins

GF: Goals For

GA: Goals Against

DIFF: Goal Differential. Calculated by taking GF minus GA. A negative number would mean a team has had more goals scored on them then they have scored on other teams. 

HOME: Home Record

AWAY: Away Record

S/O: Shootout Record

L10: Record in the last ten games

How do tiebreakers work in the NHL standings?

If two teams are tied at the end of the NHL season, the league will use their regulation wins (the RW portion of the standings) to determine the team that makes the playoffs. They place less emphasis on a shootout win. 

This is primarily because a shootout is simply a series of penalty shots taken by an individual shooter, and a shootout loss doesn’t necessarily reflect poorly on the quality of the team. Breakaways can often involve a lot of luck, and although the NHL does like the shootouts for excitement, they don’t want them to decide who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t.

For example, let’s look at two teams and see who would make the playoffs:

Both teams have a total of 90 points. So, one could assume that Team A, with 42 wins, would make the playoffs. However, this isn’t the case. Although Team A has two more wins than Team B, they only won 34 of their 42 wins in regulation (RW=Regulation Win). Team B on the other hand won 35 games in regulation (RW), so team B would be awarded the playoff spot.

NHL Tiebreaker Rules: What Happens When Teams Have the Same Number of Regulation Wins?

The NHL has a multi-step tiebreaking system to determine which team earns a playoff spot when two or more teams finish the regular season with the same number of points.

1. Regulation Wins (RW) as the First Tiebreaker

The first tiebreaker is the number of regulation wins (RW)—games won in 60 minutes without requiring overtime or a shootout.

2. Regulation Overtime Wins (ROW)

If two teams are tied in regulation wins, the next step is comparing Regulation Overtime Wins (ROW)—which includes both regulation and overtime victories but excludes shootout wins.

• Using the example from above:
  • Team A:  37 ROW, 42 total wins (including OT and shootouts).
  • Team B:  39 ROW, 40 total wins.
  • Result:  Team B advances, even though Team A has more total wins, because Team B has more ROW victories.

3. Total Wins (Including Shootouts)

If the tie still remains, the NHL will look at total wins (including shootout victories).

4. Head-to-Head Record

If teams are still tied, the next tiebreaker is head-to-head performance—whichever team earned more points in games against the other team advances.

5. Goal Differential (GF – GA)

If the head-to-head record is also tied, the next factor is goal differential (total goals scored minus total goals allowed).

6. Total Goals For (GF) as the Final Tiebreaker

In the rare case all previous tiebreakers fail to determine a winner, the team with the most goals scored (GF) throughout the season will advance.

What Is a 3-Point Game in Hockey?

A 3-point game in hockey occurs when an NHL regular-season game goes to overtime. Since teams earn one point for reaching overtime, the final outcome results in:

• Winning team (overtime or shootout): 2 points
• Losing team (overtime or shootout): 1 point

This system ensures that every game awarding an overtime loss still distributes three total points, hence the name “3-point game.”

Criticism of the 3-Point System in the NHL

Many die-hard hockey fans dislike the NHL’s current point structure and advocate for an alternative system where regulation wins are more heavily rewarded.

Why Some Fans Oppose the 3-Point System

Critics argue that the current system artificially inflates standings and allows weaker teams to stay in the playoff race longer due to “loser points” (the one point given for an overtime loss).

The NHL, however, supports this system because it keeps more teams in playoff contention late into the season, maintaining fan engagement and increasing ticket and merchandise sales.

A Real-World Example: The 2022-23 Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames tied the all-time record with 18 overtime losses during the 2022-23 NHL season. These 18 “loser points” kept the team in the playoff race until the final weeks, despite an underwhelming overall performance.

If the NHL used a system where:

• Regulation wins = 3 points
• Overtime/shootout wins = 2 points
• Overtime losses = 1 point

The Flames would have been eliminated much earlier, as their point total would have been significantly lower in comparison to teams with more regulation wins.

And if you still would like a little more explanation on how NHL standings, conferences and divisions work, check out this great little tutorial that offers an enjoyable visual of how it all works:

Individual player points system in hockey

Now that we’ve reviewed the team standings concept regarding points, we can move on to the player points. Fortunately, the player scoring system is much easier.