National Hockey League action is on the horizon as the Stanley Cup playoffs begin on August 1, 2020. Several teams were battling for the final playoff positions, when the season was halted on March 12, so the postseason has been expanded from 16 to 24 teams. To accommodate the additional contenders, a qualifying round has been added prior to the quarterfinal series. The top four teams in each conference received automatic entry into the second round.
Two round robin series feature the top four teams in both conferences and they are playing each other to determine the top seeds for the remaining playoff rounds.