2026 NHL Playoff Bracket: A Look at the Old 1-8 Seeding Format
What 2026 NHL playoff bracket would look like under old 1-8 seeding format
Yahoo! NewsImage: Yahoo! News
The 2026 NHL playoffs could look drastically different under the old 1-8 seeding format, which was used from 1993 to 2013. This format would see the Carolina Hurricanes face the Philadelphia Flyers and the Colorado Avalanche take on the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, creating intriguing matchups that differ from the current system.
- 01The Carolina Hurricanes would face the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round.
- 02The Buffalo Sabres would play against the Pittsburgh Penguins, marking their first postseason since 2011.
- 03In the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche would take on the Los Angeles Kings.
- 04The Dallas Stars would match up with the Anaheim Ducks, while the Minnesota Wild would face the Edmonton Oilers.
- 05The Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth matchup remains unchanged.
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The NHL's playoff format has been a topic of debate, especially with the upcoming 2026 postseason. Currently, the league uses a divisional seeding system, but many fans reminisce about the previous 1-8 seeding format used from 1993 to 2013. Under this old system, the Eastern Conference playoffs would feature the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes facing the eighth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers, while the second-seeded Buffalo Sabres would host the seventh-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. This matchup is particularly notable as it marks the Sabres' return to the playoffs after a lengthy absence since 2011. The remaining matchups would see the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens face the Boston Bruins. In the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche would still hold the top seed, facing the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings. The second-seeded Dallas Stars would play against the seventh-seeded Anaheim Ducks, while the third-seeded Minnesota Wild would go up against the sixth-seeded Edmonton Oilers. The fourth-seeded Vegas Golden Knights would face the fifth-seeded Utah Mammoth, maintaining their positions in the playoff bracket. This proposed bracket highlights the differences in matchups that could arise under the old seeding format, stirring discussions among fans about the merits of each system.
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