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Random NHL Team Draws for the Playoffs

By My Wheel Name TeamPublished July 25, 20262 min read

Hockey has the best playoffs of any league for a random team draw. Four rounds of best of seven means roughly two months of elimination hockey, and lower seeds win series often enough that a drawn team is rarely finished before it starts.

The trophy is older than the league

The Stanley Cup was first awarded in the early 1890s, decades before the NHL existed, which makes it the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America.

It's also the only major trophy that engraves every winning player's name, and the same physical cup travels from champion to champion rather than being remade each year. That accumulation is why players treat it differently from other championships.

Why the playoffs suit a sweepstake

A seven game series gives a weaker team time to find something, and hockey's scoring patterns mean a hot goaltender can decide a series almost single handedly.

Upsets are common enough that drawing a low seed in a playoff sweepstake isn't a wasted entry. That's not true in every sport, and it's the main reason to run the draw in April rather than October.

Formats worth running

  • Playoff bracket sweepstakes, drawn once the sixteen team field is set.
  • Season long draws in October, held through to the spring.
  • Fantasy hockey draft order tiebreakers.
  • Franchise mode picks in hockey games, where an expansion team makes the harder save.
  • Conference only draws, to keep games at a watchable hour outside North America.

Running a playoff sweepstake

Sixteen teams, one draw

  1. Wait for the field: Run the draw once the playoff teams are confirmed. Sixteen teams against a typical office is close to an ideal ratio.
  2. Remove Winners on: So each participant draws a different franchise and the whole bracket is covered.
  3. Spin on a shared screen: Full Screen Mode where everyone can watch. Witnessed draws don't get questioned later.
  4. Agree the payout first: Winner takes all, or something for whoever draws the team eliminated first. Decide before anyone knows what they have.

Draw in April, take whatever seed you get, and trust the format. Two months of best of seven hockey is the most reliably dramatic postseason in professional sport.

Questions, answered

How old is the Stanley Cup?

It was first awarded in the early 1890s, before the NHL existed, making it the oldest trophy contested by professional athletes in North America. It's also the only one that engraves every winning player's name on the same physical cup.

Why are the NHL playoffs good for a sweepstake?

Four rounds of best of seven give weaker teams time to find form, and a hot goaltender can decide a series almost alone. Upsets are common enough that drawing a low seed isn't a wasted entry.

When should I run the draw?

April, once the sixteen team playoff field is confirmed. Sixteen teams against a typical office size means everyone gets one, and the bracket is covered completely.

What are the Original Six?

The six franchises that made up the entire league from 1942 to 1967. They carry a century of history that the newer expansion teams don't, though the wheel treats every franchise equally.

Can I limit the draw by conference?

Yes, and it's worth doing outside North America. Trimming to one conference keeps start times consistent rather than handing you a west coast team whose games finish in the early hours.