when is nhl season

The NHL season typically runs from early October to mid-April for the regular season, followed by the Stanley Cup Playoffs into June.

Current NHL season timing

For the upcoming 2025–26 NHL regular season, the league has announced these key dates:

• Regular season start : October 7, 2025.

• Regular season end : April 16, 2026.

• Standard length: 82 games per team, 1,312 games total across the league.

After the regular season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin and usually run from mid‑April into June , when the champion is crowned.

So in simple terms: NHL hockey is “in season” from early October through June, with the regular season from October to mid‑April and playoffs after that.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.