The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are here and it’s time to fill out some brackets. With three Canadian teams in the playoffs this year (the Canadiens, Senators, and Oilers), there’s no shortage of excitement for hockey fans north of the border.
The problem is, just like with March Madness and NBA brackets, some of the biggest NHL bracket contests out there are only open to Americans. To save you the hassle of signing up for contests only to find out you’re not eligible, I’ve put together this list of NHL playoff bracket contests that Canadians can actually enter. The contests are all completely free, and some offer seriously impressive prizes.
If you know of any other Canadian-friendly NHL bracket contests that I haven’t listed below, drop me a line through the Contact page and I’ll add it to the list.
SBC NHL Playoffs Bracket Contest
We’re running our own NHL Playoffs Bracket Contest right here at SportsBettingCanadian.ca. The contest is free to enter for Canadian residents and we’re giving away $625 in Visa prepaid cards to the top 10 finishers.
You pick which team will win each series throughout the 2026 NHL Playoffs and accumulate points for correct predictions. You can also earn a bonus entry by joining one of our recommended sportsbooks.
Prizes (Visa Prepaid Cards):
- 1st Place: $200
- 2nd & 3rd Place: $100 each
- 4th & 5th Place: $50 each
- 6th – 10th Place: $25 each
Eligibility: Canadian residents 18+ (or age of majority in your province/territory). One entry per person, with a bonus second entry available.
Enter the SBC NHL Playoffs Bracket Contest
NHL.com Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge
The official NHL Bracket Challenge is the biggest NHL bracket contest out there and it’s open to Canadians. You create a free NHL.com account, fill out your bracket predicting the winner of every series from the first round through the Stanley Cup Final, and you’re in.
What makes the NHL Bracket Challenge unique is the league system. Beyond the main NHL League (which everyone is automatically entered into), there are several Partner and Club Leagues you can join for additional chances to win prizes. You can browse and join leagues at bracketchallenge.nhl.com/en/leagues. You can use the same bracket across multiple leagues or create different brackets for each one.
One important rule to keep in mind: you can only win one Partner or Club League prize, regardless of how many leagues you join. The prize you win is determined by whichever league you joined first.
All brackets must be submitted before puck drop of the first scheduled Game 2 of the First Round. Canadian winners must answer a skill-testing question.
Here are all of the NHL Bracket Challenge leagues that are open to Canadians and offer prizes:
Main NHL League (Grand Prize + Second Chance Bracket)
Every entrant is automatically entered into the main NHL League when they register. This is where the biggest prize is awarded. There’s also a Second Chance Bracket that opens after Round 1, where you make picks for Rounds 2 through 4 only.
Prizes:
- Grand Prize (1 winner): A 2026-27 NHL event package including 2 tickets to an NHL event of winner’s choice, hotel, round-trip airfare, plus a NORQAIN Adventure Chrono 41mm NHL Limited Edition watch (ARV up to $10,490 USD)
- Second Chance Bracket Prize (1 winner): $1,000 NHL Shop digital gift code
Eligibility: US, Canada, and select international countries. One bracket per person.
NHL Breakaway League
Join the NHL Breakaway League for a chance at three prizes.
Prizes:
- 1st Place: Pair of tickets to a 2026-27 NHL regular season game (ARV $800 USD)
- 2nd Place: Signed NHL jersey (ARV $589 USD)
- 3rd Place: NHL Shop Gift Card (ARV $250 USD)
Eligibility: US and Canada. Total ARV: $1,639 USD.
NORQAIN League
Prize:
- 1st Place: Two tickets to a 2026-27 NHL regular season game (ARV $400 USD)
Eligibility: US and Canada.
Pepsi League
This one is exclusively for Canadian residents (excluding Quebec).
Prize:
- 1st Place: Pair of 2026-27 NHL regular season tickets to a game of winner’s choice, USA or Canada (ARV $400 CAD)
Eligibility: Canada only, excluding Quebec.
Buffalo Sabres League
Prize:
- 1st Place: 2025-26 Team-Signed Sabres Jersey (ARV $300 USD)
Eligibility: US and Canada.
Ottawa Senators League
This one is exclusively for Canadian residents.
Prize:
- 1st Place: Authentic Pro Fanatics Home Jersey (ARV $560 CAD)
Eligibility: Canada only.
Ndax Public League
This one is exclusively for Canadian residents and pays out to the top 10 finishers.
Prizes:
- 1st Place: $500 CAD in crypto credits on the NDAX platform
- 2nd Place: $300 CAD in crypto credits on the NDAX platform
- 3rd Place: $200 CAD in crypto credits on the NDAX platform
- 4th – 10th Place: $100 CAD NHL Shop gift code each
Eligibility: Canada only. Total ARV: $1,700 CAD.
Fastenal League
The winner gets to choose between two prize options.
Prize:
- 1st Place (winner’s choice): Option A: 2 lower-level tickets + $100 USD NHLShop.com gift card, OR Option B: 4 upper-level tickets. Both options valued up to $600 USD. Tickets for a 2026-27 regular season game of winner’s choice.
Eligibility: US and Canada. ARV: $600 USD.
AHL League
Prize:
- 1st Place: AHLTV subscription for the 2026-27 season + $100 USD AHLStore.com electronic gift card (ARV $250 USD)
Eligibility: US and Canada.
ECHL League
Prize:
- 1st Place: Customized ECHL jersey of winner’s choice (ARV $200 USD)
Eligibility: US and Canada.
Empty Netters League
This one is open to Canadian residents excluding Quebec.
Prize:
- 1st Place: $250 gift card to the Empty Netters merch store (ARV $250 USD)
Eligibility: US and Canada, excluding Quebec.
NHL GameZone Leagues (Goal Chase, LINES, Stats Streak, Crease Crusher, BINGO)
The NHL itself runs five GameZone Leagues within the Bracket Challenge. Each one awards the same prize, but you can only win one GameZone League prize across all five, even if you join multiple.
Prize (per league):
- 1st Place: $500 NHL Shop digital gift code (USD or CAD based on winner’s residency)
Eligibility: US and Canada.
ESPN Playoff Hockey Challenge
The ESPN Playoff Hockey Challenge is one of the biggest bracket contests available and it’s open to Canadians (excluding Quebec). You pick the winners of all 15 playoff series across 4 rounds for a chance at the $10,000 grand prize. You’re allowed up to two brackets per person, so you can hedge your picks or go with one safe bracket and one bold one.
ESPN uses a different scoring system than the NHL Bracket Challenge: 40 points per correct pick in Round 1, 80 in Round 2, 160 in Round 3, and 320 for the Stanley Cup Final. The tiebreaker is based on total goals scored in the Championship Round series.
Prize:
- Grand Prize (1 winner): $10,000 USD (paid via check or direct deposit in US funds)
Eligibility: Legal residents of US and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18+ or age of majority. Up to 2 brackets per person. Brackets lock at puck drop of the first playoff game (April 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET). Canadian winners must answer a skill-testing question.
PredictVS.com – NHL Playoff First Round Prediction Sheet Contests
If traditional bracket contests aren’t your thing, PredictVS.com is running prediction sheet contests focused on the three Canadian teams in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Instead of just picking series winners, you’ll answer prop-style questions on a game-by-game basis throughout the series. It’s a fun format that rewards deeper hockey knowledge and gives you something to sweat on every game night.
PredictVS is running 3 separate playoff contests, one for each Canadian team’s first round series:
Contests:
- Canadiens vs Lightning Prediction Sheet
- Senators vs Hurricanes Prediction Sheet
- Oilers vs Ducks Prediction Sheet
Prizes per contest (Visa Gift Cards):
- 1st Place: $100
- 2nd Place: $50
- 3rd – 5th Place: $25 each
2026 NHL Playoffs First Round Series Winner Odds
If you’re filling out a bracket, it helps to know where the sportsbooks stand on each first-round series. Below is a comparison of the series winner odds from Bet365 and Sports Interaction, two of the top sportsbooks available to Canadian bettors. The best available odds for each team are highlighted in bold, and the implied probability column reflects those best odds.
The implied probabilities add up to more than 100% due to the built-in sportsbook margin (vig). The true probabilities are slightly lower than listed.
Eastern Conference
(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs (WC2) Ottawa Senators
Carolina won the Metropolitan Division and finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference, but Ottawa is a dangerous wild card opponent. The odds suggest this is closer than a typical 1 vs wild card matchup, with the Senators given roughly a 40% implied chance.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | 1.55 | 1.57 | 63.7% |
| Ottawa Senators | 2.50 | 2.45 | 40.0% |
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(A2) Montreal Canadiens vs (A3) Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning are solid favourites in this Atlantic Division matchup. Montreal is back in the playoffs and will have the Bell Centre rocking, but Tampa Bay’s playoff pedigree makes them tough to bet against. If you believe in the Habs, the 3.00 odds at Bet365 offer a nice return.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 3.00 | 2.95 | 33.3% |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 1.40 | 1.42 | 70.4% |
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(A1) Buffalo Sabres vs (WC1) Boston Bruins
Buffalo won the Atlantic Division and ended a 14-year playoff drought, but the Bruins come in as slight favourites despite being the wild card. The books are essentially split on this one, making it one of the more interesting betting matchups of the first round. Either team at these prices is reasonable value.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 1.55 | 1.53 | 64.5% |
| Boston Bruins | 2.50 | 2.55 | 39.2% |
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (M3) Philadelphia Flyers
One of the most storied rivalries in hockey gets a playoff chapter. Pittsburgh enters as the slight favourite, but Philadelphia ended a six-year playoff drought and will be hungry. This is the closest Eastern Conference matchup on the board and could easily go either way.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1.64 | 1.62 | 61.7% |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2.30 | 2.35 | 42.6% |
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
Western Conference
(C2) Dallas Stars vs (C3) Minnesota Wild
This is the tightest series on the board. Both books have identical odds, with Dallas as only a marginal favourite. The Stars have home ice advantage, but Minnesota has been a strong team all season. This one is essentially a coin flip according to the oddsmakers.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Stars | 1.83 | 1.83 | 54.6% |
| Minnesota Wild | 2.00 | 2.00 | 50.0% |
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs (WC2) Los Angeles Kings
Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top team this season, making them the biggest favourite on the board. The Kings qualified as a wild card, and while they’re a tough opponent, the Avalanche are expected to advance comfortably.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Kings | 4.75 | 4.50 | 22.2% |
| Colorado Avalanche | 1.20 | 1.22 | 83.3% |
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs (WC1) Utah Mammoth
Vegas won the Pacific Division and enters as the favourite against Utah, who qualified as a wild card in just their second NHL season. The two books have notably different lines here — Sports Interaction has the Mammoth at 2.55, making them the best value for anyone looking to back the upset.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegas Golden Knights | 1.60 | 1.53 | 62.5% |
| Utah Mammoth | 2.40 | 2.55 | 39.2% |
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
(P2) Edmonton Oilers vs (P3) Anaheim Ducks
The Oilers enter the playoffs as clear favourites over the young Ducks, who are back in the postseason for the first time since 2018. Edmonton has the star power with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way. If you’re picking the Oilers to win their series in your bracket, the oddsmakers are firmly on your side.
| Team | Bet365 | Sports Interaction | Best Implied Prob. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | 2.95 | 2.80 | 33.9% |
| Edmonton Oilers | 1.41 | 1.45 | 69.0% |
Bet on this series at Bet365 | Bet at Sports Interaction
Good luck with your brackets and bets! Feel free to reach out through the Contact page if you have any questions or know of any other contests I should add to this list.
Tagged With : Bracket Contests • NHL Playoff Bracket • NHL Playoffs