The 2015–16 campaign was the 99th season of operation (98th season of actual play) of the National Hockey League. Thirty teams each played an 82-game regular season that opened on October 7, 2015 and concluded on April 10, 2016. This schedule set the stage for the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, which began April 13 and culminated on June 12.
Structure and format
Teams were organized into the NHL's four divisions across two conferences: Atlantic and Metropolitan in the Eastern Conference, and Central and Pacific in the Western Conference. The regular season determined playoff seeding, with the top three teams in each division and two wild-card qualifiers from each conference advancing to the postseason.
Regular-season overview
Throughout the regular season clubs competed for divisional positioning, conference placement and home-ice advantage. The 82-game schedule included intra-division rivalries and inter-conference matchups that affected playoff qualification and tiebreakers. Individual clubs and players produced notable performances that shaped the postseason field.
2016 Stanley Cup playoffs
The playoffs opened on April 13 and proceeded through four rounds of best-of-seven series. The postseason concluded on June 12 when the Pittsburgh Penguins captured the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup by defeating the San Jose Sharks in the Final. Pittsburgh’s victory marked an important milestone for the club and its core roster.
Notable distinctions and context
- No Canadian-based team qualified for the 2016 playoffs; this was only the second time in league history that no Canadian club reached the postseason, the other occurrence being 1970.
- The season is often remembered for its competitive parity and the playoff run that returned the Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh for the fourth time in franchise history.
For further information about the season’s schedule, club statistics and series results, consult the league’s season summaries and team records. The 2015–16 NHL season remains a notable chapter in modern NHL history for its playoff outcomes and historical anomalies.