The First Round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs is the round where it all begins: the hopes, the hits, the sudden death goals, the beginnings of grizzled playoff beards. With the NHL Regular Season just over, the First Round is the first hurdle that every team must clear to move on in the Playoffs on the long road to the NHL Stanley Cup Finals (and maybe even a date with the Stanley Cup?). Top seeds might be expected to breeze through this round, but they believe so at their peril, as many a giant killing has occurred in the First Round. Of the eight teams that start out in the Eastern Conference First Round, four losers will soon head home (or to the golf course), while the four winners will move on to the NHL Eastern Conference Second Round for their chance to progress to the NHL Eastern Conference Finals. Hockey fans from all over the United States, Canada, and the world will be tuning in when the teams take to the ice in the Eastern Conference First Round in late April. But wouldn’t you rather be there to see it in person?

How can I get the cheapest tickets to 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round games?

With a trip to the NHL Eastern Conference Second Round (and hopefully onward) on the line, NHL Eastern Conference First Round games are among the most highly anticipated and popular hockey games each year. NHL Eastern Conference First Round games generally sell out within seconds of their release, with fans desperate to be there to witness their team’s (often long-awaited!) shot at glory. With such high demand, and priority given to season ticket holders, tickets to NHL Eastern Conference First Round games can be hard to find. For your best chance at scoring the cheapest tickets to NHL Eastern Conference First Round games, trust TicketX! TicketX lists all NHL Eastern Conference First Round tickets as they become available and our helpful seating chart is a great way to compare prices and seat locations. NHL Eastern Conference First Round tickets can be all yours from TicketX with a single click, with the lowest commission fees around!

When will the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round be taking place?

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs generally start up right after the end of the NHL Regular Season, which ends this year on April 18, 2024, so the exact dates for the Eastern Conference First Round will be set after the conclusion of the NHL Regular Season. In general, the Eastern Conference First Round usually takes place in late April, possibly running over slightly into early May. 

Be sure to check back on this TicketX page or our general 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs tickets page for updates to the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule (including the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round) as they are announced, along with all available tickets. 

Where will the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round be taking place?

The games of the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round will be shared between the eight arenas of the eight Eastern Conference teams that qualify for the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Because the First Round involves best-of-seven series, the teams with the superior record (higher seed) during the 2023-2024 NHL Regular Season will host a maximum of 4 home games (if necessary), while the lower seeded teams will host a maximum of 3 home games (if necessary). All teams will host a minimum of 2 home games. Teams in the NHL‘s Eastern Conference come from (roughly) the eastern half of Canada and the United States, so the venues will obviously be located towards the eastern side of the continent. Note that out of the 32 teams in the NHL, 7 teams are from Canada while 25 teams are from the United States. 

Which NHL teams will be playing in the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round? When will we know which teams will be playing in the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round? 

Because the 16 NHL teams that qualify for the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are chosen based on their overall results over the 82 games of the 2023-2024 NHL Regular Season, the playoff picture can change right up until April 18, when the final games of the Regular Season are played, both in terms of qualification and seeding. Because the best 8 teams from each Conference (Eastern and Western) qualify for the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, some teams have already mathematically booked their place. Other teams are still in contention for one of the final spots (while some others are already heading for the beach or the golf course…). All Eastern Conference teams that qualify for the Playoffs will participate in the Eastern Conference First Round for the chance to move on!

NHL teams that could potentially play in the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round

Qualified: New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals

How do the NHL Eastern Conference First Round work? What is the format of the NHL Eastern Conference First Round?

As the first stage of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL Eastern Conference First Round involves four best of seven series between the 8 teams that have qualified for the Playoffs from the 2023-2024 NHL Regular Season. As a team requires 4 victories to reach the next round, each NHL Eastern Conference First Round series lasts between 4 games (a sweep) and 7 games. There is nothing as intense as a Game Seven decider in the NHL Eastern Conference First Round!

Also, unlike in the Regular Season where ties (draws) are decided with a 5-minute 3-on-3 overtime period followed by a shootout (if necessary), any NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs game that ends in a tie after three periods enters the dreaded (but so exciting!) world of sudden death overtime. This means that the game goes on until somebody ends it by scoring a goal. Usually this occurs within the first overtime period, but previous NHL Eastern Conference First Round series have seen much longer sudden death overtime games (double overtime, triple, even more) upon occasion. 

Who will win the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round?

In the Eastern Conference, the teams to beat in 2024 seem to be the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and Carolina Hurricanes, though the Florida Panthers may also have something to say about that. Torontonians (though no one else from Canada!) will be hoping that the Toronto Maple Leafs can surprise some teams and end the 31-year Stanley Cup Canadian team drought (and Leafs’ 57-years drought!). But there are often upsets in the First Round, so stay tuned!

Who are the players to watch in the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Obviously, every team that makes the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will have exciting players to watch, but for a shortlist from around the league, here are a few to keep your eye on. For spectacular goals and crucial assists, look no further than top scorers like Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, Connor MacDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and David Pasternak of the Boston Bruins. For defensive stalwarts, Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers are all very hard to get past, as are top goalies Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers, Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins, and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers. That said, the Playoffs have a way of creating legends of unsung and unknown heroes too!

What is the Stanley Cup? What is the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The Stanley Cup is one of the oldest, most iconic, and most beautiful trophies in all of professional sports. The Cup was donated by Lord Stanley, Governor General of Canada, in 1892 to be awarded to Canada’s annual ice hockey champions decided by a set of playoffs. Contested at first by amateur teams, the Stanley Cup Playoffs soon evolved into a professional competition that was essentially taken over fully by the NHL (including American teams) from 1926 onward. The Stanley Cup has the names of all of its winners engraved on its sides and is known for its many strange adventures over the years. Players also actually use it as a cup, drinking champagne from the top of it! To learn more about the Stanley Cup and its Playoffs, a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto is highly recommended.

Which teams have the best record in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The Montreal Canadiens have won more Stanley Cups than any other team, with an astonishing 24 Cups to their name, with their Canadian archrivals the Toronto Maple Leafs on 13. With the Canadiens‘ last Cup coming in 1993, however, and the hapless Leafs most recent triumph coming way back in 1967, it has been a long time since either of these storied franchises have tasted silver. In fact, no team from Canada has won the Stanley Cup since the Canadiens in 1993, despite the Canucks, Flames, and Oilers all coming within a Game Seven of doing so. In recent decades, the increase in teams has inevitably led to the Stanley Cup being shared around a bit more, though the Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning have figured prominently. Last year, the Vegas Golden Knights, the newest team in the NHL, took the Finals by storm as they claimed the 2023 Stanley Cup. Who will add their name to the Cup in 2024? Get your tickets now from TicketX and find out!

Are NHL Eastern Conference First Round games exciting?

At the onset of the NHL Conference First Round, every arena, and all its coaches, fans, and players, is a bundle of nervous (and loud) excitement. The 16 teams in the First Round have battled through 82 regular season games just to get to the Playoffs, and now that they are here, nobody wants to be sent home early. The roar of the crowd as the puck drops in Game One of the First Round is one of the most memorable sounds you will experience in sports, soon to be followed by the sounds of sticks slapping in anticipation of a pass, blades carving through ice as teams speed forward, and, of course, bodies crunching into the boards after big playoff hits. The atmosphere inside any NHL arena during the NHL Eastern Conference First Round is incredible, with fans often all dressing in a certain color (as in Pittsburgh’s Whiteouts) or participating in certain traditions (Detroit’s throwing of octopuses) to spur on the home team. And you can be there to experience the fun and excitement of NHL Conference First Round hockey too. Get onto TicketX right now and buy your NHL Eastern Conference First Round tickets before it’s too late!

2024 NHL Eastern Conference First Round Schedule

We will post the full 2024 Eastern Conference First Round schedule here as soon as it is announced.

First Round

• Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning

  • Game 1 - April 21 @ Amerant Bank Arena

  • Game 2 - April 23 @ Amerant Bank Arena

  • Game 3 - April 25 @ Amalie Arena

  • Game 4 - April 27 @ Amalie Arena

  • Game 5 (if necessary) April 29 @ Amerant Bank Arena

  • Game 6 (if necessary) - May 1 @ Amalie Arena

  • Game 7 (if necessary) - May 4 @ Amerant Bank Arena

• Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins

  • Game 1 - April 20 @ TD Garden

  • Game 2 - April 22 @ TD Garden

  • Game 3 - April 24 @ Scotiabank Arena

  • Game 4 - April 27 @ Scotiabank Arena

  • Game 5 (if necessary) April 30 @ TD Garden

  • Game 6 (if necessary) - May 2 @ Scotiabank Arena

  • Game 7 (if necessary) - May 4 @ TD Garden

• Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers

  • Game 1 - April 21 @ Madison Square Garden

  • Game 2 - April 23 @ Madison Square Garden

  • Game 3 - April 26 @ Capital One Arena

  • Game 4 - April 28 @ Capital One Arena

  • Game 5 (if necessary) May 1 @ Madison Square Garden

  • Game 6 (if necessary) - May 3 @ Capital One Arena

  • Game 7 (if necessary) - May 5 @ Madison Square Garden

• Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

  • Game 1 - April 20 @ PNC Arena

  • Game 2 - April 22 @ PNC Arena

  • Game 3 - April 25 @ UBS Arena

  • Game 4 - April 27 @ UBS Arena

  • Game 5 (if necessary) April 30 @ PNC Arena

  • Game 6 (if necessary) - May 2 @ UBS Arena

  • Game 7 (if necessary) - May 4 @ PNC Arena