Bracket challenge for the 2027 playoffs
Hockey playoff bracket pool
A bracket pool is the easiest hockey pool to run and the easiest to explain at the water cooler: before the first game, everyone predicts the winner of all 15 playoff series. Office Hockey Pool scores it automatically, shows each entry's "max points still possible", and reveals everyone's bracket once picks lock.
Updated October 26, 2026 · Office Hockey Pool team · 2027 playoffs
Default scoring
- First round: 1 point per correct series winner
- Second round: 2 points
- Conference finals: 4 points
- Final: 8 points
- Plus 1 bonus point for calling how many games a series takes (4, 5, 6 or 7)
Doubling by round means a strong late bracket can still catch an early leader, which keeps more people interested into May. With the Pool Pass you can set your own points for each round and for the games bonus.
Ties
Equal points share a rank. The first tiebreak is the number of correct series. The scoring guide compares the common systems, including flat scoring and seed-upset bonuses.
When picks lock
Picks lock at the first playoff game unless the commissioner sets another time. Until then, members can change their bracket as often as they like. A bracket that loses a pick to a later change clears the picks that depended on it, so it never holds an impossible path.
Bracket vs pick'em
A bracket rewards one big prediction made up front. A pick'em pool rewards following along night by night, and late joiners can still compete. Big offices often run both.
Questions
Can people join after the playoffs start?
Not a bracket pool: brackets lock at the first game. Late joiners fit a pick'em pool better.
Can I print a blank bracket?
Yes. See the printable playoff bracket, which fills in the matchups once they are set.
Ready for the 2027 playoffs?
Start a bracket pool