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The National Hockey League (NHL) is comprised of thirty teams divided into two conferences (Eastern and Western) of fifteen teams each. Those two conferences are further divided into three divisions of five teams. The divisions of the Eastern Conference are the Atlantic, Northeast, and Southeast. The divisions of the Western Conference are the Central, Pacific, and Northwest. NHL teams accumulate points during an eighty-two game regular season.

In the NHL regular season each team plays an equal number (41) of home and away games. The NHL schedule places a major emphasis on rivalries. Therefore, each team plays its four division opponents eight times for a total of thirty-two games. Each team also plays its ten other conference opponents four times each for a total of seventy-two games within its conference. These games are typically played with an equal number of home and away games against each opponent. The other ten games on the schedule are played inter-conference with five away games played against one division and another five home games played against a different division. The inter-conference division games are determined on a rotating basis.

A regular season NHL game is sixty minutes in length played in three 20-minute periods. If the opposing teams are tied at the end of regulation a five minute overtime (OT) period is played. During the OT period teams skate four players aside instead of the normal five skaters apiece in order create more ice (space) to increase scoring opportunities. If the OT period ends in a tie the teams then go to a shoot-out. Each team nominates three players to begin the shoot-out with the home team having the option to shoot first or last. During the shoot-out teams rotate break-away opportunities at the opposing goalie until a winner is declared. No NHL game ends in a tie.

NHL teams accumulate points by winning games or by being tied at the end of a regulation game. A game won whether in regulation, OT, or by shoot-out is worth two points. No points are awarded for a regulation loss. However, a tie forced in regulation with either an OT or shoot-out loss is worth one point. At the end of the regular season the President's Trophy is awarded to the team that has accumulated the most points.

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