A modern Stanley Cup Final can last at most seven games.
The Final uses a best-of-seven format, meaning the first team to win four games becomes champion. If one club wins the first four games, the series is a sweep and ends after four; if the teams split the opening six games, a decisive seventh game is required.
The format makes “seven” a maximum, not a prediction. A series may last five or six games, but it cannot reach eight because the champion has already secured four victories by Game 7. This is the same basic series principle used throughout the modern Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Stanley Cup Final’s structure developed over time. The championship originally operated through league standings and challenge games, and later through interleague competition. The Final first used a best-of-seven format in 1939. Since 1982, it has been the championship round between the Eastern and Western Conference playoff winners.