MAIN Recreation Sports Ice Hockey Stanley Cup

The 2010 playoffs and championship games pit major teams battling for top spots in the ultimate quest for the Holy Grail of Hockey, the Stanley Cup.

This year's NHL schedule runs from October 1, 2009 through April 11, 2010, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs following soon after.

The Stanley Cup finals, which begin in May, will be broadcast in Canada on CBC and in the U.S. on cable channel Versus. As the contest really begins to heat up, network television NBC will take over broadcasting duties up to the final.

2009 Stanley Cup recap

It was a battle royal between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins as pundits gave defending champs Detroit the win ... but then who doesn't love an underdog? The final game in the 7 game series was a thriller as it became Pittsburgh's game in a final push to a 2-1 victory, and the title of NHL Stanley Cup Champions.

More about the Stanley Cup around the Web:

Meanwhile, gather around for hockey party ideas and Stanley Cup celebrations, the complete TV schedule for the U.S. and Canada plus the latest scores and updates as the Stanley Cup battle closes out another exciting NHL hockey season ...

2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Official NBC Sports coverage with the complete TV schedule, feature stories, analysis and interviews, pictures & slideshows, game recaps and the latest scores & standings.

Versus - NHL - Video highlights, updated playoff bracket, plus check out Photo of the Day, and major coverage in feature stories and expert analysis.

NHL on Yahoo! - Stanley Cup Playoffs - Extensive coverage including the latest scores, standings, live odds, injury reports, photo galleries & video clips.

NHL.com - One-stop browsing for Stanley Cup news, game previews, latest scores, video clips, pictures & extensive Stanley Cup history, notable moments and interviews.

Stanley Cup - Encyclopedic knowledge on its history, current & past controversies, a complete rundown on last season, noted Stanley Cup playoff games, pictures & related links, from Wikipedia.

Mad About Hockey - Stanley Cup - Illustrated history & fun facts, plus tool around the rest of the site for lots more insider info and hockey greats trivia.

Hockey Hall of Fame - Legendary players, thousands of photos, Stanley Cup celebrations, history and trivia plus exhibit, tour and contact information.

The Sporting News: Hockey Archives - A neat history of the Stanley Cup, profiles of famous hockey legends, and a complete almanac of facts, figures and scores.

also see -> Ice Hockey | Field Hockey | Olympic Ice Hockey