Speculation: 24 team format! Keep it or lose it?

[Wafflewhipper]

I really liked it and the crossovers and new rivalries it has the chance to expand. Playing the same teams in your own division was stale long before covid 19 forced a change that i think was for the better. My personal view of it was that i found it very entertaining and fresh.

A history of format changes. NHL Records

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[Menzinger]

It did lead to some interesting things but it pretty much makes the regular season worthless if almost 80% of the teams make it. A 16 team playoff format is pretty generous as it is

 

[Kazparov]

Nah. The only thing I would get rid of is the stupid seeding from the past few years where the best teams face each other right away

 

[Wafflewhipper]

It did lead to some interesting things but it pretty much makes the regular season worthless if almost 80% of the teams make it. A 16 team playoff format is pretty generous as it is

Half the league makes the playoffs is stingy i think

 

[Buds17]

Once Seattle enters the league, exactly half of the NHL's teams would qualify for the playoffs under the 16 team format. That makes for a good balance IMO. I would be all for a permanent return to reseeding though.

 

[hamzarocks]

Hello no. 16/32 teams is more than enough. Dont try to reinvent the wheel

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Hello no. 16/32 teams is more than enough. Dont try to reinvent the wheel

Its been reinvented many times. Read the list of format changes i inserted in the first post. 74/75 season had 12 of 18 teams qualify for a 2/3 ratio. Teams are bleeding money and adding playoff revenue for more teams is a wise move for minimum a few years.

 

[hamzarocks]

Its been reinvented many times. Read the list of format changes i inserted in the first post. 74/75 season had 12 of 18 teams qualify for a 2/3 ratio. Teams are bleeding money and adding playoff revenue for more teams is a wise move for minimum a few years.

It lowers the quality of the playoffs with terrible teams (24-20) making it in and being able to luckily win a playin round before getting sent packing.

Also further reduces regular season importance. The regular season is already underappreciated in the NHL with unlike European football leagues.

Bleeding teams shouldnt be gifted artificial spots/opportunities to have a temporary solution to their financial issues. Those teams need much more than a few weeks at most in the playoffs to Salvage their economic performances.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

No

 

[Duke Silver]

One of the worst things the NHL has ever done. Makes a complete mockery of the regular season. Never again.

 

[AcerComputer]

I prefer, reseeding, as it rewards the teams with the better record from the regular season.

 

[HellasLEAF]

All I want is 16 teams, seeded 1-8 on each side and we aren't going to get it.

 

[Dekes For Days]

All I want is 16 teams, seeded 1-8 on each side and we aren't going to get it.

This. So simple, and by far the best way.

 

[namttebih]

Half the league makes the playoffs is stingy i think

Why? Half the league is crap.

 

[Trapper]

Soon there will be 32 teams, 4 divisions, 8 teams.

I wouldn’t mind top 3 teams in each division make it (like it is).

Then 4 wildcards instead of 2.
The wildcards have a play-in round to be the 4th teams in the playoffs. You can even make it best of 1 like world championship games. People like the sudden death style play.

 

[Mess]

There is no real need for a regular season if you have a 24 team playoff format, as playing 82 games to eliminate only 7 teams (8 after expansion) where 75% of the league qualifies is mickey mouse. IMO

 

[TheTotalPackage]

MLB is going to a 16-team playoff this season only and it feels completely hokey. Yet the NHL has been taking 16 of 30 teams for years. Anything more just de-values the regular season, which already isn't what it used to be.

 

[Cams]

It lowers the quality of the playoffs with terrible teams (24-20) making it in and being able to luckily win a playin round before getting sent packing.

Also further reduces regular season importance. The regular season is already underappreciated in the NHL with unlike European football leagues.

Bleeding teams shouldnt be gifted artificial spots/opportunities to have a temporary solution to their financial issues. Those teams need much more than a few weeks at most in the playoffs to Salvage their economic performances.

Especially this - Teams like Toronto, Boston, NYR, probably Detroit are already supporting these teams enough. Good thing the bubbles have worked out OK for this year, but there are enough teams in the playoffs. Have the division winners take the top 2 seeds in their respective conferences, then have the remaining 6 best make up the rest, or keep it the way it is, as it's divisional in many regards. It would be nice to not have to see the top 3 or 4 teams have to face each other in the first 2 rounds though.

 

[The CyNick]

Soon there will be 32 teams, 4 divisions, 8 teams.

I wouldn’t mind top 3 teams in each division make it (like it is).

Then 4 wildcards instead of 2.
The wildcards have a play-in round to be the 4th teams in the playoffs. You can even make it best of 1 like world championship games. People like the sudden death style play.

This is the format I see.

Each division has a 4-5 play in game. Likely just a one game sudden death in the team that finished 4th.

Going to 24 seems like too much, although would be essentially the same as it was in the 80s when there were 21 teams.

 

[notDatsyuk]

How about this:

- Each team in the Atlantic plays two games against all the Central teams. One road trip to four cities, and a second to the other four. They do the same coming east. The Metro teams play the Pacific. Next year switch. 16 games.

- Each team in the Atlantic plays each team in the Metro twice in a home and home. 16 games.

Each team in the Atlantic plays the other Atlantic teams six times. 42 games.

Regular season is 74 games. All games worth 3 points.

Bottom two teams in each division miss the playoffs. Middle four play each other (3-6, 4-5). Suvivors and top two reseed and play (1-4, 2-3).

Then, regardless of points, the two remaining teams play the two in the other division. If Toronto and Montreal, advance, and Pittsburgh and Washington advance, Toronto has to play Pittsburgh or Washington, never Montreal.

Then, the two teams in each conference cross over. Toronto plays one Western team, and Montreal plays the other.

Final should represent the two best teams, regardless of division or conference.

 

[downer ending]

in the words of that annoying raptors dude

get that garbage out of here

 

[Pinto]

1-8 is the best and most fair way to do it. The stupid divisional format right now is a joke IMO.

 

[rojac]

16 out of 32 team is 50% and that's among the lowest percentage of teams making the playoffs in NHL history. Very few seasons have had a percentage that low.

That being said, 24 teams is too many. I'd consider 20 teams.The top three teams in each division advance automatically., You then have 4 teams in each conference battle for the two wild card slots (2 out of three series). But that would take 4 days (2 back-to-back games in the higher ranking city, followed by an off day, then 1 in the lower ranking city). So, let's say you start the playoffs on Tuesday. The wild card series would go on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. You could then start the next round on Saturday (for series not involving wild cards) and Sunday (for series involving wild cards). It's an extra 2-to-3 days wait for non-wild-card teams, but I don't know if that's a big issue.

And maybe, wild card series should be 1 in the lower ranking city, then 2 in the higher ranking city. You could also do single wild card games, which would reduce the time waited by non-wild-card teams . Or you could even consider doing 2-game total goal series (either back-to-back in the higher ranked city or over 3 days with one in each city).

 

[TheTotalPackage]

Not a fan of divisional wild cards. Either make the playoffs outright or sit on the outside. A team 7 points out (ie. Montreal to Florida) should not have a chance to squeeze in with a 1 game or 2-out-of-3 play in.

I’d rather see:

1 through 8 conference wide, and maybe have a wild card for the 9th seed;

OR

Keep it simple, top 4 in each division are in, and they make their way out of the division to the conference finals like the old Norris/Smythe days.

 

[hoglund]

This would be a huge mistake. You can have a seriously bad record and still qualify, this would make teams rest their star players during the season because you don't have to win many games and for the last 3 or 4 weeks of the season start playing the stars for a warm up for the playoffs.