Idea for future scheduling

[archangel2]

Here is an idea to make the last few days more interesting. At least to me and my friends.

Last 2 days of the season... have all teams on back to back games with the nearest team to them. Example.. Vancouver vs Seattle and Edmonton Vs Calgary. Aim for the season to end on a weekend and have all games start at the same time. Say 16:00 west coast time and 19:00 east coast time.

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[Whitewolfgang]

Nah, the NHL brain trust has cornered the market on bad scheduling ideas already. You're late to the party, friendo.

 

[cowboy82nd]

Here is an idea to make the last few days more interesting. At least to me and my friends.

Last 2 days of the season... have all teams on back to back games with the nearest team to them. Example.. Vancouver vs Seattle and Edmonton Vs Calgary. Aim for the season to end on a weekend and have all games start at the same time. Say 16:00 west coast time and 19:00 east coast time.

So, you have 16 games going on at the same time. What a waste. That means that I could ONLY watch one game out of 16. I don't like this idea at all.

 

[ijuka]

So, you have 16 games going on at the same time. What a waste. That means that I could ONLY watch one game out of 16. I don't like this idea at all.

Yep. 16 game days are the worst.

It'd be better for NHL to instead schedule so that there are 30min staggers almost every day, so you could constantly watch hockey. Period ends -> swap to another game.

But for some reason, the schedules often lead to all the games being on breaks at the same time. It's just so dumb.

 

[Drake1588]

I get the sentiment, and I believe the NFL tries to deliberately schedule games opposite one another on the last day of the season to avoid tanking-for-seeding shenanigans. Yet I'm generally in favor of spreading out games over the NHL's week as much as possible and from noon to midnight Eastern on Saturdays. I prefer staggered schedules where my hockey is concerned (and hate exclusivity windows). I like watching live hockey and lots of it. On demand is available, true, but most broadcast teams refer to other games going on simultaneously at the end of the season, since they have playoff implications.

 

[ijuka]

I get the sentiment, and I believe the NFL tries to deliberately schedule games opposite one another on the last day of the season to avoid tanking-for-seeding shenanigans. Yet I'm generally in favor of spreading out games over the NHL's week as much as possible and from noon to midnight Eastern on Saturdays. I prefer staggered schedules where my hockey is concerned (and hate exclusivity windows). I like watching live hockey and lots of it. On demand is available, true, but most broadcast teams refer to other games going on simultaneously at the end of the season, since they have playoff implications.

Tanking for seeding is definitely an issue. If you looked at Bruins vs Caps last night, it's clear Bruins are tanking. It makes sense, too. They want to face Leafs rather than Tampa.

 

[KeydGV21]

I get the sentiment, and I believe the NFL tries to deliberately schedule games opposite one another on the last day of the season to avoid tanking-for-seeding shenanigans. Yet I'm generally in favor of spreading out games over the NHL's week as much as possible and from noon to midnight Eastern on Saturdays. I prefer staggered schedules where my hockey is concerned (and hate exclusivity windows). I like watching live hockey and lots of it. On demand is available, true, but most broadcast teams refer to other games going on simultaneously at the end of the season, since they have playoff implications.

MLB and at least the EPL/World Cup (although I believe most soccer/football leagues as well).

If you let everyone know when the schedule is released that games with no playoff importance will be Saturday, eastern/western conference games with playoff implications on Sunday at 1/4 ET people know their game could be flexed with 6 months notice…and people get to watch as many meaningless games as they want Saturday…

It’s such an easy solution I’m not at all surprised the NHL hasn’t done it

 

[Prairie Habs]

Teams don't play 3 in a row, so that means there would be zero games on the third last day of the season. Kind of a momentum killer.

 

[KeydGV21]

Teams don't play 3 in a row, so that means there would be zero games on the third last day of the season. Kind of a momentum killer.

if that is the worry, one conference could play Thursday/Saturday and the other Friday/Sunday…it’s not like eastern conference games impact the west so the avoiding shenanigans would stay in place…

There are 4 teams that are done already and 8 teams have 2 more games…there being no games the 3rd last day of the season would be a much smaller issue than that anyways

 

[patnyrnyg]

Would hate this as I would want to watch multiple games. Second, how would you determine "closest team?" Bruins are probably closest in geography to the Rangers, but the Rangers are closest to the Devils. If I am wrong and the Bruins are closer to Montreal, well Montreal is closer to Ottawa.

Tanking for seeding is definitely an issue. If you looked at Bruins vs Caps last night, it's clear Bruins are tanking. It makes sense, too. They want to face Leafs rather than Tampa.

As the saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for." I did not see the game, so can't comment on the effort put out by the Bruins.

 

[GKJ]

The only thing they really need to do better is not have teams having their seasons end 3 days before someone else does. We have teams who done and others who have 2 games left. There shouldn’t be any back to backs.

 

[Nineteen67]

You could do it in division but you risk having meaningless games between rivals. For example, Toronto and Ottawa or Toronto and Buffalo. Without the battle of Alberta no would know Edmonton and Calgary exist.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

I would much rather the last 3 games be between division foes to add some intrigue. That we lower the possibility of having 1 team who cares and another who doesn’t in the last few games

 

[kvladimir]

Tanking for seeding is definitely an issue. If you looked at Bruins vs Caps last night, it's clear Bruins are tanking. It makes sense, too. They want to face Leafs rather than Tampa.

Then why didn't they lose to Pittsburgh?

 

[Flukeshot]

I understand and like the intrigue of setting that up to close out the season but that removes the aim to have as balanced a schedule as possible. Plus trying to scramble heading into the days of the season to get Arena dates would be impossible at all 32 locations would be impossible.

What could accomplish a similar result would be having teams end the season with essentially a round robin vs their division. Final 7 games would ensure everyone is playing the same level of opposition. If there is a team or two in your division that is tanking than at least everyone gets to play them post trade deadline against the same level of competitive (or lack of) lineup.

My ideal schedule, start the season with Division round robins, end the season the same. Market it or add some more meaning to winning those games.

 

[josra33]

Yep. 16 game days are the worst.

It'd be better for NHL to instead schedule so that there are 30min staggers almost every day, so you could constantly watch hockey. Period ends -> swap to another game.

But for some reason, the schedules often lead to all the games being on breaks at the same time. It's just so dumb.

Commercials…. Commercials are the reason