Reduce Schedule

[three dog night]

Read on Facebook the Quebec Leauge reducing schedule to 64 games next season do we follow suit.

Click to read more...

 

[Otto]

OHL travel isn't nearly as bad as the Q. So I'd say not

 

[Tarantula]

Read on Facebook the Quebec Leauge reducing schedule to 64 games next season do we follow suit.

Is there an article you could link up? Would be nice to read what the reduction accomplishes for the Q to see if there is any benefit for the O.

 

[AttackSound]

Nope the OHL is I believe very comfortable with a 68 game schedule.

Echoing the travel isn't as nearly as bad as some teams in the Q or W, The WHL has 22 teams and the Q has to deal with more unpredictable weather being on the east coast and Atlantic ocean in places like Nova Scotia, and P.E.I.

If there was teams in similar situations in northern Pennsylvania or Michigan that were like the Q then maybe you see a reduced schedule but the furthest teams in the OHL are what would be shorter trips in the WHL and QMJHL. So I can't see the OHL reducing games anytime soon but hey if this league decided to expand the conferences then maybe one day you do compromise with reducing games within the schedule against rivalry games from an 8-8-6-6 format but I can't see the OHL reducing the 68 standard that has been in place for a longtime especially from an ownership standpoint across the league as a whole. Teams like Owen Sound and North Bay would hurt if they adjusted that number.

 

[Otto]

Is there an article you could link up? Would be nice to read what the reduction accomplishes for the Q to see if there is any benefit for the O.

QMJHL reduces schedule to 64 games | Canadian Hockey League

The QMJHL has announced a reduction in its regular season schedule from 68 to 64 games that will commence with the 2024-25 season.

chl.ca

 

[bobber]

The QMJHL announced today a reduction in its regular season schedule from 68 to 64 games starting next season. The decision was made yesterday following a vote at the Members' Assembly.
"This change is in line with our desire to optimize our players' development both on and off the ice including in school, at games and practices, during travel and rest, shared Commissioner Mario Cecchini. We see this as another step in the right direction."

The 2024-2025 schedule will be unveiled a few days before the QMJHL Entry Draft, held next June 7 and 8 in Moncton

 

[three dog night]

I am hoping for a minor tweak in the Icedogs schedule reducing two games we play against Erie and adding two with Oshawa

 

[OMG67]

Generally speaking, I think the way they do the schedule, it is relatively painless for the OHL teams. The geographically challenged teams will always be challenged so the schedule can’t be changed to do anything about that.

I know a lot of people look at the distances between the far teams but those trips aren’t’ a big deal. Ottawa can drive to Sarnia and play Flint and Saginaw and play those three teams, then come home. They can play SSM with Sudbury and North Bay. They can play Windsor with London and Guelph Or Kitchener. Then Owen Sound with one of Guelph or Kitchener and Brantford. They play Erie with Niagara and Brantford Or Mississauga. That is five Western Road trips. Once they get to the main area, the games once they get there are relatively close.

The issue with teams like Erie, Ottawa, and SSM is the distance between them and their next closest teams inter-division. SSM and Saginaw/Sudbury is 3.5 hours. Ottawa and Kingston is 2 hours but next stops are 3.5 hours. Erie has Niagara in 2 hours then 3.5 to their next teams. It is all of those games that wear downt he teams that are geographically challenged.

A reduction in schedule won’t do much to reduce the time spent on hockey. If they were to reduce the schedule 4 games by playing each team inter-division 6 times, inter-conference 4 times and opposing conference 2 times, it would eliminate the 4 games against teams they are most close to (Rivalry games). Ottawa would eliminate games against Kingston and Peterborough home and home one time each. Would that make a meaningful difference?

The CHL is always going to have challenges. It is a student athlete league that also prepares the players for a career in hockey. There is a fine line between serving both. The one side suggests less hockey and more study is better but that comes at the cost of not developing hockey players for the professional leagues and vice-versa.

For the OHL, something would need to come about to move the needle. Some external force we currently do not see. It wouldn’t be because of scholastic reasons just to make it easier. It would need to be a result of some sort of high profile study that makes the league look bad.

 

[Otto]

I am hoping for a minor tweak in the Icedogs schedule reducing two games we play against Erie and adding two with Oshawa

Won't happen

 

[HockeyPops]

From the Soo's perspective, the league does a pretty good job with the schedule. One thing I might suggest though is that playing 26 out of conference games a year is probably too many. For a team like the Soo who has extra rivalry games vs. Sudbury (+4) and North Bay (+2), it means we have a significant decrease in inter-division/inter-conference games.

I like the rivalry games, but if we do that many rivalry games something has give. Maybe there are a couple Eastern Conference teams that we only play once in a given season (either home or away), and then each year rotate which teams those will be? I'm not sure where the sweet spot is (24 out of conference?), but I feel that 26 out of conference games are too many.

But really, it's just a nit-pick. As I said, the league does a pretty good job overall, from a Soo perspective.

 

[OMG67]

From the Soo's perspective, the league does a pretty good job with the schedule. One thing I might suggest though is that playing 26 out of conference games a year is probably too many. For a team like the Soo who has extra rivalry games vs. Sudbury (+4) and North Bay (+2), it means we have a significant decrease in inter-division/inter-conference games.

I like the rivalry games, but if we do that many rivalry games something has give. Maybe there are a couple Eastern Conference teams that we only play once in a given season (either home or away), and then each year rotate which teams those will be? I'm not sure where the sweet spot is (24 out of conference?), but I feel that 26 out of conference games are too many.

But really, it's just a nit-pick. As I said, the league does a pretty good job overall, from a Soo perspective.

I thought about the same thing but since there are only four out of Conference road trips to cover the teams, it really shouldn’t be an issue from that perspective. SSM hits:

1> Petes, Fronts, 67’s
2> Otters, Bulldogs, Steelheads
3> Generals, Storm, Colts
4> Battalion, Ice Dogs, Rangers
5> Sting, Firebirds, Spits
6> Spits, Sting
7> Knights, Spits, Sting
8> Firebirds, Knights, Attack
9> Battalion, Rangers, Storm

SSM variance is:

Only one trip to Erie and Owen Sound vs 2
One less interdivisional game. Saginaw is the only team SSM plays 8 times. Most teams would play two 8 game sets interdivisional.
Two extra trips to Sudbury
One extra trip to NB

Ottawa by contrast, plays Sudbury two less games (accommodates SSM) and plays two extra interdivisional games (Oshawa, Peterborough, and Kingston all 8 games)

It isn’t that bad for SSM overall. I wouldn’t want to go to Erie twice if I didn’t have to. That is a pain in the arse to get to. The Owen Sound game isn’t a big deal to add. Accessed from Barrie, Guelph, or Kitchener without much issue. But that means Owen Sound would need to go to SSM one extra trip and for them, it would be a pain. I’m sure they are happy only going once. I believe that accommodation allows them to play Barrie the extra two games as a rivalry out of conference.

On whole, I think the balance is pretty good. I know some teams may prefer a different configuration but it would upset other teams. Any changes made to benefit one team likely hurts another. So the balance is fine.

IF we went to 64 games, SSM would likely lose rivalry games up North and not reduce their bigger trips.

 

[Section5Petes]

I vote for a 72 game schedule like the WHL

 

[HockeyPops]

162 like MLB

 

[OMG67]

162 like MLB

Just play the 82 game NBA schedule and work in “load management” games….

 

[OHLTG]

162 like MLB

"It's the Spitfires' annual 24 game road trip... eight games in Soo, eight in Sudbury, eight in NB. They'll start tonight, Nov. 20, and return sometime in 2027."

 

[Krangers08]

Need more east vs west

 

[HockeyPops]

Need more east vs west

About 1/3 of all games are East vs West. You think we need more?

 

[Krangers08]

About 1/3 of all games are East vs West. You think we need more?

More so on the line of 3 games instead of 2 (east vs west) where the teams alternate the 2 home games each year. owensound 7-8 times a year feels like a lot.

 

[Tarantula]

More so on the line of 3 games instead of 2 (east vs west) where the teams alternate the 2 home games each year. owensound 7-8 times a year feels like a lot.

Increases travel costs increase across the board including bussing costs, travel time and perhaps another night or two in a hotel. While travel is considerably more daunting in the Q and especially the Dub there's no way anyone signs off on increased expenditures that this would entail, profit rules over fairness in hockey and everything else.

 

[Krangers08]

Increases travel costs increase across the board including bussing costs, travel time and perhaps another night or two in a hotel. While travel is considerably more daunting in the Q and especially the Dub there's no way anyone signs off on increased expenditures that this would entail, profit rules over fairness in hockey and everything else.

Agreed. Was just looking at it from a entertainment standpoint

 

[OMG67]

Agreed. Was just looking at it from a entertainment standpoint

If it were all about entertainment, they’d get rid of Niagara Ice Dogs as a franchise and allow the Steelheads ownership to move there! Or get rid of both of them and move Hamilton/Brantford there. Niagara is a gong show.

 

[Otto]

Now... something to consider here... when you back out the School day games, every team with the exception of Oshawa draws better on weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) than on week days.

If you start the season the second week of September and go to the last weekend in March and schedule two games for every team just on those weekend days, that's 60 games. I didn't factor in a Christmas shut down, which can just be one weekend.. so 58 games. This doesn't factor in adding any 3 in 3s, but maybe there's an opportunity to trim the schedule, and still turn a profit for teams simply by making it a weekend only league, until the playoffs anyway.

 

[Opinionated]

Now... something to consider here... when you back out the School day games, every team with the exception of Oshawa draws better on weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) than on week days.

If you start the season the second week of September and go to the last weekend in March and schedule two games for every team just on those weekend days, that's 60 games. I didn't factor in a Christmas shut down, which can just be one weekend.. so 58 games. This doesn't factor in adding any 3 in 3s, but maybe there's an opportunity to trim the schedule, and still turn a profit for teams simply by making it a weekend only league, until the playoffs anyway.

You could also slip in a few extra games on long weekends, and if you're ignoring the Christmas break, you could add some volume there to put in a few more games and get close to the current total.

 

[HockeyPops]

and/or make up the difference with school day games.

 

[bobber]

If it were all about entertainment, they’d get rid of Niagara Ice Dogs as a franchise and allow the Steelheads ownership to move there! Or get rid of both of them and move Hamilton/Brantford there. Niagara is a gong show.

So Hamilton/Brantford would become Hamilton/Brantford/Niagara Ice Bull Dogs. Quite a handle.