Should the NHL season be shifted a month earlier?

[Machinehead]

You'll be playing preseason games on slush in August.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm not sure such a drastic change is needed. Let's just not take 16 f***ing days to play the SCF.

 

[Rich Nixon]

You'll be playing preseason games on slush in August.

Here's a completely batshit crazy idea that would never work:

Mimic the MLB's spring training model, but with cold places. Go let the Kings set up in Moose Jaw for a month while the Flyers and Islanders duke it out somewhere in northern Quebec.

 

[Machinehead]

Summer is a dead time for most sports. WNBA struggles, Baseball makes up for it by sheer volume and Stadium Atmosphere.

Hockey is a Winter spot and shouldn’t be anywhere near summer. You can take the argument futher; having “Sunshine” teams which can hit mid to high 90 from may forward shouldn’t play near summer.

Having a “bye week” when teams have five days off in Oct is dumb. The Devils have two breaks from Oct-Dec one is 5 day between games and one is 4 not to include the 3 day Christmas Break. I will accept an extension of the Christmas Break or Wild Card break but not both.

Revisiting my argument: bad ratings, bad scheduling, poor conditions are reasons to move it up.

Yeah, the bye week is another thing that can go.

In 2019, the Rangers had 9 days off in the middle of the season.

 

[Machinehead]

Here's a completely bat**** crazy idea that would never work:

Mimic the MLB's spring training model, but with cold places.

Where's cold in August?

It was 73F in Winnipeg today.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Where's cold in August?

It was 73F in Winnipeg today.

Right, but it's better than 90, and in the evenings it's in the 50's up there even in August. Generally more conducive to maintaining good ice surfaces. It's 10pm and still 87 degrees here in Jersey right now.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Start when schools go back.october worked when cup was raised in late April.

June is too late

 

[Garbageyuk]

Yes, it would be beneficial. Playing the SC finals in June is ridiculous.

Why?

 

[PlayMakers]

Yes

 

[3074326]

Not a basketball guy, but it blows my mind that the NBA doesn’t play in the summer.

People stay home in the winter (ratings). Also they just rake it in during holidays.

Would be super nice, though. I'd probably start watching.

 

[Voight]

I'd be down with cutting preseason in half and ending the season a bit earlier, May seems like a great time to end the season, June 1 a better time for free agency.

But then July/August would be super slow news months and interest would diminish.

At least in June you have the finals, then draft and then free agency so theres always something to talk about.

 

[Hatrix]

No.

I don't give a f*** about the NBA and could care less how many pretend hockey fans prioritize that league over the NHL.

 

[BruinsFan37]

Unless you're increasing the number of (calendar) days to the regular season I don't totally see the point. The break between the finals ending and the regular season starting up again will be exactly the same -- just shifted a month.

Also the regular season is almost certainly going to a 84 game season once Seattle starts playing. That or they're going to have the change the 4 (division), 3 (conference), 2 (non-conference) format they use for scheduling.

 

[BruinLVGA]

Why?

Hockey is a winter sport, its most important phase shouldn't be played during the summer months.

 

[Butch 19]

Not a basketball guy, but it blows my mind that the NBA doesn’t play in the summer.

Basketball was invented to be a winter sport.

 

[Long Live Lyle]

Meaning preseason in August, regular season going from September to early March, and postseason from mid March to mid May.
This would make it so that the NHL would not have to compete as much with the NBA for ratings. What do you think?

I actually think, from a ratings/interest standpoint, the best thing for the NHL to do would be move the season back, not up, a month. Start the season after the World Series. You’d have the conference finals and Stanley Cup in late June/July, competing with nothing except mid-season baseball. There’d be a lot more talk about it than there is now on ESPN and the like.

If you move the season up a month, you run into the following problems:

a) your season opening competes with NFL/college football opening
b) your first round of the playoffs is during March Madness
c) The Stanley Cup Final games will have to be played on the same day as NBA playoff games

The main problem with moving the season back is you obviously run into more ice issues in the playoffs. But from a viewership standpoint, it’d be better. And way, way better than moving it up a month.

 

[Nederlander]

Season should start last full week of September and last SC final game done before Memorial Day.

Owners would never agree to less games period, whether pre-season or regular season or playoffs -- they need the revenue. But I like the above idea of starting the season earlier in September, and having the last game before Memorial Day. The ice in Game 7 of the final was complete garbage.

 

[BurntToast]

The NHL competes with NBA/Football all season and a shift in schedule would be any different. It comes as no suprise that The Devil’s hardly play on a Sundays. The real issues are the “Breaks/Bye Week”.

I wouldn’t mind a shorter Regular season in favor of increasing the amount of playoff teams/games. In crease it to 10 teams with the bottom 4 teams playing a 1 game (best of 3 at most) elimination. The winner goes on to play the division leaders. 1) It allows extra teams a chance to make the playoffs 2) It gives teams more reason to play out the season 3) Top teams will get the advantage of playing a team who had to play a extra game. 4) It give the League a way to shorten the season with a trade off. The playoffs are the real money maker.

 

[easton117]

They need to do something.
I’m a bruins fan and found this playoff run unbearably long.