76-game Season Would Be Perfect (when Seattle Enters the League)

[TruePowerSlave]

Less money in the owners pockets, not happening.

I wish they would reduce the amount of games, 82 games is just an absurd amount.

 

[Flukeshot]

Any stats fans know what the league wide record of teams playing the 2nd of back to back was this season?

Would need to exclude games where both teams were playing on the back to back.

That's the primary reason I wouldn't mind seeing the schedule reduced.

I also don't want the playoffs going into June at all.

 

[raymond23]

Hockey fans wanting a shorter season blows my mind.

 

[These Are The Days]

f*** divisional playoffs. They're not exciting, rewarding or make me hate the other team more. It's a tedious and redundant death sentence for strong teams in strong divisions

 

[Channelcat]

The NHL will never do it unfortunately, but the schedule should be reduced.......greatly reduced.

 

[Stand Witness]

As another poster said, the NBA is very likely going to do it. Friedman on the 31 thoughts podcast said that there were people around the league that are interested and want to see how it goes in the NBA.

Regardless, he said expect teams to start resting players more often. "Load management".

I actually am in favour of less games. I don't want to be watching hockey in June. Its pretty clear that the regular season for significant stretches is just "wait until playoffs start".

 

[holy]

We need more regular season vs divisional opponents and then change the playoff format to 1 vs 8. My fondest memories as a yute were getting to see 8 Habs vs Leafs/Bruins games a year.

 

[ElGuapo]

365 games a season would be best. Guess I like hockey more than some.

 

[Whaleafs]

I can’t find the articles for it now but I remember reading one time about how the players would like a slightly shorter regular season, 78 games or so but they would never go for it if it meant taking an overall pay cut. Which is why it’s never gone anywhere on the NHLPA side. The ownership side obviously comes down to money as well with the lost revenue from those few less games.

 

[txpd]

NHLPA says no. Here is a great scenario for you. Ovechkin loses 40 games due to the shortened schedule. He comes up 10 goals short of the record. He is the last 50 goal scorer.

 

[SotasicA]

Less money in the owners pockets, not happening.

And since players get 50% of revenue, less money in the players' pockets too. Not happening.

I actually think the owners might be more willing to lower the number of games, because using arenas and flying across the continent cost money. The loss is not that great. Assuming they get the same money from their TV deals (networks might have a problem with that though). But I don't see the PA wanting to lower everyone's income.

 

[SotasicA]

365 games a season would be best. Guess I like hockey more than some.

You can have matinee games on Sundays, too. So make it 365 + 52.

 

[Butch 19]

Any stats fans know what the league wide record of teams playing the 2nd of back to back was this season?

Would need to exclude games where both teams were playing on the back to back.

That's the primary reason I wouldn't mind seeing the schedule reduced.

I also don't want the playoffs going into June at all.

this will make that happen:

1. Start season the first weekend of October

2. increase the number of back-to-back games to at least 12 - 14 per team

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

I would love for them to end the regular season earlier and play less games.

 

[kaiser matias]

They agreed to go from 84 games to 82 games in 1995.

The NBA commissioner is also on record considering a shorter season. If the NBA moves in that direction, the NHL might follow.

It’s unlikely, but possible.

And these same owners agreeed to shut down an entire season in 2004, losing billions of dollars, and shut down roughly half a season multiple times. They are willing to take short-term hits for long-term gain.

I doubt it happens. Just saying I would personally prefer it.

They only had 84 games for two seasons (1992-93 and 1993-94), and those two extra games were in neutral sites, which was an overall failure for the league. It was an easy thing to drop, as there was not really any money being made, and arguably money being lost doing so.

 

[Deedog99]

Less money in the owners pockets, not happening.

I wish they would reduce the amount of games, 82 games is just an absurd amount.

Agree. Should be 60 games. Finals should be now

 

[Dominance]

I will physically fight anyone who tries to take hockey games away from me.

 

[Flukeshot]

Has it been documented if the PA is in favour of reducing games? I wonder if they would trade a salary reduction for less games themselves.

There certainly could be much fewer pre-season games that could help shorten the year.

If they did a good enough job creating and promoting a Prospects camp tournament where only ELC and unsigned prospects could play they certainly could offset the revenue of going down to just 4 true pre-season games.

Start the rookies in August so they can be back at Juniors or College sooner.

Then the 4 NHL calibre tune up games in the first two weeks of Sept.

Season starts mid Sept so you don't go into June.

Go to 76 games, less back to backs, players salaries rollback 7% in line.

Theoretically, fewer tired players, fewer injuries, better hockey.

 

[boredmale]

Season starts no earlier than October 15 and ends no later than June 10 (Game 7 of SCF).

I think a large part of the Season ending so late in June is because US TV shows generally end in May so they want programming for late May and June

 

[Iapyi]

Why should we care what the NBA does and wanting the season to start later just so it doesn't clash with basebore is sacrilegious.

 

[Iceman]

Eeeh? The owners want more teams in the playoffs, which equals more games, which means more revenue. They would never agree to a shorter schedule.

 

[zar]

There will never be fewer games in a season... short of a lock-out/strike season. The NHL owners and players want more money, not less.

Exhibition

Reduce by 2 games to accommodate for the 2 extra regular season games... STH would like this because those tickets are pretty much garbage.

Regular Season

32 teams
4 divisions of 8 teams each, 2 conferences

• 84 games.
  • play the 16 teams in the opposite conference twice (home/away) = 16 x 2 = 32 games
  • play each team in your own division 4 times (2 home/2 away) = 7 x 4 = 28 games
  • play the 8 teams from the other division in your conference 3 times = 3 x 8 = 24 games
    • the home away will not be balanced with every team but this would even put every 2 years.

Playoffs

Not sure much has to be changed here...
I do like the idea of, between the 2 division winners and the 2 wild cards, allowing a team to pick their opponent (Division Leader vs. Wildcard)...

1. Conference leader gets to choose their wild card opponent
2. if declined, other division leader gets to choose their wild card opponent
3. If declined, the higher ranked wildcard gets to choose their division leader opponent
4. if declined, lower ranked wildcard must choose their division leader opponent

 

[Mickey Marner]

I love hockey season.

Why would I wanna watch 6 fewer games per year?

Do you normally watch 1222 games? There would 1216 games in this scenario.

 

[ScaredStreit]

The NHL wants every team to visit your home arena at least once per season. 32 games is the fewest number possible to allow for that.

It’s 31 games. You don’t play yourself.

 

[Krewe]

Cleanest is this:

2 against opposite conference for 32 games.

3 against same conference but not division for 24 games

4 against same division for 28, so a total of 84