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

[Adrianopolous]

Ottawa fans can enlighten you about that.

I think you can tell us something also

 

[SeanConn]

Almost all of the offensive records were set with an 80-game season. Extending the season to 82 didn't help anyone break offensive records. Goals-per-game affects offensive records, not length of the season. A league with a GPG average of around 6.5 (or higher) will have plenty of players capable of hitting 50 goals and 100 points in a 76-game season. This season the GPG average was 6.0.

There wouldn't have been a single 50 goal scorer this season had there only been 76 games... so many of the 50 goal seasons since the NHL has been doing 82 game seasons would have been erased under your proposal... so often players hit 50 in the last few games of the season, 76 games would be a huge disservice to goal scorers and stars looking to break records... and for what exactly? 6 less games a year accomplishes nothing... sorry man, but it's just a silly idea to have less games. If anything they should have kept the 84 game schedule.

 

[SeanConn]

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.

Stats in the NBA are not so easy to follow... what part of less 50 goal scorers or less 100 point scorers don't you understand? I know they're just thresholds... but some and are fans of stats, and players as well. Increase to 84 games if you want to ensure the schedule is nice and even...

 

[unknownbrother]

Seems weird we'd play so many games against the other conference in this set up.

Teams already play that many games against the other conference. East play 30 against the West and the West play 32 against the East.

 

[DowntownBooster]

I love hockey season.

Why would I wanna watch 6 fewer games per year?

I love hockey season too but I wouldn't mind if they cut back to 74 games. With 31 teams (soon to be 32), there's plenty of hockey to watch. A shorter schedule would result in less wear and tear on the players and likely less injuries which allows for better performance overall.

 

[Thrasymachus]

How can hockey fans possibly be in favor of less games to watch? I don't get it

 

[blueandgoldguy]

I personally would love to see the league cut the season down 4 - 6 games. Start around the same time in early October and finish around the last week of March. Start the playoffs in the last week of March with a touch of winter still in the air but with some warmer spring weather on the way. Finish around the May long weekend when summer/summer-like weather has officially commenced in even the northernmost cities. Cup finals extending into the second week of June is ridiculous. Even prairie cities in Canada are averaging well over 20 degrees Celsius by that point. Hockey needs to be well and done by that point.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Why would you want to make the season shorter?

Just absolutely ridiculous

 

[MadLuke]

Goals-per-game affects offensive records, not length of the season.

Not sure if serious, obviously a lot of records (most wins for a goaltender, goals, assists in a season, etc...) are affected by the length of the season.

How many record from the 50 or 70 games season are still standing today ? This is such a direct and trivial things, that the more games, the higher the season totals goes.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

why make it so much harder to hit 50 goals, let alone break all time records?

This. Just knock off 3 preseason games to make the overall hockey season a tad shorter.

 

[Leafs87]

And what about all time records ?

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

owners wont like it

theyd argue to extend it not lower it

 

[DowntownBooster]

How can hockey fans possibly be in favor of less games to watch? I don't get it

Because it's not always about the quantity but the quality. If there are less injuries due to less player fatigue, you're going to see better hockey.

 

[Luminiferous]

I feel like this needs to happen. Look at the Jets. They were so gassed, they couldn't escape round 1. Shits rough out there.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

I feel like this needs to happen. Look at the Jets. They were so gassed, they couldn't escape round 1. ****s rough out there.

Lol this right here is pathetic

 

[T-Funk]

Jets played the same number of games as everyone else.

 

[FissionFire]

Can’t see either the owners or NHLPA being on board with so many fewer games. That means that much less revenue to divvy up.

 

[ZzZz]

owners wont like it

theyd argue to extend it not lower it

This is why I don't see it happening, even though I would like to see healthier teams in the playoffs more often.

Most reasonable thing to do is to play your depth players more during the season and try to even out the minutes across the lineup.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

They wanted bye weeks and more OFF days , DWI. Not my fault if they wanna take a break twice mid season and are stuck to play alot of 3 in 4

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Hockey should start August 1; it sucks going to games in -40 weather...

 

[The Jones Zone]

6 games of lost revenue

maybe a decent idea, but the almighty dollar says no chance

 

[The Panther]

I think it's time for the NHL to make two "leagues", like in MLB, where each team basically plays its own League only... except in the Cup Finals / World Series. There are too many teams now to bother with having every team play every team, blah blah blah. Just make two Leagues -- East and West, or North and South with all the Canadian teams in one -- and have an "internal" hockey season.

That way, travel is less, and my team only has to really worry about 15 other teams, instead of 31. This will increase rivalries, too, as teams in the same area will play one another twice as often every season.

Ne'er the twain shall meet except at the All Star game (which might therefore actually have some interest) and of course the Cup Finals. The Conference championship will be a much bigger deal (as it should be) because it'll then be a League championship.

I'm not really bothered about the number of games, except that the playoffs need to end no later than May 31st. (I do think the playoffs are too long and too much of a marathon now, meaning the winner is often the team with the least attrition and not necessarily the best team.)

 

[WhiteLightning91]

No shortening of the season until Ovechkin retires.

I want him to have at least a small chance of breaking the all-time goals record.

 

[bob27]

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

From sporting perspective, the most fair and clean solution would be to have 2 games against every opponent, no conferences and playoffs are seeded from 1-16.

 

[SwaggySpungo]

There wouldn't have been a single 50 goal scorer this season had there only been 76 games... so many of the 50 goal seasons since the NHL has been doing 82 game seasons would have been erased under your proposal... so often players hit 50 in the last few games of the season, 76 games would be a huge disservice to goal scorers and stars looking to break records... and for what exactly? 6 less games a year accomplishes nothing... sorry man, but it's just a silly idea to have less games. If anything they should have kept the 84 game schedule.

As I already explained; almost every offensive record in NHL history was set with an 80-game season. Low-scoring hockey makes it difficult to score 50 goals in a season, not the length of the season. If you'd like more players to hit the arbitrary 50-goal mark, then you need to increase offence. Simple as that.

And reducing the schedule accomplishes a shorter season. You might like 82 games, but lots of fans think the season is too long and drags on and on. Many of us would like a shorter season. Each game means more, less wear and tear on player's bodies, and overall better quality hockey.