Best short season scenario

[Keetz]

So lets just say it happens and we need a quick season before play-offs.

Whats the best way to get to the sweet 16 for the playoffs?

How sould they do it? What would be the best way to make it fun for the fans and keep rivalrys going.
Post your creative tournament style season. Or Your best Idea to have a Stanley Cup Prestentation this year!

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[Psycho Papa Joe]

If it's a season of less than 40 games, I think more teams would have to be included in the tournament. IMO 24 teams should make the playoffs. You would play each team in your conference at least twice and a few 3 times picked at random in order to fit into the amount of games scheduled. The top 12 in each conference would make the playoffs. The top 4 would get byes into the second round. Numbers 5 througn 12 would play best out of 5 series. Those winners would then play the top 4 in another series of best out of 5's. The rest of the playoffs would be best of 7's.

 

[Vman]

Man it will be awesome if the season suddenly starts and all the players come back in excitement. I hope there will be a shortened season this year..

 

[Keetz]

I was thinking a Conference only season. Play every team twice. Then your division rivals three more times. and that would be about forty games I think.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

New Jersey wins the Cup, Parise and Suglobov leave the worst team in the AHL to the best team in the NHL.

 

[littleHossa]

With the way this is going and how long it's taking I'm thinking whomever has Brian Savage wins the Cup.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

With the way this is going and how long it's taking I'm thinking whomever has Brian Savage wins the Cup.

October is gone buddy :lol

 

[kmad]

With the way this is going and how long it's taking I'm thinking whomever has Brian Savage wins the Cup.

What are you on?

Jason King is the new Mr. October.

 

[kremlin]

Scrap the season, that's the best scenario in my opinion. A lot of players are rusty or out of shape, so you will see awful hockey for at least a month; not worth it in my opinion.

 

[solventless710]

Scrap the season, that's the best scenario in my opinion. A lot of players are rusty or out of shape, so you will see awful hockey for at least a month; not worth it in my opinion.

Awful hockey is better than no hockey at all

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

The Rangers decide to add the entire Charlotte Checkers roster to the NHL roster. They lose all but 2 games. The Harftord WolfPack go on to win the Calder Cup. The Rangers then are awarded the first pick in the draft where they pick Crosby.

And bacon stops hair loss.

 

[Lukas]

late season rush

I think they should split the divisions up into 4 like they use to have them, play only the teams in your division, and the top 4 from each division make it to the playoffs. There should ne a trade deadline after each team has played 5 games but no more then 10. All the players should be fresh so there should be great hockey come playoff time...

 

[sharkyz15]

35 games all in conference

12 teams within each conference get in to the playoffs

top 2 have bye weeks

first 2 rounds best of 3 all within week
Rounds 3-4 are best of 5
SC finals are best of 7

 

[Keetz]

35 games all in conference

12 teams within each conference get in to the playoffs

top 2 have bye weeks

first 2 rounds best of 3 all within week
Rounds 3-4 are best of 5
SC finals are best of 7

Cool

 

[octopi]

Scrap the season, that's the best scenario in my opinion. A lot of players are rusty or out of shape, so you will see awful hockey for at least a month; not worth it in my opinion.

I've said it once, I'll say it again: Rusty and out of shape worked for Brett Hull

 

[Wetcoaster]

One possibility is a 30 team tournament to set the play-off seedings of 16 teams. One scenario is strict conference splits with no crossovers with 2 games against each conference opponent with one home and one away game - 28 game schedule.

Then you seed the top 8 in each conference and the play-offs begin.

Another scenario is a 40 game season but reduce the initial round to a 2 out of 3 and the next round to a 3 out of 5, with the remaining two rounds being a best of seven. I cannot see the owners going for that because that cuts into the profits too much.

Since we are unlikey to see any hockey until the near the end of February even if they get a deal in priniple together, there may have to be some creative thinking to get the season and play-offs rolling.

OTOH would you tank a 28 game season and hope you get a shot at Sidney Crosby?

 

[rwilson99]

Opening Night: Feb 10th
Play every other night until April 15th = 28 Game Regular Season
2 Games against each Conference Opponent (no divisions)

Top 4 seeds in Conference get First Round Bye
Seeds 5-12 in First Round (Best of Five)
April 16 - April 23

Reseed and playoff with top 4 seeds at home
Conference Quarterfinals (Best of 7)
2-3-2 Format to cut travel Time
April 24 - May 4

Conference Semifinals (Best of 7)
2-3-2 Format to cut travel Time
May 5 - 16

Confernce Finals
2-3-2 Format to Cut Travel Time
May 17-28

Stanley Cup Finals
Traditional 2-2-1-1-1 Format
Play Every Other Night + 1 Day for 2 Saturday Night Games
May 30 - June 12

 

[NYR469]

i don't like any idea about an open tournament in the playoffs...why even have a season then? just start the tourney right away...

imo any change to the playoff format will be a joke and cheapen the whole thing...season has to be a minimum of 40 games to be taken seriously and then the same playoff format as always...push the finals back to july if necessary

i'm sure they will be looking for all kinds of gimmicks to draw fans back, but i don't want to see them make a mockery of the season.

 

[Owen Wilson]

4 teams with a bye doesn't work, cause you'd have 13 teams leftover in each conference

Or if you meant 8 teams(4 in each conference) get a bye, it doesn't work either since that'll leave 11 teams on each side

how about the 6 division winners get a bye, they're already seeded 1-3, right?

 

[NYR469]

4 teams with a bye doesn't work, cause you'd have 13 teams leftover in each conference

Or if you meant 8 teams(4 in each conference) get a bye, it doesn't work either since that'll leave 11 teams on each side

how about the 6 division winners get a bye, they're already seeded 1-3, right?

he was saying the top 4 teams in the conference get byes

so in the east teams 1-4 gets byes and teams 5-12 play the opening round (ie 5 vs 12, 6 vs 11, 7 vs 10, 8 vs 9)...

only 3 teams in the conference wouldn't make the playoffs

 

[StickShift]

If we were to somehow have a season, I'd like to keep it simple.

30 game season, 15 home and 15 away games against teams in your conference. Then a normal 16 team, 4 round, 7 game playoff series for the Stanley Cup.

 

[me2]

Same playoffs as last year. Min of 28 games (home and away v Conference). Nothing wrong with 28 games deciding the season, NFL & soccer use a fraction of that.

 

[Owen Wilson]

he was saying the top 4 teams in the conference get byes

so in the east teams 1-4 gets byes and teams 5-12 play the opening round (ie 5 vs 12, 6 vs 11, 7 vs 10, 8 vs 9)...

only 3 teams in the conference wouldn't make the playoffs

ahh I got ya now

 

[Maria]

Today there was in article in the St.P Times(Tampa newspaper)well it was about how unfair was for the Lightning if there is a seson,to award the Stanley cup,to any team that hasn't done much,or does not deserve it,we didn't even have a ring ceremony,thats CRAP!!

I don't know what you guys think of this,but i kind of agree with him,the cup should be awarded to a team that play a hole season,and deserves to win.

 

[missK]

Today there was in article in the St.P Times(Tampa newspaper)well it was about how unfair was for the Lightning if there is a seson,to award the Stanley cup,to any team that hasn't done much,or does not deserve it,we didn't even have a ring ceremony,thats CRAP!!

Yeah sure, that's about as much crap as freestanley.com is.