I would guess that the vast majority reading this would agree the NHL schedule is a mess.
In a couple of years, the Bruins will play 31 opponents at TD Garden in 41 dates and that means we will see longtime rivals even less. I understand where the NHL is coming from when they want every team to visit all teams every single year but it is lunacy that the Sunrise Kittens play in Boston the same number of games as Montreal or Toronto.
Can it be fixed????
Justin Pelliter in the Herald thinks it can be.
Bruins, NHL schedule is broken, but here’s how to fix it – Boston Herald
What if the National Hockey League had two conferences of four divisions each, with four teams in each division, and a weighted schedule to match?
Teams would play six games each against three division opponents (18). They would play three games each against conference opponents (36), they would play two games each against teams in three of the four divisions in the opposing conference, and one game each against the remaining division in the opposite conference (28). It’s a far less cumbersome formula than the NFL uses, and allows teams to have a variety of teams come through their barns while highlighting division rivalries.
What about the playoffs? To maintain the 16-team playoff format, take the top two teams in each division to the playoffs. This will make those matchups even more valuable, and provide for some highly entertaining stretch drives across the league.
After Monday’s tilt against the Canadiens, the Bruins won’t see them again this season. The B’s are also done with Buffalo and Toronto, the two teams with which they are battling the closest for playoff positioning. This makes for some serious scoreboard-watching in the second half of the season, and sets up a scenario where watching your phone might be more important than watching the game in front of you at the Garden.
It’s time that changes, and with the volume of teams and now-even conferences, it’s attainable sooner than later.
In a couple of years, the Bruins will play 31 opponents at TD Garden in 41 dates and that means we will see longtime rivals even less. I understand where the NHL is coming from when they want every team to visit all teams every single year but it is lunacy that the Sunrise Kittens play in Boston the same number of games as Montreal or Toronto.
Can it be fixed????
Justin Pelliter in the Herald thinks it can be.
Bruins, NHL schedule is broken, but here’s how to fix it – Boston Herald
What if the National Hockey League had two conferences of four divisions each, with four teams in each division, and a weighted schedule to match?
Teams would play six games each against three division opponents (18). They would play three games each against conference opponents (36), they would play two games each against teams in three of the four divisions in the opposing conference, and one game each against the remaining division in the opposite conference (28). It’s a far less cumbersome formula than the NFL uses, and allows teams to have a variety of teams come through their barns while highlighting division rivalries.
What about the playoffs? To maintain the 16-team playoff format, take the top two teams in each division to the playoffs. This will make those matchups even more valuable, and provide for some highly entertaining stretch drives across the league.
After Monday’s tilt against the Canadiens, the Bruins won’t see them again this season. The B’s are also done with Buffalo and Toronto, the two teams with which they are battling the closest for playoff positioning. This makes for some serious scoreboard-watching in the second half of the season, and sets up a scenario where watching your phone might be more important than watching the game in front of you at the Garden.
It’s time that changes, and with the volume of teams and now-even conferences, it’s attainable sooner than later.
