Boston Herald Bruins, NHL schedule is broken, but here’s how to fix it

[Jdavidev]

Get rid of divisions. Keep conferences for first two round seeding. Each team plays their top 3 rivals 6 times (18) and then 4 moderate rivals 4 times (16) and then the other 24 teams 2 times each (48). As a West coaster, have to keep this so transplants can watch their team at least once a year, plus vice versa home teams get to see all the best players in the world at least once.

The best part of this setup, Boston's closest rivals don't have to be the same as Montreal's. It can mix and match and even change over the years to keep things fresh. 1-8 for east west first round. Reseed in conference for 2nd round, and then love the down with brown reseed all four teams for what would be the conference finals.

 

[Fenway]

As I said in the OP, I hated it when I was in Chicago and the B's came in once every 2 years so I fully understand how B's fans in Western Canada would be upset if that happened again.

First of all, if the NHL wants the divisions to mean something then eliminate the Wild Card and the top 4 teams go.

This year Montreal and Buffalo would be at loggerheads for the 4th spot.

It is the 8 extra games with the Metro teams that screw things up. One home and one away would be fine and the extra 8 games could be played with Atlantic teams.

 

[Lobster57]

i like the proposal in the original article. with 8 division teams there's going to be 2-3 matchups that aren't really rivalries. Does anyone really get pumped when they see Florida or Detroit on the schedule?
4 team divisions with 8 games each builds intensity almost instantly. As a B's fan on the west coast, having them come thru every other year SUCKS, but they could probably arrange it so they play in Vancouver one year and Seattle the next, at least most of the time, which would be tolerable

 

[finchster]

We get more rivalry games... in the playoffs. So I don't care the Bruins don't play the Habs or Toronto more frequently, chances are we will meet one of these teams in the playoffs every year until the format is changed.

The regular season should be shortened anyway.