Do you favour 24 or 28 game schedule if there were one coming this year!?

[PhillyNucksFan]

interesting article on ESPN that i came across today on the work of 24 or 28 game schedule.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?id=1968731

24 game schedule

All within the division, three home and three away versus each opponent. Existing home dates can be the framework. By the way, the 45-day rolling cancellation policy is largely irrelevant because few acts of consequence can be booked on short notice. It would take some tweaking, since the Northeast Division's Boston, Buffalo, Montreal and Ottawa all had scheduled home games on Saturday, March 19. But it would be relatively easy for scheduling guru Steve Hatze Petros.


It would be playoff-type hockey from the first drop of the puck. There would be a sense of urgency and even increased tension and competitiveness because of the familiarity among opponents in the seven-week schedule.


Two teams from each division, plus the two third-place finishers with the most points by conference, make the playoff field. Inequity in divisional strength could lead to some "unfairness," but that's a small price to pay.


That's the favorite here, but there are a couple of other realistic options.

28 game

This follows the 1995 model, with a slight compression of the schedule, if necessary, and a home-and-home series against each conference opponent. Use the existing home dates as the starting point and adjust where necessary. No divisional standings. Top eight make the playoffs.


Depending on the timing of a settlement, the plan might require a slight nudging back of the postseason



I am not that against the 24 or 28 schedule as they could be like the NFL. Each game is critical. Each game means something. The fact that its against divisional rivals, you'd be seeing T.O vs Mon 4 times, Ottawa vs T.O 4 times, in a span of 2 weeks... or NyI vs NyR etc etc..

What do you think?

Click to read more...

 

[FLYLine27*]

Any NHL hockey i would be in favor of...even if it was 24 games of Rangers vs Devils!

 

[PhillyNucksFan]

Any NHL hockey i would be in favor of...even if it was 24 games of Rangers vs Devils!

but would you consider this fair?

Sure its exciting, but is this fair.

This would make some of the hardest working team CONTENDERS.. it could be anyone.

Nashville going all out and be hot for 20 games... they could be the 1st seed.. for all I know..

 

[txomisc]

Any NHL hockey i would be in favor of...even if it was 24 games of Rangers vs Devils!

me too
with such a short schedule tho id like to see next years draft order be a balance between the results of the short schedule and last seasons

 

[Egil]

The 28 game schedule would be the fairest schedule ever produced by the NHL. Playing each conference team home and away is an ideal seeding test.

Now the 24 game schedule, all against division oponents is a VERY interesting idea. It would produce excellent games, with compelling matchups to get the fans back to the rink. Unfortunately, it is extremely unfair in that good divisions are going to get HAMMERED (the 2 best divisions will probably be the ones to only send two teams to the next round). Now, an easy way around this is to play a 28 game schedule with these 24 games as the base. The extra 4 games would be against conference opponents, and would be used as the tie-breaker between 3rd place teams (on a division-wide basis). The 2 best divisions (as measured by their teams conference games) get to send 3 teams to the playoffs, the other division only 1.

Also possible is to make 4 divisions for this year, consisting of 7 or 8 teams each. Have each team play their division oponents 4 times, and then take the top 4 to the postseason, using the old-school divisional playoff system (so the 4 teams from each division to qualify play each other in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs). This would produce another 28 game schedule (the divisions with 7 teams would get 4 bonus games against division oponents), but would also guarantee compelling matchups for the fans, while probably being more fair (though not perfect).

 

[RangerBoy]

Just play

 

[PhillyNucksFan]

but the discussion still lies..

is this 28-game schedule Stanley Cup Champion real Stanley Cup Champion?

Say, Nashville wins it.. who knows, with such short schedule... and you engrave teir names on the cup.. wouldnt there always be someone say.. nah. thats not real cup. thats just a champion in a shortened season.

or even with an asterik?

 

[struckmatch]

Just play

 

[grego]

Why is it unfair due to so few games?

Do you put an asterix next to every Olympic gold in hockey handed out because they didn't play a full season of hockey, but instead with about 10 or so games decided a winner.

I would take any form of hockey.

Even if they skipped the whole season and did some alternate playoff format. I don't really care. If I had to lose the regular season I would accept that. After all the playoffs are the most exciting part of the season.

I would rather have people put an asterix next to a playoffs, rather then just see that year missing from the record books.

 

[RLC]

I have a better idea

If and I mean IF a deal is done. Instead of a very short season and then the play offs, the NHL would need to kick-start interest in hockey, so this year and this year only. Have a training camp, a 10 game exabition season then,
all 30 NHL clubs are in the play-offs. Adding an extra round to the regular play-off format. For once, all clubs even the bad ones have a chance to knock someone off. Teams that have not made the play-offs ever or not for a long time would get a chance to jump-start the attendance and maby some interest in hockey.
Like a Stanly Cup tournament.

 

[grego]

Actually it is easy to put all 30 teams into the playoffs too. All you need is one extra round and it works. Give Tampa and Calgary a bye in the first round. Which is fair considering they made it to the cup last year.

Then suddenly you have the basis for an exciting playoff run and anyone could win it all.

 

[RLC]

Actually it is easy to put all 30 teams into the playoffs too. All you need is one extra round and it works. Give Tampa and Calgary a bye in the first round. Which is fair considering they made it to the cup last year.

Then suddenly you have the basis for an exciting playoff run and anyone could win it all.

Now your getting it !!

and one more thing, if your a bad club but normaly you know you have to meet a top club, this idea is a lotterie. even a bad club might have a chance to go 2-3 rounds, it would all depend who you draw. By the end of it all I would expect that the top clubs would still prevail but their would be no way to know how far each club would get and along the way it would give a chance for every fan to see their club win a round and get that hockey feeling.

 

[two out of three*]

How bout instead of the Stanley Cup they play for the #1 overall draft pick.. Stupid I know.

 

[Fan-in-Van]

The 24-game schedule would probably produce some interesting hockey. Some of the best rivalaries in hockey are already interconference and that would fuel the fire (imagine the immediate intensity of the Vancouver-Colorado games).

I would propose that any discussion around schedules thus far has been undertaken with the mind set that the playoff schedules as previously in place would be maintained. We have to remember that it was not that long ago that the first few rounds were Best of 5 contests. However, the switch to the 7-game schedule was made to generate more money for the owners, so going back to 5 games may be a reluctant move.

 

[kerrly]

It would be interesting, but with that short of a season, would the cup champion really get the credit they do or don't deserve. The lowest amount of games I would be comfortable with them playing is 36. There is still plenty of time, to condense a schedule with a reasonable amount of games, have the playoffs and still not finish too far into the summer.

 

[Fan-in-Van]

Give Tampa and Calgary a bye in the first round. Which is fair considering they made it to the cup last year.

Rather than providing teams with a bye (which punishes the teams as they do not get the opportunity for home playoff revenue), why not a schedule like the following:

24 games (inter-divisional). Teams are seeded 1-15 by total points. Tie-breakers would be goals thus putting a premium on goal scoring. Top 12 make the playoffs. The six teams that did not make the playoffs should be classified as lottery teams.

Best of 5

West East
1-12 1-12
2-11 2-11
3-10 3-10
4-9 4-9
5-8 5-8
6-7 6-7

Winners from each conference form 6-team (5-game round robin) tournament, top 4 teams advance to semi-finals.

Best of 7 (Semi-finals)
1-4 1-4
2-3 2-3

Best of 7 (Conference Final)
1-2 1-2

Best of 7 (Stanley Cup)
1-1

The following schedule would allow for the same number of games that a 27 game schedule would allow (plus 4 rounds of 7-game series). It would also put more teams in the playoffs meaning more money and hockey for all involved.

 

[grego]

You could also reverse it and just have each conference have a 10 game round robin to start with. From that in each conference the top 8 of the 15 teams advance to the first round. Then from there it is like the normal playoffs essetially.

But what does it matter when you are speculating this much on something that will likely never happen. We may as well debate any wild alternative people can think of, since it is will likely never happen.

 

[PhillyNucksFan]

i dont see the point of olympic or how that is related to this.

I mean. there isnt a "season" for olympic teams, therefore, no asteriks.


The point of asterik is just demonstrate that it is possible (assuming they do decide go for a 24/28 game schedule), since there are precedents in baseball, for example.


anyhow, i'd agree that.. just play...

 

[Vast Ant Dioi]

Actually it is easy to put all 30 teams into the playoffs too. All you need is one extra round and it works. Give Tampa and Calgary a bye in the first round. Which is fair considering they made it to the cup last year.

Then suddenly you have the basis for an exciting playoff run and anyone could win it all.

I like the idea except for the bye. While the bye makes sense, I think both Tampa and Calgary would be stomped by whomever they played, because the team they were up against has had 4-7 games to gel as a team, galvanize their emotions, and so on. Tampa and Calgary wouldn't even have had an opportunity to play yet.

Nah, while it might be exciting I don't think it's legitimate.

I like the division idea except clearly there are stronger divisions (Northeast, Northwest, Atlantic) and divisions that have one or maybe two good teams and loads of steaming crap (Pacific, Southleast). Why should Tampa and Southeast Team X be assured of a playoff spot while only two, maybe three at most of Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo, and Boston make it? Doesn't seam fair. While, as a Flames fan, I can't imagine anything more exciting than duking out with Vancouver and Edmonton directly for my playoff hopes, I think a team like Atlanta being guaranteed a playoff spot is a crock.

Out of the two suggested, I'd definitely prefer the 28 game schedule.

I'm also not too concerned with the season being too short. It's hard to put together an amazing 28 game streak. I think 28 games is still enough to gain a sense of consistency...and even then, the Stanley Cup winner would still need to put together as good a run as any other Stanley Cup winner of times past. It's still four rounds, four teams, 16 wins. While some questionable teams might sneak in to the 7th and 8th seeds, that's only one round where the top seeds get a bye, and as we've seen in the past couple of years there's plenty of room for upsets even in 82 game seasons.

Just drop the puck!

 

[PhillyNucksFan]

I like the idea except for the bye. While the bye makes sense, I think both Tampa and Calgary would be stomped by whomever they played, because the team they were up against has had 4-7 games to gel as a team, galvanize their emotions, and so on. Tampa and Calgary wouldn't even have had an opportunity to play yet.

Nah, while it might be exciting I don't think it's legitimate.

I like the division idea except clearly there are stronger divisions (Northeast, Northwest, Atlantic) and divisions that have one or maybe two good teams and loads of steaming crap (Pacific, Southleast). Why should Tampa and Southeast Team X be assured of a playoff spot while only two, maybe three at most of Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo, and Boston make it? Doesn't seam fair. While, as a Flames fan, I can't imagine anything more exciting than duking out with Vancouver and Edmonton directly for my playoff hopes, I think a team like Atlanta being guaranteed a playoff spot is a crock.

Out of the two suggested, I'd definitely prefer the 28 game schedule.

I'm also not too concerned with the season being too short. It's hard to put together an amazing 28 game streak. I think 28 games is still enough to gain a sense of consistency...and even then, the Stanley Cup winner would still need to put together as good a run as any other Stanley Cup winner of times past. It's still four rounds, four teams, 16 wins. While some questionable teams might sneak in to the 7th and 8th seeds, that's only one round where the top seeds get a bye, and as we've seen in the past couple of years there's plenty of room for upsets even in 82 game seasons.

Just drop the puck!

exactly.

But then again, look at the London Knights.. .. sure. its CHL.. but anything is possible..

they have 2 losses this year..

 

[Go Flames Go*]

Do it like the NFL have the wild cards 8 teams, and then have Calgary and Tampa with byes but make the wild card games a best out of 3 played in between 5 days. Then move on to a best out of 7.

 

[SPARTAKUS*]

It would be interesting, but with that short of a season, would the cup champion really get the credit they do or don't deserve. The lowest amount of games I would be comfortable with them playing is 36. There is still plenty of time, to condense a schedule with a reasonable amount of games, have the playoffs and still not finish too far into the summer.

I think a 36 game schedule would be best. Let's say they start playing on Feb 14 and each club playes 4 games/week the season would last 9 weeks it would and end April 16.

 

[Twine Seeking Missle]

I'll take a one game schedule. According to my calculations 1>0.

 

[rwilson99]

interesting article on ESPN that i came across today on the work of 24 or 28 game schedule.

I'll take a 28 game schedule with an extra round of playoffs please.

3 Division winners +1 get a by into the Conference Quarterfinals

Seed 5 plays 12, 6 plays 11, etc. in the Opening Round in a Best of 5.

 

[c-carp]

Any NHL hockey i would be in favor of...even if it was 24 games of Rangers vs Devils!

I agree lets just get all the finacial **** squaredd away and drop the puck.