Gary Bettman on Playoff Expansion Rumours, Growing The Game and His HOF Induction | 31 Thoughts

[Jetsfan79]

I suspect that for play-in to gather support it would have to be best of three, perhaps even with all games in higher seed’s building, because that way no team would lose guaranteed playoff revenue compared to the current system. With one game play-in the teams would potentially trade two playoff home games (with possibility for third even if the team does not advance) to one.

The problem with this is that you run the risk on awarding the 8th seed team (higher play in team) with more home play off games/revenue than the higher seeds. Team seeded 5-7 winning their series in 5 games or less would only get 2 home gates whereas an 8th seeded team could get 3 (even with loosing the series) if the series makes to game 3.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

One off play-in games in hockey would be pretty amazing. Just think about it.

Insane for an 82 game season to be determined by the outcome of a single game for a select few...but that’s also why it would be incredible.

They do it in baseball for an 162 game season, so why not hockey as well?

Overall, I’m not that passionate about expansion of the playoff format. The more spots that are open, the less teams have a need to “win games or go home” toward the end of the season. I am guessing that’s the reason GB doesn’t like the idea.

 

[MNNumbers]

The problem with this is that you run the risk on awarding the 8th seed team (higher play in team) with more home play off games/revenue than the higher seeds. Team seeded 5-7 winning their series in 5 games or less would only get 2 home gates whereas an 8th seeded team could get 3 (even with loosing the series) if the series makes to game 3.

Let me try this out a little:
8th seed: Wins play-in series in 2 games. Now plays on road to 1st seed. Loses in 4 or 5 games: Result is 4 home games
7th seed: If they win round one, would still play on the road in round two, but is guaranteed at least 4 home games. However, if they lose to the 2nd seed in the 1st Round Proper, then they get only 2 or 3 home games.

You are absolutely correct, and thus what would have to happen is that:
All ticket proceeds from the play-in games would be split evenly league-wide.

 

[NickWIHockey]

The AHL had 20 playoff teams after the IHL folded and the surviving teams joined in 2001. you had 7 v 10 and 8v9 in Preliminary Rounds, aka playins. The Chicago Wolves actually won the Calder cup in 2002 from the playin round as a 7 seed. I'm fine with a best of 3 playin round like what the AHl did. means every point matters. if we had this format in place last year. Columbus would have played Carolina in the 7-10 and New Jersey would have played Florida in the 8-9 in the East., in the West it would have been LA vs Dallas in the 7-10, and Colorado would have played St Louis in the 8-9. the only team that would have been more than 5 points out of a playoff spot would be Carolina, they had 83 points,14 points behind 8 seed new Jersey. the 10th West seed Dallas was 3 points out of a playoff spot. right now, teams can finish tied on points yet 1 team can be knocked out. I also favor tiebreaker games if teams finish tied for points, winner gets higher seed.

 

[LeafShark]

I wouldn't mind 20, but I'd prefer 16. I'm more concerned with the playoff structure, and i'd like a structure that allowed any 1 team to play any other team in the finals.

 

[cheswick]

Yeah, have to agree here and surprised we seem to be the minority report in this thread. One of the biggest knocks against hockey's legitimacy in the US (besides ties, and yes I know the NFL has them, but (a) they're rare and (b) the NFL is a tad more popular than the NHL) was "doesn't everyone get into the playoffs?"

16 out of 21 teams making the playoffs was absolutely embarrassing. It took adding 11 teams to get the NHL close to the ratios of the rest of US sports leagues (NBA: 16 out of 30; NFL: 12 out of 32; MLB: 10 out of 30). The NHL is still on the high end, and even in a vacuum, absolutely should not cross 50% imo.

Well no. You're comparing the NHL playoffs 35 years ago to the NBA system of today. In 1984 16 of 23 teams made the playoffs in the NBA.