Hypothetical NHL schedule reduction

[discordant concord]

I think reducing the season by 10 games will allow the playoffs to start earlier, and take regular season games out of April. Additionally, it might boost playoff ratings, as the league will face less competition from the NBA.

Let's say the league is forced to reduce the amount of games in a season by at least 8.

What does your new schedule look like?

Disclaimer:
I think there are too many inter-conference games. And many of them are boring and meaningless to me.

Here's my new 72 game season using existing conference balance.

East
14 vs Western teams (one game each, arena switched each season)
16 vs teams in conference outside division (home and home)
42 vs Divisional teams (3 home and home series)


West
15 vs Eastern teams (one game each, switched each season)
21 vs teams in conference outside division (3 games against each team)
36 vs Divisional teams (3 home and home series)


For fun here is my more ideal 32 team setup. Total games = 74 per team.

16 vs Other conference (one game each, switched each season)
16 vs teams in conference outside division (2 games against each team)
42 vs Divisional teams (3 home and home series)

Click to read more...

 

[Shrimper]

The owners won't agree to lose 8 games. Each one is money to them. Also, I don't think the NHL needs to worry about the NBA.

 

[skeena1]

AIf you reduce the amount of games then ticket prices / media rights would have to adjust accordingly. The league (with the exception of CBC in Canada) and many teams are already on long term national and regional TV deals.

 

[knorthern knight]

I think reducing the season by 8 games will allow the playoffs to start earlier, and take regular season games out of April. Additionally, it might boost playoff ratings, as the league will face less competition from the NBA.

The NHL is more gate-driven than the NBA and NFL and MLB. It can't afford the cut in gate revenue.

There are games played on Feb 8th and Feb 26th. The 17-day gap in between is for the Olympics. The season ends on April 13 as it is. 3 years out of 4, the NHL could manage to finish by the end of March, without cutting games.

 

[MayDay]

Non-starter. The owners will never agree to give up 8 games' worth of ticket revenue.

 

[terex]

Neither would players, since the cap/players share is directly linked through HRR. Huge escrow, salary cap plummeting. Not happening.

 

[Mightygoose]

Also, with cities spending as much money as they do on new arenas and upgrades, don't think they would be too pleased as well with the though of losing 4 or 5 event dates per year. Less of an incentive to build new ones.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

The owners won't agree to lose 8 games. Each one is money to them. Also, I don't think the NHL needs to worry about the NBA.

Add a divisional home and home series and you've lost only two games but still freed up some space in the schedule.

 

[cutchemist42]

I would love it since I don't follow hockey closely until baseball/football is fully done. Honestly, the lockedout season was one of my favourites.

I also think the NBA season length is alot worse though then hockey since I think basketball needs less games to weed out playoff teams. I think it shows too with basketball attendance in some cities, a bad basketball team over 82 games is alot worse then watching the worst NHL team over 82 games.

 

[LadyStanley]

Minor nit, but 72 games = 10 game reduction. (5 home games).

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

Non-starter. The owners will never agree to give up 8 games' worth of ticket revenue.

...but I'm sure they'd like the idea of not having to pay for five (or more) fewer charter flights, five nights' five-star accomodation for three dozen people, and the cost of staging five home games. There would also be a case for an according cut in player salaries (roughly 12%).

Owners don't just make money, they spend a lot of it too.

 

[HockeyShack]

I would love it since I don't follow hockey closely until baseball/football is fully done. Honestly, the lockedout season was one of my favourites.

I also think the NBA season length is alot worse though then hockey since I think basketball needs less games to weed out playoff teams. I think it shows too with basketball attendance in some cities, a bad basketball team over 82 games is alot worse then watching the worst NHL team over 82 games.

If any league needs to cut games, it's baseball.

 

[cheswick]

As many have already mentioend it will not happen. It can't happen until a new CBA is done anyway.

Other issues: Many NHL tams only agreed to re-alignment due to the interconference schedule. Its a huge beenfit to their season ticekt holders to be able to see every team at least once. ie getting to see Crosby or Ovi at least once a year.


If the league wants playoffs to start earlier agree to an earlier season start. Its more logical to be playing hockey in September than June imo. Reduce the training camp length and meaningless pre-season games.

 

[boredmale]

Non-starter. The owners will never agree to give up 8 games' worth of ticket revenue.

I disagree, some owners may not like it but other owners of teams who don't sell out arenas may look at it as less games = higher attendance average(as people in those cities have less games to pick from) + save some traveling expense money

Its more logical to be playing hockey in September than June imo. Reduce the training camp length and meaningless pre-season games.

Until you factor in a major US TV deal. Major networks don't want playoff games in May when they running first run shows, but when they run repeats in June it's perfect having sporting events. Personally I am more behind the legalize weed party next election(and I will live with my bundled TV). lol

 

[BigZ65]

If anything, I could see games being added through a qualifying round of playoffs (teams 7-10 in each conference play a best of 3 to decide the last two playoff spots). No profitable league is going to reduce their schedule. Not good for the owners or the players to reduce revenue.

 

[Swarez]

I wanna see what they did last year, more games over the week. Keep the 82, but jam them in a shorter period of time.
Last year was great cause your team always played, this year just feels like there are huge gaps.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

I would love it since I don't follow hockey closely until baseball/football is fully done. Honestly, the lockedout season was one of my favourites.

I also think the NBA season length is alot worse though then hockey since I think basketball needs less games to weed out playoff teams. I think it shows too with basketball attendance in some cities, a bad basketball team over 82 games is alot worse then watching the worst NHL team over 82 games.

That really doesn't have anything to do with the number of games. That happens because everyone knows from the start of the years which 5 teams are legitimately any good. The rest is just fluff.

 

[LadyStanley]

I wanna see what they did last year, more games over the week. Keep the 82, but jam them in a shorter period of time.
Last year was great cause your team always played, this year just feels like there are huge gaps.

Condensed play == less recuperation/practice/stretching == more injuries == higher costs

Once every four years having a compressed season to account for Olympics, is more than enough.

 

[coolboarder]

Stick to 82 games but I would love to see the season start in mid-September, instead of October, that way, the season can end in March and playoff starts in April and ends in May without dragging the hockey to June.

 

[Hull and Oates]

I think there are too many inter-conference games. And many of them are boring and meaningless to me.

I love the idea of shortening the season (hockey should never end in June), but I could never understand this sentiment. As a Blues fan, I'd much rather see them play a more "exotic" team like Buffalo or the Habs, than the tired Blackhawks, or heaven help us, Nashville, five or six times a season.

 

[Doan Jidion*]

Yeah, that's kind of the problem with realignment. They're trying to resurrect the old divisions, but with rivalries no one cares about. Chicago and St. Louis will never get up for games against Nashville like they would for Detroit and Toronto. It's just something you tolerate until it's over. It's like saying you have a rivalry with the DMV.

 

[cutchemist42]

That really doesn't have anything to do with the number of games. That happens because everyone knows from the start of the years which 5 teams are legitimately any good. The rest is just fluff.

I've heard countless times of even good NBA teams having worse attendance near the end becaus everyone knows there isn't much difference in the NBA between 1-3 seed.