If within striking distance do you want your team to win the Presidents' Trophy?

[SnowblindNYR]

I know a lot of people that have an aversion to the Presidents' Trophy, I'm on record as wanting the Presidents' Trophy every year. I was wondering what HF really thought. I have it broken up into yes, no, and indifferent. But I'm curious if the no is because you believe in the curse or for some other reason such as burnout, potential injuries, or added pressure.

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[Albatros]

Skate it.

 

[bobholly39]

I voted option 1, but might also have voted 4.

3 seems silly - you can get injured/burnout by losing games just as easily, if not moreso, than by winning games.

2 is outright idiotic.

 

[banks]

If a team is within striking distance, and ends up winning the Presidents' Trophy, it means they ended the season strong. That's a good thing. And getting the top spot means home ice in any playoff matchup.

Voted yes.

 

[HolyHagelin]

I voted the “no but other reasons” because I think the rangers would have to push hard to get it and I would rather save some gas for the playoffs. The curse is bunk, the winners have enough cups to prove that, but the season context matters. I will be happy if the rangers win it by playing everyone and keeping the big guns fresh and other teams simply don’t play as well but am not interested in “pushing” for it.

 

[Legionnaire11]

I hate that people have forgotten that there is a difference between regular season and playoffs. The only thing that matters to the majority of sports fans is a playoff championship and they view the regular season as a burden, an unnecessarily extended warmup to when the "real" season begins.

The regular season is, in fact, a meaningful body itself. It's the game we love, delivered 82 times a year. The name "regular" season is a disservice and I think the more accurate title "League Play" is a better name for it. The NHL's President's Trophy in fact only started in '86 and replaced the tradition of the regular season winners hanging a "League Champions" banner.

There it is, the President's Trophy is award to the League Champions, the team who finished league play with the best record and "won" the league.

The Stanley Cup is awarded to the Playoff Champions, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a shorter post-season tournament featuring the best (in theory) teams during league play.

IDK, Of course the Cup is the Cup, and the playoffs are the playoffs, and it's pretty much the greatest thing in the sporting world. But I, as a hockey fan, place a ton of value on seeing my team go through 82 games, the ups and downs, the injuries, the sicknesses, the changing seasons, every arena, every player. If your team can go through all of that, equally as 31 other teams have done, and earn more points along the way than any of them, it's something that should truly be celebrated... yet it feels rare that people do, rather most discard it to the trash heap in anticipation of the playoff tournament, or worse they outright wish for their team to not win the trophy at all and that's a shameful disrespect to everyone involved in putting together and pulling off this incredible thing called an NHL season.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I hate that people have forgotten that there is a difference between regular season and playoffs. The only thing that matters to the majority of sports fans is a playoff championship and they view the regular season as a burden, an unnecessarily extended warmup to when the "real" season begins.

The regular season is, in fact, a meaningful body itself. It's the game we love, delivered 82 times a year. The name "regular" season is a disservice and I think the more accurate title "League Play" is a better name for it. The NHL's President's Trophy in fact only started in '86 and replaced the tradition of the regular season winners hanging a "League Champions" banner.

There it is, the President's Trophy is award to the League Champions, the team who finished league play with the best record and "won" the league.

The Stanley Cup is awarded to the Playoff Champions, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a shorter post-season tournament featuring the best (in theory) teams during league play.

IDK, Of course the Cup is the Cup, and the playoffs are the playoffs, and it's pretty much the greatest thing in the sporting world. But I, as a hockey fan, place a ton of value on seeing my team go through 82 games, the ups and downs, the injuries, the sicknesses, the changing seasons, every arena, every player. If your team can go through all of that, equally as 31 other teams have done, and earn more points along the way than any of them, it's something that should truly be celebrated... yet it feels rare that people do, rather most discard it to the trash heap in anticipation of the playoff tournament, or worse they outright wish for their team to not win the trophy at all and that's a shameful disrespect to everyone involved in putting together and pulling off this incredible thing called an NHL season.

It’s because fans, and players, most dream about winning the Stanley Cup not the President’s Trophy. When kids play in the driveway, they imagine scoring game 7 OT goal to win the cup. Nobody cares about the president’s trophy.

 

[DialUp]

I hate that people have forgotten that there is a difference between regular season and playoffs. The only thing that matters to the majority of sports fans is a playoff championship and they view the regular season as a burden, an unnecessarily extended warmup to when the "real" season begins.

The regular season is, in fact, a meaningful body itself. It's the game we love, delivered 82 times a year. The name "regular" season is a disservice and I think the more accurate title "League Play" is a better name for it. The NHL's President's Trophy in fact only started in '86 and replaced the tradition of the regular season winners hanging a "League Champions" banner.

There it is, the President's Trophy is award to the League Champions, the team who finished league play with the best record and "won" the league.

The Stanley Cup is awarded to the Playoff Champions, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a shorter post-season tournament featuring the best (in theory) teams during league play.

IDK, Of course the Cup is the Cup, and the playoffs are the playoffs, and it's pretty much the greatest thing in the sporting world. But I, as a hockey fan, place a ton of value on seeing my team go through 82 games, the ups and downs, the injuries, the sicknesses, the changing seasons, every arena, every player. If your team can go through all of that, equally as 31 other teams have done, and earn more points along the way than any of them, it's something that should truly be celebrated... yet it feels rare that people do, rather most discard it to the trash heap in anticipation of the playoff tournament, or worse they outright wish for their team to not win the trophy at all and that's a shameful disrespect to everyone involved in putting together and pulling off this incredible thing called an NHL season.

As I get older, I am leaning more towards this line of thinking and feeling, especially with baseball. If the regular season is meaningless, then shorten it.

 

[Thechozen1]

That trophy means nothing to me as a fan.

 

[zar]

There’s no “curse”.

I put zero weight on the Presidents Trophy.

Home ice advantage throughout the playoffs would be nice though.

As I get older, I am leaning more towards this line of thinking and feeling, especially with baseball. If the regular season is meaningless, then shorten it.

If only money didn’t matter.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Skate it.

I love how MacInnis looks like he doesn't care at all.

Of the four guys in that pic he's the only one who'd actually been on a Cup-winning team at that point, so I guess he already knew how meaningless that trophy would be once the puck dropped for Game 1 in the playoffs.

 

[ijuka]

The actually cursed president's trophy race placement was #2. It had by far the fewest stanley cup wins relative to expectations.

But then, you know what, Colorado Avalanche won the stanley cup from the second place. That's how it often goes with these "curse"-things.

Also, now the West division winner has won the stanley cup twice in a row. Would they have done worse had East performed more poorly and had their winner with fewer points than West's winner? Shrug.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Indifferent, tbqh. The Hawks won it in 2013, but I wouldn't remotely say that doing so made that Cup win more special than 2010 or 2015 (albeit I believe the '13 Hawks could mop the floor with the other two).

We could have a conversation on how we should put more emphasis on having the best record in the league as a grander accomplishment, but until then nobody really views it as a big deal. Winning the Cup is the goal, and a Presidents' Trophy is just a cherry on top quickly forgotten. Meanwhile, it makes failing to win the Cup feel more bitter than otherwise, imho.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

Nope. First of all, we already accomplished that feat as a franchise. So I'm satisfied, personally, with that. And I want my team going after the Stanley Cup. I don't want them to peak in the regular season just to get bounced in the playoffs.
The regular season and the playoffs are both under the pursuit of the same goal. Transitioning between the two is just another challenge along the way.

 

[Machinehead]

Yes. It's ultimately not that meaningful, but it's still nice to finish with the best record if you reasonably can.

Like, if we're three points back with two games to play, I'm not hauling ass for it, but there's no reason to root against them winning it because of some silly curse.

There is no curse. The fact of the matter is, from all spots in the field, the #1 seed is the most successful at winning the Stanley Cup since they started giving the award out.

PT winners are 8 for 37 since the advent of the award, which is about 22%. A 22% chance to win the Stanley Cup is massive.

Granted, we're in the midst of the trophy's largest drought since Chicago in 2013, but it's hardly causal. The field still has a 78% chance. You always take the field.

 

[Deno]

I don't believe in the curse but I think winning the President's Trophy is an issue only if the team is dominating the league like Boston did last year. Boston went weeks before the PO's without playing any REAL meaningful games. It is hard even for a professional team to turn up the intensity of their play like turning on a switch. It does not work that way. It can take a team 5 - 10 games before getting back to their former fighting form. In the PO this can be too late.

 

[keglu]

Yes, since 1st seed is statistically most likely to win a Cup plus Avs are significanly better at home this year,

 

[pegcity]

Yes because we need a banner.

Sincerely
Winnipeg Jets fans

 

[Fledgemyhedge]

The president trophy winner wins the cup most often compared to any other seed so I always laugh at people who assert that there’s a curse

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Indifferent, tbqh. The Hawks won it in 2013, but I wouldn't remotely say that doing so made that Cup win more special than 2010 or 2015 (albeit I believe the '13 Hawks could mop the floor with the other two).

We could have a conversation on how we should put more emphasis on having the best record in the league as a grander accomplishment, but until then nobody really views it as a big deal. Winning the Cup is the goal, and a Presidents' Trophy is just a cherry on top quickly forgotten. Meanwhile, it makes failing to win the Cup feel more bitter than otherwise, imho.

I think there are a few factors to consider for me. The Rangers team that made the Final in 2014 had 96 points. For some context the team this year has 94 points in 68 games. I actually think that was the best team from when I started watching. And they were the team that went the furthest. BUT the 14-15 team made it to the ECF so almost as far but won the Presidents' Trophy albeit with not a super high total for a PT team (113 points). But the regular season makes me remember the 14-15 team more fondly. BUT, if the 13-14 team had the same 110 points and was third in the league I'd remember that team more fondly. Or if the 14-15 team lost in the first or second round I'd remember the 13-14 team more fondly.

 

[dalewood12]

Yes, because a lot of the 2 vs. 3 seed battles are gonna be tough.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Yes, because a lot of the 2 vs. 3 seed battles are gonna be tough.

The Metro one is going to be a joke. A VERY small part of me wants that matchup.

 

[Zeeker]

I know a lot of people that have an aversion to the Presidents' Trophy, I'm on record as wanting the Presidents' Trophy every year.

Wow, that’s quite the stance you’re taking.

This guy wants his team to win as much as possible. He’s on record, folks!

 

[Rowlet]

Generally indifferent, though the Canucks are a top team, if not winning means they finished struggling then by all means win it.

Though I'd rather manage the game load for Demko, Hughes, etc going into the playoffs.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Wow, that’s quite the stance you’re taking.

This guy wants his team to win as much as possible. He’s on record, folks!

To be fair if you read these boards outside of this thread you can get the impression that most people don't want the Presidents' Trophy. Hence my stance.