Make the Final Four division-based instead of conference-based

[Stonewall]

Instead of having an Eastern Conference Finals and a Western Conference Finals, the division champions (decided after the first two rounds of the playoffs) have a four-team tournament.

So in 2015 the Final Four teams were the Rangers, Lightning, Blackhawks, and Ducks. And the playoff matchups would have been

New York Rangers (113 points) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (102 points)
Anaheim Ducks (109 points) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (108 points)

The only issue with having the entire playoffs being a league-wide tournament is potentially long travel times, and this reduces that potential to only two rounds and still allows for a tournament among the best teams in the NHL.

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[FoxyClean]

And if two teams from the same division are in the Final Four because of Wild Cards?

 

[Quarter]

So you mean re-seeding for the Conference Finals... why not just say that instead?

 

[VoynovsParoleOfficer]

i was always a huge fan of 1-16 conference does not matter...who wouldnt want to see a MTL vs. TOR or a NYI vs. NYR stanley cup? obviously travel would be potentially brutal but its been done before and the best team deserves to play the worst..

current matchups would be

WSH vs. NSH
PIT vs. CGY
CHI vs. BOS
CBJ vs. OTT
MTL vs. TOR
NYR vs. STL
MIN vs. SJ
ANA vs. EDM

then re-seed and go back at it

 

[WesMcCauley]

Or just let seed #1 pick their opponent. Then #2 pick, then #3 pick etc. Either from all 16 teams or just in their conference.

 

[VoynovsParoleOfficer]

Or just let seed #1 pick their opponent. Then #2 pick, then #3 pick etc. Either from all 16 teams or just in their conference.

love the concept but as discussed in previous threads the added Heat that the Gm/Coach/whoever that decision would lay on would make this unrealistic

 

[WesMcCauley]

love the concept but as discussed in previous threads the added Heat that the Gm/Coach/whoever that decision would lay on would make this unrealistic

Why? They do it in the playoffs in my country. No problems with it here.

 

[LastOne2100]

Or just let seed #1 pick their opponent. Then #2 pick, then #3 pick etc. Either from all 16 teams or just in their conference.

Definitely not a fan of this. Really ruins the end of the season position jockeying...

 

[HockeyThoughts]

i was always a huge fan of 1-16 conference does not matter...who wouldnt want to see a MTL vs. TOR or a NYI vs. NYR stanley cup? obviously travel would be potentially brutal but its been done before and the best team deserves to play the worst..

current matchups would be

WSH vs. NSH
PIT vs. CGY
CHI vs. BOS
CBJ vs. OTT
MTL vs. TOR
NYR vs. STL
MIN vs. SJ
ANA vs. EDM

then re-seed and go back at it

This is what I want. Go to a 2-3-2 system if you want to reduce the impact of travel.

The NHL won't do it though. Goes completely against the forced rivalry building that the current system is trying to attain.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Or just let seed #1 pick their opponent. Then #2 pick, then #3 pick etc. Either from all 16 teams or just in their conference.

If it's just the conference, I like it.

I also think the NBA should do this.

 

[The Man in White]

i was always a huge fan of 1-16 conference does not matter...who wouldnt want to see a MTL vs. TOR or a NYI vs. NYR stanley cup? obviously travel would be potentially brutal but its been done before and the best team deserves to play the worst..

current matchups would be

WSH vs. NSH
PIT vs. CGY
CHI vs. BOS
CBJ vs. OTT
MTL vs. TOR
NYR vs. STL
MIN vs. SJ
ANA vs. EDM

then re-seed and go back at it

The biggest issue with this is that the schedule isn't balanced. If every team played every other team the same amount of times, it makes sense, but otherwise some teams will have a much better advantage to get in.

 

[westc2]

For this to make sense they'd probably have to get rid of conferences all together and just have 4 divisions.
REGULAR SEASON
32 Teams in league (in the near future)
4 divisions, 8 teams per division.

24 teams X 2 Out of division games = 48
7 teams X 4 In division games = 28
28+48=76
82-76= 6 bonus games
6 games / 3 other division = 2 extra games per division (alternating)

48+(2+2+2)+28 = 82


PLAYOFFS
Top 3 in each division make playoffs.

4 league-wide wild card spots.

Division winners are guaranteed #1 seeds.

Seed #2 through #4 in each divisional playoff are decided in order of best record between the #2, #3 and wild card team in each division. (The wild card team could potentially have #2 seed and home ice in the first round.)

2nd round = no reseeding.

3rd round = reseed final 4 based on best regular season record.

4th round = best regular season record gets home ice.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Instead of having an Eastern Conference Finals and a Western Conference Finals, the division champions (decided after the first two rounds of the playoffs) have a four-team tournament.

So in 2015 the Final Four teams were the Rangers, Lightning, Blackhawks, and Ducks. And the playoff matchups would have been

New York Rangers (113 points) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (102 points)
Anaheim Ducks (109 points) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (108 points)

The only issue with having the entire playoffs being a league-wide tournament is potentially long travel times, and this reduces that potential to only two rounds and still allows for a tournament among the best teams in the NHL.

This was where the league was probably headed toward when they were doing realignment, but the PA didn't go for it.

This is what I want. Go to a 2-3-2 system if you want to reduce the impact of travel.

The NHL won't do it though. Goes completely against the forced rivalry building that the current system is trying to attain.

The NHL won't do it because teams like Toronto wanted out of the West as soon as they could after the change to a 1-8 conference format in the mid 90's. Tough to see them, or the Flyers, Bruins, Rangers, Canadiens, and Wings saying they'll risk having to go to the west coast 3 or 4 times, or even once, in a single playoff tournament.

 

[StupidGenius]

I've never liked the idea of a 2-3-2 playoff series. The team with home ice advantage should never be in a situation where they've played more games on the road than at home. If I have home ice, I want games 5 and 7 at home.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Here's ideas for the new divisions assuming QC is the 32nd team:

Southeast:

Tampa Bay
Florida
Carolina
Nashville
Dallas
St. Louis
Washington
Columbus

Northeast:

Toronto
Quebec City
Montreal
Boston
Buffalo
Ottawa
New York Rangers
New York Islanders

Central:

New Jersey
Detroit
Chicago
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Winnipeg
Minnesota
Colorado

West:

Edmonton
Vancouver
Calgary
San Jose
Los Angeles
Anaheim
Arizona
Vegas



I mean, the Central is weird, but I like it.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Here's ideas for the new divisions assuming QC is the 32nd team:

Central:

New Jersey
Detroit
Chicago
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Winnipeg
Minnesota
Colorado

I mean, the Central is weird, but I like it.

Pretty sure a big money team like the Flyers, and the team with the face of the league in Pittsburgh, would pull whatever strings they need to to not be in a division with Colorado.