NHL and NHLPA Prefer to play some regular season games if they are able to resume playing

[cbcwpg]

I think the biggest issue with a lot of cities is going to be hotels, the high end hockey infrastructure exists in Edmonton but it could be an issue of having 300+ high end rooms available for that many players.

It realistically shouldn't be an issue because almost every NHL city has the hotel space available right now because the hotels are empty.

The problem is the NHL players can't step down from their requirement to have 5-star accommodations in the middle of a pandemic where everyone else needs to bend a little if you want games played.

 

[SCP Guy]

NHL Players be like.....

 

[Jetsfan79]

So here's my idea for the play in/playoffs format.

The 6 western conference division leaders based on points percentage are:

x-St. Louis Blues: .662, 42-19-10
x-Colorado Avalanche: .657, 42-20-8
x-Dallas Stars: .594, 37-24-8
x-Vegas Golden Knights: .606, 39-24-8
x-Edmonton Oilers: .585, 37-25-9
x-Vancouver Canucks: .565, 36-27-6

Remaining 6 are:

w1-Nashville Predators: .565, 35-26-8
w2-Calgary Flames: .564, 36-27-7
Winnipeg Jets: .563, 37-28-6
Minnesota Wild: .558, 35-27-7
Arizona Coyotes: .529, 33-29-8
Chicago Blackhawks: .514, 32-30-8

What I suggest is the "remaining 6" play a round Robin mini tournament. All of these teams play 5 games. 1 game each with the other 5 teams.

*While these games are being played, the division leaders play among themselves in exhibition games so the are not rusty once the 16 team playoffs start.

After the 5 game round robin, the 2 teams with best overall record get the 2 wild card spots. Then we have a regular 16 team playoff. Tiebreakers for the playin tourney would be head to head with the teams tied then goal difereratial among the teams tied then overall goal differential for all of the 5 games

Last change in playin tournament would be decided by points percentage among the teams playing eachother. For example the Jets would have the last change when facing the Wid Coyotes
or Blackhawks. The Blackhawks would have to play all 5 games without last change as the team with the worst points percentage among the remaining 6.

This should address the "hot team winning it all asterisk " complaint because this format would mimick the jostling for position among the bubble teams that would of happened in the last few regular season games.
Yeah - a team like Chicago could get "hot" but they essentially have to qualify the harder way with playing all of their playin games "on the road". While a team like Nashville, who may feel irked needing to solidify their already established playoff position, would aleast have the advantage of playing all of their games "at home".

The exhibition games would address the concerns that the division leaders would be rusty if they sat around waiting for the playin tournament to be decided.
And essentially the exhibition games would also mimick solidified playoff bound teams that would normally just be playing out the stretch and even sitting out players if desired.​

 

[raideralex99]

The 6 western conference division leaders based on points percentage are:

x-St. Louis Blues: .662, 42-19-10
x-Colorado Avalanche: .657, 42-20-8
x-Dallas Stars: .594, 37-24-8
x-Vegas Golden Knights: .606, 39-24-8
x-Edmonton Oilers: .585, 37-25-9
x-Vancouver Canucks: .565, 36-27-6

Remaining 6 are:

w1-Nashville Predators: .565, 35-26-8
w2-Calgary Flames: .564, 36-27-7
Winnipeg Jets: .563, 37-28-6
Minnesota Wild: .558, 35-27-7
Arizona Coyotes: .529, 33-29-8
Chicago Blackhawks: .514, 32-30-8

​

Who said they are going with points percentage?
Jets have more points than the 3 teams above them.
You can make a case that the teams that played less games got an advantage ... more rest between games. Playing 3 games in one week is a lot easier than playing 4 games in a week twice.
Vancouver and Nashville would have to get 3 of 4 points in their 2 games and Calgary would have to win their game. So when the Canucks play the Flames only one of them can the win ... right?
If you want to go by percentage it should be done like this ...
both the Canucks and Predators have played 2 less games so you multiply 2 games by their winning percentage which is .565 so 2 games times .565% is only 1.13 but lets be generous and round it up from 1.13 to 2 points. Two points does not over take the Jets due to the Jets having more wins.

 

[Jetsfan79]

Who said they are going with points percentage?
Jets have more points than the 3 teams above them.
You can make a case that the teams that played less games got an advantage ... more rest between games. Playing 3 games in one week is a lot easier than playing 4 games in a week twice.
Vancouver and Nashville would have to get 3 of 4 points in their 2 games and Calgary would have to win their game. So when the Canucks play the Flames only one of them can the win ... right?
If you want to go by percentage it should be done like this ...
both the Canucks and Predators have played 2 less games so you multiply 2 games by their winning percentage which is .565 so 2 games times .565% is only 1.13 but lets be generous and round it up from 1.13 to 2 points. Two points does not over take the Jets due to the Jets having more wins.

No one said their going with points percentage. It's just my suggestion on how to seed the playin tournament. There was some early talk that they should just go 16 teams based on points percentage and cut it off there which I totally agree is unfair (I assume you would think so too). But I have no problems with expanding the potential playoff teams and using PP to decide the *seeding* arrangement. I think that's more fair than awarding teams who just happened to play more games and have more opportunities to increase their points total.. AHL is done by points percentage to determine a regular playoff . Good reason they just dont go by total points because not all teams played the same amount of games.

I get what you said about the rest days and head to head dynamics influencing how the points would theoretically fall in. But I dont think the flames and iother teams that have played fewer games than the jets would see it that way. Also that formula you used may be accurate in reference to the jets, , but I bet the dynamics are different for other teams including teams in the other conference. You cant have different formulas used for certain rankings and not others. Under this scenario, your basically saying the remaining games including who's playing who no longer exists or should be taken under consideration. The most fair thing (if using PP) to do is to use pure points percentage across the board regardless on who's playing who in the remaining games.Not unreasonable for the nHL to use that for ranking the teams in the playin in my opinion.

But really, whether you use PP or total points, the only thing that it would really effect for the Jets in my suggestion is the last change since they are not a division leader/getting a buy whether going by total points or PP

 

[cbcwpg]

Interesting tidbit...

There is also the matter of changing contract expiration dates so that players don’t become free agents on July 1. The teams and union are in contact with government authorities about extending work visas that expire June 30, but no decision yet.

Can't really have players becoming free agents while you are trying to finish the season or have playoff games being played.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

Interesting tidbit...

There is also the matter of changing contract expiration dates so that players don’t become free agents on July 1. The teams and union are in contact with government authorities about extending work visas that expire June 30, but no decision yet.

Can't really have players becoming free agents while you are trying to finish the season or have playoff games being played.

On the contrary. That would make for the most interesting playoffs ever. Imagine a top player changing teams for game 7? Make it happen!

 

[sipowicz]

On the contrary. That would make for the most interesting playoffs ever. Imagine a top player changing teams for game 7? Make it happen!

The whole notion of restarting the season beginning in a June is pretty nuts!
Seriously who’s calling for NHL hockey now, not me or anyone I know!

 

[wpgfishfan]

So Calgary v Winnipeg best of 5 it seems. Winner plays St. Louis in best of 7

 

[ps241]

The whole notion of restarting the season beginning in a June is pretty nuts!
Seriously who’s calling for NHL hockey now, not me or anyone I know!

Nobody I know either but then again I always thought it was weird to have those Canada cups is September and once they dropped the puck there was my cynical ass watching and getting sucked in because its hockey and I love hockey. Also there is that whole “I haven’t seen a live sporting event on tv for months” thing and maybe it will be fun.

Mostly though I just can’t see you passing up the opportunity to complain when the Jets lose even on a hot summer day!

 

[cbcwpg]

The top four seeds (based on points percentage) in the East would be Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia. Top four in the West would be St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas. They would receive byes through the play-in, but participate in a three-game tournament to get some action.

The rest of the playoffs would be “bracketed.” That means, in both conferences 5 vs. 12 (winner plays four seed), 6 vs. 11 (winner plays three seed), 7 vs. 10 (winner plays two seed) and 8 vs. 9 (winner plays one seed).

So that would mean an opening round of: Pittsburgh/Montreal; Carolina/Rangers; Islanders/Florida and Toronto/Columbus in the East and Edmonton/Chicago; Nashville/Arizona; Vancouver/Minnesota; Calgary/Winnipeg in the West.

 

[surixon]

The top four seeds (based on points percentage) in the East would be Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia. Top four in the West would be St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas. They would receive byes through the play-in, but participate in a three-game tournament to get some action.

The rest of the playoffs would be “bracketed.” That means, in both conferences 5 vs. 12 (winner plays four seed), 6 vs. 11 (winner plays three seed), 7 vs. 10 (winner plays two seed) and 8 vs. 9 (winner plays one seed).

So that would mean an opening round of: Pittsburgh/Montreal; Carolina/Rangers; Islanders/Florida and Toronto/Columbus in the East and Edmonton/Chicago; Nashville/Arizona; Vancouver/Minnesota; Calgary/Winnipeg in the West.

If it comes to it I am OK with a matchup against Calgary.

 

[Jets 31]

The whole notion of restarting the season beginning in a June is pretty nuts!
Seriously who’s calling for NHL hockey now, not me or anyone I know!

Sip did you see the emoji HF boards made based on you? It's brilliant and you should start using it.

 

[electroflare]

The whole notion of restarting the season beginning in a June is pretty nuts!
Seriously who’s calling for NHL hockey now, not me or anyone I know!

You understand that next season likely won’t start before January, right?

This season was already 80% done, may as well finish it out, considering it’s going to be a while before we play after this

 

[KingBogo]

The whole notion of restarting the season beginning in a June is pretty nuts!
Seriously who’s calling for NHL hockey now, not me or anyone I know!

The biggest driver is the NHL and NHLPA so they can meet their obligations to the TV networks and salvage most of the HRR for the season. If the season is called there will be significant financial implications this year and next for both the players and owners. They don't really care if you watch Sip, just that you have the opportunity to watch since much of the TV revenue is tied to having playoff hockey games to broadcast.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Insider Trading: A closer look at the NHL's proposed 24-team return - TSN.ca

What a kludge!

If they can't do better than that they should stick to the normal 16 team format.

 

[TS Quint]

I'm not calling for NHL hockey but I will watch the hell out of it right now!

 

[KingBogo]

I'm not calling for NHL hockey but I will watch the hell out of it right now!

So would I, or at least until the Jets were eliminated.

 

[Jets 31]

So would I, or at least until the Jets were eliminated.

That's when i'm done.

 

[ps241]

So would I, or at least until the Jets were eliminated.

I am probably out after the Jets are eliminated too.

 

[surixon]

I am probably out after the Jets are eliminated too.

Ditto!

 

[bustamente]

I'll watch but then again I'm watching left turns the last week and anything is better than that

 

[Jetsfan79]

Insider Trading: A closer look at the NHL's proposed 24-team return - TSN.ca

What a kludge!

If they can't do better than that they should stick to the normal 16 team format.

So you prefer the Jets not be in it? I'm not thrilled by the format but it will do for this 1 season . The analogy I would use is would you rather lose in a fair game or win ugly? I would take winning ugly any day of the week.

 

[Jets 31]

So you prefer the Jets not be in it? I'm not thrilled by the format but it will do for this 1 season . The analogy I would use is would you rather lose in a fair game or win ugly? I would take winning ugly any day of the week.

As i always say on the golf course, it's not how , it's how many?

 

[Jetsfan79]

In the end, if the players and the league collectively agree to this format, then we as fans should just take it and run. The parties involved set the parameters