Playoff Formats for Suspended Seasons

[Cloned]

What I’d do:

Get rid of the wild cards this year. Start the playoffs immediately after the hiatus, Top 2 teams in each division make a 8 team playoff.

3 round playoffs - 1st round best of 5, other rounds best of 7.

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[McGhostbuster]

Get the players hazmat bubble suits and duke it out like this:

 

[Soundwave]

How would this be fair to a team like Vancouver though, if they had won their game in hand, they would be no.3 in the division and Calgary should be out.

 

[ThreeOfAPerfectPair]

Big brain here. Infect all players now, place them in isolation for two weeks and then re-start the season.

 

[Cloned]

How would this be fair to a team like Vancouver though, if they had won their game in hand, they would be no.3 in the division and Calgary should be out.

Based on points percentage, not points.

 

[Soundwave]

Based on points percentage, not points.

What would the standings look like in that case?

 

[Cloned]

What would the standings look like in that case?

NHL.com Stats

it’s not perfect because it doesn’t account for divisional standings.

 

[Soundwave]

Based on points percentage, not points.

Actually think they should do it that way then, points percentage. f*** divisions/conferences, top 16 teams get in.

 

[3IR]

I don't see why they'd change the playoffs. I think they either suspend it until a point when they can do the whole thing, or cancel the season including the post season if things haven't settled by the summer.

It's going to be really interesting to see what happens in pro sports over the next while.

 

[Cloned]

Actually think they should do it that way then, points percentage. f*** divisions/conferences, top 16 teams get in.

Top 16 will take too long.

My proposal eliminates 8 teams so you start with a 8 team playoff.

 

[Soundwave]

Top 16 will take too long.

My proposal eliminates 8 teams so you start with a 8 team playoff.

It's not really fair though to the other 8 teams that played well enough percentage wise to earn a playoff berth. Especially in hockey where anyone can win the Cup.

If they have to can the rest of the regular season, I think starting the playoffs say in mid-May if possible would be OK. 16 top teams by point percentage get in.

 

[Cloned]

It's not really fair though to the other 8 teams that played well enough percentage wise to earn a playoff berth. Especially in hockey where anyone can win the Cup.

Not really sure you can satisfy everybody. I think you have to compromise.

 

[Cloned]

It's not really fair though to the other 8 teams that played well enough percentage wise to earn a playoff berth. Especially in hockey where anyone can win the Cup.

If they have to can the rest of the regular season, I think starting the playoffs say in mid-May if possible would be OK. 16 top teams by point percentage get in.

There has to be some sort of divisional or conference separation. I’m not sure you can have a West-East matchup in the first round, the travel would be insane.

 

[McXLNC97]

I don't see why they'd change the playoffs. I think they either suspend it until a point when they can do the whole thing, or cancel the season including the post season if things haven't settled by the summer.

It's going to be really interesting to see what happens in pro sports over the next while.

Cancelling entire season is going to be tough to swallow for a lot of owners, especially since they have already paid out most player salaries for the season, and playoff games are their big money maker. They could delay season for a month. Perhaps shorten 1st rd to a best of 5 and then carry on. Screw the NBC schedule where theres like 3 day breaks between games because of certain tv matchups.

 

[Soundwave]

There has to be some sort of divisional or conference separation. I’m not sure you can have a West-East matchup in the first round, the travel would be insane.

I mean the NHL used to have playoffs that way 30 years ago, that's how the Oilers ended up playing the Habs in the playoffs the first time they were in the post-season I believe.

It's doable.

 

[Cloned]

I mean the NHL used to have playoffs that way 30 years ago, that's how the Oilers ended up playing the Habs in the playoffs.

It's doable.

The game wasn’t nearly as high intensity back then. To be honest you would want as least travel as possible after this crisis anyways.

 

[Soundwave]

The game wasn’t nearly as high intensity back then. To be honest you would want as least travel as possible after this crisis anyways.

They would be enclosed private jets most likely in this scenario anyway, I mean the longest possible flight is what? Edmonton to Miami? That's a 4 hour flight if its direct, that's really not that bad.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

East/West matchups in the first round wouldn't work.

I don't love the idea of an 8 team playoff, but I'm not sure what other options there are.

 

[Cloned]

They would be enclosed private jets most likely in this scenario anyway, I mean the longest possible flight is what? Edmonton to Miami? That's a 4 hour flight if its direct, that's really not that bad.

It’s easier just to do Top 2 from each division. Everything works out smoothly.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

Cancel all regular season games, start the playoffs in 2 weeks, and play regular playoff series without crowds.

 

[Cloned]

Cancel all regular season games, start the playoffs in 2 weeks, and play regular playoff series without crowds.

It’s a risk anytime you bring people together in a locker room sharing things. 2 weeks ensures no one was sick today but it doesn’t ensure no one gets sick later.

 

[Soundwave]

Top 16 teams by points percentage would be

1. Boston
2. St. Louis
3. Tampa
4. Washington
5. Colorado
6. Philly
7. Pitts
8. Vegas
9. Carolina
10. Dallas
11. NYI
12. Edmonton
13. Toronto
14. Columbus
15. Nashville
16. NYR -- they have a higher ROW than Vancouver or Florida

Making Round 1:

Boston Vs. NYR
St. Louis Vs. Nashville
Tampa Vs. Columbus
Washington Vs. Toronto
Colorado Vs. Edmonton
Philly Vs. NYI
Pitts Vs. Dallas
Vegas Vs. Carolina

The travel really isn't that bad for any of the teams. Furthest two cities I think are Pittsburgh and Dallas and that's a 3 hour flight direct ... that would be the same for us if we ended up playing one of the California teams in the playoffs.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

Top 16 teams by points percentage would be

1. Boston
2. St. Louis
3. Tampa
4. Washington
5. Colorado
6. Philly
7. Pitts
8. Vegas
9. Carolina
10. Dallas
11. NYI
12. Edmonton
13. Toronto
14. Columbus
15. Nashville
16. NYR/Van/Fla -- tie here would have to be a play-in I think or something.

Making Round 1:

Boston Vs. NYR/Van/Fla
St. Louis Vs. Nashville
Tampa Vs. Columbus
Washington Vs. Toronto
Colorado Vs. Edmonton
Philly Vs. NYI
Pitts Vs. Dallas
Vegas Vs. Carolina

The travel really isn't that bad for any of the teams, except maybe if Boston ended up against Vancouver.

But if we're going to still have a 16-team playoff, why not just use the current format based on winning percentage?

 

[belair]

I think they should prioritize completing the current season and adjust next season's schedule accordingly. I'm not a huge fan of the potential asterisk attached to a season that's been completed for the most part.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

I don’t see them foregoing the playoffs. They’ll just call the season now go with the 16 teams based on pts% and try to condense the playoffs as much as possible, maybe make the first round best of 5 and end up going till mid late June and pushing draft/FA back and then starting next season a little later.


They’ll be praying they can get people back into stadiums by mid to late April.