Why 82 games?

[Summer Rose]

83 is way to many.

Yeah, 83 is a bit much, but luckily as a Coyotes fan, I don't have to worry about them playing more than 82 games any time soon.

 

[1865]

The baseball season is 162 games.

Haha. Well I guess I have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about. Close though.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Another vote for 82 games being too many.

Playing 70ish games a year would likely reduce the number of schedule losses (b2b), injuries and you'd think would lead to a better product because of fresher players.

 

[BruinsFan37]

You have a "home and home" vs. every other team in the league (30) for 60 games total.

You have an additional "home and home" vs. your divisional opponents (7) for 14 more games (74 total)

In a balanced league (32 teams instead of 31) the remaining games go to the other division in your conference, such that you play them 3 times per year, alternating which team gets the additional home game. It's not balanced right now however, so instead of all of these games going to the opposite division some are going to the conference with the fewest number of teams (Central).

So 1 additional game vs each team in the opposite division of your conference (8) for 8 more games.

82 games total.

It's good business sense to have Crosby/McDavid/etc. visit each arena at least once, so the bare minimum you could is 60 games (62 when Seattle joins). That would be the final nail in the coffin of "rivalries" though in my honest opinion. If you want divisions/conferences/rivalries to matter you need to at least have an additional home and home with the teams in your division, so that bumps the minimum number of games up to 74 (76 when Seattle joins).

Really to preserve the current logic of the season the NHL will need to extend the season to 84 games once Seattle joins.

4 games each vs. divisional opponents (7 teams - 28 games)
3 games each vs. conference opponents (8 teams - 24 games)
2 games each vs. non-conference opponents (16 teams - 32 games)

84 games total.

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

With 70ish games their would be a lot less pacing, I would rather have that than the current 82 game setup

 

[Tawnos]

The NHL had 70 games on the schedule during the original 6 era. With expansion, they started adding games. In 67-68 they went to 74 after adding 6 more teams. They re-did the schedule to 76 games the next season. Then they added 2 more games with two more teams in 70-71, bringing it to 78. They didn't add anything with the next two teams, but when they expanded to 18 in 74-75, they jumped to 80. They kept 80 games when they contracted in 78-79 to 17 teams, and still kept it when they expanded to 21 in 79-80. After expanding to 22, then 24 by 92-93, they added 4 more games including 2 neutral site ones and kept that schedule for one more season (i.e. the Rangers played 2 games in Halifax in 93-94). The 95 lockout, they removed the neutral site games, and that's how we got to 82. I'm sure at the time of the changes, there were schedule matrix reasons for the numbers they played. Pretty much lost to history.

In contrast, the NBA has existed at 82 since the late-60s. No one really knows why.

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

69 Games