why 82 games

[jemo27]

i'm from australia so i don't understand why you play 82 games, to me it seems alot what is the history behind it

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[arrbez]

Money...I guess...

I don't think there's much history, just kind of a random number. It was 84 games in 1993 I think, and 80 a little while before that...

 

[vancityluongo]

Well baseball plays..what...164?

I guess that's what the NHL felt was appropriate for the players to play considering stamina, and money. Mostly money.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Well baseball plays..what...164?

I guess that's what the NHL felt was appropriate for the players to play considering stamina, and money. Mostly money.

162.

The NBA plays 82 regular season games, too.

 

[jemo27]

162.

The NBA plays 82 regular season games, too.

i know that but does it related to a certain number of games against certain teams

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

i know that but does it related to a certain number of games against certain teams

I don't really follow the NBA much these days but I do know they had a drastic overhaul in their divisional alignments within the past few seasons. It used to be a four division League but, when it was, 82 games were played then, too. I do believe that every team plays home and away against every other team at least once unlike the NHL.

The NHL jumped from 70 games to 74 the first year of expansion for the 1967-68 season. The League went from six teams to 12 teams. The following season, they increased to 76 games despite remaining a 12-team League.

When they added Vancouver and Buffalo for the 1970-71 season, the League increased the games to 78 for its 14-team League. It remained 78 with further expansion until the 1974-75 season when the 18-team League had 80 games and the divisions changed from two to four (two 5-team divisions and two 4-team divisions).

In 1992-93, the NHL increased to 84 games when Ottawa and Tampa Bay joined and there were neutral site games added to the schedule. 84 games were played the following season, too, then came the 48-game shortened season and then for the 1995-96 season, the NHL reduced the games to 82.

 

[Wooty]

82 games is a number created to get enough games to make money.

 

[jemo27]

has there every been a time since 1967 when any team could possibly meet any other team in the Stanley Cup or since 67 has the stanley cup always been split along divisions and conferneces

for example today the islanders and rangers can never meet in the Stanley Cup finals or Montreal can never meet Toronto

 

[rmchahn]

has there every been a time since 1967 when any team could possibly meet any other team in the Stanley Cup or since 67 has the stanley cup always been split along divisions and conferneces

for example today the islanders and rangers can never meet in the Stanley Cup finals or Montreal can never meet Toronto

After the NHL went to 2 divisions in 1967, for the first 3 years, the SC finalists were always from each division. In 1971, that changed so that for semi-finals there was a crossover of divisions, so for e.g. in 1971 Montreal (east div) played Minnesota (west div) and thus you had the all east finals in 1972 between the Bruins and the Rangers. From then til about the late 80's or the early 90's anyone could meet anyone for the SC. Then they went to a divisional format where the first 2 rounds were played within the division. The survivors from each division were the semi-finalists. The 2 divisional winners from the Campbell Conf. played each other and the 2 from the Wales conf. played each other. Then the winners from the respective conferences played for the Stanley Cup. Then they changed to the current format (can't say exactly when) of conference playdowns and the conference winners meet in the finals.