Will the NHL change the schedule for 21-22?

[Curufinwe]

With Seattle joining the league as the 32nd team, I could see the NHL reducing travel costs and time spent travelling by going back to a regular season schedule where Eastern teams only play teams from the West once per season.

42 games within division (6 games x 7 teams)
24 games against the other in-conference division (3 games x 8 teams)
16 out of conference games (1 game x 16 teams)

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[hockeyguru]

i can't. i think the nhl will make teams play an additional 2 games from the 82 they play now.

 

[JPeeper]

I like the schedule now travel be damned, I prefer not to watch 40 games of playing the same teams over and over and over again.

 

[ACC1224]

I doubt it, would seem short sighted.
Every city should have the opportunity to see the games top players at least once a year.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

I hope not, 6 games against the same teams - 1 game against each team in the other conference << 4 games against the same teams - 2 games against each team in the other conference.

Watching 6 games against the same teams became more like a chore, when they had it before. It's like your whole hockey world is within the division, yuck. Not to pick on Washington, but just as an example, with them being in the same division when we played division teams 6 times, after a while I wanted to do anything but see Florida play Washington again.
And I enjoy it more seeing 2 games against each team in the other conference instead of 1.

 

[Jumptheshark]

i can't. i think the nhl will make teams play an additional 2 games from the 82 they play now.

NHLPA needs to sign off on it

 

[Curufinwe]

The NHLPA is also looking to reduce the amount of travel the players endure.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I think you'll see longer honestands and longer road trips possibly.


But one thing the NHL is definitely doing right with the schedule currently is having every team play every other team at home at least once.


That means for Carolina fans, they get to see McDavid at least once a year. For Pittsburgh fans in Vancouver they get to see Crosby live once a season.
That part wont change.

 

[mouser]

Most likely will be:

Division 4x7 = 28 games
Other conference 2x16 = 32 games

Total 60, so 22 games against the other conference division split among 8 teams. Six teams get 3 games and two teams get 2 games.

 

[kladorf2005]

There's no easy answer here:

62 games = home & home against all 31 other teams
14 games = an additional home & home against all 7 other teams in your division

It's those last 6 games that are the problem. I see two options:

1.) play all 6 against the other division within your conference, rotate which 2 teams you don't play each year (@mouser's example in the post above this one)

2.) play a home & home against the team in each of the other 3 divisions that finished in the same place in the standings in the prior year (this is how the NFL does it for their 2 extra games). i.e. if you finished 7th in your division last year, you would play a home & home against the 7th place team in each of the other 3 divisions this year.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Every team should visit every arena, period. There's always some fans in each area that wait all year for the chance to see their favourite team come to town.

I'm a Cubs fan who lives in Canada and they play in Toronto like once a decade, it sucks.

 

[powerstuck]

IIRC when Seattle was approuved, the league already said they were not going to modify the number of games. I guess we may see again the scenarios where two given teams do not see each other for a season or two.

 

[Butch 19]

The NHLPA is also looking to reduce the amount of travel the players endure.

Endure?

Chartered 1st class planes?!! real rough stuff there for travel LOL....

 

[Hynh]

2 games against 24 out of division opponents for a total of 48 games and 5 games against 6 division opponents (4 against the 7th) for a total of 34 games. As an Oiler fan I care about Chicago, Nashville, and Dallas as much as I care about Buffalo, Detroit, and Carolina.

 

[bobholly39]

There's a lot of things the NHL does wrong and that people here like to complain about. One of the things they do right, better than any of the other top sports leagues - is allow each team to play every team twice in a year, once at home, and one on the road.

I love that, and i don't want them to change that.

Making minor tweaks to the schedule outside of that would be fine.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I hope not, 6 games against the same teams - 1 game against each team in the other conference << 4 games against the same teams - 2 games against each team in the other conference.

Watching 6 games against the same teams became more like a chore, when they had it before. It's like your whole hockey world is within the division, yuck. Not to pick on Washington, but just as an example, with them being in the same division when we played division teams 6 times, after a while I wanted to do anything but see Florida play Washington again.
And I enjoy it more seeing 2 games against each team in the other conference instead of 1.

I remember during the 2005-2006 season after the lockout the schedule had teams playing each other from the same division 8 times. Plus they even had back to back games in the same arena, instead of the traditional back to back being played in both cities.

 

[Lolonegoal]

Most likely will be:

Division 4x7 = 28 games
Other conference 2x16 = 32 games

Total 60, so 22 games against the other conference division split among 8 teams. Six teams get 3 games and two teams get 2 games.

This is the correct answer.

 

[Rogue Leader]

I like this idea. It will build better rivalry and hustle. Practically the playoffs will start early. It will help coaches develop better strategies and make the game more interesting. But I guess most people thing this idea sucks, I am in the 3% minority here.

 

[gtrower]

Doubtful. Other 31 teams will all want an equal chance of hosting Ovi for #800 and #895.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Every fan should get a chance to see every star player at least once a year. It's the one thing about the NHL schedule I really really care about and like that they currently do.

 

[BruinsFan37]

They'll just bump the season to 84 games and call it good.

7 divisional opponents x 4 games = 28
8 conference opponents x 3 games = 24
16 non-conference opponents x 2 games = 32

Total 84

 

[Allie Kitsune]

I'm not opposed.

I miss playing divisional opponents so many times that you hated them on the same levels as stuff we otherwise can't talk about.

 

[Highway29]

They'll just bump the season to 84 games and call it good.

7 divisional opponents x 4 games = 28
8 conference opponents x 3 games = 24
16 non-conference opponents x 2 games = 32

Total 84

I hope for 8 conference opponents x 2 games.

Total 76 games.

 

[SwaggySpungo]

I hope for 8 conference opponents x 2 games.

Total 76 games.

Plus strictly divisional playoffs (top 4 in each division). Sign me up.

 

[innitfam]

Most likely will be:

Division 4x7 = 28 games
Other conference 2x16 = 32 games

Total 60, so 22 games against the other conference division split among 8 teams. Six teams get 3 games and two teams get 2 games.

This is the most likely answer. Personally, I like the idea of trimming 2 games off the schedule. In this case, 2 games against each opposite intra-conference team.

IMO the remaining 4 games could be allotted to additonal games vs. divisional opponents (like a team's biggest rivals - an additional home-and home - ex. CGY vs EDM and CGY vs VAN). Or simply play 4 opposite division intra-conference an additional time, then switch the next year.

I'm also in favor of eight 4-team divisions like the NFL, but that's another thing altogether.

Unfortunately the league is not likely to ever shorten the schedule, even marginally.