thinkwild
12-15-2003, 07:57 PM
A very interesting idea from a fascinating hockey columnist, Terry Frei:
Evening out holes in the schedule (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=frei_terry&id=1686674)
We often associate the best way to get competitiveness as making all teams financially equal. But here is another idea, borrowed from the NFL, that could work: Weight the schedule and use soccer divisioning.
These have both been discussed before, but Frei adds an angle to it. He suggests make the 6 divisions like soccer, where each conference has a 1st , 2nd, and 3rd division based on order of finish each year.
Then play each team in your div 8 times for 32 games
The other teams in your conf 4 times for 40 games
Then 2 games against the team in each division ranked as you are, e.g. 1st in each div plays 1st in other 5 divs twice, and last in each div play 2 games against last in each other div.
This means 42 games are againt teams at your "Level". It allows low payroll teams to compete more against each other for the right to make it into the next level, where more money will be available. And it even guarantees a cinderella chance for 3rd div teams.
The top 4 teams from the 1st div, and top 2 from each of the 2nd and 3rd divs make the playoffs. This rewards the good teams, by giving them more access to the playoffs, and also you can give them better choice of home schedule.
It sort of formalizes the different playing fields idea. 3rd division teams will be expected to be young, cheap, and rebuilding. When they make the next division, the players can ask for more money. Arbitration comparables could be affected by the division they are in. NYR can face savingly say, look, we are 3rd div now, we must rebuild cheap.
Since there are always going to be cellar dwelling teams, this allows them the excuse to spend low, instead of feeling pressured to sign expensive free agents in a vain attempt to compete when they really should be rebuilding. They still have a chance, because 2 3rd div teams from each conf will make the playoffs.
There are all sorts of little flaws you can find if you are attempting to find perfection. A big one would be worse travel for western teams, but taking 5-10 games off the schedule could help that. I find it intriguing.
Evening out holes in the schedule (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=frei_terry&id=1686674)
We often associate the best way to get competitiveness as making all teams financially equal. But here is another idea, borrowed from the NFL, that could work: Weight the schedule and use soccer divisioning.
These have both been discussed before, but Frei adds an angle to it. He suggests make the 6 divisions like soccer, where each conference has a 1st , 2nd, and 3rd division based on order of finish each year.
Then play each team in your div 8 times for 32 games
The other teams in your conf 4 times for 40 games
Then 2 games against the team in each division ranked as you are, e.g. 1st in each div plays 1st in other 5 divs twice, and last in each div play 2 games against last in each other div.
This means 42 games are againt teams at your "Level". It allows low payroll teams to compete more against each other for the right to make it into the next level, where more money will be available. And it even guarantees a cinderella chance for 3rd div teams.
The top 4 teams from the 1st div, and top 2 from each of the 2nd and 3rd divs make the playoffs. This rewards the good teams, by giving them more access to the playoffs, and also you can give them better choice of home schedule.
It sort of formalizes the different playing fields idea. 3rd division teams will be expected to be young, cheap, and rebuilding. When they make the next division, the players can ask for more money. Arbitration comparables could be affected by the division they are in. NYR can face savingly say, look, we are 3rd div now, we must rebuild cheap.
Since there are always going to be cellar dwelling teams, this allows them the excuse to spend low, instead of feeling pressured to sign expensive free agents in a vain attempt to compete when they really should be rebuilding. They still have a chance, because 2 3rd div teams from each conf will make the playoffs.
There are all sorts of little flaws you can find if you are attempting to find perfection. A big one would be worse travel for western teams, but taking 5-10 games off the schedule could help that. I find it intriguing.