16 is enough. Many casual fans feel the regular season means nothing. Even though I laugh at there logic, I feel that this will hurt the regular season's credibility.
i Like the 18 team idea. Technically its the playoffs the way they are now, with a wild card round. The wild card round doesn't technically count as playoffs, its just a round to get into the playoffs for bubble-teams. I think its great, very exciting, and nothing but plusses on all sides since the fans will love it, players will love it and teams will bring in extra revenue.
I would just make one minor adjustment. Do it just like the MLB and make the wild card round a single game death match after the season is over, before the playoffs start. Then continue with the 16 team format we know and love.
having a playin round is imo ok, as long as its started after the regular season ends and its a best of 3. slid down the ranking towards the end and end up in 7th? well congrasts you have to play a playin round against the 10th seed to get in. this would make the battle for 6th veery intemse imo. have it only be for the next 2 seasons, if it doesnt prove popular go back to the previous 16 team format
I cant wait until it gets expanded. Just a matter of time before there is 20 teams in the playoffs. Especially with an expansion it will be much needed.
20 team playoffs would only be needed if the NHL expanded by 10 teams or more. 32 teams, hell even 34 which probably won't happen for another 50 years would still be fine with 16 team playoff system.
20 team playoffs would only be needed if the NHL expanded by 10 teams or more. 32 teams, hell even 34 which probably won't happen for another 50 years would still be fine with 16 team playoff system.
Even if the NHL eventually expands to 60 teams I would want the playoffs to stay at 16 teams.
Its the perfect number. Stanley Cup winner plays 4 best of sevens.
No one plays any extra or any fewer series. There's a symmetry to it.
There's no way to keep the number of series for everyone equal without vast expansion. Anymore games makes playoffs last too long for people in short summer climates (read all of Canada,) and also shortens the off season, which frankly can't afford it without making the SC finalists hangover that much worse.
It ain't broke, don't fix it. there's enough things that actuaally do need to be worked on.
The NHL playoffs are the best in sports, even ESPN admits that, and they don't even regularly cover hockey. They can screw with the regular season all they want, but they better keep their hands off the playoffs.
Less than half the teams should me make it to the playoffs IMO.
12 team format:
1v6
2v5
3v4
Or 14 team (I like this one more):
1 gets a bye
2v7
3v6
4v5
The winner of 4v5 plays the number one team.
Just personal opinion though.
How would round 2 work in the 12 team playoffs?
And shouldn't the lower seed team in the 14 format play the 1st place team? What if the 7th and 6th seed win round 1? Should the 4 be punished by playing the 1 still?
Either way, I too hate how the more then half the teams make the playoffs, but I also hate giving teams a round off. So I really don't know how they could fix it without expanding to 32 teams.
just do 30 Team Double Elimination (with a wild card tournament)
Round of 30 - Best of 5. Round of 16 - Best of 5, Round of 8 - Best of 5, Round of 4 - Best of 7,
Round of 2 - Best of 7, Stanley Cup Final Best of 7.
1 get bye on each side. Bet they appreciate that loss in playoff revenue.
Round 1---QF--------SF--------CF------------FINAL A---------CF----------SF-----------QF----------Round 1
2 vs 15--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 vs 15
3 vs 14----1 vs 8--------------------------------------------------------------------------1 vs 8------3 vs 14
4 vs 13----2 vs 7----1 vs 4----1 vs 2--------1 vs 1----------1 vs 2------1 vs 4-------2 vs 7------4 vs 13
5 vs 12----3 vs 6----2 vs 3----------------------|--------------------------2 vs 3-------3 vs 6------5 vs 12
6 vs 11----4 vs 5---------------------------------|----------------------------------------4 vs 5------6 vs 11
7 vs 10----------------TOP BRACKET WINNER vs LOSER BRACKET WINNER----------------------7 vs 10
8 vs 9---------------------------------------------||------------------------------------------------------8 vs 9
--------------------------------------- STANLEY CUP WINNER -------------------------------------------------
All Loser Bracket Rounds are Best of 3. Ranks are determined by Round Eliminated and then Point Standing.
RD 1--------RD 2---------------------------RD 3----RD4------------------RD5------RD6--------RD7
----------QF L1 vs LT Champ--SF L1 vs RD2 W8--CF L1 vs RD3 W6---W1 v W4-W1 v W2- FINAL 1 vs W1
L1 vs L14--QF L2 vs RD1 W7--SF L2 vs RD2 W7--CF L2 vs RD3 W5---W2 v W3-
L2 vs L13--QF L3 vs RD1 W6--SF L3 vs RD2 W6--RD3 W1 vs RD3 W4
L3 vs L12--QF L4 vs RD1 W5--SF L4 vs RD2 W5--RD3 W2 vs RD3 W3
L4 vs L11--QF L5 vs RD1 W4--RD2 W1 vs RD2 W4
L5 vs L10--QF L6 vs RD1 W3--RD2 W2 vs RD2 W3
L6 vs L9 --QF L7 vs RD1 W2--
L7 vs L8 --QF L8 vs RD1 W1--
LT - WILD CARD LOSER TOURNAMENT between the bottom 7 teams. everyone plays everyone Once. Round Robin. Standard Tie Breakers apply. Winner gets a spot in next round.
For the record the Stanley Cup Playoffs are one of the only redeeming features about the NHL proper as a league, they're perfect and beautiful and wonderful and my favorite time of the year. So much of my life gets neglected to catch all the games, the hope of this wonderful yearly festival occurring is the only thing that keeps me remotely zen about this lockout.
This is obviously a matter of personal opinion but I wouldn't change a thing, 32 teams or no.
Now, all that being said, I've been drinking a bit tonight and here is a playoff format that I wouldn't mind seeing this year for the novelty in a one-off exception even if it has the potential to bastardize the greatest tournament in sport (**** the world cup, **** the olympics, et al) for one year, particularly in light of a season that might be too short to really define playoff teams (although as has been pointed out last years numbers wouldn't have reflected much of a change) and all sorts of questions about how the league might ultimately realign
**** conference playoff trees, 24 team superplayoffs with a round of super 16 and eight byes for all the division winners and then a round of 16 all the way in.
Why are people being so conservative here about that idea???
It was ok to have 16 of 21 teams (76%) in the playoffs for many years, but now it would be wrong to have 20 teams in the playoffs among 30 teams? (66%)
It ain't broken, but this wouldn't break anything. It would still be the current 4 rounds format. But with some added excitement for the last 2 spots. I fail to see what's wrong with that kind of added excitement. I see no reason why those added games would be boring. I see no reason why it would ruin our pleasure about the current playoff format. And of course it wouldn't, because it doesn't change it.
It's true that the NHL has the most exciting playoffs format. It doesn't mean that it cannot be even more exciting. Because of the expansion, more and more team are now excluded from that most exciting moment of the big 4 sports.
The 20 teams playoff format would create even more excitement during the regular season. It would create many different races :
1- For the top 3 spots (ice advantage + 1 week break)
2- For the top top 6 spots (1 week break)
3- For the 7-8 spots (ice advantage for the 1st round)
4- For the 9-10 spots (last playoff spots)
People are just being conservative for being conservative. Just like they were against shootouts, or against 4vs4 overtime, or against vintage uniforms, or against helmets or goalie mask.
I haven't read a single good argument on this forum against the 20 teams format just yet. Except for the classic : "Oh!!!! No!!! CHANGES ARE EVIL!!! "
So the question I have for people against that idea is : Why and how exactly would this format ruin your playoff experience? I know it wouldn't ruin mine.
How would this work? You'd have an uneven number of teams in each conference. You'd either have to do 1 vs 18, 2 vs 17, etc or have the 2 top seeds get a bye (which I would HATE in the NHL).
The ideal circumstance would be for Quebec and Seattle to add teams so we can get up to 32 teams in the NHL so 16 or 50% of the teams make the playoffs. I really hope that happens soon! Then it will be the most perfect set-up for playoff play. 50/50!
The ideal circumstance would be for Quebec and Seattle to add teams so we can get up to 32 teams in the NHL so 16 or 50% of the teams make the playoffs. I really hope that happens soon! Then it will be the most perfect set-up for playoff play. 50/50!
Why do you absolutely want half of NHL teams to be out of the playoffs? You don't like playoff hockey?
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