NHL Schedule to Change

[zig]

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/hockey/070918/h091831A.html

The vote at the next owners' meeting will require two-thirds majority to pass and Bettman was confident it would happen after conducting a straw poll Tuesday.

"I don't know what the change will be but I think it's safe to say that we will be looking at a vote on the change at the December (late November) meeting," said Montreal Canadiens president Pierre Boivin

[jkrdevil]

I going to enjoy watching more Devils games against Phoenix and Columbus instead of watching them play the Rangers and Flyers. [/sarcasm]

[BCBoy]

The current NHL schedule is crap.

A change back to the pre-lockout schedule would be nice.

[HedleyLamarr]

The only reason the vote didn't go through last year was just to complete this 3-year cycle they decided to use.

Since Bettman is an NBA guy, he should adopt their scheduling and have each team play in every arena each season. If they're making enough money to raise the Cap $5-million each season (which is a mistake in the first place), they can certainly afford to make long road trips each season....

[jkrdevil]

The only reason the vote didn't go through last year was just to complete this 3-year cycle they decided to use.

Since Bettman is an NBA guy, he should adopt their scheduling and have each team play in every arena each season. If they're making enough money to raise the Cap $5-million each season (which is a mistake in the first place), they can certainly afford to make long road trips each season....

The NBA type schedule is a horrific idea. The NHL needs a divisional based system because probably more than any other sport the best games are the rivalry games. They are the most intense and most fun to watch because of the intensity. Inter-conference games lack that intensity and that extra juice. Some of the best games I watched last year was a first place Devils team against a last place Flyers team mainly because of the intensity of those games because of the rivalry. I've said it many times but the NHL needs to go back to 4 division with divisional playoffs that way rivalries build up better.

Personally I don't care about not seeing the stars from the other conference live. I don't watch hockey (or really any other sport) to watch a specific star player. I like watching intense games particularly rivalries.

[rams80]

The only reason the vote didn't go through last year was just to complete this 3-year cycle they decided to use.

Since Bettman is an NBA guy, he should adopt their scheduling and have each team play in every arena each season. If they're making enough money to raise the Cap $5-million each season (which is a mistake in the first place), they can certainly afford to make long road trips each season....

The NBA type schedule is a horrific idea. The NHL needs a divisional based system because probably more than any other sport the best games are the rivalry games. They are the most intense and most fun to watch because of the intensity. Inter-conference games lack that intensity and that extra juice. Some of the best games I watched last year was a first place Devils team against a last place Flyers team mainly because of the intensity of those games because of the rivalry. I've said it many times but the NHL needs to go back to 4 division with divisional playoffs that way rivalries build up better.

Personally I don't care about not seeing the stars from the other conference live. I don't watch hockey (or really any other sport) to watch a specific star player. I like watching intense games particularly rivalries.

Says the fan of an Eastern Conference team.

We in the Western Conference would like to see Ovey and Crosby more than twice every 3 years. I would also like to not be put through 8 St. Louis-Columbus games a year.

[tp49]

Some of us don't live in our team's conference and don't get to see them every year. The one game I'm sure to attend is when the Isles come play the Sharks if they don't come out I watch on tv.

[OnWis97]

This is just forever going to be an East/West argument. I am not a Devils or Rangers fan, so I don't know, but I'd like to think that I'd like the opportunity to see every team every year at least once. I think that would be a selling point for season tickets. At any rate, as a Wild fan, I know I'd rather get the Pens every year rather than continue to play Edmonton over and over.

[cleckie]

It's only fair to change the schedule. The fact that every team will see each other once, so that they get players like Crosby and Ovechkin going through their city is great. But the biggest thing is travel. The east has a distinct advantage when it comes to time spent on the road travelling. Geographically eastern teams are closer together minimizing their travel time. Whereas in the west teams spend much more time and money travelling to play conference and divisional opponents.

[JBPerry]

the biggest problem i have with the current schedule is the tv problems. since dallas is in the central zone and most of the teams are on either the east or west coast, we either see early stars games or late stars games.

[JQK]

I loved the fact the NHL went to a more divisional-based schedule. They finally got something right. But then all the western teams bitched "our players suck and we have no one good, we need good eastern teams to come here and sell our seats"

What bogus.

The NHL needs to cut teams anyways. If your franchise can't hang, fold 'em.

[STL FANATIC]

I loved the fact the NHL went to a more divisional-based schedule. They finally got something right. But then all the western teams bitched "our players suck and we have no one good, we need good eastern teams to come here and sell our seats"

What bogus.

The NHL needs to cut teams anyways. If your franchise can't hang, fold 'em.

I'm with you, only I'm in the West, I don't hate it.

I don't want to see the Eastern teams. No desire. I don't care about Crosby.

Give me tons of divisional and conference games please.

[DDR]

If you're going to build your marketing around players such as Ovechkin and Crosby, you need to tour these players. I understand that some fans don't feel the same way I do, but I want an opportunity to see these players every year. Like when Jordan would come and sell out Washington Bullets games. And, as a transplanted Chicago fan living in the ATL, I would like to be able to go to a Hawks game in Atlanta every year, too. The question is, are there enough transplant fans and fans interested in seeing these talents to offset the people that would rather watch more intra-divisional action? I don't know, but I think there might be.

[rams80]

I loved the fact the NHL went to a more divisional-based schedule. They finally got something right. But then all the western teams bitched "our players suck and we have no one good, we need good eastern teams to come here and sell our seats"

What bogus.

The NHL needs to cut teams anyways. If your franchise can't hang, fold 'em.

I'm with you, only I'm in the West, I don't hate it.

I don't want to see the Eastern teams. No desire. I don't care about Crosby.

Give me tons of divisional and conference games please.

But I want the Blues to be smoked by new and different teams. Do the Blues honestly need to lose to Detroit 6 or 7 times a year? Besides-the NHL doesn't have divisional playoffs anymore. Do those rivalries really matter?

Proposal: Lengthen season 2 games-to 84.

Home and home with other Conference: 30 games

3 games against non-divisional conference foes (they can sort out the odd game): 30 games

6 games in division: 24 games

Complaints?

[NorthStar74]

I loved the fact the NHL went to a more divisional-based schedule. They finally got something right. But then all the western teams bitched "our players suck and we have no one good, we need good eastern teams to come here and sell our seats"

What bogus.

The NHL needs to cut teams anyways. If your franchise can't hang, fold 'em.

I'm with you, only I'm in the West, I don't hate it.

I don't want to see the Eastern teams. No desire. I don't care about Crosby.

Give me tons of divisional and conference games please.

But I want the Blues to be smoked by new and different teams. Do the Blues honestly need to lose to Detroit 6 or 7 times a year? Besides-the NHL doesn't have divisional playoffs anymore. Do those rivalries really matter?

Proposal: Lengthen season 2 games-to 84.

Home and home with other Conference: 30 games

3 games against non-divisional conference foes (they can sort out the odd game): 30 games

6 games in division: 24 games

Complaints?

Hmm not bad schedule planning but I have to wonder is the season long enough as is?? why not start the season end of Sept and go all the way to end of March or eariler and start the playoffs on Arp 2? and have the playoffs end on last day of May? that would do it if so?

[OnWis97]

I loved the fact the NHL went to a more divisional-based schedule. They finally got something right. But then all the western teams bitched "our players suck and we have no one good, we need good eastern teams to come here and sell our seats"

What bogus.

The NHL needs to cut teams anyways. If your franchise can't hang, fold 'em.

I'm with you, only I'm in the West, I don't hate it.

I don't want to see the Eastern teams. No desire. I don't care about Crosby.

Give me tons of divisional and conference games please.

But I want the Blues to be smoked by new and different teams. Do the Blues honestly need to lose to Detroit 6 or 7 times a year? Besides-the NHL doesn't have divisional playoffs anymore. Do those rivalries really matter?

Proposal: Lengthen season 2 games-to 84.

Home and home with other Conference: 30 games

3 games against non-divisional conference foes (they can sort out the odd game): 30 games

6 games in division: 24 games

Complaints?

That's not bad. I think 6 games in division still serves the rivalry aspect while allowing everyone to see all teams. Variety is the spice of life.

[MisterE]

I loved the fact the NHL went to a more divisional-based schedule. They finally got something right. But then all the western teams bitched "our players suck and we have no one good, we need good eastern teams to come here and sell our seats"

What bogus.

The NHL needs to cut teams anyways. If your franchise can't hang, fold 'em.

I'm with you, only I'm in the West, I don't hate it.

I don't want to see the Eastern teams. No desire. I don't care about Crosby.

Give me tons of divisional and conference games please.

But I want the Blues to be smoked by new and different teams. Do the Blues honestly need to lose to Detroit 6 or 7 times a year? Besides-the NHL doesn't have divisional playoffs anymore. Do those rivalries really matter?

Proposal: Lengthen season 2 games-to 84.

Home and home with other Conference: 30 games

3 games against non-divisional conference foes (they can sort out the odd game): 30 games

6 games in division: 24 games

Complaints?

That's not bad. I think 6 games in division still serves the rivalry aspect while allowing everyone to see all teams. Variety is the spice of life.

I'd go for it. Like it's been said, I'm getting tired of the Blues playing Columbus, Chicago, and more-than-often lackluster Nashville.

[jkrdevil]

I loved the fact the NHL went to a more divisional-based schedule. They finally got something right. But then all the western teams bitched "our players suck and we have no one good, we need good eastern teams to come here and sell our seats"

What bogus.

The NHL needs to cut teams anyways. If your franchise can't hang, fold 'em.

I'm with you, only I'm in the West, I don't hate it.

I don't want to see the Eastern teams. No desire. I don't care about Crosby.

Give me tons of divisional and conference games please.

But I want the Blues to be smoked by new and different teams. Do the Blues honestly need to lose to Detroit 6 or 7 times a year? Besides-the NHL doesn't have divisional playoffs anymore. Do those rivalries really matter?

Proposal: Lengthen season 2 games-to 84.

Home and home with other Conference: 30 games

3 games against non-divisional conference foes (they can sort out the odd game): 30 games

6 games in division: 24 games

Complaints?

That's not bad. I think 6 games in division still serves the rivalry aspect while allowing everyone to see all teams. Variety is the spice of life.

Remember if there was only 6 divisional games the Ottawa-Buffalo stuff least year doesn't happen. Lowering the number of divisional games will have negative effects on the number of intense games being played.

[STL FANATIC]

I loved the fact the NHL went to a more divisional-based schedule. They finally got something right. But then all the western teams bitched "our players suck and we have no one good, we need good eastern teams to come here and sell our seats"

What bogus.

The NHL needs to cut teams anyways. If your franchise can't hang, fold 'em.

I'm with you, only I'm in the West, I don't hate it.

I don't want to see the Eastern teams. No desire. I don't care about Crosby.

Give me tons of divisional and conference games please.

But I want the Blues to be smoked by new and different teams. Do the Blues honestly need to lose to Detroit 6 or 7 times a year? Besides-the NHL doesn't have divisional playoffs anymore. Do those rivalries really matter?

So long as the division winners get to claim the top 3 seeds in the conference, then divisions (and the subsequent rivalries) matter.

If you want to dissolve the divisions and just go with the top 8 teams in order of finish, that's another possibility.

[Erik121]

The only reason the vote didn't go through last year was just to complete this 3-year cycle they decided to use.

Since Bettman is an NBA guy, he should adopt their scheduling and have each team play in every arena each season. If they're making enough money to raise the Cap $5-million each season (which is a mistake in the first place), they can certainly afford to make long road trips each season....

The NBA type schedule is a horrific idea. The NHL needs a divisional based system because probably more than any other sport the best games are the rivalry games. They are the most intense and most fun to watch because of the intensity. Inter-conference games lack that intensity and that extra juice. Some of the best games I watched last year was a first place Devils team against a last place Flyers team mainly because of the intensity of those games because of the rivalry. I've said it many times but the NHL needs to go back to 4 division with divisional playoffs that way rivalries build up better.

Personally I don't care about not seeing the stars from the other conference live. I don't watch hockey (or really any other sport) to watch a specific star player. I like watching intense games particularly rivalries.

Says the fan of an Eastern Conference team.

We in the Western Conference would like to see Ovey and Crosby more than twice every 3 years. I would also like to not be put through 8 St. Louis-Columbus games a year.

Yeah it sucks that the 4 of the Original Six teams hardly ever come to town. I really don't believe that just because the Hawks play Columbus so many times is gonna make it into a classic rivalry.