NHL schedule change

[BCBoy]

Not many details right now, just heard it on the radio. But the schedule has been changed back to the pre-lockout system where each team plays only 6 games against each divisional opponent.

[NorthStar74]

I really think it would be best for one team to do a schedule that I worked out... I'll give an example here...

Vancouver Canucks in Northwest Division.

Vancouver would play the 4 other teams in the NW Division 5 times for 20 games total...

Vancouver would play the 10 other teams in the Western Conference 3 times for 30 games total

Vancouver would play the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference twice for 30 games total...

So the final total would be 80 games (take away the 2 other games from the 82 game schedule).... so I think that should be used rather than the pre-lockout schedule method....

What do ya think eh?

[STL FANATIC]

Gosh darnit.

I'm one of the few ones who liked what they had.

I don't care about the Eastern conference, and I love playing games within the division. Rivalries, and it's what makes the whole top 3 seedes to division champs thing make sense.

Booo.

[Breakwood]

Thank God! Playing Ottawa and Buffalo 8 times each is killing us (Not that Buffalo is that good this year, but they still own us). The Only downfall is that we cant beat up on Boston and Toronto as much. Oh well.

[KevinMcD]

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=34495...mp;service=page

[twi]

I don't think it's exactly what they had pre-lockout, but it's close. I hope they do look into an 84 game schedule, as mentioned in some of the articles. There would be fewer preseason games but each team would play every other team at home at least once a season. This is a good change, imo. I am not against the division heavy scheduling at all but every team not playing every team over the course of an 82 game schedule makes no sense to me.

[Mac the Knife]

The NHL Board of Governors approved a scheduling change Thursday that will produce more inter-conference matchups, increasing the variety of teams fans can expect to see next season.

Under the new format, approved at the League meetings in Pebble Beach, Calif., and scheduled to begin in 2008-09, teams will play each club in their division six times, a total of 24 games, and the 10 other clubs in their conference four times, a total of 40 games.

The remaining 18 games in the 82-game schedule will involve each club playing all 15 clubs in the other conference at least once, home or away. The three remaining games will be devoted to inter-conference ?at-large? scheduling.

"The sense of the board was we heard the concerns raised by some of the fans, and this was an attempt to be responsive to the concerns of our fans," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

Under the current format, adopted for the 2005-06 season, teams play their four division rivals eight times each, the other 10 teams in their conference four times apiece, and 10 games against teams in the other conference ? five home games against one division and five away games against another, with no games against teams in the remaining non-conference division.

The new schedule allows for each team to play every other team at least once a season.

[Sodboy13]

They're getting closer, but it's still not fixed. I'd much rather have a schedule with 52 in-conference games, and 30 out-of-conference (1 each home and away.) That way, fans from Detroit westward get to see the likes of Crosby, Ovechkin, the Staals, and Lecavalier every year.

At least it's not as bad as the AHL, which continues to slowly erode fanbases across the league by making 3/4 of the schedule divisional.

[OnWis97]

They're getting closer, but it's still not fixed. I'd much rather have a schedule with 52 in-conference games, and 30 out-of-conference (1 each home and away.) That way, fans from Detroit westward get to see the likes of Crosby, Ovechkin, the Staals, and Lecavalier every year.

At least it's not as bad as the AHL, which continues to slowly erode fanbases across the league by making 3/4 of the schedule divisional.

Agreed. Season ticket holders should see every team (of course this board is split 50/50 for people that would rather have more divisional games and see the other teams every few years) every year. Now it's every other year (plus a bonus 1.5 teams per year). It's in the right direction, but it would make more sense to go with 30 out of conference and then have 3 to 4 with the rest of your own conference, still allowing 6 divisional games.

[hormone]

I'm for going to the old schedule. I'm sick of the only seeing the Rangers, Devils, and Flyers. I'm sure (even if you don't like them) hockey fans would like to see Crosby live.

[Mac the Knife]

I figured one format out while looking at the league standings several days ago, reducing the regular season down to 80 games

Each team plays the other four teams in its division 5 times, for 20 games,

Each team plays the other ten teams in its conference 3 times each (alternating each year as to which has home-ice for 2 of the 3 games), for 30 games, and

Each team plays the fifteen teams in the other conference twice each (home and home), for 30 games.

If you must keep an 82-game schedule, add a home-and-home interconference series between "common opponents," based on previous season's finish, like the NFL does (Anaheim would play Ottawa twice more as each conference's champions, for instance).

Granted it appears at first glance to de-emphasize divisional play, but frankly divisional play became far less important once the NHL ditched the 4-teams per division playoff format in favor of the 8-teams per conference system. With this type of schedule, 50 of the 80 (or 82) games would be played against common, conference opponents - providing a good means of determining who should qualify for the playoffs from each.

[Lee.]

I'm for going to the old schedule.

Me too. 21 teams, 4 games against each other, Winnipeg, Minny and Chicago in the same division.

[spyboy1]

Once more, I have to propose my schedule.

You have just two divisions in each conference, one of 7 and one of 8 teams.

If you are in the 7 team division;

• You play the 15 teams in the other conference twice a year = 30 games
  
• You play the 8 teams in the other division in your conference twice a year = 16 games
  
• You play the 6 other teams in your division 6 times a year = 36 games
  

If you are in the 8 team division;

• You play the 15 teams in the other conference twice a year = 30 games
  
• You play the 7 teams in the other division in your conference twice a year = 14 games
  
• You play the 7 other teams in your division 5 times a year = 35 games
  
• You play the 3 remaining games in your division either against traditional rivals or on an annual rotation = 3 games
  

Then, the top four in each division advance to the playoffs with the first two rounds of the playoffs within your division.

The advantages are;

• you would get to see all the teams every year at home
  
• while you would still have 36 or 38 division games, up from 32, they would be spread out over 6 or 7 teams vs. 4 currently, so you would only be seeing those teams 5 or 6 times vs. 8 currently
  
• you would have more playoffs in your own division where rivalries are built and a greatly increased chance of seeing your rivals in the playoffs more often
  

[ZapRowsdower8]

With this new schedule I have only one hope. The Pens were supposed to play the Central division next season on the road, I hope this still holds true. It will be really easy for me to travel to Columbus and Chicago to see them live. Having gone from season tickets for 15 years to no games this season (Stupid fiancee* having to move to Indianapolis for med school! ) has been pretty rough.

* She really isn't stupid, she's in med school after all!

[Mac the Knife]

With this new schedule I have only one hope. The Pens were supposed to play the Central division next season on the road, I hope this still holds true. It will be really easy for me to travel to Columbus and Chicago to see them live. Having gone from season tickets for 15 years to no games this season (Stupid fiancee* having to move to Indianapolis for med school! ) has been pretty rough.

* She really isn't stupid, she's in med school after all!

You'll still get to do so with the new schedule format: each team has at least a home-and-home against every team from the other conference, so they'll be there.

[njmeadowlanders]

I enjoyed this read this AM:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12022007/sport...ival_815321.htm

If fans across the league are clamoring to see stars from the other conference, as is the tale we have been force-fed for the last three years, then why didn't the knowledgeable Detroit fans turn out to see the resplendent Vincent Lecavalier when given their first opportunity to do so since the end of the lockout?

How is it that division opponent St. Louis attracted 19,124 on Nov. 21, but Tampa Bay drew 17,001 eight nights later?

Next year, the schedule changes. Let's see how the people in Boston enjoy a game against Los Angeles instead of one against Montreal. Let's see how the Coliseum jumps when the Wild comes in rather than the Rangers. Let's wait for the crackle at the Garden when Columbus replaces a Flyers game.

And let's wait until the fans in Detroit finally have a chance to sell out for Vincent Lecavalier.

Oops.

[HedleyLamarr]

If fans across the league are clamoring to see stars from the other conference, as is the tale we have been force-fed for the last three years, then why didn't the knowledgeable Detroit fans turn out to see the resplendent Vincent Lecavalier when given their first opportunity to do so since the end of the lockout?

How is it that division opponent St. Louis attracted 19,124 on Nov. 21, but Tampa Bay drew 17,001 eight nights later?

The 21st was the night before Thanksgiving, when folks had the day off/worked a half day, kids weren't in school, etc.

[Spezza19]

Not many details right now, just heard it on the radio. But the schedule has been changed back to the pre-lockout system where each team plays only 6 games against each divisional opponent.

They also play ever team at least once

which is a good thing I think

[Stampman]

It's a step in the right direction, because it is absolutely ridiculous for a 30 team league to play 82 games and not have each team play every other team at least once.

[Erik121]

I'm all for this new look. I think that it is great to play every team at least once. On day I would like to see the increase in game just so that every team is played at least twice, but I'm happy for now. No more Nashville every other night!