Suggested new playoff format gets fans buzzing!
Not sure this has my vote… How about yours?
HockeyFeed
Ahead of last year’s postseason, discussions emerged on the possibility of the NHL going back to the old playoff format. From 1993 to 2013, the NHL had three divisions in each conference, with the three division winners grabbing the top three seeds. After that, it was just based on overall points, with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 8 seed, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No, 5. The teams would also re-seed after the first round. Several players and general managers had expressed the desire to use that format once again, but at last year’s GM meeting, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman turned down the idea of changing the way playoffs are done in his league.
While many fans and pundits keep roasting the NHL playoff format, no changes were made once again at this year’s GM meeting, though it did prompt some fans to suggest a new postseason scenario. One fan, Graham Howse, made a proposal on X, formerly known as Twitter, and got fans buzzing on this idea he reposted from 2019 as he responded to TSN’s Craig Button, who’s been adamantly rooting for a new format:
Fans were arguing on the good and bad sides of this idea, one being how boring NHL teams can be and would make the expected choices, like Team 1 choosing 8, 2 picking 7 just to avoid controversy. But we could see some interesting match ups.
Ten years ago, the league launched a new playoff format that operates with a four-division, two-conference system. The top three teams in each of the four divisions make the playoffs, with the two best remaining teams in the conference fighting it out for the last two spots.
While the NHL has been looking at different ways to make hockey more marketable for the masses, they could find ways to generate more hype with a different playoff format.
Do you like the one suggested by Graham Howse or would you propose your own format?
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