Quote:
Originally Posted by GirlySports
But the showcase of a sport shouldn't be the 1st two rounds, it should be the Stanley Cup Final. That's when everyone is focused on those 2 teams, primetime national tv in both countries and perhaps all over the world.
When both teams are dead tired in June for the Final then what is the point? Who's going to watch?
I would propose less playoffs actually. 12 teams maybe.
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How would 12 teams work? Can't do 6 matchups at once, so it'll have to be 4. But then 4 teams get to skip a whole round. Don't think that works for a sport like hockey where it can in football. 16 is most ideal since it's balanced and all teams will be playing at the same time.
Here's my hope for how the NHL looks in 10 or so years from now with some new teams involved. Phoenix has moved, as well as Anaheim. I think the California/LA region is too saturated for a third/second team. LA and San Jose is good enough. Florida teams don't move since Tampa Bay does get attendance and has an owner that is really investing into the team. Miami would be ideal to keep for both the league's and Tampa Bay's interest.
Seattle gets a team, as well Kansas City, and Hartford gets a NHL team back. A second Toronto team and Quebec City is also added to the fold. And lastly, Milwaukee brings an NHL team to the state of Wisconsin. This brings the NHL team total to 34. The divisions will be unbalanced, with 2 of them containing nine teams, and the other two containing 8.
All Canadian teams play within the same division. After mapping it out, it's better to have Winnipeg in the 'Pacific' vision than it is for Dallas to be. Travel will be an issue for Winnipeg anywhere you place them since they're fairly isolated, and it isn't any worse than the Florida teams will have to deal with in any eastern division. But being a Canadian team, can afford it more than Dallas may be able to. Also helps Winnipeg to have divisional rivalries against each of the Western Canadian teams. This is probably what they would prefer now.
The fun division in the 'Atlantic', where you have all teams within the NE metropolitan portion of the US in the same division. Partically the same as NHL's new proposal, but with Boston in it instead of the Carolina. That'll be NBCs lovechild right there.