Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto
Bob Mccown proposed this format a couple of years ago and I am actually kind of curious as to how it would work out. It would logistically work better in a 32 team league though.
All 30 teams make the playoffs.
The 2 conference winners get a bye for round 1. Leaving 28 teams. 1 plays 28, 2 plays 27 etc. Round 1 is a best of 3 with the top seeded team getting ALL 3 GAMES AT HOME.
14 teams are then re seeded into the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the 2 regular season conference champions. Those 16 teams would play four 7 game rounds of playoffs for the Stanley cup.
The 14 round 1 losers then play for the 1st overall pick. Not sure what the format should be but I would suggest a round robin with only the top 4 advancing.
Disadvantages
- Kind of makes the regular season a farce (but if the Flames are going to pitch slogans like Every Game Matters it sorta works)
- You could not make this drastic of a change until at least the 2020 CBA
Advantages
- Perhaps the most interesting playoff format in all of sports
- Expanded playoffs means more teams involved, and more great memories for the fans
- Comepletely changes the dynamics of the trade deadline
- Big cash grab for the players and owners (and if the last two lock out have taught us anything, that is really what they are all about)
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What a terrible scheme.
The consolation tournament for the draft would be awful. It would be pre-season quality hockey. Who would bust their nuts playing for a draft pick that half of the guys on the roster would never even play with? Who would watch? Can you imagine the hockey highlights: "What a game! Looks like the Hawks and the Ducks are going to a deciding seventh game in Chicago to see who goes to the Stanley Cup. This series has been a real war... and over on the consolation tournament, the Panthers beat the Oilers to take their series 4-2 and set up a match up against the Devils for the first overall draft pick [camera pans stadium with 4,000 listless fans in it]."