Smarter travel schedules for the NHL is needed as travel is the worst for it compared to other leagues.
In MLB they play much more games but do stay in cities for a longer period of time to get accustomed.
The NHL is unique in that the league stretches from Vancouver to South Florida. All the teams cross the Canada/US border a ton of times compared to other sports when its only when they play Toronto do they come up. Weather is always a constant issue in Canada and the nature of sport being more physical and all the team players playing, even if banged up. There is no resting random players in the NHL for the sake of rest during the season, perhaps the last game, perhaps.
I was on a Flames road trip during the lockout year that was very unique in a lot of ways and a few players and staff said the same thing. The Flames flew out of YYC on a Thursday afternoon and landed in LA in the afternoon. They slept in downtown LA that night at the same hotel we were all staying at. They did a game day skate at the practice facility of the Kings and than bused it to Anaheim for the game on a Friday.
They played the Kings on Saturday and held a game day skate at Staples Center, followed by a game there that evening. Sunday was on off day for players and staff and it was hilarious how many guys got picked up from friends on the LA King's and went golfing while others were recovering from their Saturday night on the town in LA.
Monday was another game vs the Kings and than the Flames stayed in LA that night and left Tuesday morning. That was 3 games in So Cal but they stayed 5 nights in the same hotel room and didn't have to travel back to Calgary and arrive at 4:30 am in their beds. Normally this would be teams switching hotel rooms, more buses back and forth, late night flights, additional flights etc.
It comes down to seeing how much better can they travel, who's arena schedule might lose a few concerts, which teams will complain about added hotel expenses etc. It's a fine line. But teams with heavy travel schedules like Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton should be able to go into the NY area, play the Rangers, Islanders, Devils and even the Flyers on the same road trip during the same week.
The above teams don't fly all the way out here to play in Alberta, go back home and than come back all way back to play in Vancouver and San Jose and than back again to play in Winnipeg.
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