UPDATE: NHLPA votes for further negotiations on 24-team return to play format

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Matty81

NHL and their mouthpieces like Friedman have been itching for a 24 team playoffs for ages... this is their chance to force it on everybody and position it as something other than a cash grab. If a team in the 17-24 range wins the cup it would be pretty sad imo.

And moving forward you know we'll never get rid of it once owners get a taste of the cash from extra playoff dates. 82 game regular season that we're supposed to care about where the games carry very little meaning will hold a lot less interest for me.

Friedman is now a "mouthpiece" for the league eh?

OK then.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

These aren’t normal times. Why are folks so pissed off that our sports aren’t going to be returning to normal? League is trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Hockey is always be better than no hockey.

No. The league is trying to make money in a bad situation. End of story. You are correct about this not being normal times. Most people are facing a lot of financial uncertainty not knowing when they will work again or how they will be able to pay their bills and millionaire athletes and billionaire owners trying to make a quick buck is low on the totem pole of concerns of most people. I am fine with them trying out this tournament but IMO it's a bit of a sham for them to hand the Stanley Cup to the winner. It would be much easier to get behind if they just called it an NHL championship tournament and gave the winner some shiney trophy with bonus cheques. We have gone lockout years without a Stanley Cup being awarded so why award it this year during a pandemic when it's not being played the right way?

Not to mention their plan is highly ambitious as all it takes is a few weak links to bring it all down. Could be a few players not taking enough precautions, arena employees, TV employees, etc. There's just so much moving parts that it's hard to imagine this going through to the end without being stopped at some point. The whole thing is counterproductive to society today during this pandemic throwing hundreds of people in a bowl and hoping for the best all in the name of money.

[transplant99]

I really don't understand the sentiment that league is only trying to make a "cash grab".

OK...so what?


Is that not the aim of every single business?

Is EVERY season the league plays not a "cash grab" then?

They have a bunch of TV money sitting on the table waiting to be taken. Why should they not try and figure a way to do so as long as all health and welfare regulations and standards are met to keep all involved safe?

I think it is highly unlikely it happens myself because of the logistics involved, but there is zero reason for them to not try and do so and unless you have some personal reason for not wanting to see them succeed (IE; a relative/friend you worry about getting ill) why would you be against such a move?

Circumstances have conspired against the league being able to have a normal course of events type season. That not preclude them from making the best of what they have been given though. I applaud the aggressiveness of trying even if it doesn't come to fruition.

[Erick Estrada]

Never said I was dead set against it. I am against awarding the Stanley Cup for this gimmick tournament. With no training camps and teams coming in cold we are likely going to see a few bottom seeds rise through the tournament and possibly win this and it's just a sham to award the Stanley Cup to the winner. Just call it an NHL tournament and I'm fine with watching as a casual fan.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

No. The league is trying to make money in a bad situation. End of story.

A business trying to make money. The horror!!! Yes, it’s them trying to get back some of the money lost. So what, is that a bad thing? If they can get in four rounds of playoffs and award a cup like that, where’s the wrong in that? How is the cup tainted? You win 16 playoff games, you win the Stanley cup.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

You are correct about this not being normal times. Most people are facing a lot of financial uncertainty not knowing when they will work again or how they will be able to pay their bills and millionaire athletes and billionaire owners trying to make a quick buck is low on the totem pole of concerns of most people.

Okay. What do peoples financial concerns have to with this? League isn’t asking anyone to spend money on this. If you’re a hockey fan but are more concerned about what is going on in your life to think about hockey right now, I get that but one thing has nothing to do with the other. That’s a weird point you’re trying to make.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I am fine with them trying out this tournament but IMO it's a bit of a sham for them to hand the Stanley Cup to the winner. It would be much easier to get behind if they just called it an NHL championship tournament and gave the winner some shiney trophy with bonus cheques. We have gone lockout years without a Stanley Cup being awarded so why award it this year during a pandemic when it's not being played the right way?

We went thru one year where a lockout wiped out a Stanley cup being awarded. But that year didn’t have 85% of the regular season complete. This one does.

If they can get in four rounds of best of season series from July to August to award a cup, outside of the weird timing, why would that cup be a sham? Why is it tainted?

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not to mention their plan is highly ambitious as all it takes is a few weak links to bring it all down. Could be a few players not taking enough precautions, arena employees, TV employees, etc. There's just so much moving parts that it's hard to imagine this going through to the end without being stopped at some point. The whole thing is counterproductive to society today during this pandemic throwing hundreds of people in a bowl and hoping for the best all in the name of money.

They are in talks with health authorities to make sure they can pull this off. They’re not going to get clearance without it being safe.

I just don’t get the cancel the season crowd. If you can make it work, and it’s a big if, I get that, but why not let organizers try without crapping all over the idea before it’s even trotted out officially?

Again, hockey will alway be better than no hockey.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

I just don’t get the cancel the season crowd.

The season is over. It was cancelled due to covid. This tournament is not regular season NHL or NHL playoffs.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The season is over. It was cancelled due to covid. This tournament is not regular season NHL or NHL playoffs.

No, it wasn’t cancelled. It was put on pause and we are still there.

What tournament are you talking about? That doesn’t seem to be on the table anymore. Latest is play-in Series to get into a normal four round playoff. Yes, it’s not the normal way of doing things, but it’s just a re-structured way to qualify for the playoffs in light of a small portion of regular season being wiped out. It only involves team that were in the mix at the time.

Things aren’t normal right now. I’ve adapted at my job, and so is the NHL at theirs.


Let them play.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The season is over. It was cancelled due to covid. This tournament is not regular season NHL or NHL playoffs.

Well that is patently false.

It was postponed due to covid.

They never said they wouldn't try and resume it at some point, which is what a cancelation would mean.

So now they cannot resume regular season play because of travel and health restrictions obviously.

They now wish to get the playoffs in and are proposing a way to do so that accounts for the uneven number of regular season games played. They think they have a formula for doing that both safely and fairly.

Really do not get the resistance for doing so particularly when you factor in that the players have received the vast majority of their salaries, yet the clubs have not received the vast majority of their revenues from the TV contracts.

If the players deem it not safe and dont want to play, then Im good with that and the reasoning. But when it appears they themselves want to play, the league wants to play, and I would guess a huge majority of fans want to see them play...why would they not do so if possible?

[DeluxeMoustache]

Well, the world has changed. The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy of the NHL playoffs. It would be silly to create some different one off trophy, as well as being wrong for the participating athletes, just because we can’t accept that things change.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Well that is patently false.

It was postponed due to covid.

They never said they wouldn't try and resume it at some point, which is what a cancelation would mean.

So now they cannot resume regular season play because of travel and health restrictions obviously.

They now wish to get the playoffs in and are proposing a way to do so that accounts for the uneven number of regular season games played. They think they have a formula for doing that both safely and fairly.

Really do not get the resistance for doing so particularly when you factor in that the players have received the vast majority of their salaries, yet the clubs have not received the vast majority of their revenues from the TV contracts.

If the players deem it not safe and dont want to play, then Im good with that and the reasoning. But when it appears they themselves want to play, the league wants to play, and I would guess a huge majority of fans want to see them play...why would they not do so if possible?

This tournament is not the resuming of an NHL regular season nor is it the NHL playoffs. You can try and convince yourself that it's the resumption of the 2019/2020 season but it's not. It's a 24 team tournament designed to net the league some dough.

[DeluxeMoustache]

You can look at it that way.

Or you can look at it as a way to conclude the regular season in a new way, adapting to the fact that the world has changed, without bringing back the teams that are out of it, followed by the usual 16 team, four round tournament. Close enough without risking anything for the 7 teams that are truly out of it

And I really don’t get the whole dismissal of it as a cash grab. Big deal. They want to make money, companies will pay for TV advertising, people will be entertained. It will give people other than players work and get some money moving

MLB has play-in for their playoffs. They didn’t change the World Series when they introduced it. NHL is adapting to different circumstances.

And the Stanley Cup, as sacred as you want it to be, has teams with huge asterisks. Dallas, who won with a skate in the crease, and TB. It was in

The world has changed. Deal with it.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

This tournament is not the resuming of an NHL regular season nor is it the NHL playoffs. You can try and convince yourself that it's the resumption of the 2019/2020 season but it's not. It's a 24 team tournament designed to net the league some dough.

It’s not a 24 team tournament for the resumption of the regular season. The play in series actually only involve sixteen teams(5-12 seeds) and it serves as qualifying for a regular playoff of four rounds. A normal regular season is qualifying for playoffs. It’s not possible to finish the regular season, so the play in series are the next option. Players have to approve this, and they likely will. If the players don’t see this cup and tainted or whatever, why should hockey fans?

I don’t think you’re getting this.

[Erick Estrada]

I get it totally. That's why I'm against this format. I think some of you are so desperate for sports that you are willing to look the other way when it comes to integrity of the leagues you follow. Here's a good article detailing why the 24 team format is a sham and cash grab for the league that screws a lot of teams that had good regular seasons in the name of revenue. I'm simply against awarding the Stanley Cup for this.

https://theathletic.com/1817525/2020...ayoff-formats/

The NHL has options, and all signs point to the league taking the wrong one. We’ll have no choice but to accept it and, hey, if it means hockey is back, sign me up. But it’s clear that if the league does go the way it’s headed, it will be leaving better options on the table and sacrificing integrity for revenue.

Brian Burke on the radio just now said the 24 team tournament was a sham and it should be 8 team for integrity. I'm not on an island here as some people care about the integrity of the sports we follow.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I get it totally. That's why I'm against this format. I think some of you are so desperate for sports that you are willing to look the other way when it comes to integrity of the leagues you follow. Here's a good article detailing why the 24 team format is a sham and cash grab for the league that screws a lot of teams that had good regular seasons in the name of revenue. I'm simply against awarding the Stanley Cup for this.

https://theathletic.com/1817525/2020...ayoff-formats/



Brian Burke on the radio just now said the 24 team tournament was a sham and it should be 8 team for integrity. I'm not on an island here as some people care about the integrity of the sports we follow.

That article is based on some round robin tournament idea that was floated around before but that seems to be off the table in favour of these play in series.

And again, your “cash grab” point is useless. The league is a business. Let them make their Lost money back if they want. Everything is a cash grab these days. So what.

Four rounds of playoffs doesn’t mess with the integrity of the playoffs. Why are you avoiding commenting on that? You’re just so focused on the only thing that is different, you’re failing to see that the most important aspect of a season is still in tact. If they mess with the four rounds by shortening the series, then I get your point. But there’s been no indication thats happening.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

Nope. Bring it on. I'm all in for whatever playoff they give us.

Don't get why hockey fans would say this("cancel the season already" people).

These aren’t normal times. Why are folks so pissed off that our sports aren’t going to be returning to normal? League is trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Hockey is always be better than no hockey.

Hmmmm, don't think people are pissed about thing not being normal in the end the season crowd. I want it ended because there's no use even trying to contemplate resumption while the U.S has gone full R-word, the longer this goes on the longer it takes for the next season to kick off. I'd much prefer that all energies get spent preparing for next season and getting a real handle on whatever cliche buzzwords like "new normal" mean moving forward.

To me, all this 24 team playoff bs is just silly talk. Its media people trying to keep their jobs by typing something .

I just don't see anyway with border closures, travel restrictions, mandatory quarantines and players being in game shape on top of a litany of other things that play will resume before training camp opens for next season.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Hmmmm, don't think people are pissed about thing not being normal in the end the season crowd. I want it ended because there's no use even trying to contemplate resumption while the U.S has gone full R-word, the longer this goes on the longer it takes for the next season to kick off. I'd much prefer that all energies get spent preparing for next season and getting a real handle on whatever cliche buzzwords like "new normal" mean moving forward.

To me, all this 24 team playoff bs is just silly talk. Its media people trying to keep their jobs by typing something .

I just don't see anyway with border closures, travel restrictions, mandatory quarantines and players being in game shape on top of a litany of other things that play will resume before training camp opens for next season.

No, it’s not the media trying to keep their jobs. It’s what is being talked about amongst the inner circles of the nhl and the PA. The media are just reporting and reacting to it. You know, doing their jobs.

Yes, the logístical issues are endless it appears but they are working their way thru it. Let’s see if they can. Cancelling the season right now doesn’t guarantee a start to next season in October. We have no idea what October looks like.

During this time, you can only deal with what is in front of you in the here and now.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Hmmmm, don't think people are pissed about thing not being normal in the end the season crowd. I want it ended because there's no use even trying to contemplate resumption while the U.S has gone full R-word, the longer this goes on the longer it takes for the next season to kick off. I'd much prefer that all energies get spent preparing for next season and getting a real handle on whatever cliche buzzwords like "new normal" mean moving forward.

To me, all this 24 team playoff bs is just silly talk. Its media people trying to keep their jobs by typing something .

I just don't see anyway with border closures, travel restrictions, mandatory quarantines and players being in game shape on top of a litany of other things that play will resume before training camp opens for next season.

What?

Is it not what the league itself has proposed?

Whole lot of "shooting the messenger" thing these days.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by transplant99

What?

Is it not what the league itself has proposed?

Whole lot of "shooting the messenger" thing these days.

Its been friedmans crusade to have play ins or an expanded playoff format for years. Not hard to wag my finger at media types or the media in general.

[troutman]

Will you watch as much as usual if the Flames don’t qualify for final 16? I think my interest would end then and there.

[Toonage]

Personally, I'll watch right to the end. Love hockey.

When the season was first paused my initial feeling was that they should cancel and get to the business of hockey, prepare for next season, etc. Now I understand the financial implications of playing vs cancelling as well as the need to figure out how to play now so they can adapt and put that knowledge and practice into play for next season.

As for the (as yet unmentioned lol) argument that hockey doesn't work in the summer or that people won't watch, we've had the playoffs end in late June and have seen hockey start up in early September for special events such as the World Cup. You can't convince me that people won't watch during July and August as well. Especially after having it taken away so abruptly.