Globe & Mail writer suggests NHL adopt "Play & Stay" travel model

[Reggie Dunlop]

Play-and-stays are already a regular feature of hockey’s minor leagues – the Charlotte Checkers of the East Coast Hockey League will have 27 such sets this year, for example – and they occur occasionally in the Kontinental Hockey League, particularly for its franchises in far-flung Vladivostok and Siberia. And at the top pro level in North America, Major League Baseball uses play-and-stay almost all the time, with teams typically visiting an opposing park for a three-game series, which sometimes stretches to four.

His main argument, besides cutting travel costs, is to leave less of a carbon footprint.

Not sure it would matter much on Eastern road swings (the Flames only play some teams once in their own barns, but could work for places like California and Vegas for instance.

Personally, I like variety and seeing opponents at various intervals in the season. The invariable bad slump or injury bugs that most teams go through would lack an opportunity for latter redemption against certain opponents.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opin...chool-wha-how/

[Travis Munroe]

It would be more entertaining as I could see the hate for each other building. Often in today's NHL it takes until the third period for the compete to reach a whole new level which could then spill over the the next game.

That said, I don't see it being fair and more dangerous to the players. Imagine playing the Canucks or Oilers 3 games in a row... the entire farm team would be called up at some point due to nagging injuries.

[oldschoolcalgary]

baseball has double the games though, and play one after another...

a three game set would take a minimum of 4 days, with one back to back...

as a season ticket holder, do you really want to watch 3 games in four nights playing ottawa or new jersey? or conversely playing 3 games versus san jose if one of your star players just happens to be out that week?

[FireGilbert]

I don't see the point. It doesn't apply to cross conference games and I like how division games are mostly spread out through the season. Sure go a head and have the rare back to back in Dallas or a LA -> ANA -> LA road trip if that helps scheduling but it does not need to be a travel "model". Looking at the Flames recent road trips from hell their miles could have been reduced by an improved schedule, not doubling up road games.

Also the idea of a league that plays on ice in the Southern US doing something to reduce their carbon footprint makes me laugh.

[Cheese]

nope nope and more nope.

[Snapshot]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

baseball has double the games though, and play one after another...

a three game set would take a minimum of 4 days, with one back to back...

as a season ticket holder, do you really want to watch 3 games in four nights playing ottawa or new jersey? or conversely playing 3 games versus san jose if one of your star players just happens to be out that week?

The ECHL, and to a lesser extent the AHL, actually do a bunch of 3 games in 3 nights sets, and they aren't all stay and plays (the stay and plays are usually the 3 games in 4 nights that you mentioned). They also predominantly just play in their own conferences, too. Since the NHL has inter conference play, this wouldn't work for when teams need to make road trips to the opposite coasts, which is where they really rack up the travel miles.

I'm guessing there may be something in the CBA that would prevent this for NHL players, especially when they tend to be fatigued in the back end of back to backs or the 3 games in 4 nights that they have to do now.

[GGG]

I don’t like it.

It would encourage back to backs and the teams it would apply to are all in the same
Conference. And who wants to suffer through back to back Phoenix games.

[DeluxeMoustache]

This guy is all over the place. Carbon footprint? A guy who doesn’t like flying having substance abuse issues?

A dumb idea for regular season.

The NHL, though, does this when it matters. Games 1-4 of every playoff series

[lazypucker]

Smarter scheduling is needed, for example, why the Flames are scheduled for a week out east, home for a week, go back east for a week, come home again for a week, and then back out east for a week in February? Instead of a 3 separate 3-game East coast trips, can't they do like a couple of 5 or 6-game trip instead?

[Dion]

[Mr.Coffee]

I actually like the idea because I suspect the second or third games in a series would be more interesting.

[Cuz]

The NHL tried this after the 04-05 lockout, at least two games in a row. I don't recall an explanation for why they stopped the practice.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by Snapshot

The ECHL, and to a lesser extent the AHL, actually do a bunch of 3 games in 3 nights sets, and they aren't all stay and plays (the stay and plays are usually the 3 games in 4 nights that you mentioned). They also predominantly just play in their own conferences, too. Since the NHL has inter conference play, this wouldn't work for when teams need to make road trips to the opposite coasts, which is where they really rack up the travel miles.

I'm guessing there may be something in the CBA that would prevent this for NHL players, especially when they tend to be fatigued in the back end of back to backs or the 3 games in 4 nights that they have to do now.

i'm guessing they do it for financial reasons; the NHL doesn't need to do that to cut down costs.

if they are concerned they should be trying to ensure that travel debacles like the one the Flames went through doesn't happen... having more extended road trips when travelling cross country would be a preferable way to reduce travel imo...

if I am a STH, seeing the same team play 3 games in four nights or 2 games in 3 nights has zero appeal to me...neither does playing 3 games versus Ottawa in the span of 5 days... though i am sure my brother (STH) might offer me a lot more games during the year if this was adopted

[DoubleK]

I like it. This could mean that the Leafs would never have to play in Calgary during the regular season.

It's a total win-win.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

I agree.

The NHL already has a tremendous carbon footprint. Anything reasonable to reduce that should be considered.

I also think teams playing against each other on back-to-back games would bring a bit more intensity to the regular season.

[Northendzone]

I could not imagine the logistics of scheduling all 1300 or so games on a carbon friendly basis?

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I could not imagine the logistics of scheduling all 1300 or so games on a carbon friendly basis?

It’s probably not that hard.

Start with a few hundred thousand fans a night and cut out all that unneeded commute.

Save on the dogs, beers and sweaters.

Condense the league to a few hundred players and a YouTube channel and voila, carbon problem solved.

[N-E-B]

Terrible idea and the fact he tried to paint this as some kind of environmentally friendly idea is equally absurd.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

Smarter scheduling is needed, for example, why the Flames are scheduled for a week out east, home for a week, go back east for a week, come home again for a week, and then back out east for a week in February? Instead of a 3 separate 3-game East coast trips, can't they do like a couple of 5 or 6-game trip instead?

It was good training for the Cup Final.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

I agree.

The NHL already has a tremendous carbon footprint. Anything reasonable to reduce that should be considered.

I also think teams playing against each other on back-to-back games would bring a bit more intensity to the regular season.

Oh, sure, the refrigeration requirement for that ice, let’s start there. They can use roller blades on a cement floor.

The players are riding stationary bikes after games? Channel the leg workouts into their transport from rink to rink.

That should nearly offset the coal plants China is currently constructing with the capacity equivalent to the current entire US coal fleet.