Insider reveals major schedule changes tabled at NHL GM meetings
Photo credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The Athletic's hockey insider Pierre LeBrun has hinted to major changes being tabled at this year's general managers meetings this week.
Some changes that Lebrun has revealed would be a lengthening of the NHL season to 84 games while shortening the NHL preseason which many players and coaches would applaud.
NHL schedule potentially to be changed in coming seasons
Shortening the preseason would certainly benefit the NHL players as many feel that too many games are played with many stars resting and potential injuries that crop up prior to the season beginning.
The NHL and NHL Players' Association could agree, as mentioned
previously, to go to an 84-game season and shorten the preseason. One new idea being discussed is starting the regular season earlier - sometime in late September - and still ending the Stanley Cup Final around the same time in late June - Pierre Lebrun
previously, to go to an 84-game season and shorten the preseason. One new idea being discussed is starting the regular season earlier - sometime in late September - and still ending the Stanley Cup Final around the same time in late June - Pierre Lebrun
Another proposal Lebrun mentioned is changing the notion that every NHL team would have to play in every NHL building at least once during the year.
This has been debated several times over the years, and it appears that NHL teams would like to build more rival matchups with their division rivals rather than must play every team every year.
The flip side of this coin would also mean that other teams would not want to see Connor McDavid not play in their building for up to two years which had happened for some time.
Also on the table in discussions about the schedule matrix is whether to change the formula so that teams don't necessarily have to play at least one game in each NHL arena every season. There are some teams pushing for more divisional and rivalry games. Having said that, some teams won't want to go two years without seeing Connor McDavid in their building or a strong-drawing team like the New York Rangers or Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens - Pierre Lebrun
NHL All Star game on the chopping block
Many NHL pundits and most hockey fans would be quite pleased to see the NHL All Star game be scrapped altogether and be replaced with a best-on-best tournament after witnessing some of the best hockey ever played in the Four Nations Faceoff.
LeBrun mentions that this is a possibility and will likely be a discussion at the table as the NHS needs to decide how to move forward after such a successful tournament.
Some are concerned about holding an All-Star Game which would obviously look like a dog's breakfast compared to the best-on-best 4 Nations and Olympics. Should the league just scrap the All-Star festivities in Olympic years? (Answer from most every hockey fan alive: Yes!) - Pierre Lebrun
Hockey fans around the league will have to wait and see what general managers decide as the meetings could mean major changes for the league and for the better.
| POLL | ||
MARS 17 | 545 ANSWERS Insider reveals major schedule changes tabled at NHL GM meetings What change would you want to see in the coming seasons with the NHL? | ||
| Longer regular season | 36 | 6.6 % |
| Shorter pre season | 74 | 13.6 % |
| 1 -8 Playoff format returns | 205 | 37.6 % |
| Scrap All Star game | 230 | 42.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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