NHL considering resuming the season with 24 team playoff

[yave1964]

The Nhl is supposedly giving serious thought to starting back up in June-ish with a 24 team playoff schedule, The bottom seven clubs in the league would not restart the year but would be eliminated.  I read a couple of places where The first round would be a best of three.

 

  The problem, okay, ONE of the problems with this format is 24 is not divisible to one, 24 teams, then 12, 6 3,..... clearly that doesnt work.

 

  Two places i read in the fan comments that the league is possibly looking to give 1-8 a first round bye with 9-24 playing the best of three with eight winners moving on to set the field of 16. Not a good idea IMHO as the losers would have a clear advantage over the winners as they would have real games under their belt before the following series while the top eight would have three/four months of sitting idle.

 

  Bettman is determined to crown a champion. I cringe at the thought of how badly this could work out but any Hockey is better than no Hockey, i guess.

[ruxpin]

1 hour ago, yave1964 said:

 

  Bettman is determined to crown a champion. I cringe at the thought of how badly this could work out but any Hockey is better than no Hockey, i guess.

 

The same reasoning that got us "they drink the sand because they don't know the difference."

 

I know the spirit in which you said the bolded, so this isn't directed at you.    I don't know why I'm the only one--or in a very small minority--that doesn't see the point in resuming this.   I really don't care at this point. It's like, you halted the baseball game in the bottom of the 6th and after a 7 1/2 hour rain delay you go ahead and finish the game--at 3:45 in the morning when no one cares any longer and now backups and AA players (not double A; straight from AA) play the following day because the regular players are too tired or got hurt finishing a game for no reason other than to finish.

 

Call it.  Get back on regular schedule and don't have two seasons screwed up out of it.

Just pro-rate it, say the Leafs lost in 5, and be done with it.

[yave1964]

13 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

 

The same reasoning that got us "they drink the sand because they don't know the difference."

 

I know the spirit in which you said the bolded, so this isn't directed at you.    I don't know why I'm the only one--or in a very small minority--that doesn't see the point in resuming this.   I really don't care at this point. It's like, you halted the baseball game in the bottom of the 6th and after a 7 1/2 hour rain delay you go ahead and finish the game--at 3:45 in the morning when no one cares any longer and now backups and AA players (not double A; straight from AA) play the following day because the regular players are too tired or got hurt finishing a game for no reason other than to finish.

 

Call it.  Get back on regular schedule and don't have two seasons screwed up out of it.

Just pro-rate it, say the Leafs lost in 5, and be done with it.

I have said all along that it is ridiculous to think of reopening the season. Just dont see a reason for it and our thoughts are in alignment. I love the game, but damn, a 24 team playoff, best of 3 series, all for the sake of crowning a champ. I have to admit that i will watch if/when it comes back, i miss sports so much that if competitive dwarf tossing were on the ocho i would probably tune in. I even watched a few innings of Korean Baseball a few days ago for Christ sake. So out of desperation for entertainment, yeah, i will tune in but the truth is cancelling the season would have been the best call.

[ruxpin]

11 hours ago, yave1964 said:

I have said all along that it is ridiculous to think of reopening the season. Just dont see a reason for it and our thoughts are in alignment. I love the game, but damn, a 24 team playoff, best of 3 series, all for the sake of crowning a champ. I have to admit that i will watch if/when it comes back, i miss sports so much that if competitive dwarf tossing were on the ocho i would probably tune in. I even watched a few innings of Korean Baseball a few days ago for Christ sake. So out of desperation for entertainment, yeah, i will tune in but the truth is cancelling the season would have been the best call.

 

I can't say definitely how I'll respond to it:   whether I'll boycott it or be sucked in by it.

 

I don't think I'll technically "boycott" it, but I'm willing to bet I skip it altogether.   It's been two months, I find it foolish, it's not hockey weather out, and I don't know, at the moment I have zero interest.

 

Plus, I'm a Flyers' fan.   What do I know about hockey in May?   Let alone June!

[Podein25]

26 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Plus, I'm a Flyers' fan.   What do I know about hockey in May?   Let alone June!

 

You know slightly more than a Leafs fan

[WordsOfWisdom]

On 5/7/2020 at 6:41 PM, yave1964 said:

The Nhl is supposedly giving serious thought to starting back up in June-ish with a 24 team playoff schedule, The bottom seven clubs in the league would not restart the year but would be eliminated.  I read a couple of places where The first round would be a best of three.

 

The NHL loves making easy things difficult.  All they have to do is go by points percentage and begin the playoffs as is with 16 teams. Nobody wants to see the other 8 teams in the playoffs. They didn't qualify. Imagine if the 24th best team won the Cup. The regular season has to mean something more than just collecting money in the owner's pockets. If the owners can't see that, then they've already lost.

 

I'd like to see them finish the regular season and begin the playoffs. Those last dozen or so games would be exactly the warm-up needed by the players to get going for playoff hockey. 

 

If they're going to reduce games, play out the rest of the season so everyone gets to 82 games and then do a best-of-5 or a best-of-3 with the top 16 teams. Everyone would be into that... and it's absolutely fair to everyone involved.   

[Puck_Pun]

I've heard a bunch of different formats being floated, all of which begin with 'sources say'. I'll wait for the nhl to actually make an announcement, everything until then is speculation at best

[Howie58]

It seems that with every passing day a reopening becomes less likely.  I also worry about encroachment of next year.  But what do I know?

 

BTW, my backyard Miami Dolphins became the first major-league franchise to unveil their plans for a return next year.  The Centerpiece: Hard Rock Stadium capacity goes from 60,000 to 15,000.  People at risk or those who aren't comfortable with social distancing and other are unwelcome for their own sake.  

 

If that is a model for other teams/leagues, think about the impact on concession workers, etc.  I think the NHL will be hard hit given their relatively limited TV revenue.  

 

Best,

Howie

 

 

 

[OccamsRazor]

On 5/7/2020 at 8:11 PM, ruxpin said:

  I don't know why I'm the only one--or in a very small minority--that doesn't see the point in resuming this. 

 

No I'm with you.

 

 At some point you have to call it.

 

It's May. Go ahead and do it now.

 

And then we all can move forward and start worrying about 2020 -21.

 

It is what it is...even if they were to have a winner from here to eternity whom ever that champion would be we would hear many say put an asterisk by it.

 

F**K that. Just call it over so no one will have to hear that.

 

Wipe the slate clean.

Edited May 11, 2020 by OccamsRazor
fix my dumb dumb

[WordsOfWisdom]

On 5/9/2020 at 9:11 PM, OccamsRazor said:

 

No I'm with. At some point you have to call it.

 

It's May. Go ahead and do it now.

 

And then we all can move forward and start worrying about 2020 -21.

 

It is what it is...even if they were to have a winner from here to eternity whom ever that champion would be we would hear many say put an asterisk by it.

 

F**K that. Just call it over so no one will have to hear that.

 

Wipe the slate clean.

 

Well, any notion of finishing up before summer and having an off-season in between is long gone.  The only option left is a lead-in to the upcoming season beginning sometime in August (sort of like when the NHL has a World Cup tournament). 

 

The NHL would be forced to drop the remainder of the regular season and play a best-of-3 playoffs (or something along those lines) to finish off and award a winner. Then there would be a one week break afterwards and the next season would begin immediately on schedule. 

 

Would there be an asterisk? Probably. But guess what... there's going to be an asterisk regardless. It'll either say:

 

* = playoffs reduced to best-of-3 and resumed in August due to COVID-19 pandemic.

 

or it'll say:

 

* = regular season and playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Take your pick, because that's the NHL's future from now on. It'll stay there in the history books forever just like the 2005 lockout. 

 

 

 

[ruxpin]

21 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

The NHL would be forced to drop the remainder of the regular season and play a best-of-3 playoffs (or something along those lines) to finish off and award a winner. Then there would be a one week break afterwards and the next season would begin immediately on schedule. 

 

Would there be an asterisk? Probably. But guess what... there's going to be an asterisk regardless. It'll either say:

 

* = playoffs reduced to best-of-3 and resumed in August due to COVID-19 pandemic.

 

My problem with the above scenario is that it pretends the rosters are the same from year to year.   They aren't.   So you have one roster of Leafs, Flyers, whomever, in August and immediately turn around with a different roster in September?   And when does the business of creating the latter roster take place?   I mean, contracts expire by July.    There's no mechanisms for extending them.   So, say someone leaves for free agency.   Let's use Cam Talbot as an example for the Flames (or Krug for Boston, or whomever you'd like).   Their contract expires July 1 and then Talbot signs with Detroit (because he hates himself).   

 

What happens in August?    He plays for Calgary for the "playoffs" because he would have in April?   It can hardly be someone else because you can't have a 2019-20 champion won by players not on that year's roster.  Can you?   Because, conversely, what if Calgary has signed Talbot's replacement for 2020-21--someone who can play--and now has a much better goaltending situation heading into the "playoffs?"     What if Talbot does play for Calgary while under contract with Detroit and gets hurt?   Now what?    

 

IMO in order to create a weird, alter-universe finish to 2019-20 they've created a horrible season-destroying situation for 2020-21.   I can't imagine in those situations that you wouldn't see litigation between clubs.

 

I really think this is the only sober, drug-free solution:

 

21 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

* = regular season and playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by ruxpin

[hf101]

Quote

The American Hockey League Board of Governors voted to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign and 2020 Calder Cup playoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league announced Monday.

"After a lengthy review process, the American Hockey League has determined that the resumption and completion of the 2019-20 season is not feasible in light of current conditions," AHL president and chief executive officer David Andrews said.

 

He added: "The League's operational focus has turned toward actively preparing for the 2020-21 season."

League standings will be sorted by points percentage and all player statistics are considered final and official as of March 12 - the day the league suspended play. These stats will serve as the basis for determining awards for the 2019-20 campaign.

The cancellation marks the first time since 1936 that the Calder Cup won't be awarded.

https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1973635/ahl-officially-cancels-2019-20-season

[WordsOfWisdom]

9 hours ago, ruxpin said:

My problem with the above scenario is that it pretends the rosters are the same from year to year.   They aren't.   So you have one roster of Leafs, Flyers, whomever, in August and immediately turn around with a different roster in September?   And when does the business of creating the latter roster take place?   I mean, contracts expire by July.    There's no mechanisms for extending them.   So, say someone leaves for free agency.   Let's use Cam Talbot as an example for the Flames (or Krug for Boston, or whomever you'd like).   Their contract expires July 1 and they Talbot signs with Detroit (because he hates himself).   

 

The way I'd work around that (if I were in charge) is that there would be a roster freeze until the playoffs for this season are finished. 

 

The contracts would not expire on July 1. They would be extended to August 31 or September 30 (whatever is needed to finish this season and playoffs). 

 

The draft can occur as usual, but no trades would be allowed and no drafted players could be used on the existing rosters until the playoffs are concluded. 

 

So using your Cam Talbot example. His contract wouldn't expire on July 1. The July 1 date is artificial and assumes the completion of the previous season. Since it hasn't concluded, neither has his contract. Given the extenuating circumstances, all contracts would be pushed forward by the appropriate duration. 

 

Does that require NHLPA approval? I don't know. Would the players be opposed to it? If so, why? What difference does it make when they re-sign?

 

Worst case scenario, you go ahead without NHLPA approval and players on expired contracts (July 1 expire'ees) will miss out on the playoffs and not get a Stanley Cup ring if their team wins. Fine by me. They also won't get paid any playoff revenue or bonuses either. 

 

Thoughts?  

[Podein25]

19 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

if I were in charge

 

Let's all pray it doesn't come to that. 

 

Just kidding bud. Hope all is well in Leafland

[flyer4ever]

Bettman is just a miniature version of the fake president. One concern only - his money. He has not given a single moments thought to the safety of the players, the their families, the on ice officials. Nothing but greed. The American Hockey League did the right thing. If he an ounce of integrity he would do the right thing and cancel the season, but he has never done the right thing, only the greed thing. He is a shameless little turd.

[ruxpin]

16 minutes ago, flyer4ever said:

Bettman is just a miniature version of the fake president. One concern only - his money. He has not given a single moments thought to the safety of the players, the their families, the on ice officials. Nothing but greed. The American Hockey League did the right thing. If he an ounce of integrity he would do the right thing and cancel the season, but he has never done the right thing, only the greed thing. He is a shameless little turd.

 

Yeah.  In my opinion, being a grownup and cancelling the season is the only cogent solution.

 

So I guaranfrickentee you they do something else.

 

But seriously.   End the season, asterisk it like WoW suggested with "Playoffs cancelled and season terminated due to Coronavirus."   There's seasons interrupted by WWII.  It would just be history.   Probably a lot more memorable in terms of history than another random Cup-winner among a long line of Cup winners.    

 

I really don't see the need--outside of the almighty dollar ($1.41 Canadian)--to finish the season.   It really seems kindergarten-tantrum to me.

[ruxpin]

1 hour ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

His contract wouldn't expire on July 1. The July 1 date is artificial and assumes the completion of the previous season.

 

Is that true?    Seriously asking.  I was of the understanding that the contracts are literally dated.  If so, 

 

1 hour ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

Does that require NHLPA approval?

 

then yes.

1 hour ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

Would the players be opposed to it? If so, why? What difference does it make when they re-sign?

 

then yes.   And the difference it makes is that the contract expires on June 30.    (Someone look this up.  I don't know that the date thing is hard and fast.   But I think it is.    If it's not, then maybe not as big a deal.

 

Except:

1 hour ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

The draft can occur as usual, but no trades would be allowed and no drafted players could be used on the existing rosters until the playoffs are concluded. 

 

Players do get traded at the draft for draft picks, etc.   I think we're back to screwing the crap out of things going forward to resuscitate a season that is VERY MOST SINCERELY DEAD AND SHOULD STAY THAT WAY. 

[ruxpin]

Btw, I should put this on the front page of this forum:

 

I am on day 52 of work-from-home and am hating every moment of it.   Any tone in my posts are not directed toward any poster.  

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, ruxpin said:

Is that true?    Seriously asking.  I was of the understanding that the contracts are literally dated.  If so, 

 

The contracts are literally dated, so it does end on July 1/June 30.  What I'm saying though is that the NHL and NHLPA chose July 1 as the date for contracts to end because it was a point in time where the season and playoffs would have been concluded. No contract is ever structured such that it ends mid-season. Thus, the July 1 date is an "arbitrary" date in that it represents a point in time after the season has concluded. There's no reason why it couldn't easily be shifted forward to August or September. Nobody would be losing anything. Nothing would change. 

 

1 hour ago, ruxpin said:

Players do get traded at the draft for draft picks, etc.   I think we're back to screwing the crap out of things going forward to resuscitate a season that is VERY MOST SINCERELY DEAD AND SHOULD STAY THAT WAY. 

 

I agree... but those trades would have to be postponed until September in order for the NHL to do this. In other words, the trade window would shift forward. Teams would have a few weeks to make a flurry of trades before the next season began... but wouldn't be able to do so until this one ended. So it "compacts" the trade/free agent window.

 

I know it's not ideal but I'm of the: "why not give it a shot?" opinion. They have nothing to lose.  

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by WordsOfWisdom

[WordsOfWisdom]

3 hours ago, Podein25 said:

Let's all pray it doesn't come to that. 

 

Just kidding bud. Hope all is well in Leafland

 

Other than record-breaking cold weather, things are going good. 

 

We've had snow the past few days!  They even put salt on the roads again and I have my winter car out of storage now. (I was not impressed.)  

 

[ruxpin]

56 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

I know it's not ideal but I'm of the: "why not give it a shot?" opinion. They have nothing to lose.  

 

Honestly, they have a lot more to lose with this than just doing the sensible thing and say goodbye to the dead season and move on. 

 

It's a horrible idea. Some iteration of it will probably happen because this league is run by greedy myopic imbeciles, but it's a terrible idea. 

[AJgoal]

On 5/11/2020 at 8:43 PM, ruxpin said:

 

Is that true?    Seriously asking.  I was of the understanding that the contracts are literally dated.  If so, 

 

The league year starts on July 1 per the CBA. That's why contracts expire at midnight. There's nothing preventing the league and players from agreeing to extend the date in order to play out the season. There are rumblings that that is already in the works. My guess would be that they would apply it to contracts, but not to signing bonuses, although there are tax ramifications for players with the latter depending on where they reside at the time of that payment.

 

On 5/11/2020 at 8:43 PM, ruxpin said:

 

 

then yes.

 

then yes.   And the difference it makes is that the contract expires on June 30.    (Someone look this up.  I don't know that the date thing is hard and fast.   But I think it is.    If it's not, then maybe not as big a deal.

 

Except:

 

Players do get traded at the draft for draft picks, etc.   I think we're back to screwing the crap out of things going forward to resuscitate a season that is VERY MOST SINCERELY DEAD AND SHOULD STAY THAT WAY. 

 

The players and the league very much want to resume the season. The number I heard was that the league stands to lose $1 Billion dollars if the season doesn't continue. That means a cap that goes down, players losing jobs (buyouts), etc. Neither side wants that to happen. 

[ruxpin]

1 hour ago, AJgoal said:

The players and the league very much want to resume the season. The number I heard was that the league stands to lose $1 Billion dollars if the season doesn't continue. That means a cap that goes down, players losing jobs (buyouts), etc. Neither side wants that to happen. 

Two things. 

 

If they end up damaging next season in the process, they exacerbate their losses.  I really think that's the result they're inviting.  I wonder the percentage that just don't care at this point. If we're taking a head count, put me in your column. 

 

The second thing (technically third, I think) is they really need to re-examine their business model. 

[radoran]

The primary reason the league "needs" to finish this season is the fallout from the way they handled two lockouts.

 

TV contracts for many teams include clauses that give a "free" year to broadcasters next year if they don't finish the season as scheduled.

 

The chickens, as they say, are coming home to roost.

[ruxpin]

1 hour ago, radoran said:

The primary reason the league "needs" to finish this season is the fallout from the way they handled two lockouts.

 

TV contracts for many teams include clauses that give a "free" year to broadcasters next year if they don't finish the season as scheduled.

 

The chickens, as they say, are coming home to roost.

 

Hey rad,

Interesting info.   Is the "as scheduled" part of it, and how narrowly is that defined?  I'm just wondering if they're already in that territory.  I mean, it's already not "as scheduled."   I suppose if they finish it gives more room to work something out, but...