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NHL Needs To Change Their Playoff Format

By Brett Innis

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 24: The Stanley Cup is on display during Patrik Elias Jersey Retirement Night prior to the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders on February 24, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 24: The Stanley Cup is on display during Patrik Elias Jersey Retirement Night prior to the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders on February 24, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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With the NHL and NHLPA having the option to end the current Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2019, it’s not too early to look at the potential change in how we determine a Stanley Cup Champion

March Madness is here and everyone all over North America is filling out brackets in hopes that they will win their office pool or attain bragging rights amongst their peers. Pretty soon, hockey fans will be filling out Stanley Cup brackets for the NHL playoffs too.

The concept came to fruition in 2014. It saw the top three teams from the four realigned divisions and two wild-cards make the playoffs in each conference. Four years later, it’s time for a change. For the last few seasons, fans, and media members have been frustrated with the current format and want to see a change.

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For example, the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins are almost guaranteed to meet in the first two rounds yet again. Many argue that the matchup should be in the conference finals rather than the first two rounds.

This season, the  Toronto Maple Leafs have virtually locked in their third seeding in the Atlantic Division for the better part of a month. The same thing happened to the New York Rangers last season with the first Wild-Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The NHL should give the fans what they want. The old format of high seed against low seed with reseeding each round that was implemented from 1994-2013. Everyone likes to look at the playoff matchups day-in and day-out. The lack of possibility has made playoff races slightly less enjoyable. Teams are competing for home ice advantage against an opponent they’ve faced six times in the regular season.

I understand the logistics of teams traveling, booking out arenas and all that. The push to the playoffs is still exciting and so is the first round; the playoff formatting is anti-climatic.

The NHL and NHLPA could blow up the current CBA and decide to reformat the playoffs. 1 vs. 16 is nice and shiny on paper, but there’s no way the NHL and the players go for it. If Boston had the first seed and San Jose, for example, had the 16th, the logistics would have the potential to be as painful as blocking a Zdeno Chara slap shot.

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The balancing of conferences with Vegas and soon-to-be Seattle franchises have made the landscape of the playoffs easier to organize. High seed against low seed worked. It’ll work again. It’s time to go back to the way it used to be.

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