It was announced Wednesday that the NHL's extended 84-game season will be going into effect next year, and based on public reactions from players and executives, it would seem there are some mixed opinions about the change.
Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, future NHL seasons will begin in late September as opposed to early October, and the Stanley Cup is expected to be awarded in mid-June. That means that the preseason will be shortened in order to accommodate the two additional games.
Those extra games will be taking place against divisional rivals for each team, something that Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman welcomes with open arms.
"I think the 84-game season makes perfect sense,” Yzerman told MLive. “I think it’ll give more balance to divisional games."
Utah Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev told RG.org that he is not concerned about the change and in fact is looking forward to the truncated preseason.
"As a veteran, I usually play only two preseason games anyway," Sergachev explained. "I’d much rather have a couple more regular-season games than risk injuries in meaningless matchups. Plus, fans would rather see games that count."
That sentiment was echoed in anonymous player polls conducted by Daily Faceoff. One unnamed NHLer responded that the "shorter the better" when it comes to the preseason, adding that he was "always in favor of a shorter season and not having the Cup awarded in late June" (shorter meaning the length of time rather than number of games).
However, that is not the consensus across the board. The Athletic spoke to some players on the condition of anonymity, where several skaters expressed their concerns regarding the logistics of having more games. One of those worries was how it would affect the density of the schedule.
“I don’t like more games,” one veteran defenseman from the Western Conference said. “I think the season should be shorter. We play too long. The schedule has too many times with three games in four days."
That's a very valid point given the fact that five NHL teams will already have to play 16 back-to-backs during the upcoming season, which is a number that could increase with more games being added.
Another concern for some was that, while the veteran players might enjoy playing in fewer games before the regular season begins, the younger skaters who are vying to earn a spot in the lineup might be missing out on an opportunity to prove themselves.
"When you’re not established, those preseason games can make all the difference," the same player explained. "You get those reps to show coaches what you bring. I know those games helped me when I was younger."
The preseason is one of the only chances that prospects and young skaters get to show how they perform in true game action as opposed to the workouts, drills, and scrimmages that take place during training camp.
As a general manager who is instrumental in making lineup decisions, Yzerman admitted that was one of his worries about the new format, saying "it's a bit of a challenge."
"The guys that are really knocking on the door, the guys that you can consider call-ups, and then those players that are here really trying to push to make the team, it’s going to be hard to get everybody in a reasonable number of games."Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman
The NHL already experimented with an 84-game once before during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, but that idea was quickly scrapped following the lockout in 1994. Could the same thing happen this time around? Perhaps, but it would have to wait until the next CBA expires in 2030.