November 7, 2006

THE NHL SCHEDULING CONCEPT THAT WILL NEVER BE ACCEPTED

      So the hockey general mangers are getting together this week to discuss the problems with the league schedule.  The western GM’s are complaining that their teams do far too much traveling and are at a disadvantage when facing the Eastern Conference clubs.  The western clubs would also like to see the eastern clubs, and their players, more often.  The Eastern clubs think that the west should be more self-supportive and a growing number of eastern clubs are proposing a complete separation in regular season scheduling.  The east only plays the east and the west only plays the west.  But that seems like a reach.  Even baseball has broken away from that tradition.

       Of course before any changes can be enforced the league needs the approval of two-thirds of its clubs, and getting 20 teams to agree to anything seems as improbable as the Dixie Chicks being invited to sing at George Bush’ next birthday party.   However, since the western clubs rarely see the best players from the east anymore, and since the league is all about promoting its product and purports to be about growth not spreading its talent around is akin to shooting itself in the foot.  Those in Anaheim, for example, need to see Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin, Jagr, etc. and other great players that reside in the east.  To think that fans in western cities will only get to see these great players every three years is preposterous.  The league should adopt a schedule more in line with the NBA—every team plays against every team at least twice (with each having a home game).   Fans need to have the opportunity to see every team and every player.

       Now, here is my proposal.  First, the league needs to decide whether to push for divisional rivalries or for conference rivalries.  If their playoff system remains as it is—based on conference seeding—then it is pointless for teams to play eight games with inter-divisional teams.  The games need to be spread around more. 

       So, let’s use Toronto as a jumping off point.  In this new schedule the Leafs would play twice—home and away—against every club in the Western Conference.  With 15 clubs in the opposite conference the Leafs have 30 games tied up, leaving 52 to play.  With the lessening of intra-divisional games the schedule now opens up to more games within the conference.  The Leafs would then play six games against two of their divisional rivals and five against the other two—teams would alternate each year—and that would use up 22 more games and leave a nice round 30 more games, or precisely three games against each of the other 10 conference clubs.  The Leafs would have the extra home game with five clubs and the extra road game with the other five—to also alternate each year.

       This new schedule allows the continuation of regional rivalries such as Toronto-Ottawa, Toronto-Buffalo, and Toronto-Montreal but also expands the opportunities for marketing and promotion.  It creates a more stable, and a much more fair, environment in which all teams can operate.  The playoff structure would then be more in tune with the regular season schedule and would promote better unity among the 30 clubs.   

      Discuss.

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