EHM The Blue Line

Looks like the schedule is changing again.

NHL schedule changes accent variety.

Personally, I find this a little comical. Weren't people complaining about the lack of variety even before the post-lockout format was used? ...and the league is just now realising it a few years later.

Though, I can't bash it too much, because their at least doing something I agree with... so I'm happy with the change. I'd prefer the system to be even more simple and logical, where each team plays each team a certain amount of times, but I'll take this small step for now.

I like this move, suprisingly enough, i think itll make the league more "as one", and i also think that it will test players a lot more in terms of travelling, we could see whole new side of the players, and they are gonna hav to be better preapred by far!

It took time, but Bettman finally made a clever move

I think it was an issue pre-lockout, but it became a much bigger issue after the lockout with Crosby and Ovechkin breaking out into the league's most marketable assets. Every one wants to see them play, and every team wants home dates with those guys in town. It doesn't make logical sense for the league obviously to limit their marketing appeal by having west coast teams almost never get to see the phenoms.

Guys--this is not a new move. And it is NOT a Clever move by Buttholeman This is to cover up a screw up of not having each team play each team during a season..without widdling off eastern based owners who do not want to pay for airplane rides and hotels for their teams. All this is to do is give the league some PR for doing something about a completely stupid McDavid-ing idea. Christ, even in baseball they realized teams should play as many other teams as possible. And jdh79..IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE. REGARDLESS OF CROSBY/OVECHKIN.

yes have divisional and rivalry games ... but for christ sakes...everyone should play everyone. Simple marketing tool. Use all your assets.

This idea is still stupid...should have still been everyone plays everyone at least in a home and home. Only makes common sense.

By "clever move", i meant "slightly less stupid than actually" It meant that Buttman managed to not make something more stupid than what's in place. So it looks clever, according to his capacities

Still stupid for sure. And yeah, playing everyone twice would be a minimum. Btw, i still don't understand why there's not the exact same number of games against every team in the league. Because of rivalries? Stupid. Just look at euro sports and leagues. Same number of games against everyone, and solid rivalries, sometimes even bigger ones than in US sports.

Yeah, but, you can't compare euro games against us games. different culture, there's a reason futbol hasn't taken off in the u.s. really. Americans (or the networks think) that they just can't handle a game that doesn't have flashing lights with atleast 20 points be scored by each team.

Btw, i still don't understand why there's not the exact same number of games against every team in the league. Because of rivalries? Stupid.

Same here. And I always thought it was due to travel...? Though, that could very easily be fixed with the Euro logic: Each team plays eachother twice. Therefore, each NHL team would play 58 games per season; 29 home games, and 29 away games. And now that they're playing less games, but still playing from October to April, they can have more time between games for travel and/or rest.

Sounds like it would work, to me.

dybbuk wrote:Yeah, but, you can't compare euro games against us games. different culture, there's a reason futbol hasn't taken off in the u.s. really. Americans (or the networks think) that they just can't handle a game that doesn't have flashing lights with atleast 20 points be scored by each team.

Futbol has nothing to do with it, we're talking hockey here. I don't like football for the exact reason you mentioned: too boring for my ADD personality.

ADD... Advanced Dungeons and Dragons?

Soccer sucks. Slow, low scoring games, boring, nothing physical, nearly nothing technical, stupid fans... Really horrible show Even curling is more interesting! At least there are no murders between "fans" in curling

As for the schedule, i think 4 games against any other team would be better than 2, but with less teams in the league, keeping only the real hockey markets.

Shadd666 wrote:ADD... Advanced Dungeons and Dragons?

Actually Attention Deficit Disorder, although I did play my share of AD&D too as a kid.

No, I don't really have ADD, just making a point...

B. Stinson wrote:

Btw, i still don't understand why there's not the exact same number of games against every team in the league. Because of rivalries? Stupid.

Same here. And I always thought it was due to travel...? Though, that could very easily be fixed with the Euro logic: Each team plays eachother twice. Therefore, each NHL team would play 58 games per season; 29 home games, and 29 away games. And now that they're playing less games, but still playing from October to April, they can have more time between games for travel and/or rest.

Sounds like it would work, to me.

Except for the fact that eac team would lose 12 home game gate revenues. Not going to happen because no matter what the owners say...they make money off each game.

I don't want a completely balanced schedule. But like those who see New Jersey 8 times, who wants to watch the Wild 8 times...not to mention the Canucks.

Anyway, the sched sucked the way it was before the lockout, and it sucks now...and it sucks for the foreseeable future. 84 games, 6 exhibitions (instead of 8 is the way to go.

6 against division teams...24
3 against conference teams 30
2 against non conference teams 30

Total 84

54 games against the teams you are battling for the playoffs, yet you still have to be able to be successful league wide.

Plus that way..the freaking rangers, Devils and the like would have to come west and bore us to effing death every single season. Wahoo!