Beaner
04-09-2005, 10:38 AM
from www.tsn.ca
McKenzie: NHL likely to expand playoffs
TSN.ca Staff
4/8/2005
For any NHL team that loses out in the Sidney Crosby draft lottery, they can always look on the bright side - it's going to be much easier to make the playoffs when the league finally resumes play.
That's because, aside from the intrigue of what the entry draft order of selection will be, the most interesting news coming out of the GMs' meeting in Detroit on Friday is that it is highly likely the number of playoff teams is going to grow from 16 to 20.
The GMs seem to generally like the idea put forward by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday. The NHL governors, who actually call the shot, absolutely love it, so you can be reasonably sure 20 of the NHL's 30 franchises will see some playoff action when the Stanley Cup is next contested.
The potential new format is being dubbed as a "play in" to the playoffs. The top 10 teams in each conference would make the playoffs. There would be a preliminary "play-in" round in each conference, seeing the 7th seed play the 10th and the 8th play the 9th in a best of three series. The two winners would then join the top six seeds in the "traditional" eight-team conference playoff.
As for the draft lottery, there was all sorts of talk after the meeting about a stormy debate on how best to proceed. In actual fact, one NHL GM made an impassioned plea to do the lottery one way but before any debate could take place, Bettman shut it down.
He basically told the GMs how it was going to be. It will be a weighted lottery. The teams that have missed the playoffs for the last three or four years will have a better chance to get the first pick overall, but all 30 teams will be in the running.
Non-playoff entities like Columbus and the New York Rangers will have a better chance of winning the lottery than, say, Detroit or Colorado, but everyone will have some shot at the top pick. And keep in mind, as good a chance as a team like Columbus may have compared to a team like Detroit, the field has a better chance of winning than the franchise that gets weighted as No. 1.
The NHL hasn't decided yet when to conduct the lottery -- it could happen before the lockout is over; it could be put off until a new CBA is in place -- but two things we do know. Whichever team gets the first pick overall won't pick again until No. 60, and the team that gets the 30th pick will pick again at 31. Also, all traded or transferred draft choices will be in effect for the next draft, so if your favourite team traded away its first-round pick in 2005, kiss Sidney goodbye right now -- even if your team wins the lottery.
General Managers were also told they're going to be going into a new, more open universe as far as the media is concerned, specifically rights holders and those who present the NHL game on television.
General Managers viewed a video presentation on the more "open policy" of Major League Baseball, the National Football League and NASCAR as far as pre-game, in-game and post-game interviews and dialogue and access with players and coaches. GMs were told whether they like it or not, the time has come for the NHL to be much more open and innovative with its game presentation.
As for a CBA update, Bettman and NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow met for 40 minutes on Thursday night -- not three hours. They agreed the two sides will get together next week sometime and we'll find out then whether the NHLPA concept of a floating salary range tied to league revenues will get some real traction.
The NHL likes the NHLPA concept. The league doesn't like the big gap between floor and ceiling, believed to be about $20 million, and thinks the ceiling is too high. Number crunching next week will determine whether this has a legitimate chance to fly.
McKenzie: NHL likely to expand playoffs
TSN.ca Staff
4/8/2005
For any NHL team that loses out in the Sidney Crosby draft lottery, they can always look on the bright side - it's going to be much easier to make the playoffs when the league finally resumes play.
That's because, aside from the intrigue of what the entry draft order of selection will be, the most interesting news coming out of the GMs' meeting in Detroit on Friday is that it is highly likely the number of playoff teams is going to grow from 16 to 20.
The GMs seem to generally like the idea put forward by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday. The NHL governors, who actually call the shot, absolutely love it, so you can be reasonably sure 20 of the NHL's 30 franchises will see some playoff action when the Stanley Cup is next contested.
The potential new format is being dubbed as a "play in" to the playoffs. The top 10 teams in each conference would make the playoffs. There would be a preliminary "play-in" round in each conference, seeing the 7th seed play the 10th and the 8th play the 9th in a best of three series. The two winners would then join the top six seeds in the "traditional" eight-team conference playoff.
As for the draft lottery, there was all sorts of talk after the meeting about a stormy debate on how best to proceed. In actual fact, one NHL GM made an impassioned plea to do the lottery one way but before any debate could take place, Bettman shut it down.
He basically told the GMs how it was going to be. It will be a weighted lottery. The teams that have missed the playoffs for the last three or four years will have a better chance to get the first pick overall, but all 30 teams will be in the running.
Non-playoff entities like Columbus and the New York Rangers will have a better chance of winning the lottery than, say, Detroit or Colorado, but everyone will have some shot at the top pick. And keep in mind, as good a chance as a team like Columbus may have compared to a team like Detroit, the field has a better chance of winning than the franchise that gets weighted as No. 1.
The NHL hasn't decided yet when to conduct the lottery -- it could happen before the lockout is over; it could be put off until a new CBA is in place -- but two things we do know. Whichever team gets the first pick overall won't pick again until No. 60, and the team that gets the 30th pick will pick again at 31. Also, all traded or transferred draft choices will be in effect for the next draft, so if your favourite team traded away its first-round pick in 2005, kiss Sidney goodbye right now -- even if your team wins the lottery.
General Managers were also told they're going to be going into a new, more open universe as far as the media is concerned, specifically rights holders and those who present the NHL game on television.
General Managers viewed a video presentation on the more "open policy" of Major League Baseball, the National Football League and NASCAR as far as pre-game, in-game and post-game interviews and dialogue and access with players and coaches. GMs were told whether they like it or not, the time has come for the NHL to be much more open and innovative with its game presentation.
As for a CBA update, Bettman and NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow met for 40 minutes on Thursday night -- not three hours. They agreed the two sides will get together next week sometime and we'll find out then whether the NHLPA concept of a floating salary range tied to league revenues will get some real traction.
The NHL likes the NHLPA concept. The league doesn't like the big gap between floor and ceiling, believed to be about $20 million, and thinks the ceiling is too high. Number crunching next week will determine whether this has a legitimate chance to fly.