ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski reported on Friday that the NHL has taken pitches from cities and venues across North America to be potential hosts for neutral-site playoff games.
While it remains unclear if the NHL would conduct its postseason in only one city, the league appears to have ruled out one possible playoff scenario.
“I would say that a best-of-one is not something we would ever go to,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. said to ESPN. “I’ve always had the caveat that everything is on the table and nothing is out of the question. I would say there would be a strong opposition to ever creating a playoff where it was a single elimination. I think best-of-three is more possible, not preferred, but more possible than a best-of-one scenario.”
“The pesky Devils aren’t in a playoff spot. We’re making a push,” Subban said of the Devils, who sit 13 points out of the second wildcard spot in the East. “I did like, it was floating around out there, a 31-team playoff format. I like that, giving us an opportunity to get in the playoffs and play some meaningful hockey down the stretch. For us, I don’t even know. I could be working out for no reason. I don’t know. We’ll wait and see. I’d like to play some more hockey. We’re starting to turn it on.”
The Devils had gone 6-2-2 in their last 10 games before the NHL paused its season.
If the NHL does return to action, how do they go about finishing the season?@FriedgeHNIC, @Burkie2020, @StuMunrue, and @SNCaroline discuss some ideas: pic.twitter.com/QJLkju6q0Q
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 12, 2020
There was also support among some general managers.
“I had one GM who said to me, if they can’t play until June, he would love to see a March Madness-style single- or double-elimination tournament maybe at one site,” Elliotte Friedman said in March during the opening days of the NHL’s suspension of the regular season.
While it was always a longshot, a 31-team NHL tourney would be unprecedented and be must-watch television. The format would likely inspire big upsets and could crown an unlikely champion. The format would also make results from the regular season still matter, while also allowing other teams to play for the Stanley Cup who might otherwise be victimized by a shortened regular season, which at this point seems likely.
As many as eight NHL teams are on the playoff bubble and sitting outside the final wildcard sports in the Eastern and Western Conferences.
What do you think of the NHL’s decision?
