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Donald Beckett
Top Prospect
Canada
88 Posts |
 Posted - 11/01/2006 : 09:21:11
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Poll Question:
Should Gary Bettman change the schedule so everyone plays everyone at least once each season?
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Donald Beckett
Top Prospect
Canada
88 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2006 : 09:23:03
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Bob McKenzie's take on this:
There's talk about how long it is between visits by Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin or even the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Western Conference. The matter is likely to come up for discussion at the NHL's General Managers' meeting on Nov. 7.
That being said, here are a few possible solutions to the problem:
The challenge here is to fix the schedule so everyone plays everyone at least once each season while still maintaining a heavy emphasis on divisional games. There is really only one simple way to do that.
Let's use the Northwest Division as an example on how it could work.
The Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche would play each other eight times each for a total of 32 games.
They would then play three games each against their 10 Western Conference rivals in the Pacific and Central divisions, for a total of 30 games.
Now comes integrating the West and East.
The Northwest teams would play a home-and-home series against the Northeast teams, which consist of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins. That is another 10 games.
The five Northwest teams would then visit, say, the five Atlantic Division teams for another five games and play host to the five Southeast Division teams for another five games and that could be flip-flopped the next year.
So voila, you have an 82-game schedule.
It fills the need of having strong divisional rivalries but also pits natural cross-country rivals. The Canadian teams would get a home-and-home against each other every year. The Central and Atlantic Division, with three original six teams (Detroit, Chicago and New York), could hook up for their home-and-home. And in the NHL's sunbelt, the Pacific Division could meet the Southeast Division in their home-and-home.
Every team would play every team at least once. No team would ever go more than two years without visiting every NHL city. Not everyone will love it, but it's a far more equitable, common-sense approach than the one being used now.
http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_talent/columnists/bob_mckenzie/
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Novie
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
452 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2006 : 10:21:46
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Living in Calgary as a Sens fan, and having worked with Crosby before, I would love to see each of them more often in Calgary...not once every 3 years.
Maybe if I were an Oilers/Avalanche/Canucks/Wild fan, I would love the schedule they way it is now, but I say change it!
Go Sens |
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bablaboushka
PickupHockey Veteran
Canada
2417 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2006 : 20:22:45
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I saw his report on TSN when he presented it. Works for me.
The bottom line is that it needs to change. |
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ultimatetitman
Rookie
Canada
244 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2006 : 14:54:50
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I know I am beating a dead horse, but Bettman should not change the schedule - he should resign and give the game back to someone who loves it.
I'll get off my soapbox now...
If Bettman needed any evidence that the schedule should be changed he should come to Vancouver for a game versus either Toronto or Montreal. It's awesome! There are almost as many Leafs and Habs fans as there are homers, and they are usually as loud if not louder. I would rather go see those games than, say, Pittsburgh or Carolina, for, if nothing else, the atmosphere of it all.
Likely, however, it will change very little, if at all. The truth of it all is that the current schedule has been concocted to give the "flagship" teams of the league, i.e. Toronto, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, New Jersey, an easier time of it. Imagine only one west coast swing every three years. What an advantage come the Stanley Cup Finals, when the Western Conference Champion has over 15,000 more airmiles, and a couple hundred more travel hours to deal with.
Bettman is so pro-east that it makes me sick. Therefore, nothing will change. |
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Canucklehead
Top Prospect
Canada
7 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2006 : 09:54:58
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| McKenzie's right on the money. The NHL should implement this lock, stock & barrel asap. |
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StanleyCup
Top Prospect
Canada
15 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2006 : 15:24:50
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it is a no brainer. Every team should play each other at least once a season, maybe more. I would love to see the west come out here more often to get their asses handed to them.
Go Leafs!
...from my elbow to your face. |
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lyall
PickupHockey Pro
360 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2006 : 19:59:34
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| Change it. Have the east team's here once every three years is a joke. I love watching Edmonton & Toronto. This year they play in Toronto & next year we don't play them at all. Having Montreal & Ottawa come to town once a year is nice as well. I am sick of watchin so many Northwest games. |
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Jack Kayden 66
Top Prospect
Canada
61 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2006 : 10:38:42
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Two sides to the story and although it seems this forum is all in agreement that the schedule should change, not all GM's agree.
From Dave Nonis:
We should play every team in the league at least once. We all pay the same dues and right now the western teams are getting it right in the teeth for no good reason. We fly as much as we ever did and the eastern teams don't do a bloody thing."
From Jim Rutherford:
"I think there's enough good players in both conferences and the game is good enough, you can certainly promote your own conference. I don't see where it's necessary to have more games out of conference," he said. "I would be fine if we all just stayed in our own conference."
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Ryan Harper
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2006 : 14:15:03
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Looks like the GM's couldn't reach a concensus on this issue:
"TORONTO (CP) - The NHL schedule will remain as is, for now.
The league's 30 general managers wrapped up their meeting this afternoon without reaching an agreement on changing the schedule.
The unbalanced format heavy on intraconference play is unpopular among some teams who want to see more of the other clubs.
Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford says he and his counterparts plan to keep discussing the issue.
The schedule issue was atop the agenda at the meeting."
"Some people skate to the puck. I skate to where the puck is going to be."
~Wayne Gretzky
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Guest5016
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Posted - 11/08/2006 : 07:53:31
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First of All we need to get rid of the "LITTLE WEASEL GARY BETTMEN"
Then get someone in that can actually play a sport and have a vote from the Fans and Players as to how the schedule should be
If nothing else , GET RID OF BETTMEN
CANADAS GAME
GO LEAFS!!!!!
Thanks
Rick I
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Trevman12
Rookie
Canada
182 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2006 : 19:12:37
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| YES. the schedule has to change. |
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Topic |
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Poll - Should Bettman Change the Schedule? 
