The only “insider” info in this blog is that Vancouver are favourites. This of coarse means that Vancouver won’t be a hub.
- doon

Ek says Vancouver a favorite, so they definite out of the running.

No.

I could see Vancouver, but in some ways...I'm not sure how it can be the only hub. It makes sense to have/also have a Eastern hub to capture that Eastern Canada/New England/Great Lakes viewership

I could see Vancouver, but in some ways...I'm not sure how it can be the only hub. It makes sense to have/also have a Eastern hub to capture that Eastern Canada/New England/Great Lakes viewership


- jugkope

No fans so game times can suit any & all time zones.

No fans so game times can suit any & all time zones.
- Nighthawk

Afternoon hockey for the Eastern teams, evening hockey for the Western teams then?

Afternoon hockey for the Eastern teams, evening hockey for the Western teams then?
- jugkope

Double headers 3 & 6pm or 4 & 7 pm PT
No fans means can pick times to suit tv.

- Gramps28

Lol good one

Hey nighthawk ! What a tough internet name . He played golf after he went to two memorial services . Barry used to fly to Hawaii for his golf so what’s your point other than being a Canadien who has Trump derangement syndrome.

Double headers 3 & 6pm or 4 & 7 pm PT
No fans means can pick times to suit tv.
- Nighthawk

Too close, that only gives maybe an hour or so at most to redo the ice. The average game is 2h 20 minutes in the regular season, that means that if the first game starts at 4pm, has a lot of stoppage and goes to double-OT you ain't starting your 2nd game before what, 10 pm, 9 if you decide to play on the ice that was just used for way too long?

That's a logistic nightmare.

Edit: Plus, you also have to suit the players. Takes time to get ready but you need to let the previous team take their stuff and leave too, and with the covid situation you are probably trying to disinfect the locker rooms between each team. How do the players deal with the uncertainty of when the game starts, since it affects their sleeping and eating patterns (one assumes)?

It’s ridiculous to expand the playoffs but still have the 8 extra teams still qualify for the lottery.

It’s like they’re calling it playoffs to exclude the bottom 7 teams but calling it a play in and not the playoffs for draft purposes.

I’m not angry. It’s a tough situation. Just seems hard on the bottom 7 who will go the longest without playing.
- Queenie_5_hole

There are 3 reasons they expanded this to 24 teams and here they are.
1)New York Rangers
2)Montreal Canadiens
3)Chicago Blackhawks

It is also an absolute joke to include first 8 teams out in draft lottery...if you are going to exclude only 7 teams from this playoff at least give them something for crying out loud...Typical Bettman crap..just dont know how you make up your own rules on fly...they should have come back and finished season out gone with usual playoff bracket but best of 3 in first 2 rounds best of 5 in conference finals then best of 7 in Finals!

Nighthawk, can you show me on the doll where Trump hurt you?

This is hockeybuzzzzz leaves the politics off here.

This sight is for belittling fans of other teams, and ripping on EK.

Once in a while real conversation about hockey

Typical Bettman crap..just dont know how you make up your own rules on fly...they should have come back and finished season out gone with usual playoff bracket but best of 3 in first 2 rounds best of 5 in conference finals then best of 7 in Finals!
- RussH1964

Waaaah...24 teams destroys the sanctity of the Stanley Cup Playoffs...so let's have rounds one and two be a best of THREE, and the conference finals be best of FIVE.

Yeah, that maintains the integrity of the playoffs...



Only on social media and message boards do you hear such garbage.

There are 3 reasons they expanded this to 24 teams and here they are.
1)New York Rangers
2)Montreal Canadiens
3)Chicago Blackhawks

It is also an absolute joke to include first 8 teams out in draft lottery...if you are going to exclude only 7 teams from this playoff at least give them something for crying out loud...Typical Bettman crap..just dont know how you make up your own rules on fly...they should have come back and finished season out gone with usual playoff bracket but best of 3 in first 2 rounds best of 5 in conference finals then best of 7 in Finals!
- RussH1964

guessed you missed the 10000 times it was explained that teams that were out didn't want to come back and finish season. and that teams that where only 1 point out and even in a playoff spot should not be out of the playoffs with 12 games still to play. they did the only thing they could. they expanded the number of teams to include a playin and then get get to the final 16. montreal ny and Chicago are in cause for this to work mathematically you needed a multiple of 8. so either 16 (wasn't going to happen) 24 or 32 (couldn't happen). so 24 it is.

guessed you missed the 10000 times it was explained that teams that were out didn't want to come back and finish season. and that teams that where only 1 point out and even in a playoff spot should not be out of the playoffs with 12 games still to play. they did the only thing they could. they expanded the number of teams to include a playin and then get get to the final 16. montreal ny and Chicago are in cause for this to work mathematically you needed a multiple of 8. so either 16 (wasn't going to happen) 24 or 32 (couldn't happen). so 24 it is.
- ffh

You beat me to it. It was thoroughly explained.

Draft lottery for this year needs intelligent revision. Short and sweet - if a team is included in top 24 for playoffs/playin, then it should be excluded from lottery. Only teams eligible for lottery are 'bottom' 7. Why reward a team good enough for expanded playoffs and the lottery.

Draft lottery for this year needs intelligent revision. Short and sweet - if a team is included in top 24 for playoffs/playin, then it should be excluded from lottery. Only teams eligible for lottery are 'bottom' 7. Why reward a team good enough for expanded playoffs and the lottery.

True, but the possibility that they could not make the (proper) playoffs is what they're paying for that possibility. It's a fair trade.
- sAFETY

This is where I think Pens and Oiler fans disagree. So, we can agree that the ultimate prize is the Cup....right? By your statement you are saying it is fair for them to give up their safe playoff spot for a 3% chance at the #1 overall pick. And no offense to the draft pool, there are really no generational talents there. It is not a “fair trade”.

I could see Vancouver, but in some ways...I'm not sure how it can be the only hub. It makes sense to have/also have a Eastern hub to capture that Eastern Canada/New England/Great Lakes viewership


- jugkope

Is this supposed to be an active covid map or something? See the furthest point in the eastern Canada with the red blotches?....thats where I am and we only have two active cases in the whole province (state)...one is in hospital and the other is home isolating...

guessed you missed the 10000 times it was explained that teams that were out didn't want to come back and finish season. and that teams that where only 1 point out and even in a playoff spot should not be out of the playoffs with 12 games still to play. they did the only thing they could. they expanded the number of teams to include a playin and then get get to the final 16. montreal ny and Chicago are in cause for this to work mathematically you needed a multiple of 8. so either 16 (wasn't going to happen) 24 or 32 (couldn't happen). so 24 it is.
- ffh

The thing is was anyone actually eliminated at the point the season was shut down?
I don't think so. Sure it's unlikely one of the bottom 7 was making the playoffs but it's also pretty unlikely the Montreal was too.

Yes, I get it's a different format because of the circumstances but IF you are giving the bottom 8 and enhanced shot at the playoffs then you can also give the bottom 7 teams the small consideration that one of the bottom 8 playoff teams aren't going to be draft lottery eligible. I mean ultimately that would assure a worst team got a better draft pick then a better team which is sort basic principle to the draft.

Is this supposed to be an active covid map or something? See the furthest point in the eastern Canada with the red blotches?....thats where I am and we only have two active cases in the whole province (state)...one is in hospital and the other is home isolating...
- MattStrat

No, it's mentions of hockey on Twitter.

No, it's mentions of hockey on Twitter.
- jugkope

Ohhh ok, sorry, carry on.

Too close, that only gives maybe an hour or so at most to redo the ice. The average game is 2h 20 minutes in the regular season, that means that if the first game starts at 4pm, has a lot of stoppage and goes to double-OT you ain't starting your 2nd game before what, 10 pm, 9 if you decide to play on the ice that was just used for way too long?

That's a logistic nightmare.

Edit: Plus, you also have to suit the players. Takes time to get ready but you need to let the previous team take their stuff and leave too, and with the covid situation you are probably trying to disinfect the locker rooms between each team. How do the players deal with the uncertainty of when the game starts, since it affects their sleeping and eating patterns (one assumes)?
- jugkope

There's zero chance that double OT will be possible if they're playing all the games in the same arena. The best we can hope for is something like 4 on 4 for 10 minutes, 3 on 3 for 10 minutes, then a shootout. Maybe they'll go back to regular playoff OT for the conference finals.

Is this supposed to be an active covid map or something? See the furthest point in the eastern Canada with the red blotches?....thats where I am and we only have two active cases in the whole province (state)...one is in hospital and the other is home isolating...
- MattStrat

And...ZERO new cases in the last 19 days!

There's zero chance that double OT will be possible if they're playing all the games in the same arena. The best we can hope for is something like 4 on 4 for 10 minutes, 3 on 3 for 10 minutes, then a shootout. Maybe they'll go back to regular playoff OT for the conference finals.
- Hunkulese

Bettman addressed that:

The top four teams in each conference will claim automatic births in the first round of the playoffs. They will play intra-conference Round Robins, each playing the other three teams to determine their respective seeds in the first round. These games will be played with regular season overtime and shootout rules with ties in the final standings broken by regular season points percentage. The remaining eight teams in each conference will play in best of five qualifying rounds series to determine which four in each conference advance to the first round of the playoffs. The match-ups for these series again are based on points percentage at the time of the pause. These games will be played with playoff overtime rules.

And...ZERO new cases in the last 19 days!
- hawk35

Thats right! We're doing good.