May 6, 2023

The NHL is in need of addressing the format for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the eventual Stanley Cup Finals winner.

The league has achieved, for the most part, parity amongst its teams, allowing for pretty good regular season Division, Conference play, and Inter-Conference games.

With the abundance of American based teams, I believe the chance for a Canadian team to rise from a 30 year hibernation and win the prized championship trophy, last achieved by the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, may take a few more years, or still could be achieved this season: if the “upset” trend of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continues through to the Stanley Cup Final.

To hasten that possibility, at risk of upsetting my American neighbors, I would suggest a little tweak, which would benefit all teams, especially those rebuilding or retooling.

What would it involve? Warning, it’s radical:

*An Inter-Conference Round 3 of the NHL Playoffs with the top seeded team of the Western Conference playing the lowest seeded Eastern Conference team; the top seeded team of the Eastern Conference playing the lowest Western Conference seed.

*The winners of the Inter-Conference Round would play in the Stanley Cup Finals. Home ice advantage to be determined.

*The Inter-Conference Round Losers would play the best of 3-game series to determine 3rd place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Background

Presently, regular season play results in:

• Top three teams in each division of each conference advancing to the playoffs
• Two additional top Wild Card teams from the remainder of the teams in each conference also advance to Stanley Cup Playoffs first round play.

There are seven NHL Canadian based teams in the National Hockey League. Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg in the Western Conference. Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto in the Eastern Conference.

For each season, there are any number of teams tweaking their rosters within a league imposed Cap, so from minor to major, based on each teams competitive circumstances, retooling, tweaking, and rebuilding does occur.

The two conferences play a large part in the ability of teams to successfully achieve winning the Stanley Cup. But that influence can be tweaked as well.

The Idea

Obviously, the regular season is long as it is, but historically the Eastern Conference divisions have faced considerable competition in vying for playoff spots, with some not making it, even though having better records then a Western Conference opponent.

I would like to see an Inter-Conference Round at Round 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs:

*The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs would begin with Round 1 and Round 2 as they do presently, but Round 3 would be an Inter-Conference Round: WC top seed plays EC lowest seed; EC top seed plays WC lowest seed. Top seeds would have home ice advantage.

*Inter-Conference Round winners would play in the Stanley Cup Finals. Home ice advantage to be determined.

*The Inter-Conference Round Losers would play the best of 3-game series to determine 3rd place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The addition of an Inter- Conference Round would add a component that no other sports league has: Inter-Conference play to determine the final two teams for a league championship, and a short 3-game series to determine 3rd place in the playoffs.

Why? Besides reasons listed above……and…

To start with, to reward teams that have played well enough all season to compete for a shot at the Stanley Cup.

Also, Canadian NHL based teams need a helping hand to counter the 25 American based NHL teams.

If the NHL goes Global, with additional teams, the NHL Playoffs format would need tweaking, and my suggestion would start it off.

Never too late.

The ultimate prize in the NHL, the reason for a grueling regular season, is to not only to make the playoffs but benefit from one’s play, based on earned merit, such as seeding, but also Conference, Inter-Conference and League superiority, to take that playoff run for the Stanley Cup.

I would suggest no team in the NHL feels the ultimate goal is to win their Division, Conference, or Presidents Trophy. Those represent goals of achievement to an end, that end being holding the Stanley Cup as an NHL champion.

Too often in the NHL, teams that start the season with the endorsement of NHL writers, broadcasters, commentators, color analysts, and pundits —as the “favorites” to make the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup, are not always correct.

Teams that start the season well, don’t always finish as they begin. Others are “late bloomers” and finish strong, sometimes to make the “show”, other times 1, 2 or 3 points short of “making the dance”.

In conclusion, and in review, my suggestion is simple:

• Top three teams in each division of each conference advancing to the playoffs, as it stands now
• Two additional top Wild Card teams from the remainder of the teams in each conference also advance to Stanley Cup Playoffs 1rst round play.
• The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin with Round 1 and Round 2 as they are presently, but Round 3 would be an Inter-Conference Round: WC top seed plays EC lowest seed; EC top seed plays WC lowest seed. Top seeds would have home ice advantage.
• Inter-Conference Round winners would play in the Stanley Cup Finals. Home ice advantage to be determined.
• The Inter-Conference Round Losers would play the best of 3-game series to determine 3rd place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Just saying…..