Viewpoint

The only issue worth debating vis-a-vis scheduling is "Why do we only see the Montreal Canadiens on CBC-HNIC when they are playing the Maple Leafs? I thought the CBC was supposed to be a national broadcaster, not a cheerleader for Toronto.

I think the schedule is terrible the idea of not playing every team stinks.
And how did Detroit end up in the western conference?!! How stupid is that? Bettman can have Detroit in the west and yet the teams cant play every team. DUHHHHHHH

The eight divisional games and a home/home with all other teams is genius, and I can't believe this idea has not caught on yet.

Another simple idea would be to reduce the in conference, non-division series from three games to four. Does Toronto-Atlanta, Vancouver-Nashville, STL-San Jose need to happen four times a year? Three times a year max is more than enough.

Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go get ready for another historic Canadiens-Panthers matchup.

Hey all, let's try to make a ripple. Here's a petition a guy in BC started. It's worth a shot, this schedule has got to go.

http://www.petitiononline.com/NHLFIXIT/petition.html

Why change the schedule so Western fans can watch the lack lustre performance of the "East" super teams?

The way Vancouver(just barely a "West" divisional contender) recently carved a swath through the "Centre of the Universe" should make it clear that professional hockey, the game and its fans, are more at home where the sun sets.

Okay, so let Detroit come out here occasionally but please spare us the habitual glorification of all things eastern.

Its no wonder Sid the Kid and Alexander the Great (et al) are doing so well. When they play against troglodites its not too hard to look good.

Keep the schedule the way it is. Diluting the purity of the western game would only be a benefit to eastern media hacks and myopic announcers at the CBC.

I could go on and on about the ideas and decisions that Bettman has made to take all the character and heart out of the NHL and turn it into a McDonald's franchise, but who has that kind of time. I'll keep it short. Balance is key! There is no balance in playing half of your games against the same 4 or 5 teams.

One of the reasons I no longer watch hockey is the schedule. The fact that 2/3-1 of the governers want it changed as well should indicate to the league that it needs to be changed NOW!
All of the fans should get to see all of the players and teams every year.

This is to Jim in reply to your loss to
Pittsburgh for the second time. Sounds like sour grapes from a sore loser just like your team and the fights during the game..And how about you fans coming into our town drunk using unsuitable language in front of our youth,starting fights spilling beer all over our fans. We dontact in such a manner in your arena do the same to ours. Fact is we outplayed and outclassed the Leafs and their fans.

The schedule sucks...this is a juvenile way to put it, but I think it most accuratley reflects how I feel.

This is a 30-team league, not NHL East and NHL West, I like to see each team play my Leafs at least once, I think like most fans of the game.

too much inter-divisional play for my liking. I'm so sick of seeing the Bruins every week it seems! No offense to Bruins fans.

If it's a case of jet-lag and travel...the players should suck it up, they get paid well for it.

Schedule needs to change, plain and simple.

This game has been taken away from us ever since Bettman took over and it is a damn disgrace. Every team should play each other at least once. It is not just the scheduling that has been in questioning but the rules. The game was so exciting in the 80's. The player's aren't allowed to decide the game anymore, because the officiating does that for them. Like they say common sense is not common. The guys that run this league show us that every day.

The toronto mapleleafs will not win a cup until management has the desire to win a cup.Toronto has no players to support mat sundin.Their (D) is a joke.

Someone has to do something!!!!
What is the fine if the Leafs just leave the ice and lose the game that the refs have obviously promised for Pittsburg?
I can't watch anymore!!!
Two Pittsburg freebees in a row!
The refs miss most everything Pittsburg does, hit the Leafs with anything close.
Once the game is out of reach, it starts to get called a little more fair.
Ruttu should have had a dive, not a penalty shot.
Is this Bettman's idea??
It is showing ;
A. The game is fixed
B. The Refs are paid off
C. Sydney is "good" for the game and must make playoffs.
I personally lost all respect for him when he smacked Coliacavo 3 times and the kid gets the penalty last game????
Tell the refs that even if this is becoming like wrestling, they should at least make it look good.
Sorry for spelling mistakes, but better then throwing glass through TV, can't afford another.
And lose the Shootout, I've yet to meet anyone that likes it. Lets play for 65 minutes and if tied, take the team out of the game???
Finally, every team should play every team at least twice.
Thanks for letting me vent;
Jim

When will the NATIONAL Hockey League return to a real National League once again?? NATIONAL not only applies to the League but OUR Canadian Nation! It's just wrong that Canadians won't get to see the Eastern Conference Teams for ongoing years. Divisional games are important, but so is the FABRIC of hockey, and that means seeing every team at least once in your home rink every year.The rising talent that emerges around every team now with the current CBA in place is an important issue with this.A true NATIONAL Hockey League has to get back to this format in order to TRULY produce Playoff condenders.

I have to agree that the loss of the All-Canada day matchups is a sad thing to lose. I am a Leafs fan but I am moreso a fan of all Canadian teams.

I am also the administrator of a hockey pool which does a schedule of games of each member playing the other members of the pool (we have 30 teams in our pool as well). The scenario we use is to have 5 games against our divisional oppenents, 3 games against our conference rivals, and 2 games against our non-conference opponents. This when you work it out is 80 games per team. Sure we rely on pts by the NHL players, but when creating the schedule I do take into account member locations. Perhaps it is an idea the NHL should try. Still gives each team 2 less games, which may be a bit of a break for them.

This whole "sell the game" is a delusion that the public are tired of. Bettman's sell the game to all four corners of the USA agenda is just as insane as George Bush's. Bettman and Bush are just as insane as Adolf Hitler ignoring his General's advice to back off or be busted.

We need a league with less teams and a balanced schedule.

Bettman has made this league a laughing stock. Jersey changes, wait three years before you see some out of conference teams, every time you blink there`s a penalty...what other league changes its rules for overtime then settles the game with a gimmick. The pure hockey fans are slowly but surely drifting away

The NHL needs to wake up! The current schedule, along with the present rule interpertation is strangling fan interest in the game. One of the games strong points has always been the passion of the fans from Canada and with the unbalanced schedule and constant frustration with the way the league is mandating the ref's call it, many fans are loosing interest. It's like watching basketball with all the powerplays now. If we wanted to watch basketball we could but, we want HOCKEY.
With some much riding on the outcome (playoff seeding, draft ranking etc) a more balanced schedule is the way to go. Not being able to see all the young stars at least a year is just not the way to treat your fans. I suggest at least one home and away game with each team at the very minimum.

Not wanting to comment much on other commenters comments. A few observations thou, home games are vital in the NW if the teams want to be first in their division. A first place gives home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. IMO thats really what the GM's are concerned about. I dont mind the NW rivalry at all. In the past few years thats where the Cup underdogs have come from. I root for Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton in that order. They are dominant teams and I'd rather see them play more in the conference against Detroit etc then against building teams like Pittsburg. Then whom is a doormat will be more clear by April.
Its exciting hockey to me, the rules strictly enforced have brought me back to the game, the best new rule is the over the blueline pass IMO also icing the puck freezing the offending team. Great stuff NHL! Keep it up. Hockey is evolving quickly in Canada now especially in the minors. You aint see nothing yet. Winnipeg needs a team, why cant Regina support a team, if 12,000 fills an arena? Can Red Deer be far behind the way Alberta is booming?

Seems to me it wasn't long ago that everyone was screaming for more games between Toronto and Montreal and Chicago and Detroit. Now everyone's complaining they play each other too often.

Here in Ottawa, the eight Leafs-Sens games are the highlight of the regular season. They are always excellent, well-played, intense and entertaining matches. I would hate to see that become a rarer event.

My suggestion would be to create a Canadian division which could also guarantee a Canadian team in the final four (perhaps even the final) in the playoffs.

Canada is the NHL's most loyal customer and I feel that is not recognized in the current format.

People, one thing to remember is that Bettman is a politician. His job is dependent on keeping the teams owners/GMs happy. The owners do not like having to spend the money to fly teams back and forth across North America again and again each season. Bettman also seems to want to put his "stamp" or "legacy" on the NHL. He is going to force the league in the US even if it kills the league. Right now, there are too many teams, too many players, and too many games. Unfortunately, these all make money for the owners. They make money, Bettman keeps his job. Bettman doesn't give a rip about what Canadian fans want. He would like nothing better than to see a team like the Oilers or Flames lose their fan base, so he could justify relocating them to Kansas City or Oklahoma for the expansion money.It's not about the fans, it's about $$$$$$$$$$$. Sadly.

Well guys in my opinion I think this current schedule set up is extremely poor. When I was a youngster I grew up in Edmonton and watched the Oilers I could not have imagined a schedule like this back in the 80's. It was great back then you saw all the teams and with just 21 teams in the league the hockey seemed a little more intense all around. Gary Bettman has destroyed a great thing and watered it all down. I think the league should go back to 21 teams and then put the schedule back to the way it was. This is just silly that your best player in the league in Sidney Crosby won't be coming out west. He has been in the NHL now for two years and we in Vancouver still haven't had a chance to see him. Imagine if that was the case back in the 80's when Gretzky was playing. Those folks out in the Eastern Conference would have changed that schedule in a heart beat. Oh ya sorry I forgot it was called the Wales Conference back then. Thats another thing Gary did, stealing the NHL's history. Bring back the traditonal names as well as getting hockey out of non hockey markets.
A frustrated Hockey Fan

For Hockey Day 2008, you have:

Montreal at Phoenix (wearing Jets uniforms)
Ottawa vs Toronto (doesn't matter who hosts)
Colorado (wearing Nordiques uniforms) at Vancouver
Edmonton vs Calgary (doesn't matter who hosts)

This way, you get around the no Northwest vs Northeast games next season, and you have all "eight" Canadian teams play each other.

What other industry can survive in spite of ignoring its customers for so long? The GM's are simply being ignorant and don’t realize who's paying their salary. The NHL sells entertainment, not just hockey, and 8 games vs. the same team is not entertainment.

The unbalanced schedule is just another black mark against the NHL - Neutered Hockey League. I used to tape every Red Wings game, watch HNIC religiously, etc......Now I cant even make it through an entire game due to the lousy boring product on the ice which usually takes place against a team like Columbus, Chicago, or some other doormat in the West. I love hockey, but I really hate the NHL.

To appease the folks who believe too many divisional games are being played,cut the number from 8 to 6. To appease the folks who like playing only 10 out-of-conference games,so be it. Now you have a 74-game (do the math) schedule. The problem is not who you're playing , its how many. This gives everyone a break, and increases the quality and demand of the product.

Well I think the schedual is dumb? (Did I spell that right?) I personally get really tired of playing the Av's, Wild, Flames and Oilers. I hate all those teams except the Oilers who I moderately admire, so why would I want to see the same games over and over again. This schedual has made the North East div. tedious. All the teams suck. And I really enjoy when the Canucks play Montreal/Toronto/Ottawa. But next year it won't happen. I hope Bettman gets a lot of hate mail. I'm only 15, you lucky older people got to grow up with better hockey. And better music, why aren't Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin huge anymore? lol

For Hockey day in Canada, have Toronto play Ottawa, Montreal play Colorado (in Quebec city) and Edmonton or Calgary play Phoenix (in Winnipeg)
and have Vancouver play the Alberta team that a doesn't play Phoenix.
Would be nice for the fans...
Regarding the scheduling..egad...you can't please everyone. In the NFL there aren't teams that see each other for years, and intraleague play in MLB has only been around for 10 years.
I'm just gald I'm not on the committee to figure this out, I'd rather do something easier like solve global warming

As long as the Owners get their say, and not the Fans , things will stay status quo in
scheduling . It is worth noting that when
The Great One was playing , the Oilers did
go down East quite a bit . Funny how it
works now that The Next One does not get
to go on West road show often. If Jagr ,
Crosby, Ovechkin were in West Conference
for sure there would be more interleague
play.

Check out the blog www.pondhoppa.blogspot.com.
A Canadian, just moving back to the country on a 3 month quest to visit every NHL city and watch a hockey game.

I agree with the readers that say let's go back to the scheduling the way it was before the lockout.The NHL were the one's that created this scheduling problem in the first place by making the change,then they turn it in to some huge crises. Eight games against division rivals is a joke!
Here's another possibility: 6 games against the Division, 4 games against the Conference, Play the other conference's teams once, with an additional 3 games being played against the 3 teams in the other conference with the same division ranking from the prior year.....ie...A third place team in an Eastern Division would play an extra game against the Three 3rd place teams in the West. Sort of like the NFL does with their scheduling. That would equal 82 games, with 18 against the other conference.There would still be 64 Conference games.

Plain and simple the NHL is a fourth rate league with Bettman cowering to his henchmen in regards to travel costs, fan loses out time and time again - with buildings half full, lower the season to 72 games and increase the lucrative playoff revenue that the owners love to suck like a vacuum off the players sweat.... by adding more playoff teams, they have taken the expansion money
and increased the teams - but made it exponentially impossible for some teams to make the playoffs and are out by January with
buildings of 8000 people - can't wait for the NHL to poke themselves in the eye and help save Pittsburgh, Nashville and Atlanta - when
Jim B from RIM is willing to be their savior and they crucify him for trying to give people in southern ontario something else than corporate blue that misses the playoffs and is trying to beat the rangers record of 50 years with no cup.... unbalanced schedule helps pay for the dollars missed with ESPN and
the pennies saved with Versus. Good thing soccer is played in the summer and they just have to compete with bowling and darts.

Why can't these people see that playing someone in you division 8 times is too many. I feel that all Canadian teams should play each other at least twice.(Home/Home) I don't think that is rocket science is it. Tell we why they have a problem with this idea. I think the players want a change!! How many times do we as the paying public want to watch Ottawa/Toronto?? Explain to me why the teams, or some don't want change with the schedule, is it money or travel time? If I was a season ticket holder I would want to see all the NHL teams each year. Maybe that is where the serious complaining needs to start.

When it comes to the NHL schedule, lets try the KISS (keep it simple stupid) approach.

2 conferences of 15 teams each (no divisions).

Each team plays the teams in the other conference twice (1 home and 1 away). Total of 30 games.

Each team will play the other 14 teams in it's own conference 4 times each (2 home and 2 away). Total of 56 games for a grand total of 86 games for the season.

These extra 4 games over the present schedule can be easily accommodated by reducing the too long preseason schedule by a week, better scheduling of road trips for all teams and by eliminating the unnecessary 5 or 6 day brakes that all teams seem to have at least once, if not twice, throughout the season.

Without the divisions, the playoff teams would be the 8 teams with the best records in each conference.

This system would eliminate the scenario that just happened on Monday January 15, 2007 where the Montreal Canadiens visited Detroit for the first tome since 2002 and was the first game between the two teams in either city since 2003.

The best all round player in the game is Mats Sundin. Why get hung up on goals scored?
Look at the effect he has on the team, his leadership, playmaking and defensive play add so much more to the game

Create a Canadian division, then 90% of hockey fans will be happy!

How about the NHL gets rid of 5 hockey centers that don't support hockey....i.e Nashville, Phoenix, Flroida, New Jersey, and even Anaheim. That would make 25 teams, play every team 3 times, making the schedule less hetic, and everyone plays each other the same amount. Then once playoffs come around, teams won't be sick of each other, and the playoff standings would be more fair since everyone played each other.
The schedule now is brutal, do the Red Wings have to play the Sabres and Sens 8 times, no, they play the jackets and hawks...must be tough.

4 words to say....Lets Go Blue Jays!!! Hockey is getting worse each year.

I for one am sick of seeing the Maple Leafs take on such likes as the Sabres and Senators, when teams like Detroit get to beat up on Chicago and Columbus. It is not fair, how do you determine who is number one in the league, when some teams do not even face each other.

i read some of the other comments, some true & some not so good it would be really nice to see some big name players more often, so since you made up your mind & not thinking of the fans at home or at the rink well that is sad, teams could play 2 home & 2 away then you could get some other teams to come in so the fans get a chance to see what hockey is all about & keep our fan base alive no fans no hockey than you.

the nhl has only asked the gms about the schedule. if your trying to "sell the game" to new fans why dont they ask new fans what they want. personally i think each hockey region should elect a hockey fan to represent them.
this way fans will have a say in what goes on, and if fans hate something they vote to change it and get to say what they want therefore keeping fans entertained and satisfied with the game and that they had a role in making the game better.
As for hockey day in canada its a pity, the tradition to be broken by such a dumb schedule.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE MISS THE OLD SCHEDULE?

So no Leafs or Habs for the west coast faithful, and no all-Canadian triple-header next year. That's absolutely brilliant. Way to go NHL. You really know how to satisfy your loyal fanbase.

But, of course, Ron not rolling his eyes and grimmacing makes it all worth it.

What a joke.

You're joking right? Current fans don't want to see their home team playing the same teams 8 times each within a season... yawn. What? We're playing Calgary again? Meh, I think I'll watch Gilmore Girls. As far as getting new fans is concerned, how does the NHL expect to build up a fan base if the only flavour they're selling is vanilla? This debate will not die until the problem is fixed. Hockey fans won't abide this form of scheduling and forward thinking managers understand the true financial impact of this cost saving measure.

The answer is simple and it's the one I haven't heard yet.

Keep the 8 games vs. division (4 home, 4 away) and then have 1 home and 1 away vs. the other 25 teams in the league (50 games).

That way you keep your divisional rivalries and local travel AND you get every team and every player in every building.

It's called "compromise". No wonder the NHL can't figure it out. Didn't they cancel an entire season not too long ago because they didn't know how to compromise on a $2.2 Billion dollar pie? I thought so.

I for one am sick of playing our Division 8 times... as great as it is for Ottawa to beat up on Toronto or Montreal... it makes it less special when we face them 8 times each. Plus only seeing 5 Western teams is really disappointing. The schedule was created this way because they weren't sure how the post-lockout would be. Now that they know how it is... why not go back to the old way. If it continues this way... we might as well be like Baseball and not see the West at all... and have 8 game series all in a row VS the same team. Americans love Baseball so they will like it if we schedule the games like Baseball... Gimme a break...

The only problem I have with the schedule is the NW division! This is a really tough Division! All these teams seem like they are one trade away from making a long run in the playoffs this year. In such a tight division playing games back to back like they do it seems that come playoff seeding time its un-fair that teams that are better clubs are not getting into the playoffs because they are in a stronger division. There is not a weak team in this division. Bettman needs to go back to playing 4 games against division rivals instead of 8. It is a huge chunk of the season, and if you are in a tough division! this will make you or break you. Plus I would love to see more of Crosby and Overcheck'n lol. Some of the comments above about how this is Canada's game and America is taking it away seem a little silly. Im Canadian and very proud! But as a business you have to develop the un-tapped markets so that Hockey will be on everyones T.V. Hockey is game I will always love and no one can take that from me.

COOKIE

so I seem to be the only one here but I love the schedule the way it is. all I hear is... Boo hoo travel is hard, blah blah blah there's to many divisional games, whine whine i wanna see St Louis play the Blackhawks more/less... Shut it! We get 82 games with our fave team a season(More Sens on the TV please) who cares what the scheduling is, it's all awesome.

Personally I like to see the leafs and the sens duke it out 8 times a year ditto Buffalo. I like it when the teams are mad about that hit 3 games ago and have that "I'm gonna kill him" mentality . but hey if they have to play 2 games against L.A. next year and less against division rivals, or whatever, who really cares.

As for hockey day in Canada well it's a fake thing designed to sell you a shirt or hat or sumthin, kinda like Valentines day. Every Sat is hockey day so who gives a wet slap. ciao

Dan from Burlington makes a great suggestion that I think the CBC should take a poll on...or start a petition...it is time for the fans to take back the game...(at least the Canadian fans and fans like Steve Dendler from Michigan)

Dan states:"each team should play each other twice, once away and once at home. Not including teams in your division, that's 50 games (25 teams x 2 = 50). Play your divisional opponents 6 times giving you 24 games (4 teams x 6 = 24). You can either drop the remaining 8 games"

That seems simple enough to me...I really don't care what the owners (or GMs) think or what the travel costs are...these people all make multi-millions off of the fans' backs and I think Mr. Betman should listen to the fans...

"A merciful end to the Great Schedule Debate?" So you can go on to talking about much more important things...like the All-Star game?

No Hockey Day in Canada, divisional rivalries overplayed to the point of being stale, no Crosby in 1/3 of the stadiums, no Ovechkin in 1/3 of the stadiums, and for the fans in one lucky division, they don't get to see either. Yeah, that makes sense...what a way to sell the game.

How about a merciful end to Bettman's regime? But that brings up another debate...firing squad, or good old-fashioned hanging?

As a Canadian living in the United States, it takes quite a bit of effort on my part to stay involved with the NHL. I am a Maple Leafs fan, and have been angry at the league since the lockout due mostly to the playing schedule. I have not been able to see my team play at the Staples Centre in over two years. This is a terrible situation for all fans around the league - I promise you that I'm not the only Maple Leafs fan (or even Canadian) living in LA. The league is slowly losing me as a fan as they cannot seem to realise that the fans need to come first. I certainly haven't bought hockey tickets for the Kings since the last time the Leafs were in town. Every teams needs to play in every location at least once a season. Shape up Bettman! Start respecting your fans - especially your Canadian ones.

Being from Michigan, and being a devout Red Wings fan I must admit that this is the first time I realized the problem of scheduling beyond the Red Wings. since the lockout I too have been displeased with the scheduling in terms of the Red Wings not being able to play all of the original six teams. While i feel topic is much stronger than those which look for a hockey day of all six canadian teams, I now see how this is also affected by the scheduling. (I do watch CBC here in Detroit) If i were canadian however, i would want the same thing, a hockey day of all canadian tams playing, , probably twice a year (the same i want for the wings playing eastern conference original 6). It is a real tragedy that the Wings only play Toronto, New York and Montreal once this season. I now feel sorry for all you canadian die-hards as well.

Merciful? Don't you mean avoiding the issue? Or is it really about you, McLean and the other talking heads really wanting to yammer on about something else?

This present schedule sucks - especially for
the fans - at least the NBA realizes the fans
deserve to see each team once in a season -
to play 72 of 82 games in your own conference
is nonsense - five or six games against your own division and three against the rest of
your conference would work - if the visiting
team did a 5 game road trip 3 times outside
their conference, that would cover all their
out of conference road trips - the fans are your main support base, they should be a major consideration when designing a schedule. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

Being from Michigan, and being a devout Red Wings fan I must admit that this is the first time I realized the problem of scheduling beyond the Red Wings. since the lockout I too have been displeased with the scheduling in terms of the Red Wings not being able to play all of the original six teams. While i feel topic is much stronger than those which look for a hockey day of all six canadian teams, I now see how this is also affected by the scheduling. (I do watch CBC here in Detroit) If i were canadian however, i would want the same thing, a hockey day of all canadian tams playing, , probably twice a year (the same i want for the wings playing eastern conference original 6). It is a real tragedy that the Wings only play Toronto, New York and Montreal once this season. I now feel sorry for all you canadian die-hards as well.

Being from Michigan, and being a devout Red Wings fan I must admit that this is the first time I realized the problem of scheduling beyond the Red Wings. since the lockout I too have been displeased with the scheduling in terms of the Red Wings not being able to play all of the original six teams. While i feel topic is much stronger than those which look for a hockey day of all six canadian teams, I now see how this is also affected by the scheduling. (I do watch CBC here in Detroit) If i were canadian however, i would want the same thing, a hockey day of all canadian tams playing, , probably twice a year (the same i want for the wings playing eastern conference original 6). It is a real tragedy that the Wings only play Toronto, New York and Montreal once this season. I now feel sorry for all you canadian die-hards as well.

Funny thing, I was rolling my eyes at the title of this article! I think most of us out here in Hockey Fan World were more than happy with the schedule the way it was way back when before lockout. At the beginning of this season alot of my pool playing buddies were asking "What did they do to the schedules?"

So here's a solution from the peanut gallery to the guys upstairs. "PUT IT BACK. AND DON'T TOUCH IT AGAIN!" thank you!

I don't recall seeing results from any plebicite. Why don't they ask the fans if they would like to see the same divisional games or a wider range of opponents in their rinks. Maybe people in Chicago would go to games if they didn't have to watch Detroit and Nashville beat up on them every other day.

Hi Scott...I will be happy when this topic dies...but if it left at status quo I don't think many fans would be happy. Eight games against division opponents are just far too many. That is the main reason why there is an issue to begin with. There is obviously a problem with the current schedule or we would not be talking about this topic. I understand the logic in trying to create a rivalry but the scheduling as it stands does not create a rivalry it simply creates another game that you are not sure if you feel like watching…especially when it is the 3rd, 4th, or 5th meeting within 3, 4 or 5 weeks. As a fan of the Leafs, I could care less to see another game against Boston. They had so many games against them in the later part of 2006 that I was flipping the channel to anything else on the tube…that usually meant my wife got to pick…

Now if that does not say something I don’t know what would!

As a side note, my wife does love watching hockey, mainly to make me happy, but she also gets into the games. That stretch of games against Boston was brutal and we both wanted to watch something else.

The last time I checked hockey was a Canadian game. Am I the only hockey fan who is tired of Gary Bettman's "America first" policy? When is Canada going to wake up and realize that the Americans are stealing our game? We produce the players like Crosby, Phaneuf, and Souray so why is it that the limitied fans south of the border get to steal our talent? Hockey is Canada's game, it is time for Canada to take it back.

I think each team should play each other twice, once away and once at home. Not including teams in your division, that's 50 games (25 teams x 2 = 50). Play your divisional opponents 6 times giving you 24 games (4 teams x 6 = 24). You can either drop the remaining 8 games or add some classic match-ups, (Chanucks vs. Leafs, Habs vs. Wings etc etc etc).

I don't think it's a big deal for every team to play every one else. I know people think that traveling is very hard for some reason, but that doesn't add up to me. Conferences were formed out of necessity because 50 years ago players were packed on to a bus. Now they have private team jets to fly them to where ever.

Also, if they added some consistency to the schedule, you know, stopped scheduling 6 games in 8 nights with 4 nights off, I think there would be a lot less wear and tear on teams. Maybe even get rid of those extra 8 games mentioned above.

At any rate, I think it's a shame that hockey fans do not get an opportunity to see every team in the league. They are constantly trying to grow the game but they're restricting fans access to the stars....how does that help?

If this is true, it's disappointing. Here in the Twin Cities, we haven't yet seen Sidney Crosby and we may not even see him next year making him a 4 year pro before he ever sets foot in St. Paul. That is ridiculous. The narrow-minded dinosaurs running the NHL just don't get it when it comes to marketing this game. Most people have more marketing acumen in their pinky finger then the NHL cronies have collectively. It's been tough to stay on as a fan of the NHL over the past decade or so but I've remained loyal, shelling out my $200 a night for my wife and I to go to a game. Fans are thought of last in everything that the NHL and it's players do and this scheduling BS is another example of not taking the fans into account.

Too many regular scheduled games,too many playoff games,owners are making too much money, ticket prices are too much and too much noise between play. The game has been gone for quite some time. I get everything I need from a peewee boys/girls hockey game at the Garden City Arena.

For Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver to not play Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto next season I think is slap in the face from Gary Betman, who does this guy think he is? this is our game and regulation after regulation he has slowly turned this/our game over to the americans, our teams should be playing each other no matter what, we grew up this way and it shouldn't change...I'm discusted.

I was trying to figure how you figured out your Power Team rankings, then when I found out where you are from it all made sense. Montreal has been losing since Christmas and you have them at #8. What surprises me is that you don't have the Make-Me-Laughs (Maple leafs) #1. The Canucks have been on a terror and you drop them down in ranking. Give your head a shake.

Keep up the crappy work, we enjoy proving you wrong.

Well surprise! Surprise! Atleast there will be plenty of good NW division battles on Center Ice. As for Hockey Day In Canada, have Detroit make a trip to the west to play either the Flames,Oil, or Canucks, and have Buffalo go to Montreal, Toronto, or Ottawa. You would have a quadruple header instead of a triple. Buffalo and Detroit are attractive teams with a large part of their respective fan bases in Canada.