Quote:
Originally Posted by highthief
Exactly - when things matter, no fights. Play offs, Olympics, Canada Cup, World Championships, etc. Obviously, fighting is not an "integral" part of the game, it only becomes integral when A) less skilled players are allowed on the ice, and B) losing a game because you took a 5 minute major doesn't matter.
Perhaps if the regular season were of greater value - as it is in soccer, for instance - you'd see a dramatic reduction. But no one cares about the regular season what with everyone and their grandma making the playoffs.
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I like the NHL, but I'd love it if they shortened the regular season by about 15-20 games. That would help put a little importance on the regular season. And the finals, IMO, should be wrapping up in late April or early May at the latest. Not mid June. It's crazy. With the league having expanded to 30 teams, having 16 teams make the playoffs isn't as crazy as it used to be. However, I'd be fine with them dropping it to 12 teams with the top two teams in each conference earning first round playoff byes, kind of like the NFL. But they're never going to do that. Just like the owners would never be up for shortening the season and losing some ticket sales. But it would improve the quality of the game IMO.