NHL All-Star Weekend is in the rearview mirror, meaning the Stanley Cup Playoffs are inching closer. Fans have been vocal about All-Star festivities, but the playoff format was also a topic, thanks to Sidney Crosby.
The Pittsburgh Penguins star spoke with the media on Friday, expressing support for a change to the NHL playoff format. He discussed his love of the league's old format for the postseason.
“I like 1-to-8 just because I think the regular season is as difficult as it is, teams should be rewarded,” Crosby told reporters Friday. “That's probably the best way to be rewarded, even though there isn't a ton of difference. I like that version a little bit better.”
However, these changes won't be coming. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the current debate doesn't take all factors into account.
“If you're having conference-based playoffs, it's not as simple as saying, ‘I'd like one-versus-eight versus what we have.' It involves a whole host of other issues that have to be addressed,” the NHL commissioner said.
Under the old format, the top eight teams in each conference made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Conference seeding determined playoff matchups, having the first seed take on the eighth seed.
A division realignment in 2014 left the league with two divisions in each conference. The top three teams from each division make the playoffs. Two wild card teams filled out the last two playoff spots.
The format draws criticism because of its tendency to pit top teams against each other early. For example, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs faced off last year in the very first round.
Players such as Sidney Crosby will continue to dislike the current format. However, it seems as if nothing is going to change any time soon for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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