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Big difference this time around

Mark Spector, Sportsnet.ca, December 9, 2011

EDMONTON — As the National Hockey League governors reformatted their alignment and playoff system in California earlier this week, there were pockets across the Canadian prairies and the U.S. Northwest where hockey people were saying, "Didn’t we already go down this road?"

In fact, they have. The Western Hockey League long ago switched from a conference-based, one-through-eight playoff system to a divisional format where the postseason began with a traditional bus-ride rivalry. Exactly what the NHL has done.

That was back in the 2000-01 season. The difference was, years later the WHL went back.

"I remember the discussion being very similar to what the National Hockey League has gone through. We went to four divisions from an east-west conference (format) for the 2000-01 seasons," said WHL commissioner Ron Robison. "For six seasons, in the first round teams played within their divisions."

The Western League only stayed inside its division for one round. The NHL has divided into four conferences and plans to play the first two rounds within them, so they may declare four conference champs each season.

But what eventually spelled the demise of that format in junior hockey was the lack of parity. Any money made by lesser ravel in Round 1, anything gained by forging better rivalries with the team up the highway, was overshadowed by the fact teams with fewer points were making the playoffs in one division than a better team in another one.

"The big reason (for was original switch) was the concern over first-round playoff matchups and low attendance," began Maple Leafs amateur scout Roy Stasiuk, the general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes from 2005 to 2009. "Rivalries were going to help interest among fans. Rather than Moose Jaw playing Kootenay, they could end up playing Regina, Saskatoon or Prince Albert."

But something went wrong.

In Stasiuk’s first year as GM, the Hurricanes made the playoffs in the Central Division with 63 points. The next season Lethbridge had 71 points and missed, despite having more points than the third- and fourth-place teams in the Eastern Division. Prince Albert and Swift Current had fewer points in their weaker division, but they were in and Lethbridge was out.

"That's what went wrong," Stasiuk said. "Your performance in the regular season didn't bear out, because of the division setup."

"You didn’t travel as much, and it built better rivalries within the division," Robison said. But, he admits, the owners couldn’t get over the fact that the best eight teams weren’t making the playoffs.

Smaller, mostly five-team divisions in the WHL meant you only had to better than one team to make playoffs. And that’s where the difference begins between the two leagues.

In the NHL, seven- and eight-team conferences ensure there will be no playoff berth assured for one team just because the one below it in the standings is a disaster. And that can happen in junior hockey, when a team sells out one year to make the Memorial Cup and falls quite a distance the next.

"There is more parity in the NHL because of the salary cap," Stasiuk said.

And if nothing else, playing two rounds within the conference should improve the level of postseason play simply due to putting less wear and tear on the players. Plus, during the regular season there is a lot more to be gained by NHL teams (TV start times) than there was in the WHL.

"The NHL put competitiveness aside for the moment, and said, 'Let’s do what’s best for the industry,' " said Robison, who was surprised to see the NHL stick with the format through two rounds, not just one.

"I don't think there is (a perfect system)," he admits.

We like the new NHL system. But the minute somebody gets "Lethbridged," you know the howling is going to begin.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
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