Its the age old question mankind has been quandering about since they could form the thought. Is more of a good thing always better? Its the old quality or quantity debate. This particular time the argument revolves around the length of the NHL season!
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, serious discussions are underway about expanding the NHL regular season to 84 games starting in 2026-27, a move that would coincide with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement extension.
The 82 game season has been a staple of the NHL since 1995 – 1996 season. That is 30 years! Only five years younger than yours truly! The idea that was Settled on then was a even split 41 games at home and 41 games away. In 1996 there was 26 teams in the NHL since then the league has bloated to 32 teams. Which has simply translated in to less of those heated rivalry games. The best games aside form well match playoff series games. there has also been whispers of expanding the the NHL by one or more teams in the near future.
I am not a life long Hockey fan I came to this beautiful sport as a full grown adult man. It didn’t take me long to develop a very particular opinion about parody in the NHL. It became clear to me once i got a grip around a lot of the top performers in the NHL and a familiarity with all roasters that there simply isn’t enough high caliber talent to support so many teams. I’ve mostly kept this opinion to myself as every team does have a loyal fanbase except maybe Vegas but time will tell with them. so what fans do I want to be hated by most? Is not a question I have been eager to answer publically.
However after this announcement I see I’m not alone in my assessment. IN fact most of the reaction I have seen on this rumor is entirely negative. several fan are no longer pondering the quantity vs quality quest but have come to a consensus. LESS IN HOCKEY IS BETTER!
82 games in a NHL season is a grueling test of physical fitness and mental fortitude even for the leagues all-stars let alone up and coming rookies. Now add 2 more games and your looking at even more crucial injuries to star players. A lot of times at the detriment to a playoff team that is a cup contender with a full roaster. Now we know injuries happed but playing 84 games in this sport is begging to push them to a all time high.
Now in a perfect world hockey would be all year around and every game would matter and they would all be rivalries and every player would have a 15 year injury free prime. As we haven’t died and gone to hockey heaven this isn’t a reality yet. However some redditors have floated ideas that would bring us as close as we can get in this life.
SoupFromNowOn “The NHL cant have such long seasons with the current playoff format. it results in such a high proportion of meaningless games close to the end of the season.” This comment had 403 upvotes. Which is A LOT!
MrpoopersonTheFirst a Anaheim Ducks fan suggests even just a slightly shorter schedule would be better a 3rd game between division teams alternating home/away would be great for rivalries so a 76 game season!
Porcospino20 says that their favorite year was the 48 game 1995 season what their favorite. and that they wished for a 62 game season.
Zealousideal_Shop7417 rightly points out owners would never take to these Ideas will never work as less games means less money for team owners.
We can dream though and maybe if we scream and yell our little fan hearts out Garry Bettman and the owners will hear our tiny who voices up in their ivory tower. Oh, who am I kidding the only language they speak is in dollars and decimals. so for now I guess all we have is our memories and a hope for the future. So lets just enjoy the here and now before we get to 40 teams and 100 game seasons with teams weaker than the Sharks and Hawkes this season.
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