Under Maintenance

We deeply apologize for interrupting your reading but Vendetta is currently undergoing some important maintenance! You may experience some layout shifts, slow loading times and dififculties in navigating.

Gary Bettman Has No Plans To Expand NHL Playoffs

Last Modified: February 20, 2024

Gary Bettman
Will the NHL expand its postseason? Gary Bettman says don’t count on it. Check out what Bettman had to say on playoff expansion. (Gene J. Puskar/ 2017 The Associated Press)

Gary Bettman Has No Plans To Expand NHL Playoffs

More doesn’t necessarily always mean better. College football is about to find that out the hard way. It seems like every sports league in the world is trying to expand their postseason. Gary Bettman will not expand for the sake of expanding.

Bettman was asked if the NHL should expand their playoffs for one very good reason. Everyone else is doing it so why not the NHL? In 2022, MLB (30 teams) expanded from eight playoff entrants to 12. It wasn’t long ago the NHL (32 teams) expanded from 12 to 14. The NBA is the closest winter sport example to follow since they line up calendar wise and both have 82 game seasons. The NBA added the play-in tournament to try to add.

Some of us here are not fans of the NBA play-in. I think that’s the exact scenario Bettman wants to try to avoid. Soooo when Bettman was asked about playoff expansion, he was pretty blunt with his response.

“Frankly, there’s nothing better in sports playoffs than our first round, and so I’m not sensing much of an appetite for change,”  Bettman said. “People think the system we have in place right now is working extraordinarily well.

“I think what we have now works. I think you’re looking to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.”

“I’m not sure it enhances revenues, by diluting the regular season and diluting the playoffs,” Bettman said. “It doesn’t make much sense to me. I think we have a system where half the teams make the playoffs and half don’t, I think that’s perfect.”

I think we have our answer. As long as Bettman is in charge, don’t expect an expanded playoff. I don’t think any real fans of the NHL are going to be complaining for that to change. The Stanley Cup is maybe the most entertaining playoffs of any sport that exists and Bettman knows it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Share Trey Daubert post!

Table Of Contents

Recent Posts

JJ Peterka

Buffalo Sabers Agree To Trade JJ Peterka To Utah

Buffalo Sabers Agree To Trade JJ Peterka To Utah It turns out all the buzz wasn’t for nothing. After months of having his name in trade rumors, JJ Peterka is…

Read More
Tre Johnson

Tre Johnson 2025 NBA Draft Profile

Tre Johnson 2025 NBA Draft Profile We are less than one week away from the 2025 NBA Draft! Today, we will be previewing Texas guard Tre Johnson, one of the…

Read More
Ryan Nembhard

Ryan Nembhard 2025 NBA Draft Profile

Ryan Nembhard 2025 NBA Draft Profile We are less than one week away from the 2025 NBA Draft! Today, we will be previewing Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard, the brother of current…

Read More

Categories