my two comments/concerns/questions would be
over the last 10 years, how many times has the big trophy been won by one of
the top 3 or 4 seeded teams.  My guess would be all 10 years.  You can put as
many teams in as you want to, but I think that the cream has always risen to
the top.  Let it be exciting for a bubble team to make it, but one of the top
4 is "always" going to win.  At least that's what I have found over the last
10 years.
 
any tournament that has single game loss and out has the potential to allow an
inferior team to progress.  I know there's a lot of arguments on both sides,
but I would rather see who the best team of the whole season was, not who was
lucky one night.
 
that's my 2 cents
 
Steve Bartley
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.