Eric Burton wrote:
I agree with the tourney going to 16 teams. . . . No one expects a 5th or 6th team to win
a National title anyways.

I'm trying to get a read on you Eric, so please don't take this the wrong way. You say
you're in favor of the tournament expanding to 16 teams, but "no one expects a 5th or 6th
team to win a National title anyways." This doesn't make sense to me. Why expand the
tournament to 16 teams if the bottom 8 don't have a shot? These teams are usually ranked
in or near the top 10 and have also had very good seasons. If the competition committee
feels that a 16 team tournament would be more exciting and fair, then don't those bottom
8 teams have as much a right to be considered contenders and not merely meaningless
obstacles?

Personally, I like the idea of expanding to 16 teams. Being realistic, the lower seeded
teams are long shots to win it all. But if a Cinderella team can emerge, they bring a bit
of a buzz to the tournament and can cast a positive light on college hockey in general.
The tournament is the national showcase. Let's see what the best 16 teams can do.