William Groskreutz III <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> As far as the WCHA playoffs, I would like to see something like this:
> 
> 1st round, all teams play...

I think you diminish the idea of 'playoffs' if everybody is allowed in.
With a 12-team league, the tournament structure couldn't be simpler: top
eight qualify; 2-game, total-goals quarter-finals; semi-finals either
2-game or single elimination (I can see arguments for either approach);
single elimination final and third-place games on the last weekend.

What intrigues me more is the regular season schedule. In one of the
press reports announcing the expansion, one of the participants is
quoted as saying that he didn't want to see a two division conference. I
am a very big believer in having a completely balanced competition,
where everybody plays everybody else the same number of times. (The
Premier League of British football does this perfectly.)

But how to make that work in a 12-team WCHA, where 22 games would be too
few and 44 is obviously way too many? Two divisions, with home & away
series (as now) against the 'near 5' and alternating year home ice
against the other six would make 32 -- but I don't know how willing some
schools would be to give up four of their non-conference
revenue-spinners in order to let that happen. Alternatively, you could
have three divisions, grouping local / traditional rivals for 2 + 2 and
two games only against the other eight. That would yield the same 28
conference games as now. And for the playoffs, then, you'd have the best
two in each division plus the best two of the third-place teams. Keepin'
it simple...

cheers,

Henry