The NHL is pondering expanding its regular season from 82 to 84 games, according to reports from Sportico and ESPN.
Each NHL club has played 82 regular-season games since the 1995-96 season. In the current formula, each team plays its divisional opponents either three or four times (26 games), three games against conference teams outside the division (24 games) and a simple home-and-away set against every team from the opposite conference (32 games).
That creates some imbalance among division opponents, though, as one team might have to face the best club in the division four times and another might only have to play them three times.
Sportico reported Thursday that when NHL general managers met in Toronto last month, they deliberated different ways to improve the schedule to reduce teams’ travel and increase the number of rivalry games.
Another idea was to have teams play multiple games against an opponent while the visiting side is in town — essentially baseball-style series, which were popular with players when they were implemented it in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.
ESPN reported Friday that commissioner Gary Bettman is not against the idea of expanding the regular season.
Players would have to approve any expansion, because their collective bargaining agreement allows for only an 82-game season.
–Field Level Media
