Annual 2 Week Break in February

[CenterIce 83]

From NHL.com:

Kelly: Make February break permanent

03.09.09, 12:23 PM

NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly told me earlier today that part of his presentation to the GMs included two potential scheduling changes the players are in favor of implementing going forward:

1. Have the Stanley Cup Final end around June 1 rather than June 15.

2. Make the two-week break in Olympic years an annual thing.

The first proposal is certainly straightforward. Kelly and the players propose to start the season a bit earlier and compress some of the scheduling in the middle so the Stanley Cup Final is awarded in early June rather than the middle of the month.

The second will definitely pique the most interest.

Why would they break every February? How would they make it work? What would they replace the hockey games with? Wouldn't it stop the momentum of the season? Are they nuts?

All good questions you're probably asking yourself. Kelly told me he thinks it's a good idea to build the two-week break in February into every season so the players can recoup their bodies and refresh for the stretch run, but it's not that he wants hockey to go away for two weeks in non-Olympic years.

"We did raise this with all 30 teams and got an overwhelmingly positive response," Kelly said.

The proposal includes bringing back the World Cup of Hockey and playing it once every four years in that same time frame as the Olympics.

"If you're going to hold a World Cup and you're going to hold it every four years, let's hold it in those intervening years in between the Olympics," Kelly said. "You'd have the Olympics in 2010, the World Cup in 2012, the Olympics in 2014 and the World Cup in 2016 and just do that recurring schedule in the same February footprint all the way through."

What about the odd years?

Kelly suggests they could shrink the break from two weeks to one week in the non-Olympic or World Cup years and expand NHL All-Star Weekend to five days rather than three. By doing so, you would also give the players who are playing in the All-Star Game an extra 24 hours on each side to rest, totaling the seven-day break.

"Right now we play games until Thursday and we fly our All-Stars into whatever the city is on Friday. Then we fly them back out Sunday or Monday morning and they're playing on Tuesday night," Kelly said. "You could make the event bigger by drawing more attention to the event and at the same time give those players a little bit more of a breather so that they're ready for that haul down the stretch."

He suggested adding a hockey summit into All-Star Weekend, "bringing in not only medical people but hockey experts, international people to talk about the key issues in our game." He also thinks they could hold a major youth hockey tournament in the host city of All-Star Weekend, and probably an alumni game or tournament as well.

I then suggested the idea of playing an outdoor game during that time frame as well. Kelly said it's certainly something to think about, too.

"That's another opportunity," he said. "You could do an outdoor All-Star Game. You could do an outdoor game together with an outdoor All-Star Game. I think we need to start thinking outside the box a little bit."

-- Dan Rosen

[hockeytown9321 0]

I'm all for an annual 2 week break. As someone who watches literally *every* Wings game live as it happens, it would allow me to take a trip to Florida or Vegas and get the hell out of the cold for a few days. But, I don't see the NHL going for it. They already don't like shutting it down every four years for the Olympics. I wonder if they could figure out some sort of staggered break, where every team gets 2 consecutive weeks off during February, but the whole league never shuts down.

[betterREDthandead 58]

I like the idea. I was under the impression that it was the players and the NHLPA who kept us on the edge about whether or not they were going to go to the Olympics every time around because they didn't care for playing the compressed schedule. Interesting that they've changed their tune on this. I'm all for anything that allows NHLers to stay in the Olympics because that's some of the best, most competitive hockey there is. I don't know if we really need the World Cup of Hockey - I'm not against it, but perhaps an alternative is convincing the IIHF to move the World Championships to that two-week break.

[xBrave_Heartx 0]

i cnat stand it when wings have like 3-4 days between games.. but a hole week? eff that

[Carman 387]

I'm definitely for it, especially if they do the World Cup of hockey. International hockey is to die for. Also I really think this could help players/team, and avoid situations like the Datsyuk-Lidstrom all-star game suspensions. Those few days in the middle of the year are very valuable.

[Echolalia 2,961]

I don't like the possibility of whoring out the outdoor game experience, but everything else seems sound

[MannyK 16]

I'm all for an annual 2 week break. As someone who watches literally *every* Wings game live as it happens, it would allow me to take a trip to Florida or Vegas and get the hell out of the cold for a few days. But, I don't see the NHL going for it. They already don't like shutting it down every four years for the Olympics. I wonder if they could figure out some sort of staggered break, where every team gets 2 consecutive weeks off during February, but the whole league never shuts down.

This is a great idea... who knows if the scheduling guys for the NHL are smart enough... O_O

Edited March 10, 2009 by MannyK

[evilmrt 636]

Bringing back the World Cup of Hockey is a great idea, and I like the idea of international play every 2 years. One week off in the odd years isn't so bad at all, especially if the players want it (this is the players' union speaking, afterall). I wonder if there is some way that the IIHF could be brought on board, and combine the World Championships with the World Cup?

The Alumni game is something that should already be a part of the All-Star Weekend. Since they would be expanding it, how about featuring the AHL All-Star game as well? That would require some partnership between the two leagues, but it could fill a day and show off the young talent, which is a benefit to the NHL.

[55fan 5,133]

Given the amount of injuries in February and the need to just have a breather, I say go for it, although in non-Olympic/WC years, I like the staggering idea.

[j.hoop 64]

i think the idea of bringing the WCOF back between olympic years is great, and i think it gives international teams more incentive to be better. 4 years between is a long time to focus on a prize. but every 2 years seems like it could rouse more passion to be a competitive team.

[MacK_Attack 108]

I don't know if we really need the World Cup of Hockey - I'm not against it, but perhaps an alternative is convincing the IIHF to move the World Championships to that two-week break.

They'd probably have to get an OK from the Elite Leagues in Europe for that one, too. For some of those guys over there, the World Championships is the only tournament that they get to represent their country, because the NHL guys come in for the Olympics.

[Wombat 26]

The staggering idea is great. It'd be like bye weeks in the NFL. February is 4 weeks long, so on odd years let each team have one week of that off. You'd still have 22 or so teams active during every week so you could have hockey going but still give each team extra time to recouperate during the season.

[stevkrause 1,247]

I'm definitely for it, especially if they do the World Cup of hockey. International hockey is to die for. Also I really think this could help players/team, and avoid situations like the Datsyuk-Lidstrom all-star game suspensions. Those few days in the middle of the year are very valuable.

^

:beerbuddy:

[VM1138 1,921]

This is a bad idea, no need for a 2 week break. THe season is long enough as it is.

[55fan 5,133]

This is a bad idea, no need for a 2 week break. THe season is long enough as it is.

Yeah, it would seem that they have the break, there are only 2 alternatives: a longer season, or less time off between games, which means more back to backs. Unfortunate, but I think I'd almost rather have the longer season. Tough call, though.

[VM1138 1,921]

Yeah, it would seem that they have the break, there are only 2 alternatives: a longer season, or less time off between games, which means more back to backs. Unfortunate, but I think I'd almost rather have the longer season. Tough call, though.

If they go through with this break they're effectively created 3 seasons in one (Season 1, Season 2 and the Playoffs), making one of them redundant.

[Zetterling 16]

What if you had a half and half two week break. Half the teams get the first two weeks off and the other half of the teams get the second part of a month, 2 weeks, off. I would have hockey withdrawals!