Buds Board Keepers League

It's been a debated topic around the league and with recommendation from members of the CC, we want to put this to a league-wide vote.

Now that we're back to the two conference format and with the addition of Seattle to the league and Arizona shifting to the Central, this seems to be the time to get this issue resolved once and for all.

What should our playoff format be for the foreseeable future?

• Do we continue to use the current NHL format of top 3 in each division and 2 wild cards from each conference?
• Do we go with top 8 from each conference?

Offer up your nominations for playoff format and we'll put it to a league-wide vote.

I encourage every team to chime in or at the very least participate in the league-wide vote. Everyone will have the opportunity to help decide this issue.

Who qualifies for the playoffs, and how the qualified teams square off in the different playoffs, are two different considerations.

You have to figure we're sticking with 16 teams, right? Gives the playoffs some symmetry...half the league gets in, the other half doesn't.

That's kind of why it would nice to hear some suggestions that we all can vote on. Not saying the status quo won't still win out. We had kind of a hybrid style last season with the temporary realignment.

I like top 8 per conference. Division winners get 1 and 2, then next best 6 in order.
Whether or not we keep the divisions Vs changing to full conferences I’m indifferent.

I like top 8 with division winners seeded appropriately

Top 8 with division winners at the top

current NHL format of top 3 in each division and 2 wild cards from each conference

Indifferent, mirror NHL or go back to top 8. Those seem like the only two options to me.

Would like divisional 3 + 3 + 2 wildcards to get into the playoffs.

But then do a 1-8 conference ranking with divisional winners getting 1 and 2 for first round playoff matchups, instead of the stupid current nhl divisional setups where The 3nd best team in a conference may be playing the 4th best instead of the 6th best, etc.

This keeps regular season divisions important and fun to get into the playoffs, but means their is more shuffling for playoff positions in the conference.

Or just do 1-8 for getting in too. Whatever.

I’m with Bryuns but if we do go 332… I agree with Matthew

Matthew wroteCOLONWould like divisional 3 + 3 + 2 wildcards to get into the playoffs.

But then do a 1-8 conference ranking with divisional winners getting 1 and 2 for first round playoff matchups, instead of the stupid current nhl divisional setups where The 3nd best team in a conference may be playing the 4th best instead of the 6th best, etc.

This keeps regular season divisions important and fun to get into the playoffs, but means their is more shuffling for playoff positions in the conference.

I like this

thom54 wroteCOLONI’m with Bryuns but if we do go 332… I agree with Matthew

This

That's practically the best of both worlds. You still reward teams for being top 3 in the division but I've never been big on the bracketing the NHL does with the two wild cards. I almost wish the NHL would just lean into the division format all the way and just do top 4 like they used to do in the Campbell/Wales days.

There's no doubt going to go on the ballot. With top 8 method, you can reseed after the first round...you really can't in the division format.

Matthew wroteCOLONWould like divisional 3 + 3 + 2 wildcards to get into the playoffs.

But then do a 1-8 conference ranking with divisional winners getting 1 and 2 for first round playoff matchups, instead of the stupid current nhl divisional setups where The 3nd best team in a conference may be playing the 4th best instead of the 6th best, etc.

This keeps regular season divisions important and fun to get into the playoffs, but means their is more shuffling for playoff positions in the conference.

Or just do 1-8 for getting in too. Whatever.

Good with this. Feel like it will almost always end the same vs straight 1-8

Top 16, seeded and play accordingly 1-16. New exciting matchups every year and division rivals can compete for cup in Finals.

Is there some format where I dont play, and get knocked out by, Steve or Fraser in the first two rounds?

Good for anything that creates more possibilities for variations in matchups, same old matchups every year are not much fun and get old pretty fast

Matthew wroteCOLONWould like divisional 3 + 3 + 2 wildcards to get into the playoffs.

But then do a 1-8 conference ranking with divisional winners getting 1 and 2 for first round playoff matchups, instead of the stupid current nhl divisional setups where The 3nd best team in a conference may be playing the 4th best instead of the 6th best, etc.

This is key if we stick to 3-3-2 system.

Playoff match-ups not necessarily intra division and best seed gets worst remaining seed in the conference

Same as the NHL. Weve always been a league thats prided themselves on following NHL guidelines (as long as feasible). I see no reason to change now.

Chuck Norris wroteCOLONSame as the NHL. Weve always been a league thats prided themselves on following NHL guidelines (as long as feasible). I see no reason to change now.

Though the teams are all very different so we can easily afford to play around with playoff matchups to make them more entertaining for us. We are doing this for us after all, and not to please Bettman.