The National Hockey League (NHL) has no intention of emulating the NBA and creating a parallel competition during the regular season.
Inspired by what is being done in football, the NBA recently announced that it will host a tournament in November and December. All 30 teams take part and are divided into five groups. The winning team wins the NBA Cup and each player receives $500,000.
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“We are not considering the possibility of holding a tournament during the regular season,” NHL Assistant Commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN.
For his part, NHL Players Association director Marty Walsh said he was open to the idea. However, he stated that no discussions had been held with the district’s ice hockey players in this regard.
“I think it’s worth looking at everything out there,” Walsh said. I keep telling players, “If you have an idea that seems a little off-putting to you, just pitch it to me.” You never know what can turn into a brilliant initiative.”
If the idea of a tournament during the regular season doesn’t seem to interest NHL administrators, last December the circuit explored the idea of switching from 82 to 84 games. This potential change would result in a shorter training camp and fewer pre-season games.