Playoffs? Yes, friends, we’re talkin’ playoffs.
This weekend, the NHLPA approved the idea of a 24-team return to play format as a means of reaching a conclusion on the 2019-20 NHL season, but even with the go-ahead from the players, there are still plenty of details that will need to be ironed out. Despite nothing being finalized yet and a possibility of varying details changing between now and the time the league gets back on the ice, plenty of us have thoughts about the way things are laid out. But before we get to the screaming and yelling, let’s look at what’s happened so far.
The NHLPA issued the following statement after voting in favour of the format:
“The Executive Board of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) has authorized further negotiations with the NHL on a 24-team return to play format to determine the winner of the 2020 Stanley Cup. Several details remain to be negotiated and an agreement on the format would still be subject to the parties reaching agreement on all issues relevant to resuming play.​”
Even with this first step behind us, the NHL and its players still have many more issues to work out before we can get the show going again. From figuring out how quarantine will work to how much freedom players will have to testing frequency to where the hub cities are going to be, the National Hockey League has a laundry list of problems to sort through, but I have to admit that I’m starting to get excited. Even though we’re likely still a ways away from watching games again, I can’t help but feel a sense of cheerfulness at the thought of being even one day closer to watching our boys do their thing again.
Is the format perfect? No, it’s not even close, but at least we’re talking about finishing off the season rather than a cancellation. At least, that’s how I’m choosing to look at it.

EMBRACE THE WEIRDNESS

For a lot of Oilers fans, myself included, the reported 24-team return to play format has raised some mixed feelings because of the five-game play-in series against Chicago that the team will have to get through before officially landing in the postseason. For an Edmonton team that was in second place in the Pacific Division when the sporting world pressed pause, it could be a tough pill to swallow to go from a 93% chance of making the playoffs had the season played out like normal to what basically amounts to a coinflip under this new format. Six points behind the final Wildcard spot in the West, the Blackhawks really didn’t deserve a chance at this Frankentourney, but rather than getting frustrated by the situation, I hope the Oilers use it as motivation for the job that lays ahead.
Considering that no one has played in about two and a half months, these play-in series could go in any direction regardless of how the in season matchups went or what the fancy stats stay since neither side will be playing at their best. Thankfully, the Oilers have two of the best players on the planet on their roster and I hope those two guys are looking at this situation and using it as a means of getting Michael Jordan style pissed off about how they went from having a shot at the division to having to prove themselves in a short series in order to move on. I hope that Connor and Leon come into this play-in series with a chip on their shoulder and the need for destruction in their hearts. Jordan had the flu game, our boys can have this play-in series.
Personally, I’m just excited that we could actually have some hockey to watch again in the coming weeks/months/whatever. After being locked down for the past two+ months with no live sports to watch, it’ll be incredible to be able to share in the experience with everybody despite how odd the whole scenario will be. Frankly, I think we should all embrace the strangeness of this makeshift playoffs because it will unquestionably be one that we remember forever. That’s not to say that I don’t have issues with the way this return to play format is set up — I think it sucks that the Oilers have to go through Chicago just to make the dance — but I can tell you with 1000% certainty that I will be excitedly watching these games with my Nuge jersey on and a NationBeer in hand. And even though I can certainly understand the issues that a lot of folks have with this current template, I think that those worries will disappear quite quickly once we get the chance to see Connor McDavid doing his thing in Oilers silks again.
Am I wrong? Even with the oddness of how this format is set up, I can’t be the only one that’s fired up to watch McDraiNuge get back on the ice, right? Obviously, there is still a ways to go before that happens, but just having the league take a small step closer to making it happen is enough to leave me feeling excited. What do you guys think?