The regular season may essentially be a round-robin tournament to prepare for the playoffs, but in the United States Hockey League, the "real season" just got a little shorter.
For the past several years, all three rounds of the USHL playoffs have been the traditional best of seven, allowing for extremely entertaining hockey, as the two teams could face each other as many as seven times in a two-week period.
However, only fans in two USHL cities will be treated to this in the 1999 playoffs. While the Clark Cup remains a best-of-seven series, rounds one and two will be best of five.
As most hockey observers will tell you, a best-of-five series is more likely to favor the underdog than a best of seven. First of all, the underdog has to win just three, instead of four, games. Secondly, with the traditional 2-2-1 series format (with the higher seed hosting games one, two, and five), the lower-ranked team can steal one of the first two games on the road and then simply win two more home games to capture the series. In other words, no return trip to the higher seed is necessary to pull off the upset, even if they merely split the opening two games.
So why are some of the most exciting games of the season being eliminated? Most likely, it's an economic decision. Although the national tournament occurs at the same time this year as it has in past seasons, the regular season ends one week later.
But how does this translate into an economic advantage, you say? Since playoff games tend to fall on weeknights, they tend to draw a smaller crowd than weekend games, at least in some USHL cities. It's a phenomenon I will never understand.
When I was watching junior hockey in my youth, teams would play in front of half-full rinks all year, but playoff tickets would be impossible to get, regardless if the game was played Wednesday night, Saturday morning, or Sunday afternoon. Playoff crowds of 12,000 for teams that averaged 4,000 during the season were not uncommon. In fact, the Calgary Hitmen had several near sellouts in the Canadian Airlines Saddledome in last year's WHL playoffs after drawing mediocre crowds through the season.
For whatever reason, playoff hockey has not caught on in some USHL cities, despite the fact that it's the most entertaining hockey of the season. Maybe people are too busy watching Dawson's Creek, or maybe the lack of media attention from some local newspapers means fans aren't aware the games are taking place.
Regardless of the reason, there's no question that there are no winners with a shorter playoff series. First of all, playoffs are a great chance for USHL players to shine for professional and college scouts. Playoff hockey tends to bring out the best in players, and it serves as a great learning experience.
Secondly, the fans that do go to the games miss out on the most exciting hockey of the year. Even in cities that have struggled with playoff attendance, there's a core group of fans that appreciate playoff hockey. And for cities with good playoff attendance such as Lincoln, where every playoff game in the team's existence has sold out, it seems even more unfair.
To add to the underdog's advantage, the USHL playoffs are slated to start on a Tuesday. If the league follows the traditional 2-2-1 setup, the higher ranked team will likely open at home on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading into a rowdy road setting on Friday and Saturday nights.
If past history holds true, the Friday and Saturday games will see larger crowds, meaning more of a home-ice advantage.In other words, if the underdog does capture one of the first two games on the road, all they have to do is win two home games in front of weekend crowds. And although the underdog deserves a fair chance to win the series, one questions if this format doesn't favor the lower-seeded teams.
DIVISIONS REALIGNED:
Although the new playoff format appears to leave something to be desired, the USHL will have a very logical divisional setup for the 1999-2000 season.
According to a story in the Feb. 10 Lincoln Journal-Star, the USHL will be split into two divisions for the 99-00 season. The West Division will include Des Moines, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Fargo-Moorhead and Twin Cities. The East Division will feature Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Rochester, Thunder Bay, Green Bay, and the U.S. Under 18 team.
The new divisional setup will restore traditional rivalries such as Des Moines-Omaha and Waterloo-Dubuque, while allowing new rivalries such as Sioux City-Sioux Falls and Waterloo-Cedar Rapids to develop.
In addition, the Journal-Star reported that the USHL season will be two games longer next season, as teams will play a 58-game regular season.
