NHL Pick Your Fish.

No Nashville Catfish, or Detroit octopus, but things are changing in the NHL.

S. Samek

Recently the NBA milled over changing the playoffs.

So not to be left out why not the NHL may change play off proceedings.

  The new offerings come in the form of finish number one and get your pick of any of the fifth through eight seeded teams. You can pick the team you just plan think you can beat. Then the second seed gets the next pick and the third the last pick. The fourth seed gets the left-over team. Then after playing the first round you do a reseed based on regular season records.

The idea comes from the Southern Professional Hockey League. They call out potential playoff opponents and then reseed as a unique calling card.

It also comes to the United States from Australia and their Erste Bank Eishockey Liga.

  I do see the merits in this format. It is pretty much think you can beat a team, call them out and do it. Its put your money where your mouth is. Its heads up in your face hockey, good stuff.

  It also does offer a change from the traditional way of matching up with seeds. Though there isn’t anything to stop the one seed from going after the eight seed and creating the same matchup.

  It also could lead to some epic implosions. Call out the wrong team and lose to them and you’re in for it. The ridicule will be endless. Could be rather entertaining.

  Conversely, I think it’s more work to reseed after a round. Why not just create one bracket and advance the teams that win? Seems to be a good system.

  The good thing about the playoffs is that aura of unpredictably. Just because your high seed doesn’t mean you are winning it all. Just because you’re an eighth seed wouldn’t mean you couldn’t be a champion either. Seeds are just numbers on paper for organizational purposes. Once you get in you all have a fair chance in the playoffs.

  The focus should be to get into the playoffs, not against you have to face during them. Yes, try your best to win games and get a higher seed, but it shouldn’t be about the seeding. It should be about winning games.

  Overall, I think it could be worth a try, especially at the lower levels of the minors, or independent leagues. If it works out there maybe the NHL could adopt it.

O and for the reference this idea of a fish comes from the Good Ol Uba. They held an event where players called each other out. They named it pick your fish.

It could be time for NHL teams to start picking fish in the playoffs.