The NHL is changing once again next year - Top 4 in Div 1A will be paired with the Top 4 from Div 1B. Does it make sense that the 4th team in the lower grade with a much easier schedule gets to the same QF stage as the winner of the top tier ?
If we keep this 8-team field, I would rather give the stronger quartet a "reward" such as two chances to get to the SFs, with lower quartet needing to win two straight KO games to make the SFs.
The opening play off games could be 1st in 1A vs 1st in 1B and 2nd in 1A vs 3rd in 1A (double chance, with losers to the QFs) with
4th in 1A vs 4th in 1B and 2nd in 1B vs 3rd in 1B (straight KO with winners to the QFs, losers out).

Much debate has taken place about the optimum number of teams for Div 1 - 8 or 12 ? I would say 10 teams, but playing a part round-robin of 6 matches - how ?
Top 3 seeds play the top 7 for six games; Bottom 3 seeds play the bottom 7 for six games;; and by now, the Middle four seeds already played six games (vs Top 3 and Bottom 3). To compensate for any potential inequities in part round robin, Top Six make the play offs- top four play off, with winners to the SFs and losers vs 5th and 6th in the QFs.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3442 - 17/03/2013 18:11:46    1351073

Where did you see/hear that the NHL format was changing again next year? I haven't seen this format mentioned anywhere

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 17/03/2013 21:09:25    1351198

Im not sure this is official but if it is true they could make a big weekend of hurling for the quarter finals with 4 matches over 2 days maybe in Thurles or something with 8 counties involved you would bring iin alot of supporters for the weekend and create a real festival atomosphere

lukewalsh96 (Cork) - Posts: 252 - 18/03/2013 14:43:05    1351411

And at the same time, make the actual group league games meaningless. Out of a group of 6, 4 out of the 6 will qualify for the qf's, only the bottom 2 won't, am I reading that right? I've had my reservations about the current format, but the tight margins have made all the games meaningful and much more competitive that in previous formats. Kilkenny and Tipp are already in danger of not making the knockout stages. Any benefits gained from the current format would be totally undone by having almost everyone qualify for the knockout stages regardless. I hope I'm reading this wrong, otherwise it'd be a HUGE backwards step. Again.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 18/03/2013 14:54:48    1351415

This league format has proved to be ultra competitive from top to bottom. Maybe it could yet be tweaked further in terms of playoffs but I feel that a team promoted now doesn't have such an enormous step up to make. Also, it's not such a disaster for a team that's relegated.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4105 - 19/03/2013 16:13:33    1352104

keeper7
County: Longford
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1352104
This league format has proved to be ultra competitive from top to bottom. Maybe it could yet be tweaked further in terms of playoffs but I feel that a team promoted now doesn't have such an enormous step up to make. Also, it's not such a disaster for a team that's relegated.

I agree with that. Nothing lost but a bit of prestige.

Midleton (Cork) - Posts: 646 - 19/03/2013 16:23:09    1352120