I know they're not popular, but I genuinely believe the conferences could become something of importance.
Right now, they come across as a cost cutting measure for the Scottish teams, showing a divide in the bigger budget teams and the smaller teams, and a cash cow for the Erhardt teams (especially Sheffield and Nottingham). There's an over-saturation of fixtures between teams (we all got bored of seeing Steelers/Panthers games) and what for? A trophy Braehead had to buy themselves in the first year? Second seeding behind the winners of the league?
It can work though, it can be fixed, and it can be very relevant. 3 steps.
1) Return The League To 3h/3a Rather Than The 4/2 Conference Split
Simple step to stop the fixture saturation. Play each team 6 times over the season in the league, rather than half of them 8 and the others 4 times.
2) Use The Conferences For Qualifying For The Playoffs
The NHL don't use the top 16 for the Stanley Cup. They use their divisions (top 3 from each division) and then the next two best placed teams in the conferences. Easily done over here. The top four from each conference qualify for the Playoffs. Bottom team in the conference miss out. Still keep the league championship, that's never going to go away. But give a purpose to the conferences, make them matter.
3) Keep The Conference Playoffs Separate Until The Playoff Final
Easy peasy. Follow the NHL model and keep the two conferences apart from each other until the endgame. 1st in conference plays 4th, 2nd plays 3rd. Two legs, winners advance to the NIC and Playoff Weekend. Saturday, you have the two conference finals. The winners of that play each other in the Grand Final on Sunday. Then you're guaranteed a Gardiner team in the Playoff final and people from both sides of the divide keep interest.
Done.
Agree? Spot any flaws? Hit me up on Twitter and tell me, or go to the forum and tell us.
Cheers for reading.
Liam
@IAmMcCausland
@AwkwardGinge
@TomWalkeden
@FrozenSteelBlog
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