LeBrun rumblings: NHL play-in series for playoffs has traction, but not with

PALM BEACH, Fla. — In a board of governors meeting that produced so little news, perhaps the most intriguing thing I learned was an item that was not discussed formally.

At least, it was to me.

I did an informal poll of governors over two and a half days. The question was simple: Do you favor the idea of a play-in before the Stanley Cup playoffs?

I asked 12 governors. It was a 12-0 in favor of the NHL adding a play-in round. I couldn’t find a single voice of dissent.

Now, I’m sure if I were able to canvass governors from all 32 teams, I would find a few in opposition. But still: 12 governors, 12 people who like the idea of a play-in.

None of the governors wanted to talk on the record about it because they know they would suffer the wrath of commissioner Gary Bettman if they did.

Because Bettman remains steadfastly against the idea. He has been very consistent with that over the past few years. To which, well, I put the question to Bettman yet again Tuesday after the two-day board of governors meeting wrapped up:

What about the idea of expanding the playoffs with a play-in like the NBA has done?

“If you say to them, ‘Would you be open to a play-in?’ Some of them might say, ‘We can talk about it.’ We don’t get that feedback,” insisted Bettman. “People think the system we have in place right now is working extraordinarily well, and frankly there’s nothing better in sports playoffs than our first round. And so, I’m not sensing much of an appetite for change.”

Maybe it is true that owners and team executives aren’t in his ear yet on this. It certainly wasn’t the time to do it during the pandemic. There were other priorities.

But the more I hear from some of these clubs, the more I get the sense the moment is coming over the next few years when a push will happen for a play-in. And the tipping point could be if U.S. TV partners ESPN and TNT decide they want to get behind the idea and put pressure on Bettman to consider it.

I asked Bettman on Tuesday why he doesn’t like the idea.

“You’re looking to fix a problem that doesn’t exist,” Bettman said.

Another reporter asked about potential extra revenues that could be derived.

“I’m not sure it enhances revenues,” Bettman said. “Diluting the regular season and diluting the playoffs doesn’t make much sense to me. I think having a system where half the teams make the playoffs and half don’t, I think that’s perfect.”

This week marks the 30th anniversary of Bettman being voted in as NHL commissioner at the board of governors meeting at this very hotel.

At the time, 16 of 24 teams made the playoffs. Before that, it was 16 of 21. Which was silly of course. Way too easy. But now it’s 16 of 32.

It is absolutely the right timing to discuss the merits of a play-in. The most talked-about concept would see No. 7 versus No. 10 and No. 8 versus No. 9 in each conference in best-of-three series, held quickly over three days max. No travel; the higher seed gets to host the entire series. That’s what some people would like to see.

It would have more teams playing relevant games in March, no question about it.

And this concept still protects the traditional 16-team playoff field. It’s a play-in to get into the 16.

But for any of this to see the light of day, owners will need to start backchanneling with the commissioner. And I would suggest it needs to happen at the executive committee level. That’s the smaller group of owners who have the commissioner’s ear.

League investigation

Bettman was asked about the ongoing league investigation into the 2018 Canadian world junior team, which seems to be nearing its end.

“We still have some work to do,” Bettman said. “We understand that two other investigations are still going. We have some more work to do in terms of coordinating, particularly with the Players’ Association, but I think we’re certainly in the home stretch.”

What seems evident is that the NHL doesn’t want to interfere in any way with the police investigation still ongoing in London, Ontario, which is to say I think the league is sensitive to the fact that announcing the findings of its investigation before London police are done with their criminal investigation could be an issue.

Bettman was specifically asked if the league would announce its findings before London police.

“That would be up to the London police. If they asked us not to make things public, we wouldn’t,” Bettman said.

Salary cap

Since 2005, the tradition has been that the league gives governors a sneak peek/projection for next season’s salary cap at this meeting.

To that end, it would appear that despite some hope back at the October meeting that the cap could jump by more than $4 million if a certain revenue threshold was met this season, HRR will fall short of that, the players won’t quite be done paying off the escrow from the pandemic, and therefore we’re looking likely at just a $1 million bump in the cap this summer, to $83.5…