Hockey is a winter game, but springtime is the true peak of the season. Stanley Cup Playoff games have been played in April and May since the 1960s.
For many puck heads, the first couple of rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a favorite time of year. The race is still wide open, filled with drama, surprises and bitter competition.
But interest wanes in the later rounds, as teams are eliminated and the weather improves across North America.
In a perfect world, the Stanley Cup Playoffs would begin around April 1, a start date that would rescue the Stanley Cup Final from its summer purgatory.
Since 1992, the championship series has continued well into June, when all but the most dedicated find their enthusiasm waning. Who can focus on hockey when there are gardens to plant, barbeques to tend and long summer evenings to enjoy?
Burying the championship series in early summer also spoils the chance to win over new fans.
It wouldn't take much to fix the situation: simply chop 10 or 12 games from the regular season.
That would leave the regular season at 70 or 72 games, and leave players with more energy for the games that really matter.
Of course, dropping ten games means each team loses five home dates and the revenue that comes with them. NHL owners would rather replace the puck with a beach ball than give up that cash.
But many NHL players have been known to complain about the length of the season. Would they agree to a 10 per cent pay cut in return for a corresponding reduction in the schedule? Probably not.
From a fan's perspective, a slightly shorter season and a Stanley Cup presentation before the end of May would be ideal.
But playoff hockey in June isn't going away anytime soon, no matter how many fans tune out.
