Gary Bettman Confirms Playoff Format Decision Leafs Fans Have Been Waiting For

With the NHL looking to discuss the new CBA in early April, there's a lot of talks about what's going to be in and what's going to be out when it comes to new rules, regulations, and restrictions for both the players and teams come the new deal's fruition.

But one key point is a potential playoff shift, and the NHL could look at going back to the old-school format of things. But according to Commissioner Gary Bettman; things are fine just the way they are.

It's a topic of discussion that warrants debate, and seems to have been started on social media, as fans thought about what could be done to switch it up.

It's safe to say the response drew some frosty responses, and while that seems to be par for the course when it comes to Bettman, there's some positives with the current system.

In previous years, it felt like a forgone conclusion that the #1 seed would take out the #8.

This isn't NCAA Basketball, there's no March Madness. It's 16 teams, all who have the chance to succeed, but the less teams there are, the more narrowed down the field gets as to true contenders.

Sure, you get some wild underdog stories like Anaheim defeating powerhouse San Jose, as well as the Montreal Canadiens defeating Boston in 2002. But the odds of the underdog winning was only 26.7% in 2010, and with the switch over in 2013-14; the number has no chance to grow.

The current format hasn't been too kind to some teams however, and we've seen potential Conference Finals matchups like Chicago vs. St. Louis and Toronto vs. Boston all happen in the first round, it makes it feel like a true best of the best, and less of 'Can this underdog team pull off a Cinderella story?'

At the end of the day, the NHL is a business, and Bettman understands that giving these high-profile matchups as opposed to foregone conclusions is what makes the most money.

Why would he ever want to change that? Especially since he wants to outlive everyone, apparently.