The NHL’s 2024-25 regular season has kicked off, leaving behind the preseason game debate in the rearview mirror. The opening-night festivities in Florida, where the reigning champion Panthers are basking in their Stanley Cup glory, and Utah, where the newly relocated hockey team is settling into its new home, have captured the attention of fans.
However, the discussion surrounding the length of the preseason is far from over. According to a recent report from The Athletic‘s Pierre LeBrun, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association have begun exploring potential schedule changes, including the possibility of reducing the number of preseason games to four and implementing an 84-game regular season.
Key points of the discussions include the differing preferences of veterans and prospects when it comes to preseason games, the potential concerns of an 84-game regular season being too taxing, and the players’ desire for increased hockey-related revenue if regular-season games replace preseason contests. Additionally, there have been calls for more practice time before the start of preseason games and keeping lineups consistent.
Injuries during preseason games have only added fuel to the debate. Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine both suffered significant injuries in exhibition games, sidelining them for months. Despite the risks, some players, like Wild defenseman Brock Faber, believe that playing more games actually reduces the likelihood of injuries.
“I think people talk about the star players getting hurt in preseason, but it’s going to happen at the start of the season if you’re playing less,” Faber noted. “Like you need to play games. Your risk of injury will go down once you start to play more and more and more. (If not), then Game No. 1 out of training camp, your whole team’s basically playing Game No. 2, which makes it more dangerous.”
As the season progresses, the debate over the length and format of the preseason will likely continue to be a hot topic of discussion among players, teams, and league officials. Stay tuned for updates on how this ongoing conversation unfolds throughout the 2024-25 NHL campaign.