Is NHL Preseason Necessary?

With the NHL preseason in full swing, hockey enthusiasts are excited to see all 32 teams back on the ice. However, Rod Brind’Amour, the head coach of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, questions the necessity of these games.

Brind’Amour voiced his concerns on TSN’s “Overdrive,” expressing a desire to eliminate the preseason. “Guys just want to play. Guys just want to drop the puck and start for real. They don’t like practicing — nobody does,” he remarked.

The sentiment echoes Allen Iverson’s infamous statement on how practices may not always be productive. Previously, the NHL reduced the preseason from six games to four in a new collective bargaining agreement, extending the regular season to 84 games. Brind’Amour believes this isn’t sufficient and would prefer to forego the preseason completely.

“The team’s picked,” Brind’Amour noted. “There aren’t many spots open; it’s predetermined.”

Brind’Amour also pointed out that the preseason serves as a marketing tool by allowing the NHL to host games in regions without local teams. Recently, the Capitals and Flyers faced off in Hershey, Pennsylvania, while the Senators and Canadiens played in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

Despite these benefits, with rosters largely set and star players often sitting out, Brind’Amour’s perspective on reducing or eliminating preseason games gains traction. The question remains if the practice serves its core purpose or if trimming the number of games further is beneficial.