Blackhawks: What makes this year’s playoffs so interesting

The Stanley Cup Playoffs will start next week for the Chicago Blackhawks. This year will be the most interesting in NHL history and here’s why.

For starters, the Chicago Blackhawks have nothing to lose and everything to gain this playoff season. Let’s say they’re out in three games, well, they gained some playoff experience, they have a real good shot for the number one pick, and there will probably be a coaching change.

Let’s say they make it a few rounds, that gives Jeremy Colliton and some of the younger players some real playoff experience that’ll help improve the team for years to come.

One of the most interesting things about this year is having no fans in attendance. No fans are a first for everyone in the world, even if you’re a fan of a team that doesn’t sell out as the Blackhawks do. To keep things interesting, the NHL has decided to add video game cheering in the arenas.

The part I find most frustrating is the watch schedule. There have been rumors that fans won’t be able to see their teams unless they’re in their team’s watch market, I find that unreasonable, as no other sport would do this. Of course, the games haven’t started and if that did happen, fans would find websites to bypass that, but it just seems very unreasonable and unfair to fans who have waited this long to see hockey return.

Lastly, the fact that 24-teams are in this year’s playoffs instead of 16 is maybe the coolest thing. I love the idea of the team who wins the Stanley Cup could potentially have to win 19 games, instead of the traditional 16.

I’m not saying I want this to happen every season, but this is a very cool thing the NHL has done. If they ever have a shortened season again, and this works out well, they should try the 24-team format a second time.

Let’s hope for a fun 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs in a week, as we’ve waited since May 22nd, since we were told this was happening. It’s been a long wait, but we are nearing the finish line.