Rod Brind’Amour Suggests Ending NHL Preseason

As the NHL preseason kicks off after a long summer, excitement is in the air. All 32 teams are back on the ice. However, the excitement may not last. Preseason games often lack excitement and some argue they are unnecessary.

Rod Brind’Amour, head coach of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, advocates for stopping preseason altogether. He shared his thoughts on TSN’s “Overdrive.” According to Brind’Amour, players are eager to start the regular season. “Guys just want to play. Guys just want to drop the puck and start for real,” he noted. He emphasized that players, like Allen Iverson famously said, don’t enjoy practicing.

Recently, the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement cut the preseason from six games to four. The regular season expanded to 84 games. Yet, Brind’Amour believes removing preseason entirely would be better. Most teams are already decided before preseason begins. “There were always spots available,” Brind’Amour remembered. Now, “that doesn’t happen now, hardly ever. The team’s picked.”

These are reasonable points. However, the preseason still holds some value. It serves as a marketing opportunity for the league. By hosting neutral site games, the NHL reaches areas without regular games. This season, the Capitals and Flyers played in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Senators and Canadiens faced off in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. These games offer fans affordable ways to watch NHL players and attract new supporters.

Ultimately, with most rosters set and stars on the bench for the preseason, cutting back preseason games might be beneficial.