Quote :

"Starting this season, the four conference finalists will get the bottom four picks in the NHL's entry draft, according to multiple reports. Previously, only the Stanley Cup winner was assigned the final pick in each round. Now, regardless of their regular-season record, the 29th selection in each round will go to the Cup runner-up, the paper reported. Losers of the conference finals will draft 27th and 28th, with the team with the better regular-season record drafting in the lower spot. The change, apparently spearheaded by Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, gives teams with good regular-seasons that flop in early playoff rounds better spots to pick from. "I've been talking about this at the GM meetings the last number of years. In the end, I guess it was voted through," Holland told the Detroit Free Press. "You look at the NFL, where their draft selection is based on playoffs. I just think it's hard to win two rounds in the [NHL] playoffs. If you win two rounds, you get to the final four." NHL teams voted 23-6-1 in a fax vote over the past week to approve the changes, the Sun reported."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2798156&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

3/14/2007 2:27:33 PM

23 for, 6 against, 1 lost in overtime?

3/14/2007 2:55:10 PM

sounds about like how the NFL does it if I'm not mistaken

3/14/2007 3:06:19 PM

^^ haha, i didn't catch that! i wonder what the one vote means.

3/14/2007 3:17:10 PM

^ my guess would be that one organization abstained from the vote (or forgot to vote).

3/14/2007 3:21:03 PM

Quote :

"apparently spearheaded by Red Wings general manager Ken Holland"

Hahahaha of course it was spearheaded by Holland. I'm sure he anticipates many more President's Trophies followed by first round implosions in the future. Probably even this season.

3/14/2007 3:39:18 PM

haha yep, the wings have had horrible playoffs the last couple years, thats why this was done

3/14/2007 4:30:05 PM

hey i'm for this. our (detroit's) minor leage team is pretty thin this year. we're (grand rapids) lucky we're in the middle of our division

[Edited on March 14, 2007 at 11:48 PM. Reason : clarification]

3/14/2007 11:39:59 PM

you guys are first in the nhl right now

3/14/2007 11:43:44 PM

Montreal abstained, btw.

3/14/2007 11:45:50 PM

yes well we won't have chelios, schneider, lidstrom, draper, and lang too much longer. those are BIG holes to fill and we don't have too much in the pipeline from what i saw going to grand rapids griffins games last season (their minor league affiliate)

3/14/2007 11:47:30 PM