1 vs 8 or Divisional: Which Stanley Cup Playoff Format is Better?

For hockey fans, the road to the Stanley Cup is a fun one. Stressful and nail-biting, yes, but fun. The Stanley Cup Playoffs serves as the best sports stretch on the calendar year; after a wild 82-game season, an even wilder 16-team postseason begins in mid-April and ends with the Stanley Cup awarded in mid-June. There is never a debate regarding how fun the Stanley Cup Playoffs are, because it is immensely exciting to watch 16 teams fight for the greatest prize in sports. The debate, however, is centered on the format.

The NHL has always had an interesting playoff format. After the league was whittled down to the Original Six, it was simple: the top four teams qualified as semifinalists for the Stanley Cup. When the league doubled in size in 1967, a second division formed consisting of the six expansion teams, and the format now included the top four teams in each division. The playoff population increased to 12 teams in 1974, as expansion continued, and it's been 16 teams since the 1979-80 season. The format seeded the teams 1 through 16 regardless of conference, but it was two years later (1981-82) that the memorable divisional format began, with the top four teams in each division qualifying, the first two rounds being purely divisional, and the Conference Finals featuring the playoff champions from each division.

The current debate involves the most recent two playoff formats: the "1 vs 8" format and the current one being used. Here's a look at those two formats:

1 vs 8

"1 vs 8" refers to the format that was adopted in the 1993-94 season, when the league switched to geographical names for their conferences and divisions. From 1993-1998, the two division winners were seeded 1 and 2, while the remaining six playoff teams were ranked 3-8. The divisions were realigned in 1998, and from then until 2013, the three division winners were seeded 1-3, while the other five teams were seeded 4-8. The four Conference Quarterfinal winners were all reseeded; it was not a fixed bracket from beginning to end.

This format lasted for 19 seasons, and it had its share of upsets during that period. I still remember the eighth-seeded San Jose Sharks ousting the Presidents' Trophy winning St. Louis Blues in 2000, as well as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim's magical 2003 run to the Stanley Cup Final. I do like the "1 vs 8" format, but the one problem I always had with it is the reseeding of the Conference Semifinalists. The NBA's "1 vs 8" format has a set bracket, meaning that we know who's playing who in the second round. In the NHL, under that format, fans would have to wait just a bit longer. I still remember 2013 (the final year under that format), where it looked like we would get a Ducks/Kings West Semifinal. The Kings won their series over the Blues, but the Ducks blew it against the Detroit Red Wings. As a result, the Wings faced the Blackhawks, while the Kings faced the Sharks thanks to reseeding.

Divisional/Wild Card

Currently, the format used for the Stanley Cup Playoffs has the top three teams in each of the four divisions (Pacific, Central, Atlantic, Metropolitan; following the 2013 realignment) automatically qualifying for the playoffs, while the remaining two spots in each conference are decided via a Wild Card format, regardless of division. The format debuted during the 2013-14 season, and has been used every season since then, except for the two seasons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 saw the return to the "1 vs 8" format following the Round Robin and the Qualifying Round, and 2021 saw the return of the divisional format used from 1982-93.

Regarding the Wild Cards, it could be one from each division, or both could be from the same division, allowing one of them to move into the other division's bracket as the #4 seed. We could also see both Wild Cards switch divisions if necessary. The bracket is completely set; the winner of the #1 vs WC/#4 series faces the winner of the #2 vs #3 series in the Division Finals, with each of the four divisions represented in the Conference Finals. As good as "1 vs 8" was, the current format is better. It's a blast from the past, but with a slight change (the Wild Cards), plus, we see division rivals take center stage in the playoffs. Remember the Ducks/Kings matchup we were denied in 2013? We got it in 2014. There's also the Penguins/Capitals matchups between 2016-18, and 2022 gave us the Battle of Alberta in the playoffs for the first time in over three decades. In addition, this format places huge importance on finishing in the top three in each division, while in "1 vs 8," third place may qualify some teams, especially if the division's bad. Remember the Southeast Division? Exactly.

The debate has been the loudest it's ever been, with Sidney Crosby being revealed as being on Team 1 vs 8. And it gets crazier. I did read that we could see play-ins instilled into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and I'll be honest, I actually envisioned a play-in format, though in my vision, the play-in spot rotates every year. My idea would bring back to the 1982-93 format, and would see the fourth and fifth place team in one division face each other for the last spot. I'm thinking with the current format, the play-in could be similar to the NBA's play-in, with each conference's Wild Card spots being up for grabs and contested between the four best teams in the Wild Card standings.

Again, I still say this current format tops the "1 vs 8" version, and I honestly can't see why fans would actually prefer "1 vs 8" over what we have now. Thankfully, I can't see anything really changing. Changing a playoff format is a huge decision. In addition, I think fans love the division rivalries too much to go back to go to the previous format, which doesn't guarantee division matchups taking place in the playoffs. For now, I'll just patiently wait for this year's playoffs, and enjoy that ride when it begins.