Brind'Amour: NHL Should Scrap Preseason Games
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour says he'd rather see the NHL drop exhibition games entirely in favor of a longer, more meaningful regular season.
Rod Brind'Amour has called for the NHL to scrap preseason fixtures altogether, arguing that a bigger regular-season calendar would suit players better than games that carry no weight.
The league has cut the number of exhibition fixtures to 65 this year, down from 104 last season, while extending the regular season from 82 to 84 games per team.
"The guys just want to play, they want to get to the real thing as soon as possible. They don't like practising — nobody does," Brind'Amour said.
Asked directly whether preseason hockey should be dropped, he did not hesitate.
"Yeah, of course. I'd take 86 games in the regular season and zero in preseason, if that's the direction we're going. The guys are in great shape right now. Why do we need games that mean nothing? Let's play games that count," he said.
His remarks land as the league continues to lean toward a longer regular-season schedule and shorter training camps, a shift that, if it continues, could see preseason hockey shrink further still.
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