NHL Sticks With Playoff Format, No Straight Seeding

NHL executives dig in their heels on the current playoff structure, brushing off calls for a straight seeding overhaul that would upend decades of divisional drama. GMs in smoke-filled rooms argue it keeps the rivalries alive and the local TV money flowing, even as fans clamor for pure merit-based matchups. With playoffs underway, this decision locks in the bracket chaos that defines the league's spring madness.