NHL takes March Madness approach to playoff hockey

Micah Johnston, Sports Editor

August 23, 2020

The NHL is using a 24-team playoff system to determine its new Stanley Cup Champion for the 2019-20 season, despite a long period of inactivity due to COVID-19. This system is reminiscent of the 68-team system used in the NCAA College Basketball Tournaments in March each year, a tournament that was also cancelled as a result of the pandemic. For the NHL, however, things are a bit different.