Hurricanes voted against playoff format because 'it hurts our odds'

The Carolina Hurricanes were one of two organizations to vote against the NHL's 24-team playoff format, and it's not hard to see why.

Carolina currently holds the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 38-25-5 record and would have to face the New York Rangers in a play-in round to see who officially makes the playoffs. This doesn't necessarily benefit the team, and that's what Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook relayed to reporters on Monday. 

"It's not like we didn't want to play or anything, it's just that we felt this particular option maybe didn't benefit us — and it's not gonna benefit every team, but this is just the stance that we took," Martinook added, according to The Athletic's Sara Civian. "(This format) doesn’t really benefit the teams that are in 5, 6, 7 and 8 so it kinda hinders those teams. Then it obviously gives a lot to 9, 10, 11 and 12. It didn’t really benefit our team in any way."

It's essentially not very fair for the Hurricanes, who would've likely made the playoffs if things resumed as they stood, to play a non-playoff team in the Rangers just to give them the opportunity to make the postseason. While things are extremely tight in the Eastern Conference, the Canes have three more points than the Blue Shirts in two fewer games played... see how things can get rather messy? However, Carolina went 0-4 against the Rangers this season, so it seems this new format would benefit New York more than anything.

The other team to vote against the format was the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bolts winger and NHLPA representative Alex Killorn cited similar reasons for not voting in favor of the format.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, the teams and the NHLPA are continuing to iron out specific details of the format, and an official announcement regarding details is expected sometime next week, so these two organizations shouldn't get too hung up on the specific format, but rather look forward to the potential of something else being worked out.