The NHL is having trouble deciding on a schedule for the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.
ESPN.com reports that the NHL could move up the start of the Stanley Cup Finals to Saturday, May 30 if both Conference Finals end by Wednesday. This comes months after the NHL said the Finals would start either on Friday, June 5 or Friday, May 29, and days after the league sent out a press release stating that the finals could be moved up to Thursday, May 28 if both Conference Finals ended in a sweep.
When the Blackhawks destroyed the possibility of the Conference Finals ending a sweep, the Stanley Cup Finals were seemingly locked into the June 5 start date. That meant that if the Conference Finals ended on Wednesday — a real possibility — there would be a eight-day layoff between the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals.
Even with this move, the NHL could still be looking at a long layoff. If the Conference Finals do not end until Thursday (for example, if the Hurricanes win Game 4, but the Penguins close them out in 5), indications are that the Stanley Cup Finals would still begin on June 5, meaning a seven-day layoff.
Like the other proposed schedules for the Stanley Cup Finals, the May 30 version would still feature Games 1 and 2 on back-to-back nights. A potential Sunday night Game 2 could air opposite Nuggets/Lakers Game 7 on ABC. The June 5 schedule would have the Stanley Cup Finals air on the same day as the NBA Finals on two occasions — Sunday, June 14, and Tuesday, June 16.
The NHL’s indecision on its Stanley Cup Finals schedule contrasts with other sports. The NBA set its Finals date of June 4 several months ago, with a potential move-up date of June 2. Meanwhile, the World Series is one of the few major events that does not even have a potential move-up date.
