Do you think the NHL should increase the number of teams that qualify for the playoffs from 16 to 20?
	No	25 (83 percent)
	Yes	5 (17 percent)

Anaheim: Kevin Sawyer - No
"I really don't think so. I think the way the system is now, it's real, real competitive. I think having 16 teams in the playoffs makes this time of the year more exciting, with everybody trying to get in. There's that much more intensity. More teams are going to miss the playoffs, so there is going to be a higher pace of hockey. So no, I don't think they should do that. It's the best of the best (now)."

Atlanta: Lubos Bartecko - Yes
"It's a tough decision, but yeah, it would be nice. If more teams had an opportunity to play in the playoffs, it would be better for the league and the players. The teams that don't have a lot of experience in the playoffs could gain more if they had 20 teams make it. Everybody wants to play in the playoffs."

Boston: Dan McGillis - No

Buffalo: Alexei Zhitnik - No "No, I don't think so. If you play in the final, it's two months. Sometimes, it's six or seven games every series. I don't think we need any more."

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Calgary: Craig Conroy - No
"In my situation, I'd rather have 20 in but it's been 16 teams and should stay. You don't want to make it too easy because the regular season isn't as important. The regular season has gotten better over the years. They should get rid of the one point for the overtime loss because that will make the races that much closer at the end."

Carolina: Anonymous - Yes

Chicago: Anonymous - No

Colorado: Peter Forsberg- No
"No. I think eight from each conference is enough. Too many, and the regular season won't mean anything."

Columbus: Anonymous - No

Dallas: Stu Barnes - No
"I've always been -- I don't know if traditionalist is the right word -- but I like things the way they are. We have a great product. Having 16, it's unfortunate for teams that deserve to be there and don't make it, but it puts pressure on teams to do well."

Detroit: Anonymous - No

Edmonton: Ryan Smyth - No
"No. We always have some pretty good races down the stretch. It makes the season that much more interesting."

Florida: Matt Cullen - Yes
"Especially with the way that teams are talking about losing money all the time. If you look at it, you have half the teams in the league are failures, which obviously isn't good for business or good for the fans. There isn't any question in my mind they should expand the playoffs. Half the teams are successes and half the teams are failures. It's tough to have a successful business if looked at that way by the fans."

Los Angeles: Anonymous - No

Minnesota: Brad Brown - Yes
"I think so. Hockey is all about the playoffs, and the races are so tight now, I think fans in a few other cities with teams on the edge would love it. Besides, it would keep the owners happy, too. It's all about keeping the owners happy."

Montreal: Donald Audette - No
"It's this way now and it's a battle to the end. It's difficult to change when things work, and people don't want to be watching hockey at the end of June."

Nashville: Brent Gilchrist - No
"Sixteen's enough. The playoffs are long enough right now. When I first came into the league 16 of the 21 teams made it, and that was too many at the time. Now, it's probably just right. Almost half the teams don't make it, and that's the way it should be. It's an honor to be in the playoffs and you should need to be in the top half of the league to get there."

New Jersey: Oleg Tverdovsky - No
"No. I think it's good like it is. It makes it more competitive at the end of the regular season with eight teams from each conference making the playoffs. If it was more teams and more spots were open, it would be less competitive. Also, the playoffs would be longer."

N.Y. Islanders: Mark Parrish - No
"No. Obviously, you'd like to see more teams have a chance to be in it, but when there's only 16, it makes the regular season more meaningful, and making (the playoffs) more gratifying."

N.Y. Rangers: Bobby Holik - No
"Definitely not."

Ottawa: Anonymous - No

Philadelphia: Joe Sacco - No
"No. It cheapens it. It makes the regular season less important I think. There are battles for playoff spots and that would take away from it."

Phoenix: Deron Quint - No

Pittsburgh: Ramzi Abid - Yes
"Yes. It's so hard to make the playoffs right now. It would be good to get more teams in there."

St. Louis: Eric Boguniecki - No
"No. If they do they would have to shorten the season...That's absurd. (Something like that) they tried in the AHL. We were in it. And it was stupid."

San Jose: Anonymous - No

Tampa Bay: Anonymous - No

Toronto: Anonymous - No

Vancouver: Matt Cooke - No
"No. Eight teams per conference is a lot and it works out well. It makes teams play well to make the playoffs."

Washington: Anonymous - No
"The product has been cheapened enough."

Material from The Hockey News.
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