NHL – Stanley cup 2009/10

NHL – Stanley cup 2009/10

The Stanley Cup is the main event of the National Hockey League regular season, deciding the best team in North America. The play-off winners from the Western and Eastern Conference battle it out over a seven game series to decide the winner.

The seven game play off format of the NHL was changed in 1999 as part of a complete reorganisation of the league into two conferences and three divisions in each conference. The qualifiers for the play-offs remain the top eight from each conference. The three teams that finish top of their respective divisions are seeded in the top three places. Of the other teams in each conference the top finishers in terms of points totals qualify for the next five places. It is possible that a team finishing top of one division may have less points than another that finished second in another but will qualify for the play offs with a higher seeding.

In the Stanley Cup Final, because it is a seven game series, one team will play at home more often. This advantage is determined by the finalists play off seedings and by regular season points totals.

This season the Winter Olympics will mean that there is a mid season break from February 15th to February 28th to allow for NHL players to participate for their nation in the Games. Because of this break there will be no 2010 All Star Game.

In the Eastern Conference the runaway leaders are the Washington Capitals and in the Western Conference the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks look like the best teams at the moment. This is reflected in the current Stanley Cup betting odds where Chicago Blackhawks are current favourites at 5/1, Washington Capitals are currently at 11/2 and the San Jose Sharks are best priced at 6/1. Last seasons Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins are also in the running at 7/1.

It has to be remembered that the last time a Stanley Cup was won by the same team in consecutive seasons was when the Detroit Red Wings won in the 1996/97 and 1997/98 seasons.

In the UK you can bet on NHL regular season games, the winners of the conference and of course the Stanley Cup Champions.

Stanley Cup 2010 Betting Odds