Dundon said that he would include as many as 24 teams in the postseason if he had it his wayGETTY IMAGES
Hurricanes Owner Tom Dundon purchased the team just over a year ago, and his "short time in the sport has seen him raise the prospect of more than a few changes that go far beyond meeting-room dress codes," according to Dave Feschuk of the TORONTO STAR. Dundon said, "I don’t think hockey is that much more rooted in tradition or stuck in the past than most things. I actually find it to be pretty open-minded and progressive, the people I’ve met. But that doesn’t mean there’s not some things ..." Feschuk notes Dundon is seen as a "progressive thinker" and is of the belief that the NHL's playoff format "ought to be expanded." Dundon said that he would "include as many as 24 teams" in the postseason if he had it his way. Feschuk notes if change is "in the air, Dundon is among those who’d also like to see the league a) hold firm to its commitment to rid 'non-hockey plays' from the sport and b) do more to promote star players." As an example, Oilers C Connor McDavid was in Raleigh for a game last season, and there was "insufficient buzz to accompany his presence." Dundon said, "In the U.S., (NHL) stars are pretty anonymous. It was probably the worst attendance of the year. When your biggest star doesn’t carry every market, I think we’ve all got to look at that and say, ‘What can we do about that?’" Dundon is commonly seen wearing a Hurricanes windbreaker and ball cap, and "raised eyebrows" when he brought his "dress-down ethos" to an NHL BOG meeting last week. Dundon said that he has "had conversations with Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour about loosening his team’s dress code." Dundon: “I’ve pushed for, ‘Let the players be comfortable (in) what they wear to the arena and on the plane’” (TORONTO STAR, 12/11).
