MONEY MATTERS : The NHL / Julie Cart : One New Wrinkle in 1987 Playoffs

As if six months of hockey hasn’t been plenty, it’s time for the National Hockey League’s second season, the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The NHL has devised a process wherein 840 games are played to keep five teams out of the playoffs.

A new wrinkle to the playoffs this season--there are more games. The division semifinals have been expanded from a best-of-five series to a best-of-seven series.

There have been many explanations for this, the most credulous of which is that a longer format would forestall the upsets of last season.

It’s understandable that the integrity of the league is upheld when the excellent teams prevail. There is, however, a hidden agenda in the playoff expansion. Simply put, there are payoffs in the playoffs.

During the regular season, the league sells 85% of all available seats. During the playoffs, the figure is 96%. There’s money to be made at the gate, from concessions and from television revenue.

All teams in the league raise ticket prices for the playoffs. Most, like the Kings, increase prices for each round.

Demand for tickets in Detroit is such that team officials are considering selling tickets (at $8 each) to allow fans to watch the game on closed-circuit television in a hall next to the arena.

In addition to the increased revenue, there is the supposed prestige associated with a team making the playoffs. But with 16 of 21 teams in the playoffs, what honor is there in that achievement?

Yes, there is money to be made in the playoffs. Here are the breakdowns:

Already, the Edmonton Oilers are richer by $200,000, which came in the form of the President’s Trophy, awarded to the team that finishes with the most points in the regular season.

The following figures are per-player awards:

The division winners are awarded $5,000 and the second-place players pick up $2,500.

Losers in the division semifinals will earn $3,000, the division final losers $6,000 and the conference championship losers $11,000.

The Stanley Cup losers earn $18,000 and the Stanley Cup champions earn $25,000.

Players named to the first All-Star team earn $5,000 and those on the second team earn $2,000. League trophy winners earn $3,000 and league trophy runners-up earn $1,000.

The Kings’ end-of-the-season awards were presented last Saturday night, at the final home game.

The following awards were selected by the local media: Most Valuable--goaltender Rollie Melanson, Most Inspirational--left wing Dave (Tiger) Williams, Outstanding Defenseman--Mark Hardy, Outstanding Rookie--left wing Luc Robitaille, Unsung Hero--Melanson, Most First-Star Selections--Robitaille, Leading Scorer--Robitaille. And by vote of the fans, Most Popular--center Jimmy Carson.

NHL Notes

The St. Louis Blues appear to have made a good deal when they signed top college player Tony Hrkac to a contract Monday. Hrkac won the Hoby Baker Memorial Award as the outstanding college player. He led the North Dakota Fighting Sioux to the NCAA championship this season, setting an NCAA points record with 46 goals and 70 assists. . . . Scotty Bowman, the former general manager of the Buffalo Sabres has been hired to be an analyst for the Hockey Night in Canada telecasts. . . . Detroit Coach Jacques Demers has, like his team, had his share of injuries. He’s still fighting phlebitis in his leg after getting hit with a puck. He also broke two bones in his left foot when his players, excited that the Red Wings had scored a goal in Philadelphia, stood up at once and the bench fell on his foot. . . . NHL games took an average of eight minutes less time to play this season. . . . Firefighters will take to the ice to raise funds for Alicia Ann Rusch Burn Foundation, when the Southern California Blazers meet the San Francisco Flames in three games at the Paramount Ice Arena. The hockey games are June 28, 29 and July 1 at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets, which are $2, are available at the door.