Does the CHL and Major Junior Hockey Have a Competitive Balance Problem?

It sure did in the playoffs this spring, where almost half of the series in the WHL, OHL and QMJHL were sweeps, including all three championship series, says Ken Campbell.

If you had no skin in the game, the 2023-24 playoffs in all three leagues in the CHL were duds. There's no other way to put it.

Too many sweeps, too many blowouts, too few series that were even remotely competitive. 

The good news is that the cream of the playoff crop in the WHL, OHL and QMJHL will be represented in the Memorial Cup tournament. The bad news is if you were looking for compelling storylines, you came away disappointed.

There are a few reasons for this, but the fact that almost 77 percent of the teams in the CHL make the playoffs is a problem. So is the way most teams seem to have taken an all-or-nothing approach when it comes to building their teams.

Here's more:

Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here.