The Field Is Set

With the NHL regular season coming to a close by tomorrow, there aren't any other surprises or comebacks that teams can make. The sixteens teams who will compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs have been set, and the matchups are known as those sixteen teams prepare to take the ice starting on Monday. There may be upsets, there will be victories, and there likely will be a surprise or two along the way, but having sixteen teams set to engage in the postseason also means that the Survivor: NHL Playoffs field is set as the sixteen listeners of The Hockey Show now know who stands in their paths when it comes to fame and glory!

Ok, so there isn't that much fame nor glory to be had, but we do have a few prizes to award our entrants starting on Monday. Who matches up against whom? Here's the field as it stands.

We'll have a full discussion of the matchups this week on The Hockey Show, but the good news is that there will be no exit interviews this week. That means that everyone is eligible for prizes thanks to the challenges that we've presented, and we'll keep an eye on who wins those challenges.

Just as a note, the "first" to do something will be the team/player who does it first chronologically. If the LA Kings post a shutout the same night as, say, the New York Rangers, it's very likely the Rangers won that challenge simply due to time zones. There's nothing we can do to change this, so be aware that we're going to watching clocks when it comes to prizing as well.

With the field set and knowing who is competing against whom, start getting your exit interviews ready. Take notes, watch games, read recaps, and figure out who helped your team succeed and who may have contributed to the losses. More than anything, though, let's have some fun with this as everyone has a shot at winning a prize. One of the sixteen teams shown above will win the Stanley Cup, and the one person who selected that team will be the "ultimate survivor" in the 2022 Survivor: NHL Playoffs contest on The Hockey Show!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!