It's time for a new formula for outdoor NHL games

Edmonton Oilers are hosting the Calgary Flames in the Heritage Classic this October. The NHL should look to European tournament competition to improve the quality of outdoor games. The best the NHL can offer fans is a modest movement in standings. FA Cup in England is similar to the NCAA March Madness bracket. It's a knock-out tournament with hundreds of participating clubs.

The NHL is one of North America's elite leagues. It's seen a growing gap in top-line revenues against other major leagues and needs to find a solution to this. For U.S. clubs, it's possible to create a one-game elimination bracket with 16 teams. In Canada, the system could be similar. The location of the games would need to become neutral. For the NHL, Winter Classic can be rebranded as the Winterclassic US Championship. Heritage Classic becomes the HeritageClassic Canadian Championship, and the final four teams would be decided in November. There would also be a bye for the first and second overall.

Opinion: It's time for a new formula for outdoor NHL games.

Evan Menzies is a senior strategist at Crestview Strategy.