Your Roughriders are making a mistake, again

Morning from the junction — here's what's moving in Melfort.

The CFL is talking about expanding its playoff format to include more teams, and frankly, I'm not sure why. This isn't exactly new territory. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League tried this same thing not that long ago, and it didn't take. We went back to fewer teams in the playoffs because it just diluted the competition. You get more meaningless games, and the quality of play doesn't exactly go up when you're letting in teams that aren't really competitive.

Think about it this way: in Melfort, when the Mustangs are battling for a top spot, every game at the Kerry Vickar Centre feels like it matters. If half the league is getting in, that urgency fades. The SJHL figured this out pretty quick – sometimes less is more. For a league that relies on local rivalries and packed arenas, you need every game to count, especially late in the season.

* **Fewer Meaningless Games:** The SJHL learned that expanding the playoffs meant more games with nothing on the line, which doesn't do much for fan engagement or player development.

* **Maintaining Competition:** Keeping the playoff field tighter ensures that only the best teams are competing for the Cup, raising the overall quality of the postseason.

* **Local Impact:** When the stakes are high, the whole trading area, from Star City to Tisdale and Nipawin, pays closer attention. That's good for the league and good for communities like ours.

The CFL needs to look at what worked here in Saskatchewan before making changes that could actually hurt the product. We know what good hockey looks like, and it’s not letting every team into the dance just to say you did. It's about earning your way there.

That's the wire from the junction. The morning crew covers this kind of local angle every day – catch 'em live over at mornings.live.