I know it’s off-season (or lockout season) for hockey, but I’ve had a nagging question I’ve never really had an answer for.

Yes, the answer is fairly simple. In hockey, there are ties. Having to constantly refund money bet on an eventual tie game can be both time consuming and tedious for sportsbooks. Therefore, we use the point spread for hockey because a half-a-goal can mean the world of difference in some instances. In the playoffs, there are no ties so we would go only with the money line. I hope this answers your query.