North, South, East, West, Canada, USA? Next will be expansion into Europe. Who the cares? This is the NHL. Get over it already. It is what it is, accept, and move on.
I appreciate the discussion about what will happen if/when Phoenix relocates (and to where) and when the league likely expands (Quebec City/Toronto2) and how then to realign the league, but there's no way that Winnipeg would be moved West into a grouping with the Alberta teams, Vancouver, and the California teams. While the Canadian rivalries would be cool, the overall time zone trouble would be asking too much of Winnipeg.
Personally, I don't really think the NHL should bother with a realignment at this time at all. Wait until the Phoenix issue is settled once and for all, and until the two expected expansion franchises are brought in to give the league the nice 32 franchises number to work with.
I appreciate the discussion about what will happen if/when Phoenix relocates (and to where) and when the league likely expands (Quebec City/Toronto2) and how then to realign the league, but there's no way that Winnipeg would be moved West into a grouping with the Alberta teams, Vancouver, and the California teams. While the Canadian rivalries would be cool, the overall time zone trouble would be asking too much of Winnipeg.
Personally, I don't really think the NHL should bother with a realignment at this time at all. Wait until the Phoenix issue is settled once and for all, and until the two expected expansion franchises are brought in to give the league the nice 32 franchises number to work with.
They HAVE to deal with it now. Flights for Winnipeg all over The East are way too far. They are at an extreme disadvantage. But, The NHL doesn't need to make the drastic change to 4 uneven conferences. They should just move Winnipeg to The Northwest (not so very far from Edmonton, Calgary and Minnesota), and Colorado to The Pacific, Dallas to The Central and Nashville to the Southeast, Then, when Phoenix moves to Quebec (Northeast), move a few teams to other divisions, again. When the 2 expansion teams are formed (maybe 5-8 years from now, make the wholesale structural changes.
Realignment has officially been approved by both the PA and the BOG. It will start next season.
While the schedule is not out yet he are a couple details...
Every team will play in every city every season, this causes an increase in total travel by about 3%.
The top 3 teams in each division automatically in the POs
Final 2 PO spots in each conference will be the two teams with the next highest points total, so some years it could be 4 teams from each division other years it could be 5 and 3
Names will be geographically based.
Format will last a minimum of 3 years.
cares? This is the NHL. Get over it already. It is what it is, accept, and move on.
