Taking Detroit or Chicago out of the West would be a huge mistake. Just swap Columbus with Winnipeg. It's the easiest and best solution the NHL has.
This.
Its the simplest move, and doesn't shake up any divisions. As much as I hate philly, I still enjoy the rivalry. There wouldn't be as much hate if they left and went to another division.
Keep the current division structure, switching Winnipeg for Columbus (or Detroit).
30 Games (15 Home + 15 Away) vs Out of Conference
20 Games (10 Home + 10 Away) vs In Conference/Non Division 32 Games (16 Home + 16 Away) vs Division Teams (4x8)
82 Games
It was only a few years ago that we played divisional opponents 8 times. With this system, the focus is on building rivalries. I find it hard to complain about a division with the Flyers, Rangers, Islanders and Blue Jackets/Devils. Those are all fun teams to play against, and fun games to watch.
Sure, you lose 2 games against Washington, but you're gaining a season home and home series against every team in the league.
Keep the current division structure, switching Winnipeg for Columbus (or Detroit).
30 Games (15 Home + 15 Away) vs Out of Conference
20 Games (10 Home + 10 Away) vs In Conference/Non Division 32 Games (16 Home + 16 Away) vs Division Teams (4x8)
82 Games
It was only a few years ago that we played divisional opponents 8 times. With this system, the focus is on building rivalries. I find it hard to complain about a division with the Flyers, Rangers, Islanders and Blue Jackets/Devils. Those are all fun teams to play against, and fun games to watch.
Sure, you lose 2 games against Washington, but you're gaining a season home and home series against every team in the league.
I kind of meant to put some kind of notation that I don't like the devils, but I think Columbus would be in line to replace them in our division if this realignment happened.
I actually really like this. My favorite part is that Jets didn't get a logo or even typed From a business standpoint it wouldn't make much sense to put 4 of the bigger draws into the same division. If they do, they should call it the "Save the Blue Jackets" division.
I don't know how you think Florida and Tampa being in the Western Conference makes any sense.
I would like to just see East and West with the black line being the marker for separation. The Pens would see more games against their rivals but that would include the Caps and Habs. Then as time goes on the BJ's or TB might become something worth watching so the scheduler would have to adjust.
Just move FLA to Quebec and everything will be set.
Yeah but I don't think the Panthers are on life support. Attendance was actually up last season over there (other teams' fans, mostly, but still). Ownership has stabilized (for now). So, I think the Panthers are staying put. Plus, I think the Lightning market would take a hit if we lost Florida. Last point, if we lose another Southeast Division team, I think we lose the division completely. We'd have to rename it and then place teams like Carolina and Tampa in a strange division.
The keys to this whole situation are Phoenix and Quebec City. One team may be leaving, the other is definitely coming. Heck, at this point we don't even know whether 5 years from now we'll have a 30-team league or a 32-team league.
To make a concrete realignment now just makes no sense at all.
I like the idea of going back to divisional playoffs, and thus realignment would be a must. But find a way to keep Pittsburgh in Philly and the Rangers Division, and adding Washington too.
Is it necessary for all 3 NYC teams (I'm including NJ in them) be in the same division? I'd put the Devils in with Toronto, Ottawa, etc (though I know Philly has a good NJ rivalry too)
It is really hard to figure out how they could do this well if Detroit is the team that moves east AND they don't intend on any massive scheduling changes / conference re-alignments. Further I don't give a crap what Holland & Co want / were "promised" - if there's no piece of paper that "promise" means squat. Politics has no business in hockey.
The obvious problem is there are way more teams NE quadrant than anywhere else, and even in terms of a west-east split, at best 9 of the 30 teams are in "the west" (really more like 8), and the two teams in the middle are close to no one (Dallas and Colorado). Even if you divide north and south vs. east and west someone will get royally screwed on long distance travel (like grouping Chicago, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary into a division).
The correct solution is, the NHL should say "Sorry Detroit, we couldn't have guessed at the Winnipeg situation and current alignment. You have to stay." And then move Nashville to the SE. It is such an no-brainer move I'm having a hard time understanding why there is discussion of anything else among these hot-stove clowns. Geographically and in terms of not trashing rivalries, there is only ONE logical solution unless you want to do N-S conferences and/or go four divisions:
Everything stays the same except:
Nashville moves to the SE, Winnipeg moves to the Central. Done. Or you could Move Minnesota into the Central, Winnipeg into MN's spot, and move Nashville SE. All natural rivalries are maintained (likely two will be added) and Nashville goes where they should have been the whole time.
Last edited by Chancellor Vitale: 10-30-2011 at 01:06 PM.
All they really need to do is add a third conference.
West
Central
East
Anahiem
Bufallo
Boston
Calgary
Chicago
Carolina
Colorado
Columbus
Florida
Dallas
Detroit
New Jersey
Edmonton
Minnesota
NY Islanders
Los Angeles
Nashville
NY Rangers
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Montreal
San Jose
St. Louis
Ottawa
Winnipeg
Tampa Bay
Philadelphia
Vancouver
Toronto
Washington
That could work too although the six game bit would go away for sure. Probably you'd have to travel everywhere out of division once... that would be 40 games out of division total, then 4 in division would give you 36, so you'd have six games to play with to do special rivalries and whatnot.
We could play an extra against our old rivals (Philly, NY, NY, WAS, then maybe an extra against Van and LA or something like that (good tv games).
Last edited by Chancellor Vitale: 10-30-2011 at 01:16 PM.
All they really need to do is add a third conference.
West
Central
East
Anahiem
Bufallo
Boston
Calgary
Chicago
Carolina
Colorado
Columbus
Florida
Dallas
Detroit
New Jersey
Edmonton
Minnesota
NY Islanders
Los Angeles
Nashville
NY Rangers
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Montreal
San Jose
St. Louis
Ottawa
Winnipeg
Tampa Bay
Philadelphia
Vancouver
Toronto
Washington
I don't like that at all. How would the playoffs work out then? East vs. West vs. Central a 3-way Final? I don't want the Pens to move out of Atlantic or the East.
Taking Detroit or Chicago out of the West would be a huge mistake. Just swap Columbus with Winnipeg. It's the easiest and best solution the NHL has.
Yea I think as much as Detroit WANTS to move east the league won't allow it because it will hurt ratings/matchups out west. Cbus to the east makes more sense. As far the divisons im kind of split on the idea of just 4. On the bad side we lose most of our main rivals... which is ridiculous. On the plus side I'm from Canada so thats alot more HD games rather than watching in terrible quality online. I would really prefer they just switched winnipeg with Cbus. It just seems the most simple/fair and doesn't mess up so many rivalries.
I don't like that at all. How would the playoffs work out then? East vs. West vs. Central a 3-way Final? I don't want the Pens to move out of Atlantic or the East.
No the way it would work is points. Top 16 point getting teams in the playoffs, ranked top to bottom. Maybe do some kind of funky bye system where top two teams avoid first round... something like that. At this point I'm all for the NHL Thinking Different and trying to resolve a problem that geographical breakdowns cannot solve, short of doing what I said a couple posts earlier, which more or less maintains status quo.
Yea I think as much as Detroit WANTS to move east the league won't allow it because it will hurt ratings/matchups out west. Cbus to the east makes more sense. As far the divisons im kind of split on the idea of just 4. On the bad side we lose most of our main rivals... which is ridiculous. On the plus side I'm from Canada so thats alot more HD games rather than watching in terrible quality online. I would really prefer they just switched winnipeg with Cbus. It just seems the most simple/fair and doesn't mess up so many rivalries.
So... Nashville stays west and Columbus is SE? I don't see what the avoidance people seem to have with Nashville is.
That could work too although the six game bit would go away for sure. Probably you'd have to travel everywhere out of division once... that would be 40 games out of division total, then 4 in division would give you 36, so you'd have six games to play with to do special rivalries and whatnot.
We could play an extra against our old rivals (Philly, NY, NY, WAS, then maybe an extra against Van and LA or something like that (good tv games).
It also eliminates the team who gets seeded higher because they are a divisional leader even though their record is worse than other teams in other divisions.
Playoffs bracket would need some thought though.
6 teams from each conference would make it into the playoffs(you gain/add two teams more that otherwise wouldn't make it if it were by today's format) and it would then go to a single lineup format that could potentially face off teams from the same conference through out the playoffs and possibly the finals.
1 vs 18
2 vs 17
3 vs 16
4 vs 15
5 vs 14
6 vs 13
7 vs 12
8 vs 11
9 vs 10
Last edited by Ugene Malkin: 10-30-2011 at 02:29 PM.
It'll never happen but I kinda think since the travel is incredibly lopsided in favor of the east, just get rid of the whole east/west concept and make divisions with teams staggered around the map to even out the travel as much as possible. I'm not saying it's a great idea I just think it's kind of a joke how much the western teams travel compared to the east.
To make a concrete realignment now just makes no sense at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BLACKnYELLOW66
I think Uncle Gary really needs to stop screwing around with things.
Something needs to be done though. You can't just leave Winnipeg in the South East.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiChi Vitale
No the way it would work is points. Top 16 point getting teams in the playoffs, ranked top to bottom. Maybe do some kind of funky bye system where top two teams avoid first round... something like that. At this point I'm all for the NHL Thinking Different and trying to resolve a problem that geographical breakdowns cannot solve, short of doing what I said a couple posts earlier, which more or less maintains status quo.
I don't know if owners would want a bye with the amount of money they make on playoff games.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UnderratedBrooks44
It'll never happen but I kinda think since the travel is incredibly lopsided in favor of the east, just get rid of the whole east/west concept and make divisions with teams staggered around the map to even out the travel as much as possible. I'm not saying it's a great idea I just think it's kind of a joke how much the western teams travel compared to the east.
The west having a problem isn't a reason to create a problem for the east. The west would gain nothing and the east would be annoyed. Not to mention the timezone differences hurting TV ratings across the league. So actually, everyone gets hurt and nobody is happy.
It also eliminates the team who gets seeded higher because they are a divisional leader even though their record is worse than other teams in other divisions.
Playoffs bracket would need some thought though.
6 teams from each conference would make it into the playoffs(you gain/add two teams more that otherwise wouldn't make it if it were by today's format) and it would then go to a single lineup format that could potentially face off teams from the same conference through out the playoffs and possibly the finals.
1 vs 18
2 vs 17
3 vs 16
4 vs 15
5 vs 14
6 vs 13
7 vs 12
8 vs 11
9 vs 10
What happens in round 2 with nine teams remaining?
I wonder if the NHL would really be stupid enough to breakup such a historically genuine rivalry such as the Pens n Flyers? I'd like to hope not, but who knows?
Rather still have a genuine NHL rivalry around instead of all these fake/media hyped ones.
From a business standpoint it wouldn't make much sense to put 4 of the bigger draws into the same division. If they do, they should call it the "Save the Blue Jackets" division.
I would really prefer they just switched winnipeg with Cbus. It just seems the most simple/fair and doesn't mess up so many rivalries.
