“Nobody is happy with the current format so I would expect something like this is going to be adopted,” said a league executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
so home and home against teams outside the division ... if we were in a 8 team division, that would mean 22 teams outside our division and 44 games played outside the division... leaving 38 games to play within the division... 38 games in the division means an unbalanced schedule within the division, which i DO NOT like if the playoffs are based off divisional standings
the numbers for a team in a 7 team division would be: 46 games outside division and 36 in the division (6 games against each team)
Not sure what to think about this, this is very different than the current system.
Where would the Oilers fit in? Pacific?
LA, SJ, ANA, PHX, COL, VAN, CGY, EDM
I don't know Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg might be in the Midwest division? Who all would be in that Midwest division? St. Louis, Chicago, and maybe Colorado?
I think they said in that article Detroit and Columbus go to the East otherwise I would have thought they would be in the Midwest division.
I think Dallas would be in the Pacific or do you think they just get put in the South?
If the Oil get stuck in the Midwest that would probably the worst travel division. Except Vancouver who would be pretty far away from the Pacific teams (if Calgary and Edmonton are not in that division).
I don't know Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg might be in the Midwest division? Who all would be in that Midwest division? St. Louis, Chicago, and maybe Colorado?
I think they said in that article Detroit and Columbus go to the East otherwise I would have thought they would be in the Midwest division.
I think Dallas would be in the Pacific or do you think they just get put in the South?
If the Oil get stuck in the Midwest that would probably the worst travel division. Except Vancouver who would be pretty far away from the Pacific teams (if Calgary and Edmonton are not in that division).
Ya, I thought about that too. I think DAL would either be south or midwest, I also thought that DET and CLB would be midwest too.
1 division with 8 teams and the other with 7, and then the top 4 in each make the playoffs... this doesn't seem fair now does it.
The only way you make this somewhat fair is if you implement a crossover system (as in the 5th place team in the eight team division would take the spot of the 4th place team in the seven team division if they have more points).
1 division with 8 teams and the other with 7, and then the top 4 in each make the playoffs... this doesn't seem fair now does it.
If the rumour of 4 divisions is true, then there are really only two possible scenarios they are looking at in the near future:
1) Expanding to 32 teams, 8 per division.
2) Contracting 2 teams to end up with 28, 7 in each division.
Fat chance of the league *coughBettmancough* allowing 2 teams to fold, but God only knows what goes through his mind sometimes. Expanding to 32 teams seems a little... optimistic... to think the market could support 2 more teams considering how much trouble some of the existing teams are already in, but there's just no way they intend to keep the divisions uneven long term.
Last edited by gokeefe: 06-22-2011 at 09:38 PM.
Reason: formatting
Not a bad idea, but I wish they'd do the conferences as a north/south split. That way teams do a more balanced east-west travel schedule. I also wish they'd be more like MLB where a team hosts another team for several games in a row before going on the road to play another team for several games.
If the rumour of 4 divisions is true, then there are really only two possible scenarios they are looking at in the near future:
1) Expanding to 32 teams, 8 per division.
2) Contracting 2 teams to end up with 28, 7 in each division.
Fat chance of the league *coughBettmancough* allowing 2 teams to fold, but God only knows what goes through his mind sometimes. Expanding to 32 teams seems a little... optimistic... to think the market could support 2 more teams considering how much trouble some of the existing teams are already in, but there's just no way they intend to keep the divisions uneven long term.
If anything, the folding of 2 teams might be inevitable.
Wow. First Bettman says Balsille will get a team in the NHL if he behaves, and now this realignment... something tells me there's two teams out there on the verge of dropping off the map without some major changes coming. Not too hard to tell which ones... Suppose the writing is on the wall for his grand plans from fifteen years ago. Welcome home to Canada where the NHL is successful.
Wow. First Bettman says Balsille will get a team in the NHL now this realignment... something tells me there's two teams out there on the verge of dropping off the map without some major changes to accomodate. Not too hard to tell which ones...
When did Bettman say Balsille will get an NHL team? I missed that news. Please fill me in on that.
WIN goes to NW div, COL goes to PAC div, DAL goes to SE div. I'm not a geographical wiz, but I'm pretty sure that's the best option travel wise.
this one is good, that or nashville to SE, and minny to central (makes sense chicago vs minny division rivalry, carolina vs nashville as well)
also this new system sounds good, would be nice to have EVERY team come to your town every year, ofcourse making the league either 28 or 32 teams would be a must
When did Bettman say Balsille will get an NHL team? I missed that news. Please fill me in on that.
A couple weeks ago this came up on TSN - its obvious there's trouble in the U.S. hockey market paradise and fan interest. He basically said if Balsille behaves he will end up with an NHL team eventually. He's fishing for a buyer obviously. We all know these guys hate each other. I think I hate them both equally.
I think it would be so sweet if they brought back the old names.
Prince of Wales and Clarence Campbell Conferences
Patrick, Adams, Norris, and Smythe Divisions
THIS. so much this.
I also really love the idea of going back to playoff teams being determined by top 4 in each division. It keeps the rivalries alive in the playoffs. We'd be looking at some potential BoA's in the future, kids.
The unbalanced schedules and lopsided divisions (8,7 teams) is a tough one to figure out, but I like where this is headed.
It never really made sense to me why a team in a weak division would get home ice advantage over another team from a different, stronger division. Vancouver essentially won the president's trophy due to being in a super weak division.
Just have a cross-over rule where a team can bump another and take their spot in the other division if they have more points. Similar to the CFL East/West.
If the fourth-place team in division A has more points, not tied, than the third-place team in division B, the fourth-place team will crossover to division B, replace the third place team in division A, and compete against the second-place team of that division.
I like no divisions. 2 conferences. Reduce pre-season by a few games, play 4 against each conference opponent (56 games), and 2 against teams from the other conference (30), for an increase of 4 regular season games. Everyone fighting for the top 8 playoff spots in each conference would have had the exact same schedule.
