NHL Re-Alignement

[ibeck 38]

As per TSN

Northeast Division: Montreal,Boston,Ottawa,Toronto,Buffalo,Florida,Tampa Bay

Atlantic-Carolina,New Jersey New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh,Philadelphia, Washington

Central-Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, and Winnipeg.

Northwest-Anaheim, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver.

The top four teams in each Conference would qualify for the playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team; the second-place team would play the third-place team. The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round of the Playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.

EDIT: Forgot link:http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=382065

[wrangler 157]

I'm wondering whether part of this was to set it up for two expansion teams.

[Steve_v3 289]

I'm wondering whether part of this was to set it up for two expansion teams.

God, I hope not.

I also don't get why Florida & Tampa would be with the rest of the northeast.

[ibeck 38]

God, I hope not.

I also don't get why Florida & Tampa would be with the rest of the northeast.

I don't think they really fit anywhere else. As a fan of the game, I hope every team plays everybody at least once in each others arena's

[Steve_v3 289]

This part I really don't like.

So we could see Detroit vs. Vancouver or Pitts burg vs. Tampa?

The top four teams in each Conference would qualify for the playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team; the second-place team would play the third-place team. The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round of the Playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.

The division winners would be re-seeded for the Conference Finals based on regular season points totals. This opens up the possibility that two teams that are currently in the same conference could conceivably play each other in the Stanley Cup Final.

[SydNap 25]

God, I hope not.

I also don't get why Florida & Tampa would be with the rest of the northeast.

They're going to make the Florida teams' schedules home-heavy during the deep winter months hoping to draw the Canadian snowbirds "wintering" in Florida...

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

I'm wondering whether part of this was to set it up for two expansion teams.

+1, though id like to see Buffalo and Washington swapped

[SydNap 25]

I don't think they really fit anywhere else. As a fan of the game, I hope every team plays everybody at least once in each others arena's

I read somewhere that every team will have a home/home with every of team in the league, and then something like 6 games against each team in their conference/division/insert name of some old hockey player here

[ryanhockey21 0]

This also means two teams form the East or West can play for the cup

[SydNap 25]

+1, though id like to see Buffalo and Washington swapped

As a flyers fan I would too. Fairly they're probably where they belong. Buffalo makes much more sense playing Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, and Montreal than just gaining their Pit rivalry back. Problem is then Washington would be like a duck out of water...

[wrangler 157]

This also means two teams form the East or West can play for the cup

Apparently the East and West will no longer exist.

[SydNap 25]

This also means two teams form the East or West can play for the cup

I'm good with this, the NFL needs to embrace that it's different, doesn't need to run playoffs like 3 other sports. Only problem as I see it is that Cup finals may lose some viewers that lose interest when all teams they love/hate are out of it?

wo of the conference will have eight teams and two will have seven teams. The top four seeds make the playoffs – 14 teams in the East and 16 in the West.

In the seven-team conferences, division rivals play six times a season. In eight, they play five or six, rotating by year.

Here’s how the playoffs work in each conference: The first-place team would play the fourth-place team, while the second-place team would play the third-place team.

The four respective conference champions would meet in the third round of the playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.

The domino effect of a major realignment was caused by the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg this season, while remaining part of the Southeast Division.

Under the new setup, each club will play a home-and-home series with every team in the league that is not in their own conference.

[trevor13478 1]

The only part of this I like is playing each team at least home and away every year. It doesn't make sense to have two East coast teams playing for the Stanley Cup from a TV ratings standpoint, you alienate a lot of West Coast viewers, and vice-versa. This just seems a little radical when really you just needed to move one team east, either Detroit, Nashville or Columbus and then rework the divisions in the East or just abolish divisions all together and have the top 8 from each conference make the playoffs. Seems like the league just made a lot of unnecessary changes.

[steelnation248 101]

As a Wings fan, I am liking this realignment, in theory. It never made sense for them to be in the Western Conference. No more 10:30 start times for a quarter of the season. The central definitely seems like it will be tough, but that can be said for the other divisions too. I'm looking forward to see how this works out.

[Chadd 916]

As a Wings fan, I am liking this realignment, in theory.

Well, it was pretty much designed by/for them, you should like it.

I'm not a fan of it at all. Between the Florida teams being put into the northeast and the first two rounds of the playoffs being between teams that played 6 times over the course of the season, a lot of fans are going to get sick of seeing the same teams over and over again.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

I'm wondering whether part of this was to set it up for two expansion teams.

I think Long Island deserves an NHL team.

[bigdmac 12]

I like the idea, not a fan of the new playoff format though.

[goaliemanshark 6]

This is horrible on so many levels! If Phoenix moves to an eastern city than it's only marginally bad. The fact that the divisions aren't the same size is stupid. How is it fair for the teams in the 2 larger divisions come playoff time? They get screwed out of a potential playoff spot!

I think Chadd's solution was the best...

Pacific:

San Jose

LA

Anaheim

Phoenix

Colorado

Northwest:

Vancouver

Calgary

Winnipeg

Edmonton

Minnesota

Central:

Chicago

Detroit

St. Louis

Columbus

Dallas

Nashville goes to the Southeast to replace the Jets. I get this isn't ideal for Detroit/Columbus/Minnesota but it's better than what's proposed...

[Jason Harris 31]

But you could also argue that teams in the 8-team divisions would likely have more games against lesser opponents, making it easier for them to accumulate points. Plus, I think Wrangler may be correct in surmising that it sets them up for expansion. I read the other day that Markham, Ontario (15 miles from downtown Toronto) just approved a 19,500 seat arena. Bear in mind that expansion fees are free money to sports leagues.

Other than the two most southeastern teams being placed into essentially the northeastern division -- when there are closer geographical teams in between -- I'm really starting to like this idea. First, every team plays home and away against each other. More importantly, assuming they seed the semifinals with the four remaining teams, it sets up the likelihood that the two best teams play for the Stanley Cup -- regardless where they're from.

[natbat 0]

As a Red Wings fan, I support it because of the 10 o'clock playoff games in the previous years. A team 2,000 miles apart shouldn't be in the same division. IMO

[wrangler 157]

I note also that it's the two eastern conferences that have seven teams, so one of the concerns, a Phoenix move east, could easily be handled.

[Chadd 916]

As a Red Wings fan, I support it because of the 10 o'clock playoff games in the previous years. A team 2,000 miles apart shouldn't be in the same division. IMO

The only team playing in a division with opponents so far away was Dallas (and obviously Winnipeg this year). They were in the Pacific with the California teams and Phoenix. The new schedule means that they will only have to play each team out of their conference once on the road. That means one trip annually to western Canada and California from now on.

[chippa13 1844]

God, I hope not.

I also don't get why Florida & Tampa would be with the rest of the northeast.

They were trying to maintain the regional/divisional rivalries and they had to put the two Florida teams together somewhere.

[chippa13 1844]

Well, it was pretty much designed by/for them, you should like it. I'm not a fan of it at all. Between the Florida teams being put into the northeast and the first two rounds of the playoffs being between teams that played 6 times over the course of the season, a lot of fans are going to get sick of seeing the same teams over and over again.

I don't agree. A lot of the better rivalries in the league were built upon the frequent meetings under the old divisional playoff format. Familiarity breeds contempt and that makes for some good rough and tumble hockey.

[cpramber5 0]

I dont like how Tampa and Florida are going to have to travel alot more than they usually do. I was thinking the NHL should of put Winnipeg in the Central division and move Nashville in the southeast division.