Alignment for ECHL in 2016/17 Season
- Thread starter GindyDraws
- Start date
royals119
Registered User
It has been that way for the 15 years that I've been following the league. Sometimes the announce the divisions before the schedule, sometimes it is simultaneous, and sometimes they schedule comes first, but either way they two aren't related. Teams will always play the most games against the teams they are geographically closest to, regardless of division. The schedule will be unbalanced relative to how many in division games vs out of division, and the number of games vs each division opponent.
If the league ever gets to a point where there are nice neat clusters of teams that are separated from each other, and equal in number then they might end up with a balanced division schedule, but I wouldn't count on it. Travel and arena availability are the two priorities, and even then they still end up making teams drive 10 hours after a Saturday night game to play on Sunday afternoon at the back end of a three in three or four in five.
If the league ever gets to a point where there are nice neat clusters of teams that are separated from each other, and equal in number then they might end up with a balanced division schedule, but I wouldn't count on it. Travel and arena availability are the two priorities, and even then they still end up making teams drive 10 hours after a Saturday night game to play on Sunday afternoon at the back end of a three in three or four in five.
My take on this is that the league is doing what it can to assist the teams in the Eastern Conference, with travel come playoff time; and letting the teams in the Western Conference just suck it up.
With the new format, you won't have South Carolina and Kalamazoo, nor Florida and Wheeling playing in the first round of the playoffs, as they did last year.
The West came out pretty good in the first two rounds last year, travel wise, with the exception of Allen and Idaho.
Allen, Missouri, Cincinnati and Kalamazoo have the most to lose, travel wise, in the new alignment come playoff time.
I thought the 3 division format worked well last year. That alignment could have remained again this year, with the Midwest division having the only change with the loss of Evansville. Further confusing is that the schedule that was released was based on the old division setup.
Perhaps for the 2017-18 season the league will simply divide the teams into two conferences, forget divisions, and have the top 8 teams make the playoffs. Of course, to further save money for the teams, come playoff time, the top 8 will be matched up based on geographic proximity, rather than record.
As odd as that sounds, with the new divisional/conference alignment, along with the existing schedule; makes me think almost anything is possible in this league.
With the new format, you won't have South Carolina and Kalamazoo, nor Florida and Wheeling playing in the first round of the playoffs, as they did last year.
The West came out pretty good in the first two rounds last year, travel wise, with the exception of Allen and Idaho.
Allen, Missouri, Cincinnati and Kalamazoo have the most to lose, travel wise, in the new alignment come playoff time.
I thought the 3 division format worked well last year. That alignment could have remained again this year, with the Midwest division having the only change with the loss of Evansville. Further confusing is that the schedule that was released was based on the old division setup.
Perhaps for the 2017-18 season the league will simply divide the teams into two conferences, forget divisions, and have the top 8 teams make the playoffs. Of course, to further save money for the teams, come playoff time, the top 8 will be matched up based on geographic proximity, rather than record.
As odd as that sounds, with the new divisional/conference alignment, along with the existing schedule; makes me think almost anything is possible in this league.
royals119
Registered User
I don't think they will do that. Teams like to have the marketing opportunity that comes with a division championship. So regardless of how meaningful they are I think they will keep the divisions. The did a conference alignment for playoffs already - top eight from each conference qualify, division champs get the top seeds, but there was more travel in the first round. That's why they went back to the divisional format for the first two rounds. It isn't perfect, but overall there is less travel vs a top eight format. They have tried some silly ideas, but playoff matchups based on geography alone, without divisions or records coming into play? That sounds pretty far fetched even for the ECHL.
Sports Enthusiast
Not Here To Be Liked
Divisional play gets soooooooo boring. I mean you see these teams like 13 times a year. I'm just glad with Manchester, Adirondack and Brampton I don't have to see Wheeling and Reading every other game like it used to be.
Thank god the playoffs are not best of 5 in the first round like they were a few years ago.
As for the schedule I wish they could just find a way to abolish Sunday games...that or Wednesday games. 4 in 5 is dreadful but 3 in 3 might actually be just as bad. Either way by Sunday it looks like a piss poor practice.
Thank god the playoffs are not best of 5 in the first round like they were a few years ago.
As for the schedule I wish they could just find a way to abolish Sunday games...that or Wednesday games. 4 in 5 is dreadful but 3 in 3 might actually be just as bad. Either way by Sunday it looks like a piss poor practice.
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