The only problem with this, Kev, is that they currently have the option to adopt something very very similar with a schedule change and keeping the current divisions. We may not understand why, but the reality is that the BOG seems to favor having all teams play in all others' barns. At least for right now.
Again, I don't know why. But, that is the simple truth. And, until they give us some indication that their thinking on that has changed, there is no reason to think they are going to go to 4-team groups when they expand to Seattle in a few years.
Yeah, I don't understand home and away with everyone as a business decision.
I recognize that dividing the league into small neat groups by geography leads to "segregation" of teams and doesn't foster a "we're one league" feel. More importantly, it was financially stupid to put 4 new teams/markets into a division together in the 6-division era. Geography alone doesn't create rivalries. Breaking up the Southeast and splitting WAS, CAR and TB, FLA into the Patrick and Adams was a very smart move.
But that's "next level" thinking: WAS (transient city of politicians), ATL, CAR, TB, FLA (new teams already in the south) don't have large, fan bases with fans who migrated south to sell tickets. MON, BOS, TOR have more fans in Florida; NYR, PHI, PIT have more fans in Carolina than those new teams.
The desire to have players like Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid visit your arena once a year isn't "next level" thinking.
If you're Colorado and selling 84.3% of your tickets, I understand wanting Crosby and Ovechkin to visit every year so you get those games sold out. But that isn't next level thinking.
Next level thinking is: "that means we also have to host BUF, NJ, NYI, TB, FLA, OTT, FLA, CBJ every year. I'm getting 8 decent games and 8 bad attendance games. In the long run, what's better?"
Now here's the time where someone replies that "I want to see Jack Eichel, Nico Hischier, John Tavares, Nikita Kucherov, Vincent Trocheck, Erik Karlsson, Teuvo Teravainen, and Oliver Bjorkstrand visit every year!" But if that's you, you're probably already in that 84% of sold tickets already. The problem is that those markets don't have 20,000 of you.
I'm not ADVOCATING for 4-4-4-4. I'd much rather have 8-8. But I'd also rather divide up the conferences MLB-style; and for that, a 4-4-4-4 probably works better.
Of course, you can HAVE 8-8 standings and a 4-4-4-4 schedule matrix.
I just want the NHL to go "next level" with thinking on alignment and schedule, create the most marquee games, and limit the non-marquee games.