NHL new format discussion

[Kalv]

With the next season starts a new NHL format, most likely with 4 divisions and 2 conferences. The playoffs would be divisional first. 2x7 teams in west and 2x8 teams in east.

McKenzie yesterday on twitter (nothing is approved yet):

Top 3 teams in each of two 8-team East conferences make the playoffs. Two wild cards from remaining 10 East teams also make the playoffs.
Top 3 teams in each of two 7-team West conferences make playoffs. Two wild cards from remaining 8 West teams also make the playoffs.
Playoff format remains old divisional style, 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3 though it remains to be seen how the wild cards are slotted for first-round.
I assume schedule matrix stays same as Dec/2011 proposal. Clubs in 7-team conf play 6x 6 in conf (36), and home-and-away with other 23 (46).
8-team conferences also play home-and-away with 22 out of conf teams (44) but play either 5 or 6 games vs. conference rivals (38).


Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa, Toronto in one (East) conference.
Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington in another (East) conference.
Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg in one (West) conference.
Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver in the other (West) conference.

What do you think?

Click to read more...

 

[Gliff]

I think Calgary is screwed

 

[TheFlyingV]

Not sure about having Edmonton and Calgary in our division, seems a bit far.


The Florida teams should be split up, one in each Eastern Conference.

 

[c4rcy]

Poor Columbus.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Curious, I always see this East vs West teams. Why isn't there a proposal for North-South conference lines or two leagues like baseball? Either proposal would force all those east coast teams to traverse west more often. Plus, you can keep a three division format so nothing really changes for the playoffs.

I'd vie for the two leagues so the Canadian teams can be evenly distributed. Also, it may be easier for expansion because the geography of the new teams do not matter, provided they annex in even numbers.

That could be a fun project for us to figure out how to divide the two leagues. Heck, we can re-incorporate the Wales and Campbell conference names.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Curious, I always see this East vs West teams. Why isn't there a proposal for North-South conference lines or two leagues like baseball? Either proposal would force all those east coast teams to traverse west more often. Plus, you can keep a three division format so nothing really changes for the playoffs.

I'd vie for the two leagues so the Canadian teams can be evenly distributed. Also, it may be easier for expansion because the geography of the new teams do not matter, provided they annex in even numbers.

Because it is apparently crippling to expect teams in the eastern and central time zones to have 10-12 games a year end at 11:30/12:30. You get the impression if at all possible they'd make us start all the games no later than 5PM, just like they did during the Stanley Cup - they want the $$ from the northeast tv markets. That's what's driving all of this.

 

[Dirk316]

Wonder how Detroit will fare playing against tougher teams in the east more often

 

[caliamad]

Both Columbus and Detriot pushed hard to get in eastern conference.

I'm was hoping this cuts down on our travel but with 3 canadian teams I'm very doubtful... at least we'll get exposure in canada...

I'm a little suprised the east coast has 2 more teams than west, but I think thats better for us and worse for them (less teams miss the playoffs).

 

[Vinegar Strokes]

Wonder how Detroit will fare playing against tougher teams in the east more often

The only tough team they'll have to play against is Boston...I guess you could count Toronto, but none of their actually important players are tough at all.

I think they have a much tougher division now, playing STL, Nashville and Chicago...

 

[gratefulyours]

Wonder how Detroit will fare playing against tougher teams in the east more often

probably really happy with this proposal. no more brutal time zone issues in the playoffs.

i'll be glad that we wont have to fly out there as much.

 

[Kalv]

It`s official. NHLPA will reevaluate it in 2015.

But for now - goodby Dallas. Our record against them is horrible. Sad we will still be injured by Coyotes.

Ducks, Kings, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Phoenix

 

[HanSolo]

Yeah I'm sure not upset that Dallas is out of the division. They do well against us. From 09 on.

Wonder how Detroit will fare playing against tougher teams in the east more often

Is that sarcasm? The east isn't even close to the West in toughness.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Well, hooray for 2 fewer Detroit games (and fans) every year anyway. We could have a pretty brutal division/conference (did they decide which it is yet?) in 2-3 years though.

 

[PhoenyX]

Playing with 3 Canadian franchises in our division will bring the Ducks a bit more media attention which I like. And Ducks fans from Canada like myself will get to see them on Hockey Night in Canada several times per year - woohoo!
Here is a visual of what the new realignment will look like:

 

[Paul4587]

Is that sarcasm? The east isn't even close to the West in toughness.

Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, Philly, NYR & Pittsburgh among others would probably have something to say about that.

Right now Eastern conference teams have outhit Western teams by 8126 to 7260. 10 of the top 16 teams in hits are in the East and Eastern teams have 14 more fighting majors than Western teams.

 

[rocsfeather]

Excited to see 3 Canadian teams enter the division/conference.

 

[Kalv]

Here`s a visual look:

Not that we`d care, but... any ide why the hell eastern conference is so weird? The south teams there still have to travel a lot.

PS
So we`ll be called western or pacific division?

 

[Yeaoh]

I don't get a couple of things. Firstly, this is basically the same proposal as last year, why does it go through this time?

Secondly...why bother with 4 conferences? Why not just have 2...East and West. Each has 15 teams of which 8 make the playoffs. Seems more fair than the proposed system.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Here`s a visual look:

Not that we`d care, but... any ide why the hell eastern conference is so weird? The south teams there still have to travel a lot.

PS
So we`ll be called western or pacific division?

They keep all their rivalries. And get to play them more - it's all about $$. The Florida teams got thrown under the bus and told that the extra $ coming from selling out games against the snowbird teams makes up for it.

I don't get a couple of things. Firstly, this is basically the same proposal as last year, why does it go through this time?

Secondly...why bother with 4 conferences? Why not just have 2...East and West. Each has 15 teams of which 8 make the playoffs. Seems more fair than the proposed system.

This time the 8 team conferences are in the east rather than the west. It looks like they traded the worse travel out west for the decreased chances of playoffs in the east. And the goal is to keep the largest possible number of games within 1 time zone of each team, which makes sense. If/when they expand in 2 years it'll screw everything up again most likely.

 

[Kalv]

They keep all their rivalries. And get to play them more - it's all about $$. The Florida teams got thrown under the bus and told that the extra $ coming from selling out games against the snowbird teams makes up for it.



This time the 8 team conferences are in the east rather than the west. It looks like they traded the worse travel out west for the decreased chances of playoffs in the east. And the goal is to keep the largest possible number of games within 1 time zone of each team, which makes sense. If/when they expand in 2 years it'll screw everything up again most likely.

I still think that giving Montreal and Boston to C1 and moving Columbus and Carolina to C2 would keep the big rivalries in place. However, i`m sure they know better than me of how to make money out of this.

 

[Ducks DVM]

I still think that giving Montreal and Boston to C1 and moving Columbus and Carolina to C2 would keep the big rivalries in place. However, i`m sure they know better than me of how to make money out of this.

Montreal - Toronto?

 

[mightyquack]

Without reading about it, are playoffs the same? Or is it that in division match ups first?

 

[Quack Shot]

Without reading about it, are playoffs the same? Or is it that in division match ups first?

Division match ups first, and what they been saying is there will be a wild card between the 4/5 teams before the actual playoffs start, will this be a one game playoff? or like a 3 game series?

 

[justheducks]

Anyone else with this alignment see the NHL giving another reason to possibly move the florida teams?

 

[HanSolo]

They're not moving the Florida teams. Especially not Tampa. The only changes I can see is a possible expansion. Two teams to the West.