News Article: Potential NHL Realignment

[oilfaninvan]

This image that was in Jones article this morning really makes me question why this league has the 2 Florida teams.

If a team was ever viable in Las Vegas that would be awesome but I doubt it ever would be if hockey isn't really working in Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale.

Either cutting those teams and moving another team into the Central makes a lot of sense to me. However I assume the league has a mandate to continue expanding and watering down the talent level of the league.

So I can see a PHX to QBC move which will likely trigger Colorado back to the Pacific. Then possibly Western expansion in Seattle or Portland to have 8 team in the pacific.

Then Florida maybe to Kansas for another team in the mid-west. Tampa can move to Hamilton to keep the Central at 8 teams and then you need one more team. Honestly I don't see a lot of markets for viable expansion as I believe that the weak teams now should be moved to the promising markets instead of expanding there and then trim the fat.

One thing people don't seem to realize about Florida is that there are a ton of Canadians who live there, and they attend hockey games. Especially a lot of French Canadians in the Miami area wanting to see MTL.

Giving FLA and TB more home games versus TOR, MTL, OTT and later QUE is a very good thing for the Florida teams. Especially if those home games are playoff games.

 

[Tarus]

I think if you moved Florida to Quebec City then you could put Tampa Bay into the Atlantic. Then you take Columbus out of the Atlantic and place them into the Central. The whole thing makes more sense in terms of travel imo.

Florida isn't moving.

Don't be fooled by the empty seats, due to the land deals surrounding the arena they are based out of, the franchise is actually profitable - one of the few in the league.

The weird situation with the florida teams being kept in the central is the desire to build the geographical rivalries of those two teams, and Pitts/Phi/NYR/NJ/NYI/Was would scream bloody murder if they split them up. Could argue that they could just bump up Columbus/Carolina, but those are two teams that need a boost from regular visitations of the league's marquee teams(especially columbus).

 

[tv14]

Ya not a huge fan of the fact that almost all of our games in the division will be 8PM MT starts. Not to mention even games in EDM (on CBC and TSN) are usually 8PM MT starts.

But aside from that, based purely on geography and time-zones, this seems like the best option.

 

[Reimer]

That's not a good comparison at all

Just like your comparison was ****** as well.

To say their placement in the divisions isn't unfair now because 7 teams travel more than them is kind of silly no? Because it may be status quo to you doesn't mean it's right.

 

[joestevens29]

Ya not a huge fan of the fact that almost all of our games in the division will be 8PM MT starts. Not to mention even games in EDM (on CBC and TSN) are usually 8PM MT starts.

But aside from that, based purely on geography and time-zones, this seems like the best option.

I don't know if you noticed, but there isn't too many 7pm home starts anymore. Thanks to double headers on TSN/Sportsnet most are games are 7:30 or 8:00. I actually prefer 8:00 as we don't have to worry about the first game not being done. I love the early starts, but it was clear 7:30-8:00 was becoming the new start times.

 

[pocketful]

Give me back COL. That is all.