Realignment: NYR, LAK, Chi, Bos, Phi, Dal in one division?

tinyzombies

Registered User
Dec 24, 2002
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What do you guys think?

If the NHL is serious about TV ratings, this is the way to go. Have all the top market teams in one division. At least for a couple years, to loop in viewers.

I can't imagine being a Bruins fan and not playing New York and Philly and even LA. Those are traditional rivals!

"Hockey Night in the USA, this Saturday night. The New York Rangers host the Los Angeles Kings!"

I like it.
 
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Hunter Gathers

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Uhhhh, you're not taking NYR away from New Jersey and Long Island.

When those two teams play the Rangers it's one of the very few times either team sells out or comes close to selling out.

Won't happen.
 

tinyzombies

Registered User
Dec 24, 2002
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Uhhhh, you're not taking NYR away from New Jersey and Long Island.

When those two teams play the Rangers it's one of the very few times either team sells out or comes close to selling out.

Won't happen.

The other part of my idea was to have one exempt team outside your division that you also play 8 times. That could be the Isles. Or could be spread out between the two. So there's two less games that NJ and NYI get packed houses for. What is that, a couple million dollars? In the scheme of things, it's not much.

It's a useless idea in terms of a national TV contract to try and build rivalries with the suburbs. Who cares?
 

Bear of Bad News

Your Third or Fourth Favorite HFBoards Admin
Sep 27, 2005
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If the NHL is serious about TV ratings, this is the way to go. Have all the top market teams in one division. At least for a couple years, to loop in viewers.

Leaving the rest of your idea to the side for the moment...

Under what definition would Washington D.C. be considered a "top market"?
 

tinyzombies

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Dec 24, 2002
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Leaving the rest of your idea to the side for the moment...

Under what definition would Washington D.C. be considered a "top market"?

Well, I figured it was a marquee city.

But you could add Dallas in there instead.

Nothing like a good old New York vs. Texas fight. Or California vs. Texas.

Then during intermission, trim the boring analysis to a minimum and show naked dancing girls. Or, if they don't want to do that, have cameras at different points in the crowd, mic the players, show all-access footage, show highlights.

Keep it entertaining and don't try to teach people the fine points of the game. Also, remove the instigator penalty.

Expand to Houston instead of Kansas City. Etc. etc. etc.

And let 'er fly.
 

Hunter Gathers

The Crown
Feb 27, 2002
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The other part of my idea was to have one exempt team outside your division that you also play 8 times. That could be the Isles. Or could be spread out between the two. So there's two less games that NJ and NYI get packed houses for. What is that, a couple million dollars? In the scheme of things, it's not much.

It's a useless idea in terms of a national TV contract to try and build rivalries with the suburbs. Who cares?

Just no way that would ever happen. Too many teams lose their key rivals in this idea that you have. Boston without Montreal?

Philly without NJ or Pittsburgh? Los Angeles without Anaheim and San Jose?

The Rangers without NJ or NYI?

Those rivalries, while it would be OK to have them play their key rival a lot, are much better when it is a divisional race. It would not fly to separate the teams like you have proposed. Not to tear it apart, but it's just not really feasible.
 

tinyzombies

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Dec 24, 2002
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Montreal, QC, Canada
Finally! Something I'm on board with. :handclap:

At least a hot chick interviewing players. I've seen enough dumb jocks in my life. Like that Bill Simmons asks in thatarticle about the NHL Draft, why hasn't TSN learned that we want to see hot chicks and not dumb jocks?

I know when it comes to other sports I don't watch like tennis or soccer or whatever, the thing that draws me in is a regional match-up or two mega stars going at it. And by regional match-up, I don't mean a big city against the small cities surrounding it. I mean two big cities going at it toe-to-toe.
 

tinyzombies

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Dec 24, 2002
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Just no way that would ever happen. Too many teams lose their key rivals in this idea that you have. Boston without Montreal?

Philly without NJ or Pittsburgh? Los Angeles without Anaheim and San Jose?

The Rangers without NJ or NYI?

Those rivalries, while it would be OK to have them play their key rival a lot, are much better when it is a divisional race. It would not fly to separate the teams like you have proposed. Not to tear it apart, but it's just not really feasible.

But remember, each team gets one exemption to play 8 games against another team outside their division. For Montreal, that would be Boston. For the Rangers, that would be the Islanders.

For the Devils, that would be anyone who would have them...lol
 

Hunter Gathers

The Crown
Feb 27, 2002
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But remember, each team gets one exemption to play 8 games against another team outside their division. For Montreal, that would be Boston. For the Rangers, that would be the Islanders.

For the Devils, that would be anyone who would have them...lol

Yeah, but then they'd average 12K a game for a year. It's just not possible.

Personally, I'm not against it and I think it's actually an interesting proposal compared to the many times we see the same ****ing thing said over and over again. But I don't think it's really that possible. It is at least a pretty original idea.
 

IslesFanatic

Thank you, Lou!
Jun 7, 2006
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Uhhhh, you're not taking NYR away from New Jersey and Long Island.

When those two teams play the Rangers it's one of the very few times either team sells out or comes close to selling out.

Won't happen.

How about instead of basing it on attendance, why not say you cannot take those rivalries out of the game as many times as they play.:help:
 

billcanuck

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Jun 24, 2007
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Rather intriguing you used to get these match ups all the time back when there was 21 teams. Apparently they expanded the number of teams in the US to make the league more applealing to US television networks. It's interesting that now someone's saying it's the lack of compelling match ups that is killing the league.
 

tinyzombies

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Dec 24, 2002
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Montreal, QC, Canada
Rather intriguing you used to get these match ups all the time back when there was 21 teams. Apparently they expanded the number of teams in the US to make the league more applealing to US television networks. It's interesting that now someone's saying it's the lack of compelling match ups that is killing the league.

Well that's only part of it. The other thing I'm saying is that there's not enough chicks.
 

GabrielaV2

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Sep 30, 2006
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As a Kings fan, I would love to see some of those matchups more often, but the travel for Western teams is brutal enough. That would be absolutely killer, especially for the Kings.

Gabby V.
GO KINGS GO!!!
 

frivolousz21

2019 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS ST LOUIS BLUES
May 17, 2007
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the reason the tv ratings are down is because Chicago, Boston, NYR, NYI, St. Louis, Phily, LaK, were all bad last year...some the year before and some for multiple years.

How many times from 98 to 2007 was Chicago, Boston, NYR, NYI, Lak in the playoffs? or conference final? or stanley cup finals?

lets say Boston and Chicago in 2 years play in the stanley cup final...and that same year boston played Pitt in the conference final and chicago playes anahiem or LAK in the conference final.

the ratings would be 2 or 3 times higher than now.

like Det played Carolina and got 3.5 to 4.5's...image if Det played NYR and got 5.0 to 6.5 that would considered a huge hit for the nhl.

as long as there is no Canadien team next year the american ratings will be up 50 to 100 percent no matter who is in.

as we have said before Det vs Buffalo would of pulled 100 percent higher ratings.

anahiem vs buffalo atleast 50 percent higher.

i dont care what people say if the Toronto bluejays played in the World series vs the la dodgers it would be the lowest rated in the states ever.


last year the cards vs tigers were 2nd lowest rated.

championships are regional deals now...except the few diehards that watch.

the nba is seeing this happen now.
 

SerialSeb

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Sep 1, 2005
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Where hockey lives!
the reason the tv ratings are down is because Chicago, Boston, NYR, NYI, St. Louis, Phily, LaK, were all bad last year...some the year before and some for multiple years.

How many times from 98 to 2007 was Chicago, Boston, NYR, NYI, Lak in the playoffs? or conference final? or stanley cup finals?

lets say Boston and Chicago in 2 years play in the stanley cup final...and that same year boston played Pitt in the conference final and chicago playes anahiem or LAK in the conference final.

the ratings would be 2 or 3 times higher than now.

like Det played Carolina and got 3.5 to 4.5's...image if Det played NYR and got 5.0 to 6.5 that would considered a huge hit for the nhl.

as long as there is no Canadien team next year the american ratings will be up 50 to 100 percent no matter who is in.

as we have said before Det vs Buffalo would of pulled 100 percent higher ratings.

anahiem vs buffalo atleast 50 percent higher.

i dont care what people say if the Toronto bluejays played in the World series vs the la dodgers it would be the lowest rated in the states ever.


last year the cards vs tigers were 2nd lowest rated.

championships are regional deals now...except the few diehards that watch.

the nba is seeing this happen now.

Actually didn't they say that when the BlueJays went back to back in the World series that those were the lowest ratings ever at the time.
Imagine if the season had gone on the year after it would have been the Expos. That would have suck hey!

The United-Statians do care if it's an United-Statian team. Just like the Canadians do care if it's a Canadian team.
 

Hunter Gathers

The Crown
Feb 27, 2002
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the reason the tv ratings are down is because Chicago, Boston, NYR, NYI, St. Louis, Phily, LaK, were all bad last year...some the year before and some for multiple years.

Uhhhh do you not follow the NHL? How the **** were the Rangers bad last year? They made the playoffs and swept the #3 ranked team.

:biglaugh:
 

frivolousz21

2019 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS ST LOUIS BLUES
May 17, 2007
3,273
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St. Louis, Mo
I didnt meant to lump them in for last year.

I hope there little run will get some fans back..there ratings were horrid for such a big city
 

billcanuck

Registered User
Jun 24, 2007
49
0
the reason the tv ratings are down is because Chicago, Boston, NYR, NYI, St. Louis, Phily, LaK, were all bad last year...some the year before and some for multiple years.

How many times from 98 to 2007 was Chicago, Boston, NYR, NYI, Lak in the playoffs? or conference final? or stanley cup finals?

lets say Boston and Chicago in 2 years play in the stanley cup final...and that same year boston played Pitt in the conference final and chicago playes anahiem or LAK in the conference final.

the ratings would be 2 or 3 times higher than now.

like Det played Carolina and got 3.5 to 4.5's...image if Det played NYR and got 5.0 to 6.5 that would considered a huge hit for the nhl.

as long as there is no Canadien team next year the american ratings will be up 50 to 100 percent no matter who is in.


as we have said before Det vs Buffalo would of pulled 100 percent higher ratings.

anahiem vs buffalo atleast 50 percent higher.

i dont care what people say if the Toronto bluejays played in the World series vs the la dodgers it would be the lowest rated in the states ever.


last year the cards vs tigers were 2nd lowest rated.

championships are regional deals now...except the few diehards that watch.

the nba is seeing this happen now.

You know, a few times I've made this comment: that for some reason the general American sports fans (as opposed to the hockey fans) won't watch Canadian teams. You wouldn't believe how people jump on me for that one (weirdly, fans from Carolina and Nashville).

Anyway - if it's true that ratings drop when Canadian teams are involved in the final - what's up with that? Any theories?
 

frivolousz21

2019 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS ST LOUIS BLUES
May 17, 2007
3,273
84
St. Louis, Mo
no local ratings.

buffalo would add 500K to 1 mil on the local area...and being a team americans know...and an exciting team..maybe another 250 to 500K watch..and now the 1.1 is a 2.3 and the .7 on versus is a 1.3 or 1.4.

game 5 instead of a 2.2 is a 3.5 and the ratings look much better.

if Det was there...then we are talking 1.5 to 2 mil more american viewers..so that 1.1 is now a 3.0 and the 2.3 is a 4.0 or so.

which would make NBC fat coin on there revenue sharing deal.

im sure thats what NBC is waiting for..they could turn a huge profit if 3.5 to 6 mil people watch
 

tinyzombies

Registered User
Dec 24, 2002
16,826
2,338
Montreal, QC, Canada
As a Kings fan, I would love to see some of those matchups more often, but the travel for Western teams is brutal enough. That would be absolutely killer, especially for the Kings.

Gabby V.
GO KINGS GO!!!

The schedule would be the same for the east coast teams too. Chicago and Dallas would have it easier. I would also reduce the schedule and the amount of back-to-back and 3-in-4 and 4-in-6 games.

The rest of their games would be against west coast teams.

In fact, you could even scrap divisions and just have two Conferences. And they wouldn't have to do this every year either.

I think it would be wise to invoke some of the national rivalries. Certainly a lot more interesting imo. And like I said, each team would get to play one of their local rivals 8 times as well.
 

dafoomie

Registered User
Jul 22, 2005
14,772
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Boston
I can't imagine being a Bruins fan and not playing New York and Philly and even LA. Those are traditional rivals!
The Bruins have no real rivalries with any of those teams. Their rivals (and biggest gate attractions) are all in the Northeast. The Bruins have no connection to any of the Atlantic teams, let alone Western Conference teams.

Lets not get silly here.
 

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