Expansion: 32 teams and 4 conferences

[Blue And Orange]

Anyone recall in 2011, the NHL tried a radical 4-conference proposal that was suppose to be implemented after the 2011-12 season? With Las Vegas and Quebec City submitting application for expansion, it's fun to speculate what the league would look like in a 32-team league. To achieve symmetry, one of DET or CBJ has to move back to the Western Conference and this might be a tough sell for the NHL. As such, this is why I think the NHL will move to a 4 conference realignment. No more East vs West, now its West, Midwest, Central, and East.

Schedule Matrix:
-34 games vs conference opponents (4 or 5 games against each of your 7 conference opponents, at least 2H and 2A)
-48 games vs other 24 opponents outside your conference (2 games each 1 H and 1 A)

Playoffs:
-Top 3 teams in each conference are guaranteed a playoff spot
-4 wildcard teams (regardless of conference)
-WC that occupies 4th place in conference will remain in that conference
-WC outside conference top 4 will be seeded depending on their point total and the point total of the conference leader (cross-overs)
-1st round: 1 vs 4/WC; 2 vs 3
-2nd round: two remaining teams in each conference battle it out
-3rd round: four conference champions are re-seeded according to point total (1 vs 4, 2 vs 3)
-SCF: two remaining teams

Just thought I'd put it out there. It's always fun to speculate

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[thadd]

I like your west and midwest, but I'd rather go with north and south

North: Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo, Boston, NYR, NYI
South: Columbus, Pittsburg, Philly, NJ, Carolina, Tampa, Florida

 

[OmNomNom]

I like your west and midwest, but I'd rather go with north and south

North: Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo, Boston, NYR, NYI
South: Columbus, Pittsburg, Philly, NJ, Carolina, Tampa, Florida

not enough islanders/rangers for philly and NJ.


basically, realignment is gonna leave a large group of fans unhappy no matter what

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I suspect Columbus would move "mid-west" before Detroit, because I think that the NHL promised them something to the effect of staying in the East.

 

[Gunnersaurus Rex]

Detroit will not come back to the Western Conference. That was agreed upon with the NHL.

 

[Rafters]

I like the 8 division look with 4 teams per ...could have a 1 game playoff between 2 and 3 in the division to face #1 Or a best of 3

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I like the 8 division look with 4 teams per ...then top 2 in each division would go to playoffs

If you did that, how would you break it up?

 

[Rafters]

If you did that, how would you break it up?

There were a couple looks..one had a Canada west and Canada east division

 

[Rafters]

If you did that, how would you break it up?

There were a couple looks..one had a Canada west and Canada east division

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

There were a couple looks..one had a Canada west and Canada east division

This is what I was thinking as well.

Canada West - Edm, Cal, Van & Wpg

Pacific Coast - SJ, LA, Ana & LV

South - Ari, Dal, Col & STL

Great Lakes - Chi, Min, Det & Buf

Canada East - Tor, Mtl, Ott & Que

South Atlantic - Fla, TB, Car & Nsh

Pen-Central - Clb, Pit, Phi & Wsh

East Coast - NYR, NYI, NJ & Bos

 

[Blue And Orange]

The reason I chose Detroit to move to the "Midwest Conference" is to rekindle some old rivalries like Chicago/Detroit, Colorado/Detroit, and St Louis/Detroit.

This isn't moving Detroit to the Western Conference form the Eastern Confernece. This is putting Detroit in the "Midwest Conference" in a league with FOUR conferences. Essentially, the Wings are in a conference with 6 CTZ teams and 1 MTZ, which happens to be their biggest rival of the late 90s. I'm sure the Wings would consider it.

What's an extra two or three 9 PM ET starts going to do? Besides, most CTZ start their games around 8:00 and 8:30 PM ET anyways.

 

[s7ark]

Detroit will not come back to the Western Conference. That was agreed upon with the NHL.

This. There is no chance the Wing return to the west. A much more likely situation to even out the east/west would be the Panthers eventually moving to Seattle/Portland

 

[snag]

I would say the "central" division as it is drawn there would need to be broken up to make for more travel. As a family man as are many pro hockey players. I would want as little travel as possible so I would naturally want to go there. Geography already works against several teams, why make it even worse by making an entire conference the premiere destination? And I get it is already that way...but here is the chance to fix that (as difficult as it might be considering the "density" of the teams).

Also, as a Canadian, I hate the idea of having conferences made up of nothing but "us" where we are guaranteed to cannibalize each other out of the playoffs. I get how it could be exciting...but...meh....I want to see as many Canadian teams get as far as possible in the playoffs and then feast on each other

 

[evdog]

How about eliminating the geographical basis for divisions/conferences and set them up with random distribution (with a goal to have an equal geographic distribution). This would put all teams on an equal footing in terms of travel burden. And more importantly the league can go back to historically relevant and interesting division and conference names rather than the bland generic ones in use today.

 

[shoop]

This. There is no chance the Wing return to the west. A much more likely situation to even out the east/west would be the Panthers eventually moving to Seattle/Portland

There is the problem. No one wants to re-align to the West.

Columbus and Detroit both fought tooth and nail to stay move to the East. They won't move West without a fight.

The only chance you bring Quebec city in is by moving a team from the East.

 

[Jumptheshark]

florida and TB get screwed

 

[KenLinsemanFanClub]

florida and TB get screwed

How so? That's essentially the division they're in now.

 

[Game 8]

Like the Op's layout. Phoenix and Vegas need the Canadian teams to draw crowds and I'm being selfish!

 

[Bangers]

This is what I was thinking as well.

Canada West - Edm, Cal, Van & Wpg

Pacific Coast - SJ, LA, Ana & LV

South - Ari, Dal, Col & STL

Great Lakes - Chi, Min, Det & Buf

Canada East - Tor, Mtl, Ott & Que

South Atlantic - Fla, TB, Car & Nsh

Pen-Central - Clb, Pit, Phi & Wsh

East Coast - NYR, NYI, NJ & Bos

I would possibly switch BUF and CLB, but I really like this idea. Have Can West, Pacific, South and Great Lakes in one conference and the others in another.

Call me old-fashioned, but I wish the NHL would bring back division names (eg. Norris division, etc.)

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I would possibly switch BUF and CLB, but I really like this idea. Have Can West, Pacific, South and Great Lakes in one conference and the others in another.

Call me old-fashioned, but I wish the NHL would bring back division names (eg. Norris division, etc.)

I would prefer the old names as well, I was thinking Geographically. Plus, I had Buf and Clb where they are because I felt it fit better geographically.