Confirmed with Link: New Realignment Plan

[PAZ]

People say this, but there's still intensity in those games. Especially with guys like Landy, Dutchy, and Varly growing up Av fans, and McLeod who threw their octopus out of the rink a few years ago. Everyone gets up for those games, the Wings have just had by far the better team for a while now so the games aren't close.

As soon as the Avs started to get competitive, those would have be some of the better games of the season. Not like the old days, but still better than others if they weren't to move out of the conference. Especially if they were to meet in the playoffs again, with the Avs gritty team makeup.

It's really not hard to start a rivalry going. The Canucks, Hawks had a rivalry for a while because they met each other in the postseason 3 years in a row.

While it might not be the same as the Red Wings, I don't think that rivalry would ever reach it's peak again. By the time the Avs are truly contenders, the Wings will be a bubble playoff team imo.

 

[Avs_19]

It's really not hard to start a rivalry going. The Canucks, Hawks had a rivalry for a while because they met each other in the postseason 3 years in a row.

Exactly. Avs aren't a good team right now so no one really cares. This team is irrelevant. Once they start making the playoffs regularly, they'll probably get a rivalry going with some team(s).

Wings rivalry has been dead for some time now. All of the players are gone.

 

[Hennessy]

The Avs had some heated moments with Dallas and St. Louis over a decade back (was it really that long ago? Damn, I'm old). One bad series and that stuff is resurrected.

 

[Freudian]

The Avs had some heated moments with Dallas and St. Louis over a decade back (was it really that long ago? Damn, I'm old). One bad series and that stuff is resurrected.

Avs don't really have any major rivalry, most likely due to the team not being all that good lately. I think their games vs Kings/Blues/Blackhawks have as much emotion as their games against Wings/Canucks/Oilers.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Rivalries will come when this team starts winning, now we just suck, so why would anyone hate us?

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

The Avs had some heated moments with Dallas and St. Louis over a decade back (was it really that long ago? Damn, I'm old). One bad series and that stuff is resurrected.

lol

First we have to make playoffs though.

 

[ABasin]

Avs don't really have any major rivalry, most likely due to the team not being all that good lately. I think their games vs Kings/Blues/Blackhawks have as much emotion as their games against Wings/Canucks/Oilers.

Agreed. I'm totally OK with the new alignment, if for no other reason that the Avs get earlier road games.

And while teams' excellence comes and goes over time, Chicago and StL look like they're both going to be quite competitive over the next several years, so we'll likely see some really good hockey.

 

[klozge]

Ending Chicago's streak tonight wouldn't be worst first step to slowly start a new rivalry. It would certainly hurt them.

 

[Pokecheque]

Ending Chicago's streak tonight wouldn't be worst first step to slowly start a new rivalry. It would certainly hurt them.

Well, we've literally hurt them already. Hopefully no one's gunning for O'Byrne or Stazz.

 

[Ivan13]

People say this, but there's still intensity in those games. Especially with guys like Landy, Dutchy, and Varly growing up Av fans, and McLeod who threw their octopus out of the rink a few years ago. Everyone gets up for those games, the Wings have just had by far the better team for a while now so the games aren't close.

As soon as the Avs started to get competitive, those would have be some of the better games of the season. Not like the old days, but still better than others if they weren't to move out of the conference. Especially if they were to meet in the playoffs again, with the Avs gritty team makeup.

Landeskog most certainly didn't grew up an Avs fan, I don't know where this fallacy started. He was a fan of Peter Forsberg (like any self respecting Swedish hockey fan) and Foppa's popularity in Sweden has close to zero connection to his NHL career. Landeskog's favourite team are the Dead Things if I remember correctly from his pre-draft video.

 

[klozge]

Landeskog most certainly didn't grew up an Avs fan, I don't know where this fallacy started. He was a fan of Peter Forsberg (like any self respecting Swedish hockey fan) and Foppa's popularity in Sweden has close to zero connection to his NHL career. Landeskog's favourite team are the Dead Things if I remember correctly from his pre-draft video.

He had a poster of the cup winning Avs on his wall at least.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

He had a poster of the cup winning Avs on his wall at least.

It was photo-shopped by Jean Martineau.

 

[5280]

Landeskog most certainly didn't grew up an Avs fan, I don't know where this fallacy started. He was a fan of Peter Forsberg (like any self respecting Swedish hockey fan) and Foppa's popularity in Sweden has close to zero connection to his NHL career. Landeskog's favourite team are the Dead Things if I remember correctly from his pre-draft video.

MHH says otherwise (FWIW)-

here

 

[Ivan13]

MHH says otherwise (FWIW)-

here

I don't buy it for a second.

 

[S E P H]

I love our division except for Nashville. For some reason I wouldn't like playing them 5-6 times a year, plus I am a big fan of them as well and wouldn't like cheering against them.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

I love our division except for Nashville. For some reason I wouldn't like playing them 5-6 times a year, plus I am a big fan of them as well and wouldn't like cheering against them.

It seems to me that with this realignment its a lot harder to make the playoff. You have the hawks and blues who are a lock then eveyone else fighting for that 3rd spot.

 

[JLo217]

I like this move for the Avs. I like the games against these teams, except Minnesota. We seem to always play decent against the Hawks and Blues.

I like this alot better then the possibility of being in the Pacific division.

 

[Frenchy]

I like this move for the Avs. I like the games against these teams, except Minnesota. We seem to always play decent against the Hawks and Blues.

I like this alot better then the possibility of being in the Pacific division.

Nothing is set in stone , we might end up in the Pacific division in a few years . They will try the new realignment next year and are suppose to look at it again arround 2015. You know, a new team here or a transfert there and they may want to shuffle the deck once again .

 

[chet1926]

I actually think our division is a much better fit for the Avs.

We tend to play some of our better games against Chicago and St Louis even though they are talented.

Minnesota, Dallas and Nashville all seem to be teams like us kind of stuck in neutral. Minnesota has nothing outside of BAckstrom, Parise and Suter. Nashville is way weaker without Suter. Dallas is loaded with a bunch of old guys that will retire soon and their prospect pool isn't amazing.

Winnipeg is a question mark in my book. They seem to have a bunch of talent but never seem to put it together.

Plus we get away from the 3 California teams that just out physical us and we don't have to deal with Edmonton as eventually they will figure it out with all that talent, and the best part is no more Vancouver who we couldn't beat if our life depended on it.

 

[Pokecheque]

I love our division except for Nashville. For some reason I wouldn't like playing them 5-6 times a year, plus I am a big fan of them as well and wouldn't like cheering against them.

Ugh, this year they've taken boring to an entirely new level of bad. Absolutely NO creativity whatsoever, just chip-it-in, trap, ice it, rinse and repeat. Completely unwatchable hockey.

They've effectively become the Minnesota Wylde when Risebrough was busy ruining the team and Gaborik and Lemaire were still there--one star surrounded by a bunch of speedy grinders and a trap-happy coach.

I don't actively root for my own team to tank, but I'm rooting for them to do so. They need a star in the worst way.

 

[Pistache]

Based on the actual standing, the new divisions would look like this:

Pacific Division

Anaheim 37
Vancouver 28
Los Angeles 26
Phoenix 25
Calgary 22
Edmonton 21

Mid-West Division

Chicago 45
Dallas 26
St. Louis 26
Winnipeg 25
Nashville 25
Minnesota 24
Colorado 22

Central Division

Montreal 34
Boston 33
Toronto 30
Ottawa 30
Detroit 28
Tampa Bay 21
Buffalo 21
Florida 20

Atlantic Division

Pittsburgh 32
Caroline 27
New Jersey 27
Rangers 26
Islanders 23
Philadelphie 23
Washington 21
Columbus 20

The teams in bold would make the playoffs.

The first round would go like this:
Eastern Conference
Phoenix vs Chicago
Winnipeg vs Anaheim
Los Angeles vs Vancouver
St-Lous vs Dallas
Western Conference
Detroit vs Montreal
Ottawa vs Pittsburgh
Toronto vs Boston
New Jersey vs Caroline

 

[Qurpiz]

Strictly from Avs PoV I like the new division, much rather play against the Blues, Hawks, Preds and Stars than Nucks, Oilers or Flames.

However, hate hate hate the fact that East has 16 and West 14 teams, as a principle. Need to expand 2 teams now.

Also, more Central games means I'm not going to be watching as much games as before, since games starting at 3am are pretty brutal

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Approved by The NHL's Board of Governors

The NHL's Board of Governors approved the realignment plan proposed last week.

The new four-division plan, featuring a new-look set-up for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, will go into effect next season.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=660138&cmpid=nhl-fb

 

[Pokecheque]

I think expansion is a foregone conclusion. Too bad they keep trying to make Phoenix work when it's pretty much doomed.

 

[Nihiliste]

I think worrying about the quality of teams in the division is a pointless exercise. We're playing in either the weakest or 2nd weakest division in hockey and yet we suck balls against them. To make the playoffs you have to be a quality team regardless of who you're playing against.