NHL maps out major changes (Realignment to 4 divisions?)

[LadyStanley]

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2011/06/22/18321961.html?cid=rsssportsslam! hockey

Two league executives told QMI Agency Wednesday that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented a proposal during Tuesday’s board of governors meetings in New York to scrap the current format used by the league.

Sources say under Bettman’s proposal, the league will have four divisions: Pacific, Midwest, East and South. It’s believed the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets would both get their wish to move to the East conference.
...
The realignment is by no means final. It’s still in the discussion stages.

Teams would play a balanced 82-game schedule with home-and-home against teams outside their division.

The top four teams in each division would make the playoffs. The first round would be divisonal play, the teams would then re-seed for conference play. Bettman’s idea would not affect a East-West Stanley Cup final matchup.

With 30 teams, one division in each conference will have eight squads while the other will have seven. Under the current format — two conferences and six divisions — division winners and the top five teams make the playoffs.

Click to read more...

 

[MoreOrr]

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2011/06/22/18321961.html?cid=rsssportsslam! hockey

Pacific, Midwest, East, and South Divisions... Just how would that work?
An Eastern Conference, with 16 teams, 2 Divisions, one East and one South.

 

[r0bert8841]

I like the idea of having both Detroit and Columbus in the East! I personally think Rick Nash will start tearing it up, which is great for the Jackets fans. I feel most superstars (especially those on weaker teams) would do much better in the East than the West.

Its also promising to hear that Bettman may actually keep his promise with the Wings, which may be a shocker to those who follow the organization.

 

[Brodie]

There's too many teams in the East division, even if you shift both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh into the south. So either Detroit or New Jersey has to suck it up and go in the south. Or they could do it this way:

East: Montreal, Boston, NYR, NYI, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Washington

Midwest: Detroit, Toronto, Buffalo, Columbus, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Minnesota

Then the other conference:

South: Tampa, Florida, Carolina, Nashville, St. Louis, Dallas, Colorado

Pacific: LA, Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg

 

[r0bert8841]

Ya the conferences are still split up 15/15 so, 2 teams are moving West, 1 being Winnepeg. Whose the 2nd? Toronto? I think that would probably be the only way to minimize the lost revenue of Western teams from the removal from Detroit from their schedules.

Edit: I think it would be sort of cool if Canada had their own division. 4 teams in each division make the playoffs, thats huge revenue for the NHL.

 

[garry1221]

I think a few thinking too hard about an east/west alignment. If what's stated in this article are true, there's going to be a much bigger shakeup. What I see coming out of that article looks more like
Pacific: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver
Midwest: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St Louis, Winnipeg
NE: Boston, Buffalo, Columbus, Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Toronto
SE: Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, NY Isles, NY Rangers, Philly, Tampa Bay, Washington

The article also states that the 'conference' size stays the same, so 1 ETZ and one not. Since it's not strictly east/west, I see the possibility for swapping divisions in a year or two. See what gets the best ratings or hottest rivalries. Maybe start w/ NE/Midwest, SE/Pacific.

 

[Jumbo*]

Not a fan at all just by the fact that one Division has 7 teams and one has 8. What kind of BS is that?

Hey Bettman your all about "EQUALITY" right with your terrible salary cap, now you want this garbage?

 

[WingsFan95]

FINALLY!!!

I've been praying for 2 divisions to come back, having 3 divisions always means there's a joke division where only one, maybe two teams make playoffs.

East:
Habs
Bruins
NYR
NYI
NJ
Sens
Caps
Canes

Central:
Pens
Flyers
Wings
Jackets
Leafs
Sabres
Hawks

South West
Bolts
Panthers
Preds
Blues
Stars
Wild
Avs

Pacific:
Kings
Ducks
Sharks
Nucks
Oil
Flames
Jets
Yotes

 

[BoHorvatFan]

I don't think it's fair when some divisions have more teams than others. Take baseball for example, AL West teams have such an advantage playing in a 4 team division compared to the NL Central which has 6 teams.

Having 7 in some and 8 in others is not fair IMO.

 

[Jumbo*]

FINALLY!!!

I've been praying for 2 divisions to come back, having 3 divisions always means there's a joke division where only one, maybe two teams make playoffs.

East:
Habs
Bruins
NYR
NYI
NJ
Sens
Caps
Canes

Central:
Pens
Flyers
Wings
Jackets
Leafs
Sabres
Hawks

South West
Bolts
Panthers
Preds
Blues
Stars
Wild
Avs

Pacific:
Kings
Ducks
Sharks
Nucks
Oil
Flames
Jets
Yotes

Funny how you stick the extra team in the division where your wings aren't I wouldnt get too excited skippy, this is never going to happen.

 

[Stephen]

I like the idea of having both Detroit and Columbus in the East! I personally think Rick Nash will start tearing it up, which is great for the Jackets fans. I feel most superstars (especially those on weaker teams) would do much better in the East than the West.

Its also promising to hear that Bettman may actually keep his promise with the Wings, which may be a shocker to those who follow the organization.

Toronto would not be moving West to facilitate a Columbus move to the East.

 

[Brodie]

I actually think it has a very good chance of happening. For what it's worth, Detroit would probably end up in a 8 team division anyway.

 

[BoHorvatFan]

Funny how you stick the extra team in the division where your wings aren't I wouldnt get too excited skippy, this is never going to happen.

Plus having the Pens, Flyers, Wings, and Hawks in the same division is pretty crazy. That could be next years final 4 teams.

 

[gee]

variation of this - which was a north, east, west and central

 

[IU Hawks fan]

I don't think it's fair when some divisions have more teams than others. Take baseball for example, AL West teams have such an advantage playing in a 4 team division compared to the NL Central which has 6 teams.

That's completely false!

The AL West is often the toughest division the game. People like to look at it as in the AL West you have a 1/4th shot to win the division and in the NL Central you have a 1/6th, and that's a really bad way to look at it. More teams in a division means MORE GAMES AGAINST BAD TEAMS in your division. The NL Central is usually the easiest division to win because the Pirates and at least 1 of the Cubs, Reds, Brewers, and Astros are always terrible. The Angels, A's, Mariners, and Rangers would all KILL to be swapped with an NL Central team.

 

[Alex The Loyal]

Uneven divisions? For the love of God Bettman, don't wade into MLB territory

 

[Jumbo*]

That's completely false!

The AL West is often the toughest division the game. People like to look at it as in the AL West you have a 1/4th shot to win the division and in the NL Central you have a 1/6th, and that's a really bad way to look at it. More teams in a division means MORE GAMES AGAINST BAD TEAMS in your division. The NL Central is usually the easiest division to win because the Pirates and at least 1 of the Cubs, Reds, Brewers, and Astros are always terrible.

Or more games against good teams?

Your argument fails.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Or more games against good teams?

Your argument fails.

No, it doesn't, because the teams aren't ever good. The Cardinals are the only consistently good team in the division. All the others are usually quite mediocre. The NL Central has been the worst division in the game for years.

 

[Brodie]

There is no way to satisfy everybody here, this option makes the most sense. We're in store for the Second Toledo War if a compromise isn't worked out to satisfy both Detroit and Columbus and this is likely the only way to do it.

Plus, baseball gets along fine with the uneven divisions for as much as everyone gripes.

 

[Alex The Loyal]

Plus, baseball gets along fine with the uneven divisions for as much as everyone gripes.

The MLB's popularity has plummeted. Baseball, the sport itself is doing fine and will always do fine. But until MLB has a huge re-haul, everyone will look at them and say "Don't be like that league"

 

[MoreOrr]

There is no way to satisfy everybody here, this option makes the most sense. We're in store for the Second Toledo War if a compromise isn't worked out to satisfy both Detroit and Columbus and this is likely the only way to do it.

Plus, baseball gets along fine with the uneven divisions for as much as everyone gripes.

There are other alternatives. The biggest roadblock to alignment is the impractical East-West Conference split. Get away from that and then there's no need for huge 8-team Divisions and one Conference with 14 teams and the other with 16 teams. There's no sense in trying to divide the Conferences by some strict geographical format.

 

[DrVanntastic]

The MLB's popularity has plummeted. Baseball, the sport itself is doing fine and will always do fine. But until MLB has a huge re-haul, everyone will look at them and say "Don't be like that league"

The MLB's "plummet" in popularity has nothing to do with the league/division alignment. I think you need to look at steroids and a strike for that. If anything, their division alignment helped their popularity as it necessitated the wild card.

As for Bettman's proposal, I am all for anything that brings back divisional playoffs.

 

[Brodie]

the decline in interest in MLB has nothing to do with divisional alignment. It's a natural evolution that's been going on for over 20 years, ever since the cocaine scandals of the 80's. Since then labor strife, steroids, an arcane adherence to outmoded rules and the general loss of younger fans have all weakened MLB. The AL West is the least of MLB's problems

 

[Jeffrey93]

Divisional play as the first round eh? Sounds sort of familiar......

 

[Alex The Loyal]

The MLB's "plummet" in popularity has nothing to do with the league/division alignment. I think you need to look at steroids and a strike for that. If anything, their division alignment helped their popularity as it necessitated the wild card.

Of course there are other reasons. The out of control spending, the lack of parity, the lack of replay challenges, steroids, etc.

But hey, it's weird that Pirates are in the NLC where they have to travel all the way down to Houston 10 times a year or whatever it is and vice versa.