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

[Alex The Loyal]

Hey, I've lived in Ottawa, Montreal and Calgary so....

Hey I'm actually an NFL fan so there's that I guess

 

[IU Hawks fan]

But most NL Teams don't have a DH type hitter sitting on their bench, do they? So when they visit an AL Team, they often play a regular player, while an AL team plays well...a DH player. All an AL Team has to do is find a big guy with muscles and sign him as a DH and sit his ass on the bench until he's up in the lineup.

You really should just not try discussing baseball. No offense.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Alex stop talking about other sports. You are a hockey head who lives in Calgary (very small for NA standards) and has only one major team in his area. You know nothing about these leagues.

Christ.

Glad I wasn't the first to tell him

 

[Alex The Loyal]

You really should just not try discussing baseball. No offense.

Yeah, I am pretty much pulling this crap out of my ass, haha

 

[Noldo]

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.

What if it would not be based on 15/15 split but having Pacific and Midwest at 7 teams and East and South at 8 teams?

Something like this?
South
Tampa Bay
Florida
Carolina
Washington
Philadelphia
New York R
New York I
New Jersey

East
Boston
Montreal
Buffalo
Ottawa
Toronto
Detroit
Pittsbugh
Columbus

Pacific
Los Angeles
Phoenix
Anaheim
San Jose
Vancouver
Edmonton
Calgary

Midwest
Colorado
Winnipeg
Minnesota
Chigago
St. Louis
Nashville
Dallas

 

[kdb209]

For years the Patrick Division had 6 teams to every other division's 5 - two teams missed the playoffs to every other divisions one.

In fact, from '74-'75 thru '99-'00, there was exactly one year ('92-'93) when all divisions had the same number of teams.

'74-'75 - '77-'78 - 18 Teams: Adams (4), Norris (5), Patrick (4), Smythe (5)
'78-'79 - 17 Teams: Adams (4), Norris (5), Patrick (4), Smythe (4)
'79-'80 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (5), Smythe (6)
'80-'81 - '81-'82 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (6), Patrick (5), Smythe (5)
'82-'83 - '90-'91 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (6), Smythe (5)
'91-'92 - 22 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (6), Smythe (6)
'92-'93 - 24 Teams: Adams (6), Norris (6), Patrick (6), Smythe (6)
'93-'94 - '94-'95 - 26 Teams: Atlantic (7), Central (6), Northeast (7), Pacific (6)
'95-'96 - '97-'98 - 26 Teams: Atlantic (7), Central (6), Northeast (6), Pacific (7)
'98-'99 - 27 Teams: Atlantic (5), Central (4), Northeast (5), Northwest (4), Pacific (5), Southeast (4)
'99-'00 - 28 Teams: Atlantic (5), Central (4), Northeast (5), Northwest (4), Pacific (5), Southeast (5)

 

[Crayton]

If they are switching to 4 divisions and at least 2 games against every team, then they will DEFINITELY be playing the other division in their conference just as often as they will play any team in the other conference (the alternative is an NBA-style schedule, in which case both 4 divisions and divisional playoffs would be stupid).

This means there really is no pairing of divisions for the regular season. Conferences effectively exist only for the playoffs.

Here I use the terms "conference" and "division" different that Gary Bettman's proposal:

This pic is obviously from before Bettman announced the names "Pacific" and "Midwest."

While I'd suggest 3-5 teams per division instead of always 4, if they do keep 4 teams per division I'd further suggest that they reseed the entire 8 teams after the First Round (perhaps with some wiggle room for continuing to pair teams from the same division).

 

[Brodie]

Really, because they still made more money than the NHL. They have a larger TV contract

Viewership is fine as well.
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...in-chaos-burn-off-ratings-not-en-fuego/94166/

So where has baseball popularity plummeted?

It's plummeted compared to its historical standard. It was surpassed by the NFL at the end of the 80s and ever since has been in a slow, lumbering decline.

It will never be surpassed as the second richest league, but the marketshare is being divided much more than in the past.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

That's completely false!

The AL West is often the toughest division the game.

Are you serious? Have you ever heard of the AL East? The A's haven't been good in 5 years, the Mariners have lost 100 2 of the past 3 years. So basically it comes down to the Angels and Rangers in the division.

And yes, 6 teams in the NL Central is unfair. It may not be unfair now but when two divisions are weak (AL West and NL Central) it would obviously be more advantageous to be in the division with 4 teams.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

For years the Patrick Division had 6 teams to every other division's 5 - two teams missed the playoffs to every other divisions one.

In fact, from '74-'75 thru '99-'00, there was exactly one year ('92-'93) when all divisions had the same number of teams.

'74-'75 - '77-'78 - 18 Teams: Adams (4), Norris (5), Patrick (4), Smythe (5)
'78-'79 - 17 Teams: Adams (4), Norris (5), Patrick (4), Smythe (4)
'79-'80 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (5), Smythe (6)
'80-'81 - '81-'82 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (6), Patrick (5), Smythe (5)
'82-'83 - '90-'91 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (6), Smythe (5)
'91-'92 - 22 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (6), Smythe (6)
'92-'93 - 24 Teams: Adams (6), Norris (6), Patrick (6), Smythe (6)
'93-'94 - '94-'95 - 26 Teams: Atlantic (7), Central (6), Northeast (7), Pacific (6)
'95-'96 - '97-'98 - 26 Teams: Atlantic (7), Central (6), Northeast (6), Pacific (7)
'98-'99 - 27 Teams: Atlantic (5), Central (4), Northeast (5), Northwest (4), Pacific (5), Southeast (4)
'99-'00 - 28 Teams: Atlantic (5), Central (4), Northeast (5), Northwest (4), Pacific (5), Southeast (5)

That's all well and good, but just because the NHL was stupid with its uneven divisional alignment in the past doesn't mean it should go back to it again.

I'd be fine with a four division format for the NHL.... but only if there were either 28 or 32 teams. Uneven divisions makes zero sense overall, and is one of my biggest gripes with Major League Baseball as a Cubs fan.

And to the poster that claimed that the AL West has been one of the toughest divisions in baseball.... lolwut? When half of a division is the Mariners and the freaking Athletics, it's nowhere near the toughest division in baseball.

 

[Oobz]

Without 2 more expansion teams in the future I can't see how Columbus and Detroit can BOTH be put in the east without one getting shoved back into the "Midwest" division. I can see it happening if it was uneven conferences, but the article says 15 each. I wonder how Bettman is proposing to divide the teams.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I like the idea of 4 divisions, like the idea of a balanced schedule, and LOVE the idea of divisional playoffs.

Not a huge fan of unbalanced divisions, though. Sounds like something that could be remedied by a 2-team expansion somewhere down the road.

 

[KarlssonsGroin]

gotta think the reason their waiting is so that if Phoenix doesnt have a new owner by next year, they move them north to canada, and dont have to redo this again.

 

[FootKnight]

I don't really like uneven divisions, but I love home-and-home against every team and divisional playoffs. I think I could live with uneven divisions to get those things.

 

[shakes]

There is no flipping way that the Leafs would ever agree to go to the west again.

 

[Renbarg]

This idea is awesome... except it doesn't really work unless you add two teams.

But the first two rounds of the playoffs are going to be absolutely beastly. Can't wait.

 

[garry1221]

Without 2 more expansion teams in the future I can't see how Columbus and Detroit can BOTH be put in the east without one getting shoved back into the "Midwest" division. I can see it happening if it was uneven conferences, but the article says 15 each. I wonder how Bettman is proposing to divide the teams.

moving columbus and detroit 'east' would facillitate two 8 team divisions in the east. That would leave a 7 team division in the pacific and a 7 team division in the midwest. Conferences would then be made up of an eastern division and either the pacific or midwest division. It's really not a horrible thing if the league goes to a division heavy schedule and home and home's against the rest. People are way too stuck on the whole east/west conference nonsense that's kept this league from a better alignment for years. A 4 division league provides the ideal arrangement for eventual expansion. I just dont' get why so many people have such a problem with it. I'm also surprised as hell I haven't seen any chicago fans here complaining about being seperated from detroit yet.

 

[optimus2861]

A 4 division league provides the ideal arrangement for eventual expansion. I just don't get why so many people have such a problem with it.

I don't either. We don't have 32 teams, and are not likely to for several years, if ever (who in their right mind foresees expansion in the near future when we've just had one relocation and another franchise is still on life support?). So it's either stay with 6 even divisions, or accept 4 uneven divisions. Anyone who cries about unfair advantages for teams playing in a 7-team division needs to go back and look up the records in some of those awful Norris divisions of the 80s. Now that was an unfair advantage We'll be a long, long way from that farce.

I prefer the 4-division setup, myself, FWIW.

 

[saskganesh]

It is still messed up. Pittsburgh should be in the NL East.

I actually don't have a problem with uneven divisions... provided there is a provision where the 5th best team in the 8 team division can bump the 4th best team in the 7 team division out of the playoffs if they have more points.

some sort of crossover wildcard.

The NHL had a similar format with regard to unequal teams in a division, with a potential playoff wildcard, between 78 and 79.

no divisional playoff then though. the first round was 2 out of 3!

 

[saskganesh]

I also really like the reseeding after the first round. I remember the Norris playoffs in the 80's, which were hard fought but ... meaningless.

 

[BigFatCat999]

This makes sense if you look at the history of the NHL and Bettman's early years.

In the 90's he chased the dot com money with expansion in the south and west after two teams moved to America. Now Atlanta moved to Canada and with a re-allignment to 4 divisions this opens up the NHL to expansion to chase the Loonie.

 

[edog37]

For years the Patrick Division had 6 teams to every other division's 5 - two teams missed the playoffs to every other divisions one.

In fact, from '74-'75 thru '99-'00, there was exactly one year ('92-'93) when all divisions had the same number of teams.

'74-'75 - '77-'78 - 18 Teams: Adams (4), Norris (5), Patrick (4), Smythe (5)
'78-'79 - 17 Teams: Adams (4), Norris (5), Patrick (4), Smythe (4)
'79-'80 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (5), Smythe (6)
'80-'81 - '81-'82 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (6), Patrick (5), Smythe (5)
'82-'83 - '90-'91 - 21 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (6), Smythe (5)
'91-'92 - 22 Teams: Adams (5), Norris (5), Patrick (6), Smythe (6)
'92-'93 - 24 Teams: Adams (6), Norris (6), Patrick (6), Smythe (6)
'93-'94 - '94-'95 - 26 Teams: Atlantic (7), Central (6), Northeast (7), Pacific (6)
'95-'96 - '97-'98 - 26 Teams: Atlantic (7), Central (6), Northeast (6), Pacific (7)
'98-'99 - 27 Teams: Atlantic (5), Central (4), Northeast (5), Northwest (4), Pacific (5), Southeast (4)
'99-'00 - 28 Teams: Atlantic (5), Central (4), Northeast (5), Northwest (4), Pacific (5), Southeast (5)

thank you, the Pens were in the Patrick Division a great many years, & the world didn't end. I don't understand this need that the league must be perfectly symmetric in order to work....

 

[Ziggyjoe21]

I don't mind the 4 divisions idea, but I don't like the playoff format. There will be a lot of undeserving teams making the playoffs such as last season's St. Louis Rams, and a lot of deserving teams missing out. The divisional round sounds like fun, but it will be flawed. I think the current playoff format is best.

 

[cheswick]

To eliminate all this gripe with uneven divisions they could simply make it top 3 in each division make the palyoffs then the next 2 most points regardless of the division.

 

[r0bert8841]

Pacific, Midwest, South, and the East are the 4 divisions.

I am going to map out what teams will most likely fit into each conference geographically, but I will leave out teams that could be in multiple conferences.

South:
Carolina
Florida
Tampa
Nashville

Pacific:
Vancouver
Calgary
Edmonton
San Jose
Anaheim
Pheonix
LA

Midwest:
Detroit
Columbus
Minnesota
Chicago

East:
NYR
NYI
NJD
Boston
Montreal

Any objections so far? So that leaves 10 teams that could be bouncing around.
Dallas: MW or S
St. Louis: MW or S
Washington: E or S
Winnepeg: MW or P
Colorado: MW or P or S
Pittsburgh: MW or E
Philly: MW or E
Buffalo: MW or E
Ottawa: MW or E
Toronto: MW or E

So obviously, the Mid West is the most versatile. The Pacific is the most set in stone.

I think the deciding factor will be who/where are the prospective cities for relocations/explansions. Divisions that are likely to gain a team would only have 7 teams to start out, and Divisions most likely to lose a team would have 8. If the NHL feels Phx is going to move, I suspect they start out with 8 teams in the Pacific.