Re-Alignment with Seattle

[rfournier103]

Way too many teams already.

I agree

 

[tmlfan98]

EAST

Northeast:
1. Buffalo
2. Montreal
3. Ottawa
4. Toronto

Atlantic:
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Philly
4. Pittsburgh

Southeast:
1. Carolina
2. Columbus
3. Florida
4. Tampa

Metropolitan:
1. New Jersey
2. NY Islanders
3. NY Rangers
4. Washington


WEST

Central:
1. Chicago
2. Minnesota
3. St. Louis
4. Winnipeg

Southwest:
1. Arizona
2. Colorado
3. Dallas
4. Nashville

Pacific:
1. Anaheim
2. Los Angeles
3. San Jose
4. Vegas

Northwest:
1. Calgary
2. Edmonton
3. Seattle
4. Vancouver

Playoff Format:
-Top team in each division makes the playoffs
-Seeding based on points only (division winners are simply guaranteed a playoff spot, not home ice in the first round)
-Re seed after the first round

Schedule format:
-14 games against 3 divisional rivals (5+5+4)
-36 games against 12 conference rivals
-32 games against 16 other conference teams

 

[maacoshark]

EAST

Northeast:
1. Buffalo
2. Montreal
3. Ottawa
4. Toronto

Atlantic:
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Philly
4. Pittsburgh

Southeast:
1. Carolina
2. Columbus
3. Florida
4. Tampa

Metropolitan:
1. New Jersey
2. NY Islanders
3. NY Rangers
4. Washington


WEST

Central:
1. Chicago
2. Minnesota
3. St. Louis
4. Winnipeg

Southwest:
1. Arizona
2. Colorado
3. Dallas
4. Nashville

Pacific:
1. Anaheim
2. Los Angeles
3. San Jose
4. Vegas

Northwest:
1. Calgary
2. Edmonton
3. Seattle
4. Vancouver

Playoff Format:
-Top team in each division makes the playoffs
-Seeding based on points only (division winners are simply guaranteed a playoff spot, not home ice in the first round)
-Re seed after the first round

Schedule format:
-14 games against 3 divisional rivals (5+5+4)
-36 games against 12 conference rivals
-32 games against 16 other conference teams

That's not bad. You put some thought into that.

 

[Svechhammer]

Because when I think of the Southeast United States, I think of Columbus, Ohio.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I'd much rather do four divisions of eight than eight divisions of four. I'd also prefer to move Edmonton and Calgary to the Central and bring the Avs to the Pacific over moving Arizona to the Central but that choice isn't a big deal to me. Either way I won't lose any sleep over it. I also prefer keeping divisional playoff format over 1-8.

 

[BatVader]

How about move the Coyotes to KC or Houston, which are central.
Works!

 

[Jamin]

So Oilers and San Jose were top in travel 2 years in a row, last year Colorado and Calgary took top honors.

I highly doubt Oilers and Flames want to increase their league leading travel schedule even more. And I would assume Edmonton and Calgary's owners with Vancouver backing them up probably have more Board of Governor clout then Arizona

 

[StreetHawk]

So Oilers and San Jose were top in travel 2 years in a row, last year Colorado and Calgary took top honors.

I highly doubt Oilers and Flames want to increase their league leading travel schedule even more. And I would assume Edmonton and Calgary's owners with Vancouver backing them up probably have more Board of Governor clout then Arizona

If AZ was cemented in remaining where they are I would have them in the Pacific. Time zone for playoffs.

What we are talking about is how to split the 4 MST zone teams (regular season as AZ swaps to PST in March).

So for me the tie breaker is the playoff time that AZ is in. But no point in moving Edm and Cal unless AZ is a lock long term where they are.

 

[Goldenshark]

So Oilers and San Jose were top in travel 2 years in a row, last year Colorado and Calgary took top honors.

I highly doubt Oilers and Flames want to increase their league leading travel schedule even more. And I would assume Edmonton and Calgary's owners with Vancouver backing them up probably have more Board of Governor clout then Arizona

And I highly doubt Vegas and the Cali teams want to increase their travel as well with Arizona in the Central.

Arizona, LA, SJ, Anaheim and Vegas > Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver

 

[Pinkfloyd]

So Oilers and San Jose were top in travel 2 years in a row, last year Colorado and Calgary took top honors.

I highly doubt Oilers and Flames want to increase their league leading travel schedule even more. And I would assume Edmonton and Calgary's owners with Vancouver backing them up probably have more Board of Governor clout then Arizona

Oilers and Flames would probably look at the positive that they wouldn't have as many later games with this move. And I wouldn't bank on Vancouver backing them up.

 

[pvr]

Won't work. Detroit doesn't really care about historic rivalries. They care that most of their away games start at 7pm their time rather than 8-10pm. That has a major impact on TV viewership and is the main reason (along with travel times) that Detroit was so adamant about joining the East. Same goes for Columbus. When Detroit and Columbus were relocated to the Eastern Conference, the league promised that neither would be moved back to a Western division without consent.

And this is the de facto position of every team in the eastern time zone, particularly the huge block of teams in the northeast. Understandably self-centered, but undeniably unequal, and therefore unfair and definitely burdensome for the remaining 70% + of North America and their teams involved in the NHL.

The NHL is the only major N. American sports league that distributes teams so egregiously inequitably between conferences.

 

[Mickey the mouse]

EAST

Northeast:
1. Buffalo
2. Montreal
3. Ottawa
4. Toronto

Atlantic:
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Philly
4. Pittsburgh

Southeast:
1. Carolina
2. Columbus
3. Florida
4. Tampa

Metropolitan:
1. New Jersey
2. NY Islanders
3. NY Rangers
4. Washington


WEST

Central:
1. Chicago
2. Minnesota
3. St. Louis
4. Winnipeg

Southwest:
1. Arizona
2. Colorado
3. Dallas
4. Nashville

Pacific:
1. Anaheim
2. Los Angeles
3. San Jose
4. Vegas

Northwest:
1. Calgary
2. Edmonton
3. Seattle
4. Vancouver

Playoff Format:
-Top team in each division makes the playoffs
-Seeding based on points only (division winners are simply guaranteed a playoff spot, not home ice in the first round)
-Re seed after the first round

Schedule format:
-14 games against 3 divisional rivals (5+5+4)
-36 games against 12 conference rivals
-32 games against 16 other conference teams

East
Div A
Toronto
Buffalo
Detroit
Columbus

Div B
Ottawa
Montreal
Boston
NY Rangers

Div C
NY Isles
Pitt
Philly
NJ / Wash

Div D
Wash / NJ
Carolina
Fla
T Bay

West
Div A
Chicago
St L
Nashville
Dallas

Div B
Winnipeg
Edmonton
Minnesota
Colorado

Div C
Calgary
Vancouver
Seattle
S Jose

Div D
LA
Anaheim
Vegas
Arizona

Division winners ( 4 )
Next 4 most points = wild cards

 

[PredsV82]

My guess is when Seattle enters the league, the alignment could look like this:

Smythe Conference

Northwest Division

Calgary
Edmonton
Seattle
Vancouver

Pacific Division

Anaheim
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
San Jose


Norris Conference

Midwest Division

Arizona
Colorado
Dallas
Nashville

Central Division

Chicago
Minnesota
St. Louis
Winnipeg


Adams Conference

Great Lakes Division

Buffalo
Detroit
Ottawa
Toronto

Northeast Division

Boston
Florida
Montreal
Tampa Bay


Patrick Conference

Metropolitan Division

New Jersey
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia

Atlantic Division

Carolina
Columbus
Pittsburgh
Washington

The first and second place teams in each division will play each other for the division title. The division winners will then play for the conference title. For third round, the conference winners would be seeded Final Four style with the pairing involving the Smythe Conference winner playing the Campbell trophy while the other pairing play for the Wales trophy. The Stanley Cup finals will be held between the Campbell and Wales trophy winners.

I mean, I guess you're going for old outdated rivalries or something, but you put Nashvile in a midwest division with a bunch of teams that are anything but "midwest" while every team in the supposed "central" is geographically west of Nashville.

 

[PredsV82]

EAST

Northeast:
1. Buffalo
2. Montreal
3. Ottawa
4. Toronto

Atlantic:
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Philly
4. Pittsburgh

Southeast:
1. Carolina
2. Columbus
3. Florida
4. Tampa

Metropolitan:
1. New Jersey
2. NY Islanders
3. NY Rangers
4. Washington


WEST

Central:
1. Chicago
2. Minnesota
3. St. Louis
4. Winnipeg

Southwest:
1. Arizona
2. Colorado
3. Dallas
4. Nashville

Pacific:
1. Anaheim
2. Los Angeles
3. San Jose
4. Vegas

Northwest:
1. Calgary
2. Edmonton
3. Seattle
4. Vancouver

Playoff Format:
-Top team in each division makes the playoffs
-Seeding based on points only (division winners are simply guaranteed a playoff spot, not home ice in the first round)
-Re seed after the first round

Schedule format:
-14 games against 3 divisional rivals (5+5+4)
-36 games against 12 conference rivals
-32 games against 16 other conference teams

Going through this thread makes me think some of you folks need a damn globe.

Or else you're all just of a mind to think "let's screw Nashville"
It was bad enough the post I responded to before had them in a "midwest" dis vision but now they are "southwest"??? FFS.

 

[Jaguar God]

One way to reduce travel: reduce out-of-conference game and increase divisional matchups. It’s ridiculous having to play up to 32 games against another conference. Take 16 of those games away and make division rivalries more exciting!

 

[Jaguar God]

Also yeah, it’s shocking how many of you don’t seem to know where Nashville is haha

 

[tmlfan98]

I know where Nashville is lol. It was either in that division or I was thinking of switching them with St. Louis but to me that would have made less sense.

 

[Analyst365]

One way to reduce travel: reduce out-of-conference game and increase divisional matchups. It’s ridiculous having to play up to 32 games against another conference. Take 16 of those games away and make division rivalries more exciting!

More games doesn't mean more exciting. It gets "normal".

 

[VikingAv]

Going through this thread makes me think some of you folks need a damn globe.

Or else you're all just of a mind to think "let's screw Nashville"
It was bad enough the post I responded to before had them in a "midwest" dis vision but now they are "southwest"??? FFS.

They might as well just have called it the "Leftovers Division"...

The new alignment won't be scorched earth imo;
- It will be either Arizona to the Central or Calgary/Edmonton to the Central and Colorado to the Pacific. I'm guessing the former, don't know which one Preds fans would like?..
- 4 teams from each division to the Playoffs and only divisional games the first two rounds, I'm ok with that. Will be good for rivalries and TV ratings.

 

[PredsV82]

Personally I think Preds fans would say they prefer adding Arizona because they are perennial cupcakes (but always see to give us hell head to head)but personally I'd love to lose Colorado and gain Alberta.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

One way to reduce travel: reduce out-of-conference game and increase divisional matchups. It’s ridiculous having to play up to 32 games against another conference. Take 16 of those games away and make division rivalries more exciting!

That actually exacerbates the travel differences between East and West. Besides, playing one more game in the division isn't going to increase the excitement level of division rivalries. So long as they keep divisional playoffs, divisional rivalries will be as good as it'll get.

 

[PAZ]

Personally I think Preds fans would say they prefer adding Arizona because they are perennial cupcakes (but always see to give us hell head to head)but personally I'd love to lose Colorado and gain Alberta.

I think any Central team would agree any type of re-alignment would be preferable to the current division.

 

[Adam Warlock]

I really hope they go to 8 divisions of 4. Id also like to see the schedule go back to being more division and conference heavy...only playing the other conference teams once.

Play division rivals 6 times. 18 games.

Play conference teams 4 times. 48 games.

Play west teams once. 16 games.

 

[pvr]

I really hope they go to 8 divisions of 4. Id also like to see the schedule go back to being more division and conference heavy...only playing the other conference teams once.

Play division rivals 6 times. 18 games.

Play conference teams 4 times. 48 games.

Play west teams once. 16 games.

And again this fails to address travel distance, travel time, time zone crossings, sleep loss, practice time loss, cost inequalities, and likely more, with an East/West Conference alignment. Or, just admit that you’re ok with the current alignment burdens being carried mostly by the Western Conference teams.

 

[pvr]

East
Div A
Toronto
Buffalo
Detroit
Columbus

Div B
Ottawa
Montreal
Boston
NY Rangers

Div C
NY Isles
Pitt
Philly
NJ / Wash

Div D
Wash / NJ
Carolina
Fla
T Bay

West
Div A
Chicago
St L
Nashville
Dallas

Div B
Winnipeg
Edmonton
Minnesota
Colorado

Div C
Calgary
Vancouver
Seattle
S Jose

Div D
LA
Anaheim
Vegas
Arizona

Division winners ( 4 )
Next 4 most points = wild cards

Wonderful. One time zone for the Eastern Conference, three for the Western Conference. 70% of North America for the Western Conference, 30% for the Eastern Conference.