Realignment Idea Proposal!

OMG67

Registered User
Sep 1, 2013
10,551
6,750
SSM has a raw deal. Their best situation is what they have now. A relatively quick trip down the road in Michigan. Once they hit Flint and Saginaw, the rest of their division is relatively close. Why force them to travel further with a Northern Division? And to be more real, SSM may be in a crappy situation in the OHL but compared to the WHL, they are golden.

The reality is until a team (NB) goes to Cornwall, there cannot be a true Eastern Division. If they can make that happen, it helps fix things.

Central can then be Erie instead of North Bay.

There are geographic rivals that also create an unbalanced schedule. Ottawa is playing Gatineau out of league FFS. Clearly the OHL is not concerned about an unbalanced schedule so why fans should waste effort on it is beyond me. It is something the league doesn’t think is broken so there is no need for us to fix it for them.

This debate is like pissing into the wind. Why bother?
 

dirty12

Registered User
Mar 6, 2015
8,965
3,636
OS & SSM in the same division is an awful idea.

There is really no good solution for all teams in re-alignment. The idea I like best is three divisions keeping the imbalanced schedule for rivalries and save on some travel. Four playoff teams per division with top three seeds for division winners and four wild cards determined by overall standing. First two rounds can be played in division making rivalries bigger.

West:
London
Sarnia
Windsor
Flint
Saginaw
Soo

Central:
Barrie
OS
Guelph
Kitchener
Hamilton
Niagara
Erie

East:
Miss
Oshawa
Sby
NB
Peterborough
Kingston
Ottawa
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: three dog night

Fischhaber

Registered User
Sep 3, 2014
3,031
1,623
Adding extra distance for a Sault Ste. Marie team that already leads the league is not an acceptable solution. Owen Sound is 8 hours away, which is unfair for them as well as the Greyhounds. The league isn't going to shit on a couple of teams to make things slightly easier for the rest (if at all).

Currently the West Division is all within 5 hours and from what I have seen, all teams are quite happy with that alignment.

Any realignment solutions must leave the West Division intact, period. There is no other acceptable solution for these teams.
 

yacky

Registered User
Jun 28, 2018
199
122
SSM has a raw deal. Their best situation is what they have now. A relatively quick trip down the road in Michigan. Once they hit Flint and Saginaw, the rest of their division is relatively close. Why force them to travel further with a Northern Division? And to be more real, SSM may be in a crappy situation in the OHL but compared to the WHL, they are golden.

The reality is until a team (NB) goes to Cornwall, there cannot be a true Eastern Division. If they can make that happen, it helps fix things.

Central can then be Erie instead of North Bay.

There are geographic rivals that also create an unbalanced schedule. Ottawa is playing Gatineau out of league FFS. Clearly the OHL is not concerned about an unbalanced schedule so why fans should waste effort on it is beyond me. It is something the league doesn’t think is broken so there is no need for us to fix it for them.

This debate is like pissing into the wind. Why bother?
what u got against north bay. why move them?
 

OMG67

Registered User
Sep 1, 2013
10,551
6,750
what u got against north bay. why move them?

North Bay is not a stellar franchise. It isn’t on stable footing financially. It was a mistake to go back there. If not for how awful Brampton was as a host city, North Bay wouldn’t have been on the radar.
 

dirty12

Registered User
Mar 6, 2015
8,965
3,636
North Bay is not a stellar franchise. It isn’t on stable footing financially. It was a mistake to go back there. If not for how awful Brampton was as a host city, North Bay wouldn’t have been on the radar.

The batallion is long paid for, the location is pretty good, lease agreement seems favourable, and building is adequate as less than half the league can sustain 4000 patrons at all times. NB is at the very least as viable as Cornwall.
 
Last edited:

count35

Registered User
Nov 26, 2014
986
265
Soo
Add a team in Traverse City to balance the divisions at 7 teams each, and to give SSM a "local" rival. Not too far a drive for Saginaw and Flint, as well.


They'd have to build a new arena as the Centre Ice facility that the Red Wings use for training camp only seats 1,800 and has already been expanded twice. Nice thought cause i LOVE TC in the summer!!
 

count35

Registered User
Nov 26, 2014
986
265
Soo
That would make a nice 7 team division with the Soo, TC, Saginaw, Flint, Sarnia, Windsor and London!! You'd have a 21 team league with 3 divisions! I'm not even going to figure out how the other 2 divisions would work out! LOL
 

AttackSound

Junior Hockey Fan Since Birth
Aug 25, 2016
2,257
977
Owen Sound, Ontario
Unfortunately this is a mute point for teams in the league.

There is absolutely no way to truly have any form of realignment in this league in the current state the teams all sit.

I've looked at every possible situation over and, over agin and unless there is a big conference expansion on the horizon that would increase the teams in the league then maybe a realignment could be potentially possible.

No matter which way you slice the pie there has to be equal pieces, and right now this is the best worst option the league has, any real tweaking in the league would probably lead to relocating a team back to a former city before any real major changes happen
 

TcNorth

Registered User
Jan 25, 2015
2,540
431
Add a team in Traverse City to balance the divisions at 7 teams each, and to give SSM a "local" rival. Not too far a drive for Saginaw and Flint, as well.
This is where I live. Only a 1,000 seat arena. They had a junior team here (the Enforcers) who played in the NAHL that averaged around 500 several years back. Known as Hockey Town North for being the Detroit Red Wings training camp site where they get 1,000 for every training camp session. I do not think they could support a OHL franchise.
 
Last edited:

OMG67

Registered User
Sep 1, 2013
10,551
6,750
The batallion is long paid for, the location is pretty good, lease agreement seems favourable, and building is adequate as less than half the league can sustain 4000 patrons at all times. NB is at the very least as viable as Cornwall.

I've heard differently. I know it is viable to an extent but support is poor and Corporate dollars are very weak. Plus the expenses of operating in a more remote location is also heavy.
 

View from section 9

Registered User
Apr 13, 2016
994
576
I've heard differently. I know it is viable to an extent but support is poor and Corporate dollars are very weak. Plus the expenses of operating in a more remote location is also heavy.
They don't need to make money from the hockey operations. Abbott is hoping for more "external" run events in "his" arena. The Battalion got a surcharge on every ticket sold for the 2018 World women's curling PLUS all concessions for the 10 days the event was on. They have what has to be the best lease any sports team could ask for. He makes more money with city organized events at the Gardens and his hockey team playing home playoff games at a neutral site. Plus there is also a clause I've heard about that if the attendance drops below X the city pays the hockey team a surcharge to bring revenue up to a minimum previously agreed upon ticket sale floor.
 

Captain Crash

Registered User
Apr 9, 2015
463
227
Add a team in Traverse City to balance the divisions at 7 teams each, and to give SSM a "local" rival. Not too far a drive for Saginaw and Flint, as well.

Add 40,000 in population and a legitimate arena and you might be on to something.
 

twinsdad

Registered User
Dec 1, 2014
117
48
Grand Rapids
I still like OlZamMan's idea from 2015:

West: Flint, Saginaw, Soo, Sarnia, Windsor
Midwest/South: Erie, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Niagara
Central: Barrie, Guelph, North Bay/Missy, Owen Sound, Sudbury
East: Kingston, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, North Bay/Missy

Keep doing the unbalanced scheduling for travel/rivalries with Soo/Sudbury, etc. with Guelph & Kitchener, Hamilton/Missy and perhaps others.


At the very least, I would have figured Missy and Hamilton would have switched divisions after the move from Belleville by now. I guess we are still expecting another shoe to drop.
 

dirty12

Registered User
Mar 6, 2015
8,965
3,636
I still like OlZamMan's idea from 2015:

West: Flint, Saginaw, Soo, Sarnia, Windsor
Midwest/South: Erie, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Niagara
Central: Barrie, Guelph, North Bay/Missy, Owen Sound, Sudbury
East: Kingston, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, North Bay/Missy

Keep doing the unbalanced scheduling for travel/rivalries with Soo/Sudbury, etc. with Guelph & Kitchener, Hamilton/Missy and perhaps others.


At the very least, I would have figured Missy and Hamilton would have switched divisions after the move from Belleville by now. I guess we are still expecting another shoe to drop.

In terms of distance and time, Guelph & Kitchener must be the OHL’s quickest trip?
 

ohloutsider

Registered User
Jan 13, 2016
6,715
7,500
Rock & Hardplace
I still like OlZamMan's idea from 2015:

West: Flint, Saginaw, Soo, Sarnia, Windsor
Midwest/South: Erie, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Niagara
Central: Barrie, Guelph, North Bay/Missy, Owen Sound, Sudbury
East: Kingston, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, North Bay/Missy

Keep doing the unbalanced scheduling for travel/rivalries with Soo/Sudbury, etc. with Guelph & Kitchener, Hamilton/Missy and perhaps others.


At the very least, I would have figured Missy and Hamilton would have switched divisions after the move from Belleville by now. I guess we are still expecting another shoe to drop.
I agree about the Hamilton thing. I see that as the only adjustment that needs to be made. Maybe North Bay moves to the east and Hamilton to the Central?
 

OMG67

Registered User
Sep 1, 2013
10,551
6,750
I agree about the Hamilton thing. I see that as the only adjustment that needs to be made. Maybe North Bay moves to the east and Hamilton to the Central?

The distances between Hamilton and Mississauga is negligible. Just because Missy is closer to Oshawa doesn't really mean much.


Have you ever tried to go from North Bay to any of the East teams? You can't go straight down.

It would seriously sick for North Bay.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tarantula

ohloutsider

Registered User
Jan 13, 2016
6,715
7,500
Rock & Hardplace
The distances between Hamilton and Mississauga is negligible. Just because Missy is closer to Oshawa doesn't really mean much.


Have you ever tried to go from North Bay to any of the East teams? You can't go straight down.

It would seriously sick for North Bay.
You're correct. I have no idea the routes out of North Bay to the east teams. I was just assuming to Ottawa - Kingston would be no different than what they do now and I thought Hwy 11 went right down into Oshawa but again it was only an assumption on my part. My real point was Hamilton having to play in the same division as Ottawa and Kingston.
 

OSA

Registered User
Jun 11, 2011
1,120
432
I agree with most here that there probably isn’t any meaningful realignment on the horizon in the near future.

However, awhile back I put forth a realignment idea that was an attempt to correct some of the power imbalance between the conferences (although for the first time in a long time, it looks like the Eastern Conference has the best teams this year).

I suggested doing away with the divisions and having 2 conferences: the Northwest Conference and the Southeast Conference

NW

SSM
Sby
NB
Sag
Flt
Sar
Wsr
Ldn
OS
Bar


SE

Kit
Gue
Ham
Nia
Erie
Miss
Osh
Pbo
Kgn
Ott


I know it looks strange; a team like London would travel through Kitchener and Guelph for an intra-conference game in Barrie for example. However, they already roll through Hamilton and Niagara for intra-conference games against Erie.

Rival teams that are now in separate conferences can still play extra games against each other during the regular season in an unbalanced schedule, much like Owen Sound and Barrie currently do. As has been previously stated, the OHL doesn’t seem to have any problem whatsoever with an unbalanced schedule.

On the plus side, adding a few traditionally strong franchises in Kitchener and Guelph to the old eastern bloc of teams would likely increase parity across the conferences. In addition, I kind of like the possibility of having a Kitchener vs London or Barrie vs Niagara final.
 

OMG67

Registered User
Sep 1, 2013
10,551
6,750
You're correct. I have no idea the routes out of North Bay to the east teams. I was just assuming to Ottawa - Kingston would be no different than what they do now and I thought Hwy 11 went right down into Oshawa but again it was only an assumption on my part. My real point was Hamilton having to play in the same division as Ottawa and Kingston.

My point is Hamilton playing in the same division as Ottawa is no real different than Mississauga. North Bay is 4 hours from Ottawa and 45 minutes from Sudbury. Not a lot of sense there.

Hamilton has to go to Ottawa and Kingston but are relatively close to Oshawa and Peterborough. Plus, Belleville moved there under the agreement that they remain in the same division so they have no one to blame but themselves.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->