Where do you want the Blue Jackets to play?

[TheBlueJacket]

The Blue Jackets played in the Central Division last season. They are now in the Metropolitan Division. Would you rather have the Blue Jackets be in the Central Division or the Metropolitan Division, if you don't take into account time zone issues? Also, take into account the Blue Jackets will play in a 8 team division either way. What about a couple years into the future, what division do you want the Jackets to be in then?

Central: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis, Nashville, Winnipeg
Metropolitan: Carolina, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington

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[Skraut]

As someone who gets up every morning between 4:30 and 5:00am, you can't "take out the time zone issues."

Watching my team play > reading about the game the next day because I couldn't stay up for the end of the game.

it doesn't matter to me who they play against, I just want to see it happen.

 

[pete goegan]

I prefer the new Division and I don't even mind the name.

 

[1857 Howitzer]

I prefer the new Division and I don't even mind the name.

Me too.

 

[IBleedUnionBlue]

I prefer the Central with Nashville, Chicago & St. Louis. (I do prefer the 8 pm starts because it gives me more time to get things done in the late afternoon / evening).
Nashville, Chicago & St. Louis are all closer for me to drive to then New York, Jersey, DC, Philly and Carolina. I also think for competitive reasons, the central would be a better fit then the ridiculously named Metro. Finally, I find the fans of the midwest to be better behaved than the fans of the east. Give me sportsmanship and southern hospitality of Nashville over Penguin fans any day.

 

[Roadman]

I prefer the Central with Nashville, Chicago & St. Louis. (I do prefer the 8 pm starts because it gives me more time to get things done in the late afternoon / evening).
Nashville, Chicago & St. Louis are all closer for me to drive to then New York, Jersey, DC, Philly and Carolina. I also think for competitive reasons, the central would be a better fit then the ridiculously named Metro. Finally, I find the fans of the midwest to be better behaved than the fans of the east. Give me sportsmanship and southern hospitality of Nashville over Penguin fans any day.

I agree with so much of this. Midwest born and raised so I would prefer the rivalries with Chicago and Minnesota and the rest.

That being said the move east is better for the Blue Jackets. The greater exposure to the east coast *cough bias Cough* press and markets, the better travel for the team, the starting times for TV and all the rest of the reasons just make so much sense it just adds up to a good move.

 

[candyman82]

I like being in the East.

 

[NotWendell]

I'd prefer to have three 10-team conferences: East, West and Central. The CBJ would be in the Central.

Since the NHL is insistent on two conferences, I prefer to have the CBJ in the East, with the conference looking like this...

Northeast:
TOR
BUF
MTL
OTT
BOS
NYR
NYI
NJ

Atlantic:
CAR
WSH
PHI
PIT
FLA
TB
CBJ
DET

But nobody from the league asked me.

 

[FANonymous]

Personally, I want the Blue Jackets to play in the Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[Samkow]

I really came to like that 4 conference idea that they proposed back in January 2012. Seemed like the fairest compromise, but the imbalance in teams was too much for the PA to accept (and I can't blame them)

I really don't like the 16 teams vs. 14 teams but when you factor in that the Seattle Totems and the Portland Rose Gardeners are probably going to be entering the league soon, I can live with where the Jackets are for now.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

East

 

[FANonymous]

I really came to like that 4 conference idea that they proposed back in January 2012. Seemed like the fairest compromise, but the imbalance in teams was too much for the PA to accept (and I can't blame them)

I really don't like the 16 teams vs. 14 teams but when you factor in that the Seattle Totems and the Portland Rose Gardeners are probably going to be entering the league soon, I can live with where the Jackets are for now.

Seattle Totems and Portland Rose Gardens?

Please, it's going to be the Seattle Ice-Storm and the Portland Fighting Hipsters.

 

[Byrral]

This isn't close for me. Metro.

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

Not even close

East - Metro, getting to watch the entire game rather than half of the first period.. Extended road trips that would just wear you out with the travel alone, now our boys can be home from any competitors town and sleep in their own beds.. Yep gonna like this Eastern conference. Only wish it had happened sooner.

 

[Sore Loser]

Seattle Totems and Portland Rose Gardens?

Please, it's going to be the Seattle Ice-Storm and the Portland Fighting Hipsters.

Wouldn't be surprised to see a Seattle team take the "Thunderbirds" nickname that the junior team has held for so many years.

You are probably correct about that name for a Portland team, though Hipsters and Fighting don't belong in the same sentence.

 

[BJFan1]

I prefer the new Division and I don't even mind the name.

East. Love being able to actually watch the games... would much rather travel to Pitt or Philly for a game than Detroit... yes, I'm going to miss playing Chicago and St. Louis... but still, East.

My only qualm with the name... it's not that bad, really could have been worse... but I wish the West got a quirky name too... like for the division containing the California teams Jeff Carter should have been called the "Cosmopolitan Division".

 

[Xoggz22]

The Blue Jackets played in the Central Division last season. They are now in the Metropolitan Division. Would you rather have the Blue Jackets be in the Central Division or the Metropolitan Division, if you don't take into account time zone issues? Also, take into account the Blue Jackets will play in a 8 team division either way. What about a couple years into the future, what division do you want the Jackets to be in then?

Central: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis, Nashville, Winnipeg
Metropolitan: Carolina, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington

Personally, I think the CBJ would be a top 3 team in the central, behind Chicago and likely St. Loius, so from that standpoint part of me wishes we might still be in the central. However, I love the new division (minus Carolina - take them or leave them - they do nothing for me as far as matchup at this point.). I take the Metro and run. Great matchups and CBJ is on the rise while there are some teams that are a mess in the Metro too.

 

[NotWendell]

I guess I missed the obvious answer to this question. Columbus, for all their home games.

 

[ClevelandJacketFan]

Assuming that the Central means west and the Metro means East, then the Metro ten times out of ten.

However, if the Central didn't come with the horrible West schedule, I'd be much closer.

 

[jore]

Nationwide arena.

 

[db2011]

For all the technical reasons, I'm glad of the move: much better road trips and start times, I personally have a lot more options for seeing the team live, better exposure in that market.

But take those things out of consideration and I think I prefer the old division matchups. As someone noted before, Nashville and St. Louis are for me a lot more attractive than Philly or Pittsburgh.

 

[FlaggerX]

What's interesting is we left the Central right as Nashville, St. Louis and especially Detroit were trending down. Chicago is the champion, but we were on our way up in a tough division.

The new Metropolitan division hardly looks like a bunch of softies, with some of the traditionally weaker teams, notably the Islanders, trending up. I like the start times, the travel and being able to stay up until the end of more games, but conspiracy theorists might have something here to work on.

 

[candyman82]

What's interesting is we left the Central right as Nashville, St. Louis and especially Detroit were trending down. Chicago is the champion, but we were on our way up in a tough division.

The new Metropolitan division hardly looks like a bunch of softies, with some of the traditionally weaker teams, notably the Islanders, trending up. I like the start times, the travel and being able to stay up until the end of more games, but conspiracy theorists might have something here to work on.

I don't think St. Louis is trending down. They have probably the best defensive core in the league, a host of really talented young forwards like Tarasenko and Ty Rattie, and a future #1 goalie in Jake Allen coming up.

 

[Jackets16]

This isn't close for me. Metro.

I agree. Metropolitan Division.

 

[Sore Loser]

I don't think St. Louis is trending down. They have probably the best defensive core in the league, a host of really talented young forwards like Tarasenko and Ty Rattie, and a future #1 goalie in Jake Allen coming up.

Ty Rattie is far from being an NHL talent though, because he plays on the perimeter and isn't nearly strong enough to be a competitive player down low. Reminds me of Nigel Dawes coming out of junior - he will have to adapt.

St. Louis should be good for many years to come ... no way that team is trending down with that young core of forwards ... it's a team that we're modeling ourselves after for a reason.