Why isn't Nashville in the Eastern conference?

[Viqsi]

The point wasn't that there is a team that is closer to the west than Nashville, it's that Nashville is located further East than any other Western team.

And prior to the latest realignment, Columbus was further East than any other Western team. The difference is, Columbus is in the Eastern Time Zone (as is Detroit, incidentally) and Nashville is in the Central.

 

[Peggy]

The point wasn't that there is a team that is closer to the west than Nashville, it's that Nashville is located further East than any other Western team.

It's pretty close to south central of America. Makes sense. Never even questioned it because it's closer east than west. Central division juds happens to be on the west because balance

 

[Cellee]

Yeah, get the hell outta the West division, Nashville.

--Central Division

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

one western conference team has to be the furthest east.

Hahaha. I'm sitting here wondering how to respond to his comment. This is perfect.

"Why are they in the West? They are the closest team to the East." I'm literally laughing out loud at my desk.

 

[57special]

I'm all for any move that puts them in the East
Nashville, the home to Country and Eastern music. Bring out yer Sitars, yeehaw!

 

[MMC]

Because they are in the Central time zone

 

[StoneHands]

The point wasn't that there is a team that is closer to the west than Nashville, it's that Nashville is located further East than any other Western team.

So the Eastern conference should have 17 teams, 8 of which make the playoffs and the Western Conference should have 14 teams with 8 making the playoffs? That seems fair.

If Nashville is moved out of the Western Conference because they aren't on the west coast shouldn't Detroit be moved out of the Atlantic division considering they're like 700 miles from the Atlantic ocean? It's not easy to fit 31 teams perfectly into 4 divisions so they do the best they can.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Always wondered why they're not in the East, I mean aren't the conferences essentially organized according to the geographical location of the teams?

because Detroit and The Leafs lobbied for 20 years to get into the east

 

[Mickey Marner]

 

[FerrisRox]

The point wasn't that there is a team that is closer to the west than Nashville, it's that Nashville is located further East than any other Western team.

You realize that if you moved Nashville to the East then some other team would then be located further east than any other Western team, right?

 

[TARS]

Maybe change the number of conferences to three.

Western Conference
Eastern Conference
Central Conference

Do this and make a triangle shaped ice rink for the finals.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

The point wasn't that there is a team that is closer to the west than Nashville, it's that Nashville is located further East than any other Western team.

And yet they still travel far less than teams like San Jose, Vancouver, Anaheim etc.

 

[Hivemind]

The Western Conference has to cover three different time zones, while the Eastern Conference only covers one. Not sure why, but I get a kick out of that. At least it's still not as wonky as the NFL geography divisions.

What? You don't think Indianapolis playing in the AFC South to Miami can be in the AFC East while Tampa plays in the NFC South and Dallas in the NFC East makes sense?

The NFL should have scrapped the geographic names when they re-organized. It's obvious they cared far more about rivalries than they did about actual geopraphy. As is their perogative given that teams only play one game per week and game times are standardized into only a couple time slots.

 

[Hivemind]

The reason the NHL is adding Seattle over Quebec City is mainly to balance out the conferences. Also, Memphis is in the West in the NBA as well.

To be fair, Memphis is also 200 miles further west than Nashville is. It's on the Arkansas border while Nashville is in the center of Tennessee.

 

[JD1]

Nope. Once Seattle lands, it could be 15/17.

sure it could be except it won't be. 16/16 has been noted for a long time

 

[SwaggySpungo]

It is the team that prob moves when Seattle joins the west.

Nope.

 

[CauZuki]

Because then the Eastern conference would be too OP...

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

why isn't Edmonton in the Northern Conference?

 

[Gnashville]

Because they are in the Central time zone

1/3 of the State of Tennessee is in the ETZ

 

[Sheppy]

Nah, they can stay out west...

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Wait till Arizona switches to the Central Division after Seattle starts play. Look at Arizona travel schedule
Dallas and Colorado will be their closest division but still have Minni, Chicago, and Winnipeg to the north and St Louis and Nashville to the East. Yikes,
You're right Nashville should be the in the East, but for admittance to the league this agreed to perennial western team.
Tampa and Florida should be in the Metropolitan instead of he Atlantic (northern division). Columbus and Pittsburg could logically be in the Atlantic. But the the the three teams in New York/Jersey and Pittsburg wanted a cozy travel schedule, and they have more pull in the alignment talks than other teams.