NHL dramatic realignment... thoughts?
Drop The Leash 10
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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- The NHL's Board of Governors on Monday approved a radical realignment plan, eliminating the current two-conference, six-division setup in favor of a configuration that features four conferences based primarily on geography. Two conferences will have eight teams and the other two conferences will have seven teams.
The Board authorized Commissioner Gary Bettman to implement this proposal in Monday evening's vote, pending input from the National Hockey League Players' Association.
The vote, which required a two-thirds majority of the League's 30 governors, passed on the first of two days of meetings here at The Inn at Spanish Bay. The League's new structure will go into effect starting next season.
The makeup of the yet-to-be-named four conferences is as follows:
* New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Washington and Carolina
* Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay
* Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas and Winnipeg
* Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado
The four conferences are designed to alleviate geographic concerns among several current Western Conference teams that had been unhappy about their extensive travel through one, two, and sometimes even three time zones. Some of those teams argued that the late start of road games in the Pacific time zone were affecting fan interest, especially among younger fans.
The new alignment also enables the NHL to create a balanced schedule in which all teams will play each other at least twice every season, once at home and once on the road, giving fans a chance to see every team and superstar in the League. The remaining games will be played within the conferences.
In the seven-team conferences, teams would play six times -- three home, three away. In the eight-team Conferences, teams would play either five or six times in a season on a rotating basis; three teams would play each other six times and four teams would play each other five times. This process would reverse each season: An eight-team Conference member that plays an opponent six times in one season would play it five times the following season.
The top four teams in each Conference qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team; the second-place team would play the third-place team. The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round of the Playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=6048 ... L|NHL|home
I think it has potential. Defenitly smarter geographically speaking.
The Board authorized Commissioner Gary Bettman to implement this proposal in Monday evening's vote, pending input from the National Hockey League Players' Association.
The vote, which required a two-thirds majority of the League's 30 governors, passed on the first of two days of meetings here at The Inn at Spanish Bay. The League's new structure will go into effect starting next season.
The makeup of the yet-to-be-named four conferences is as follows:
* New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Washington and Carolina
* Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay
* Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas and Winnipeg
* Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado
The four conferences are designed to alleviate geographic concerns among several current Western Conference teams that had been unhappy about their extensive travel through one, two, and sometimes even three time zones. Some of those teams argued that the late start of road games in the Pacific time zone were affecting fan interest, especially among younger fans.
The new alignment also enables the NHL to create a balanced schedule in which all teams will play each other at least twice every season, once at home and once on the road, giving fans a chance to see every team and superstar in the League. The remaining games will be played within the conferences.
In the seven-team conferences, teams would play six times -- three home, three away. In the eight-team Conferences, teams would play either five or six times in a season on a rotating basis; three teams would play each other six times and four teams would play each other five times. This process would reverse each season: An eight-team Conference member that plays an opponent six times in one season would play it five times the following season.
The top four teams in each Conference qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team; the second-place team would play the third-place team. The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round of the Playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=6048 ... L|NHL|home
I think it has potential. Defenitly smarter geographically speaking.
I will be what i could be
Once I get out of this town
9/29/04;6/27/08;6/30/08;8/23/09;08/24/09;5/17/10
Once I get out of this town
9/29/04;6/27/08;6/30/08;8/23/09;08/24/09;5/17/10
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Toronto 2011 night 2
Hamilton 2011
London 2013
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
i hate the playoff set up.
it really should say 4 teams from each division....
i'd rather have the top 8 in each confrence.
Semantics, I guess. Whatever.
Either way, the current setup is complete garbage, from a scheduling perspective. So the fact that every team will be played at least twice is a good thing.
I like the idea of the 4 confs during the year, but why not combine the 2 furthest east and 2 further west confs for playoff seeding.
ahh what do i care my team is in a conference with 7
and both 7 team confrences are in teh east...this is some fucked up shit...
why not just move swap winnipeg and columbus/nashville and be done with it.
If they did that then what would they realign four years from now? Unless they feel another team may be moving in the near future?
I checked out the alignment.. no significant changes in terms of which teams play each other.
by the way.. if anyone has any recent Disney movies and they are not using the rewards points that come with them... let me know!!!
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013
Toronto I&II 2016
10C: 220xxx
it would depend on who moves and where they move to
weak.
gotta go back to the classic names? right?
ah, didn't see that. espn's article has it a-d without mention yet to be named.
What were the old divsions? Patrick, Smythe, Norris, and what the hell was the other one?? Paging Dr. Google?
Edit*
Adams
I'd rather something like Gretzky, Howe, Lemieux and Orr conferences. That could work.
Once I get out of this town
9/29/04;6/27/08;6/30/08;8/23/09;08/24/09;5/17/10
what about Roy
I think they want to keep the two Florida teams in a division together for the rivalry, but, they also want to keep the 6 teams from the old Patrick division in the same division ... so, they can only add one team, not two ... thus, Carolina goes there (even though they were the Whalers).
Honestly, I like going back to this ... it really kicks up the rivalries.
"I don't believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass." --- Pedro Martinez
They go from seeing Montreal, Toronto, Pittsburg, new york, boston , Philly 2x each at home, washington 3x at home to
Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas.
Ok Chicago Detroit are nice...but Columbus,Nashville, St.L, Minnesota and Dallas three times ?
15 of their 42 games now officially suck...I am so glad the Wild are out of the NW, Dallas cant buy a fan, Nashville and Columbus who gives a Fck ....
Congrats winnnipeg...Buy a team for 160 Million and get put in the worst div possible ...
"OH Canada...You are so Beautiful when you are Drunk." Eddie
1993-08-14 Gimli Mb Motorsport Park
03-05-30 Vanc;05-09-08 Wpg
05-09-07 Sask Sk;05-09-04 Calg
05-09-05 Edm Alb;05-09-02 Vanc
06-07-02/ 03 Denver 1 + 2;06-10-21/22 Bridge 1 +2
4/3 + 4/2/08 Vanc Vedder ; 6/24+25 MSG /Toronto 09/buffalo 10/EV Chic 1-2
"I don't believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass." --- Pedro Martinez
agreed...well, Flyers fan in Chicago
Hey a guy I played youth and high school hockey with played for Nashville so go easy on them!!
Imagine if two regional rivals played for the cup? An original six final? NY/Bos? Tor/Mtl? Edm/Cal?
A Ranger/Bruin final would be too much to handle...in a good way!
Ken Campbell on THN is sayin Phoenix to Markham (Toronto2)...possibly Quebec City....and I wouldn't be surprised if the Dallas situation doesn't improve, if we wouldn't see the new owner take them to La Belle province...but that's just me guessing at a West-East shift...
I don't see the Phoenix thing happening because of what happened to keep the team there...I could see Dallas however. Toronto should have another team anyway. The market could more than support it. I know it would piss the Leafs and Sabres off but it would be for the good of the league.
Not positive, but wouldnt the home and home with every team make it at least as much travel as they're currently doing?
Ya, that's the shits for you guys...but look on the bright side, it won't be a divisional alignment with the Oil, like the smythe of old...I was kinda hoping we'd get our old first round whipping boys back for the next dynasty
Seriously tho...the home and home thing is the only fair way to do this. Western fans get screwed with marquee eastern teams.
Wonder how the players will vote? I think they'll go for it.
I'd love to get Roy in there, but the conference in which he was most successful (most Cups), would have to get Gretzky.