NHL APPROVES NEW FOUR-CONFERENCE FORMAT FOR NEXT SEASON

[mathonwy]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=382065

Conference A
Anaheim
Calgary
Colorado
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

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Very very interesting. This is the first major NHL restructuring I've been apart of. I was only a Canuck back in 93 when they got rid of the old conferences.

It'll be interesting to find out if the new travel structure will contribute to our team having greater success. They always complain about the travel schedule but who really knows.

[CFP!]

I was only a Canuck back in 93 when they got rid of the old conferences.

I'm only Caucasian.

[mathonwy]

Hahah.

I beat you by 1 minute CFP!

[CFP!]

Hahah.

I beat you by 1 minute CFP!

Thats bcs I was spell checking my shit.

Less caps next time math. Thread creating 101. lol

Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver would remain together in a proposed Western Conference that also includes Anaheim, Colorado, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Jose.

The realignment is aimed at evening out the travel schedules for all NHL teams with each team playing teams outside their conference twice per year, once at home and on the road.

In the seven-team Conferences, teams would play each other six times - three home, three away. In the eight-team Conferences, a bit more manoeuvering would be required.

Teams in the conferences of eight would play either five or six times per 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.

The top four teams in each conference would qualify for the playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team; while second and third would square off. The four conference champions would meet in the third round of the

[BCReefer]

How is it that they have 16 teams in the west and 14 in the east?

Is this not totally unfair since in all 4 divisions 4 teams make the playoffs?

This is one way Toronto might make the playoffs.

[Island Nucklehead]

I still don't quite get how it's fair that in some divisions you have better chances at the playoffs than others... 4/7 vs 4/8.

Basically in the "Eastern" conferences you stand a 57% chance vs only a 50% in the "Western" conferences. From an equality standpoint wouldn't it make more sense to do a CFL style crossover or wild-card format... whereby say top 3 in each conference advance, and then the four next-best teams (league-wide) get wild-card positions and play the conference winners? Still don't think it would make it totally fair, but at least it evens the playing field a bit.

I understand things are "supposed" to work in cycles and therefore even out (rebuilding, mediocre, competitive, contender etc.), but it seems to me like a few of those divisions will feature perennially shitty teams. Just so happens they are in the East, so making the playoffs every year suddenly becomes easier for a lot of the big media/marketing darlings...

[CFP!]

How is it that they have 16 teams in the west and 14 in the east?

Someone needed to give Reef, and it wasn't going to be teams in the East.

EDIT: I guess the record books and team rivalries are dead/renewed/new.

[mathonwy]

Thats bcs I was spell checking my shit.

Less caps next time math. Thread creating 101. lol

[

Don't hate the playa, hate the game.

[Overtime]

I like this upon first glance. Easier travel schedule. Being cramped up on a plane with limited oxygen can deplete
your system.
Less time away from the comforts of home as well. Same time zone is a plus as well. Less body clock issues.
This will only help the team all around IMHO. Two thumbs up.
I will miss the showdowns with the rivalries from before, but it wont take much time for new ones to grow.

[Island Nucklehead]

Why wouldn't they keep it simple (KISS principle??):

Eastern Conference:

NE Division
-Boston
-Buffalo
-Montreal
-Ottawa
-Toronto
-New York Rangers
-New York Islanders
-New Jersey Devils

SE Division
-Carolina
-Florida
-Nashville
-Philly
-Pittsburgh
-Tampa Bay
-Washington

Western Conference:

Central:
-Dallas
-Detroit
-Chicago
-Columbus
-Minnisota
-St Louis
-Winnipeg

Pacific:
- Anaheim
- Calgary
- Colorado
- Edmonton
- Los Angeles
- Phoenix
- San Jose
- Vancouver


So there's still 15 teams per conference. You could do a top 3 per "division" and then lump the highest point totals.

I dunno. The idea of creating uneven divisions that makes it easier for the eastern teams to make the playoffs is a joke.

[CFP!]

The idea of creating uneven divisions that makes it easier for the eastern teams to make the playoffs is a joke.

Well Kansas City and Quebec City will allow some of those movements.

[Hockey Widow]

The problem with a crossover or wild card is that not all divisions will be created equal and some teams will face tougher opponents more often. You need to have a more balanced regular season playing against the same opponents more often than twice a year for out of conference teams, if that makes any sense.

As any change goes it will take some time to get used to it. I like our new conference and we should be competitive within that conference for some time. There does not appear to be any easy conferences looking at it. But I wonder how Winnipeg feels not having any Canadian rivals in theirs? That too me this is a loss for Winnipeg, not getting Canadian teams in their building more than once a season.

So are we going to an 84 game schedule?

[dhabums]

But I wonder how Winnipeg feels not having any Canadian rivals in theirs? That too me this is a loss for Winnipeg, not getting Canadian teams in their building more than once a season.

I think Winnipeg is happy to have an NHL team. You should feel for Flames fans.

[Aaronp18]

This seems like the most logical way to realign. The NHL needed to get their superstars in every market at least once a year and this accomplishes that.

The fact that we have 8 teams in our conference can be viewed glass half empty/half full scenario IMO. Yes simply looking at the numbers you can say the odds of making the playoffs are better in a 7 team conference, however in an eight team conference you're more likely to have a crappy team that you can beat up on!

Whatever we have Calgary still with us and that should feed the W's for some time now. It's like spotting us 8-10 points per year

[herb]

I like the pacific "conference" the Canucks will be in. It is much more logical geographically than the current Northwest Division. More games in PST is a bonus for me.

However, the logical realignment, in my mind, would have been four divisions, and two 15 team conferences like we have now. Put Detroit or Columbus into one of the "eastern" divisions, and we would still have balanced eastern and western conferences. The top three teams from each of the four divisions/conference could make the playoffs along with two "wild card" teams like MLB or NFL which would make for eight playoffs teams in each eastern and western conference. Playoffs would proceed as they currently do with there being a western champion and an eastern champion meeting in the finals.

I really can't get over the uneven "conferences". It just seems wonky.