Author Topic: NHL approves radical realignment  (Read 3967 times)

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NHL approves radical realignment
« on: December 05, 2011, 10:13:09 PM »

Online Roy H.

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The NHL approved a radical realignment tonight.  Gone are the Eastern and Western Conferences.  Instead, we'll have four "conferences" (more like divisions) that look like this:



The playoffs will have sixteen teams, four from each division.  The playoffs will start with division matchups every year (1st in the division vs. 4th, etc.).  Four teams come out of their division, and are then re-seeded for the semi-finals / Stanley Cup.

Since I'm resistant to change, let me say that I don't like it.  I'm fine with East vs. West, with the eight best teams playing each other.  Under this format, the 5th best team in a division could miss the playoffs, even if it has more points than say the 2nd best team in another division.  This just increases inequality in the league.  Teams in poor "conferences" are essentially given an easy path to the semis, while teams in stacked conferences could go through a murderer's row.  Not a huge fan.

Anyway, more here:  Link.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2011, 10:21:30 PM by Roy H. »


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Check out this ridiculous NHL Re-Alignment
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2011, 10:17:49 PM »

Offline bruinsandceltics

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Teams are now split up into 4 "Conferences"

Two conferences have 8 teams, two conferences have 7 teams. Here is what they look like:

West 1
Los Angeles Kings
Anaheim Ducks
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers

West 2
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
Columbus Blue Jackets
Winnipeg Jets
Dallas Stars

East 1
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Buffalo Sabres
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning

East 2
Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia Flyers
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes

The top 4 teams will make the playoffs from each "conference" with the last four teams standing being re-seeded by points for the Final Four. Those final four play it out for the Stanley Cup.

Re: NHL approves radical realignment
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2011, 10:23:31 PM »

Offline bruinsandceltics

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Glad I'm not the only one who thinks its dumb. Only the NHL.

Re: NHL approves radical realignment
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2011, 10:29:06 PM »

Offline PosImpos

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was there a specific reason why they felt the old system needed to be changed?
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Re: NHL approves radical realignment
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2011, 10:29:22 PM »

Offline fairweatherfan

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Didn't they use to do the playoffs this way before, back in the Norris/Patrick/etc Division days?  First two rounds were mini division tournaments, winners meet in Conference Finals? 

I'm kind of meh on it - it isn't the "fairest" system, but it'll promote some pretty vicious rivalries within divisions.

Re: NHL approves radical realignment
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2011, 11:05:14 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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While I knew realignment was necessary, what with Winnipeg being in the same division as Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa and Dallas being in the same division as the California teams and Phoenix, I didn't think the playoff system was bad.

I have no problem with positional alignments of the teams. It kind of makes a lot of sense but I would have had East and West conferences, the two division winners in each conference getting either a 1 or 2 seed based on record and then put the other six teams with the best record in each conference in the playoffs. That I think is fair.

I can see some teams complaining about the travel in the playoffs. For instance, Boston could conceivably have a Stanley Cup winning playoff season in which they have to travel to Florida, to Tampa to Winnepeg and then San Jose. Can you see Florida with a playoff season consisting of travel back and forth to Montreal, Boston, Vancouver and Winnepeg?

The travel costs and effects on the players could be killers.

Re: NHL approves radical realignment
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2011, 11:11:18 PM »

Online Roy H.

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While I knew realignment was necessary, what with Winnipeg being in the same division as Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa and Dallas being in the same division as the California teams and Phoenix, I didn't think the playoff system was bad.

I have no problem with positional alignments of the teams. It kind of makes a lot of sense but I would have had East and West conferences, the two division winners in each conference getting either a 1 or 2 seed based on record and then put the other six teams with the best record in each conference in the playoffs. That I think is fair.

I can see some teams complaining about the travel in the playoffs. For instance, Boston could conceivably have a Stanley Cup winning playoff season in which they have to travel to Florida, to Tampa to Winnepeg and then San Jose. Can you see Florida with a playoff season consisting of travel back and forth to Montreal, Boston, Vancouver and Winnepeg?

The travel costs and effects on the players could be killers.

Yeah, even in the regular season, it's going to increase overall travel for teams, but lower travel for some individual Western teams.  I just don't see how the interests of the Western Conference teams was able to win out over the best interests of the league.

Want a solution that made since?  Move Columbus from the Central to the southeast, and Winnipeg from the Southeast to the Central.  (Nashville, while more south than Columbus, is in the Central time zone, as opposed to the Eastern time zone for Columbus).  Whatever problem there was would have been largely solved.


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Re: NHL approves radical realignment
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2011, 11:27:38 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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While I knew realignment was necessary, what with Winnipeg being in the same division as Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa and Dallas being in the same division as the California teams and Phoenix, I didn't think the playoff system was bad.

I have no problem with positional alignments of the teams. It kind of makes a lot of sense but I would have had East and West conferences, the two division winners in each conference getting either a 1 or 2 seed based on record and then put the other six teams with the best record in each conference in the playoffs. That I think is fair.

I can see some teams complaining about the travel in the playoffs. For instance, Boston could conceivably have a Stanley Cup winning playoff season in which they have to travel to Florida, to Tampa to Winnepeg and then San Jose. Can you see Florida with a playoff season consisting of travel back and forth to Montreal, Boston, Vancouver and Winnepeg?

The travel costs and effects on the players could be killers.

Yeah, even in the regular season, it's going to increase overall travel for teams, but lower travel for some individual Western teams.  I just don't see how the interests of the Western Conference teams was able to win out over the best interests of the league.

Want a solution that made since?  Move Columbus from the Central to the southeast, and Winnipeg from the Southeast to the Central.  (Nashville, while more south than Columbus, is in the Central time zone, as opposed to the Eastern time zone for Columbus).  Whatever problem there was would have been largely solved.
Yup that would do too. Catering to the Western teams needs are only going to weaken some of the core traditional teams that the league's popularity is built upon.

The NHL obviously has a problem with a lack of rivalries generating interest. I think this was their way of trying to create interest by creating rivalries by making winning a conference a prerequisite to getting to the "Final Four".

Bad idea IMHO. The league's strength lies in its original and eastern based teams. For instance, Chicago will always have a bigger rivalry with the Rangers and Bruins than they will the Preds and Blue Jackets. No amount of realignment will ever change that.

Re: NHL approves radical realignment
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2011, 12:41:39 AM »

Offline bruinsandceltics

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Problem was Detroit. They basically threw a hissy fit and said that if we aren't able to move to the East to swap with Winnipeg, no one will. Because like Columbus, Detroit is also in the Eastern Time Zone.

But the Western Conference teams wanted nothing to do with Detroit moving east because they always brought large gate receipts to visitors buildings for their away games. The Western teams had no interest in losing that automatic sellout.

So basically Detroit caused all this.

Re: NHL approves radical realignment
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2011, 11:02:14 AM »

Offline Moranis

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It really only creates more travel because the league wanted every team to play a home and away with every other team every year.  Even minor tinkering with divisional alignment still would have caused way more travel if that was the goal of the league. 

I don't really like the playoff set-up, but I am a fine of the new "conferences".  I think they make a lot of sense and will encourage way more geographic rivalries, which ultimately is a good thing.
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