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GSBrooks13

Bettman Re-Alignment Proposal

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Linky:

http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/06/22/nhl-maps-out-major-changes?utm_source=sharing&utm_medium=addThis&utm_content=NHL+maps+out+major+changes

OTTAWA - The NHL could be ready to make drastic changes with a major realignment for the 2012-13 season.

Two league executives told QMI Agency Wednesday that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented a proposal during Tuesday’s board of governors meetings in New York to scrap the current format used by the league.

Sources say under Bettman’s proposal, the league will have four divisions: Pacific, Midwest, East and South. It’s believed the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets would both get their wish to move to the East conference.

Changes need to be made with the Atlanta Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg now official. The two conferences and six divisions will be kept this year, but Bettman is pushing for a major change.

The realignment is by no means final. It’s still in the discussion stages.

Teams would play a balanced 82-game schedule with home-and-home against teams outside their division.

The top four teams in each division would make the playoffs. The first round would be divisonal play, the teams would then re-seed for conference play. Bettman’s idea would not affect a East-West Stanley Cup final matchup.

With 30 teams, one division in each conference will have eight squads while the other will have seven. Under the current format — two conferences and six divisions — division winners and the top five teams make the playoffs.

“Nobody is happy with the current format so I would expect something like this is going to be adopted,” said a league executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Interesting proposal in my mind.. Thoughts?

EDIT: PS. You should click the link anyways just to see the picture they chose of Bettman.. haha

Edited by GSBrooks13

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I am shocked that Bettman would even consider letting the Wings move East. That puts all of the top-draw teams in one Conference. I'm wondering what Western Conference teams will have to say about the biggest road draw not being there anymore; will they protest because attendance will decrease or will they breathe a sigh of relief not having Wings "home" games anymore?

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I'm not sure why he'd move both Detroit and Columbus to the East, while just one team is going West. The conferences would be slightly imbalanced, but that's the way it was back in the 1980's, the East had one more team than the West. He's even going back to the 4 divisions. It'd be better if he gave those divisions meaningful names like Patrick, Norris, Smythe and Adams. I like it and for once I'm hoping Gary gets his way.

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I'm with a few others, I am little shocked that he would let the Wings move East and the fat that he would move both Columbus and the Wings east. Like the article said, a lot of people aren't happy with the format. I approve of this "proposed realignment" but I have my doubts with regards to the Wings getting to move East.

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I would love a four division league and bring back the old names!!!

I love when trophy names have history tied to them!

That is what makes the Stanley cup the best trophy, the history, the uniqueness.

A "World Championship trophy" with some sticks and a puck (Like NBA, MLB or NLF) would not have the same luster. Bring back that history to the divisions! Hell lets go back to Wales and Campbell conferences too.

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Still undecided if I like the Wings in the East. I love the fact that certain nights I can goto the bar and see the Wings at 1030 and watch until about closing time. On the other hand I know how difficult the travel is for playoffs and reg. season.

So I guess it comes down to me being selfish or not...

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I'd like to see the teams in their divisions. It is weird to think that with only one team moving west, to have two go east... There would have to be another going west, you would think....but who?

Wouldn't Winnipeg move out West? That's why I think it's weird to send two teams West and send one team East.

That was my understanding but I could be wrong and probably will be wrong.

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I'm not sure why he'd move both Detroit and Columbus to the East, while just one team is going West. The conferences would be slightly imbalanced, but that's the way it was back in the 1980's, the East had one more team than the West. He's even going back to the 4 divisions. It'd be better if he gave those divisions meaningful names like Patrick, Norris, Smythe and Adams. I like it and for once I'm hoping Gary gets his way.

I was just thinking the same thing as I read the article.

Interesting concept and, while it will no doubt be refined and tweaked, I could see it going through.

Also, that picture rules.

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I want the Wings to move East, but I want to see what the exact divisions are before I can decide whether I like it or not.

My guess is that the Northeast, Detroit, Columbus and maybe part of the Atlantic will be the East division. Most of the Atlantic and the Southeast will be the South division.

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This does bring an interesting question, what could we expect these divisions to be? I tried my best at guessing, based on geography - but obviously the South division would be a pretty liberal name as far as that goes.

Midwest

Minnesota Wild

Chicago Blackhawks

St. Louis Blues

Dallas Stars

Colorado Avalanche

Phoenix Coyotes

Nashville Predators

Pacific

Anaheim Ducks

Los Angeles Kings

San Jose Sharks

Vancouver Canucks

Winnipeg Jets

Edmonton Oilers

Calgary Flames

East

Detroit Red Wings

Pittsburgh Penguins

Toronto Maple Leafs

Ottawa Senators

Montreal Canadiens

Buffalo Sabres

New York Rangers

Boston Bruins

South

Tampa Bay Lightning

Florida Panthers

Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals

New Jersey Devils

Philadelphia Flyers

Columbus Blue Jackets

New York Islanders

Obviously things get a pretty ambiguous when it comes to the South in my breakdown, as I wasn't really sure what would qualify a team to be considered 'South'. In a breakdown like this, I feel like it makes a lot more sense to have Columbus play in the Midwest division.

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The problem is the statement that each conference would have one division with 8 teams & one with 7. I would assume that the East & South divisions would be in the Eastern Conference and Midwest & Pacific in the Western. If that's the case & both Detroit & Columbus move to the Eastern, that means moving an existing Eastern team over in addtion to Winnipeg. To do that, you would have to move a team futher east than either Detroit or Columbus over. I don't see that happening.

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The problem is the statement that each conference would have one division with 8 teams & one with 7. I would assume that the East & South divisions would be in the Eastern Conference and Midwest & Pacific in the Western. If that's the case & both Detroit & Columbus move to the Eastern, that means moving an existing Eastern team over in addtion to Winnipeg. To do that, you would have to move a team futher east than either Detroit or Columbus over. I don't see that happening.

Yeah, with Detroit and Columbus moving there would be 8 teams in each 'Eastern' conference and 7 teams in the 'West'.

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This does bring an interesting question, what could we expect these divisions to be? I tried my best at guessing, based on geography - but obviously the South division would be a pretty liberal name as far as that goes.

South

Tampa Bay Lightning

Florida Panthers

Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals

New Jersey Devils

Philadelphia Flyers

Columbus Blue Jackets

New York Islanders

Obviously things get a pretty ambiguous when it comes to the South in my breakdown, as I wasn't really sure what would qualify a team to be considered 'South'. In a breakdown like this, I feel like it makes a lot more sense to have Columbus play in the Midwest division.

Therein lies the problems. There's too many teams in the Northeast to put them in any other division.

New Jersey

New York Isles

New York Rangers

Pittsburgh

Philly

Boston

Ottawa

Montreal

Toronto

Buffalo

Washington

That's 11 teams not separated by much in terms of geographical difference. Now that I think about it, the current format actually makes more sense, despite my wishes to have the Wings move conferences.

Edited by GMRwings1983

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Therein lies the problems. There's too many teams in the Northeast to put them in any other division.

Now that I think about it, the current format actually makes more sense, despite my wishes to have the Wings move conferences.

A re-alignment is far overdue and I think the real solution is balanced travel, with divisions spread out not by geography, but by making all travel equal. Either way, at least this proposal is an improvement from the current one...

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A re-alignment is far overdue and I think the real solution is balanced travel, with divisions spread out not by geography, but by making all travel equal. Either way, at least this proposal is an improvement from the current one...

The travel will never be equal in between conferences, because there's always going to be less travel in the East.

I'm almost inclined to say that there should be two Conferences, no divisions, 15 teams per conference, with the top 8 making the playoffs in each Conference. The Wings would move East, while Winnipeg would move West.

That seems simple enough, and the Western teams would all do equal travel amongst themselves, with there being no divisional format.

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To really throw things up in the air, here's my take regardless of the whole talk of Detroit & Columbus moving to the Eastern...

East Division (EC)

Boston

Montreal

Ottawa

NY Rangers

NY Islanders

New Jersey

Phily

Pittsburgh

South Division (EC)

Washington

Carolina

Tampa Bay

Florida

Nashville

St. Louis

Dallas

Midwest Division (WC)

Buffalo

Toronto

Detroit

Columbus

Chicago

Minnesota

Winnipeg

Pacific Division (WC)

Edmonton

Calgary

Vancouver

San Jose

LA

Anaheim

Phoenix

Colorado

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