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puckbags

Update on realignment

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keeping divisional rivalries in tact.

Who cares, old rivalries prior to the 98-99 season were lost (and before that, 93-94). Teams get better or worse (playoff match-ups), players of rival teams are traded away or retire. New rivalries can always be made.

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I don't understand why they can't just make it an easy fix with how the current system is setup. No adding/removing teams, no odd number conference/divisions. Unless they figure out some goofy 3 conference playoff system, stick with what is currently in place.

96f9dh.jpg

Dallas, Minnesota and Colorado could rotate divisions if need be.

I still think it would be a lot easier to just move Winnipeg into the Northwest, bump Minnesota to the central and Nashville down to the southeast.

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I still think it would be a lot easier to just move Winnipeg into the Northwest, bump Minnesota to the central and Nashville down to the southeast.

Not a bad idea, but Minnesota and Winnipeg want a rivalry. And it makes sense geographically.

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This could be why the league is so desperate to keep the Yotes in PHO. They'd rather expand to somewhere like QC or Seattle rather than move PHO. Because then you don't get the fat expansion fee and you still have an uneven league if you want 4 conferences. But it's obviously a bandaid that has to be ripped off eventually. May as well move the Yotes now and start looking at expansion in two new cities.

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I don't understand why they can't just make it an easy fix with how the current system is setup. No adding/removing teams, no odd number conference/divisions. Unless they figure out some goofy 3 conference playoff system, stick with what is currently in place.

96f9dh.jpg

Dallas, Minnesota and Colorado could rotate divisions if need be.

This layout is actually very good... So expect Bettman not to do it

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I don't understand why they can't just make it an easy fix with how the current system is setup. No adding/removing teams, no odd number conference/divisions. Unless they figure out some goofy 3 conference playoff system, stick with what is currently in place.

96f9dh.jpg

Dallas, Minnesota and Colorado could rotate divisions if need be.

The only "problem" is the NW division still spans 3 time zones, which is something realignment is trying to correct. However, you can swap Vancouver and Colorado to fix that, though that means longer travel for the Avs.

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The only "problem" is the NW division still spans 3 time zones, which is something realignment is trying to correct. However, you can swap Vancouver and Colorado to fix that, though that means longer travel for the Avs.

That's where the Saskatoon Panthers come in.

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The only way for a fair solution is an MLB-like conference set-up. With several teams in every time zone so everyone shares the misery of travel. A fair and balanced realignment based on travel distance and rivalries will not ever work 100% fairly.

However, if there is a 30 team, 3 conference (Howe, Gretzky, Lemieux) divison of 10 teams in each, geographically dispersed, it would keep most rivalries and add new ones eventually.

Untitled.jpg

Edited by Wings_Dynasty

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When it comes to rivalries, screw 'em. You don't build conferences around rivalries, you build conferences around travel and time zones and let rivalries develop. Every rivalry we see now began somewhere, and many have died due to realignment (Det/Tor for example). If some have to go away to make travel easier on everyone so be it. I'm more a fan of genuine rivalries where the players dislike each other anyway, like Det/Col, rather than local stuff only fans care about. Let the chips fall where they may.

Edited by shoobiedoobin

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The only way for a fair solution is an MLB-like conference set-up. With several teams in every time zone so everyone shares the misery of travel. A fair and balanced realignment based on travel distance and rivalries will not ever work 100% fairly.

However, if there is a 30 team, 3 conference (Howe, Gretzky, Lemieux) divison of 10 teams in each, geographically dispersed, it would keep most rivalries and add new ones eventually.

Isn't it true that in baseball, the western division teams travel more? I mean, they have to travel across several time zones to play both the central and eastern teams, while, the central and eastern teams only have to travel across multiple time zones when playing against the west. They don't have to when playing among each other.

Either way, the western teams have to travel more.

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The only way for a fair solution is an MLB-like conference set-up. With several teams in every time zone so everyone shares the misery of travel. A fair and balanced realignment based on travel distance and rivalries will not ever work 100% fairly.

However, if there is a 30 team, 3 conference (Howe, Gretzky, Lemieux) divison of 10 teams in each, geographically dispersed, it would keep most rivalries and add new ones eventually.

Untitled.jpg

You'd have to also implement MLB style game series (2-3 games against one team in one location, consecutively) and true road trips, not this NHL crap where teams fly to Vancouver and then play a game at home, and then go for another distant away game.

When is the last time, during the regular season, that teams played consecutive games in the same arena against the same opponent?

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Isn't it true that in baseball, the western division teams travel more? I mean, they have to travel across several time zones to play both the central and eastern teams, while, the central and eastern teams only have to travel across multiple time zones when playing against the west. They don't have to when playing among each other.

Either way, the western teams have to travel more.

This is true. But as it is teams in the West are have a HUGELY unfair travel sched to teams in the East. This would make it more fair to more teams.

You'd have to also implement MLB style game series (2-3 games against one team in one location, consecutively) and true road trips, not this NHL crap where teams fly to Vancouver and then play a game at home, and then go for another distant away game.

When is the last time, during the regular season, that teams played consecutive games in the same arena against the same opponent?

I am for that. Send the Wings out to VAN to play half the games in the season series consecutively, then return home and have another half series with a visiting team. This would probably boost ticket sales too since fans of other teams could come to DET for a few days and see a couple hockey games with their team, instead of the alternative of flying across country to see 3 hours of one game.

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Guest ToMaToToWnWinGsFaN_24

I don't understand what's wrong with the current setup.

.ask winnipeg whats wrong with it.. lol

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you understand that, in terms of economy, any chance of a division featuring two of the Wings, Maple Laughs and Penguins is low to say the least? and all three of them together is like totally zero ;)

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you understand that, in terms of economy, any chance of a division featuring two of the Wings, Maple Laughs and Penguins is low to say the least? and all three of them together is like totally zero ;)

Why would you think that?

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Why would you think that?

because every time Wings/Leafs/Pens (but also Rangers, Hawks, Kings, Bruins, Habs, Flyers ...) visit teams in weaker economic spots, their arenas are filled with spectators and good ol' bucks are streaming to their pockets. and there's also bigger chance to get national TV.
for the sake of those weaker clubs the NHL will do everything possible to get as many of those highly marketable teams playing everywhere possible. some of those team may end up in the same division but NHL will do everything possible and more to split their money-makers as much as possible between the divisions.

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because every time Wings/Leafs/Pens (but also Rangers, Hawks, Kings, Bruins, Habs, Flyers ...) visit teams in weaker economic spots, their arenas are filled with spectators and good ol' bucks are streaming to their pockets. and there's also bigger chance to get national TV.
for the sake of those weaker clubs the NHL will do everything possible to get as many of those highly marketable teams playing everywhere possible. some of those team may end up in the same division but NHL will do everything possible and more to split their money-makers as much as possible between the divisions.

Agree, but to a point. Each conference has its big attendance draws. For example, the Yotes (if somehow they survive to next season) would do better under realignment. The Canucks, Oilers, and Flames all get big crowds out here, due to Arizona being the equivalent of Florida for Western Canadians. The Original Six don't have to keep things afloat.

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Agree, but to a point. Each conference has its big attendance draws. For example, the Yotes (if somehow they survive to next season) would do better under realignment. The Canucks, Oilers, and Flames all get big crowds out here, due to Arizona being the equivalent of Florida for Western Canadians. The Original Six don't have to keep things afloat.

I can vouch for this. Arizona is the hip trend if you can't afford or for some reason dislike the Okanagan.

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Agree, but to a point. Each conference has its big attendance draws. For example, the Yotes (if somehow they survive to next season) would do better under realignment. The Canucks, Oilers, and Flames all get big crowds out here, due to Arizona being the equivalent of Florida for Western Canadians. The Original Six don't have to keep things afloat.

Agreed. There are as many "Snowbirds" from The Great White North as there are from the U.S. out here in the Winter. If you want to talk hockey, go to any RV park in Arizona in the winter time. Come April, they all head back home though, just in time for the playoffs.

Edited by MidMichSteve

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because every time Wings/Leafs/Pens (but also Rangers, Hawks, Kings, Bruins, Habs, Flyers ...) visit teams in weaker economic spots, their arenas are filled with spectators and good ol' bucks are streaming to their pockets. and there's also bigger chance to get national TV.
for the sake of those weaker clubs the NHL will do everything possible to get as many of those highly marketable teams playing everywhere possible. some of those team may end up in the same division but NHL will do everything possible and more to split their money-makers as much as possible between the divisions.

You realize that currently, the Rangers, Pens, and Philly are all in the same division, as are the Leafs, Habs, and Bruins. And I'd think having every team visit every other team at least once a year offsets any losses.

We probably won't move to a division with any of them, but only because of geography. We're always going to be on the western edge of the east teams, so as long as there are more eastern teams (and it seems there always will be), we have to stay in the west.

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