Realignment expectations

December 22, 2006 · Filed Under general

Just last night I was thinking about the NHL, and more specifically about how it’s a travesty that the Red Wings are in the Western Conference even though Detroit is obviously in the Eastern time zone. I was also thinking about how so many hockey pundits wail & moan about how to "fix" the NHL, when one of the most obvious problems is that there are too many teams. So, as I drifted off to sleep, I thought about how I’d fix things via contraction & realignment.

Then, just a little bit ago, I visited ESPN.com and saw the article on how the NHL is considering another realignment, shifting from the current 6 division (3 in each conference) structure to a more sensible (IMO) 4 division (2 in each conf.) structure. You can read more about the proposal here. Among the stated goals of any realignment are to develop more consistent rivalries, minimize time-zone disruptions (thus benefiting television ratings), & decrease travel costs (fiscal and physical). I agree with these goals, and I would even take a few additional steps. More specifically:

Contraction - there are too many teams (30). Expansion has outstripped even the infusion of the best Russian & European talent over the past 15-20 years. The NHL does not need a presence in hot-weather, Southern US cities. It just doesn’t. Especially with the advent of satellite TV (NHL Center Ice!) & the ‘net, which make it quite easy to follow your favorite team from anywhere in the country. A greater concentration of talent, which will result from contracting 6 teams, will raise the quality of play, making games more watchable & entertaining. So, I would say goodbye (and good riddance) to: Anaheim, Atlanta, Florida, Phoenix, Los Angeles, & Tampa Bay.

Realignment - I would have two conferences, each made up of two 6-team divisions:

Eastern Conference - North Division: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto
Eastern Conference - South Division: Carolina, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Washington
Western Conference - North Division: Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis
Western Conference - South Division: Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Portland, San Jose, Vancouver (Note: Portland is relocated from Pittsburgh, as Pittsburgh seems bound & determined to drive the Penguins out of town…)

Schedule - Big picture, there would be an unbalanced 76 game schedule, consisting of:

12 games - Rotating Home & Home vs. one division from the "other" conference (sort of like baseball rotates non-rival interleague play).
24 games - 2 Home & Home vs. the "other" division’s teams.
40 games - 4 Home & Home vs. the 5 divisional rivals.

Playoffs - I would make the following adjustments, based on the idea that regular playoff tilts are the foundation for bitter rivalries:

The top 4 teams from each division make the playoffs (i.e., 16 out of the 24 teams).
Round 1 is divisional, with teams ranked 1 through 4 - this is where bitterness can be bred!
Round 2 would see the 4 winners re-seeded based on regular season conference finish, thus minimizing divisional inequities & the chance for anti-climactic conference finals.
Round 3 would be the normal conference finals.
Round 4 would be the normal Stanley Cup Finals.

The combination of a regular season focus on playing the same teams (while maintaining a reasonable sense of geography, time-zone, and history), a hearkening back to the divisional playoffs structure that made rivalries in the 80’s so special, and contraction (which will strengthen the talent pool & retrench the league in more sustainable, hockey-friendly areas) would go a long way towards getting the NHL back to it’s rightful place as a major North American sport.

-ghp

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Tags: detroit, hockey, nhl, red wings, sports