Originally posted by NHL.comGovernors adopt radical realignment plan Monday, 12.05.2011 / 9:23 PM / News By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- The NHL's Board of Governors on Monday approved a radical realignment plan, eliminating the current two-conference, six-division setup in favor of a configuration that features four conferences based primarily on geography. Two conferences will have eight teams and the other two conferences will have seven teams.
The Board authorized Commissioner Gary Bettman to implement this proposal in Monday evening's vote, pending input from the National Hockey League Players' Association.
The vote, which required a two-thirds majority of the League's 30 governors, passed on the first of two days of meetings here at The Inn at Spanish Bay. The League's new structure will go into effect starting next season.
The makeup of the yet-to-be-named four conferences is as follows:
* New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Washington and Carolina
* Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay
* Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas and Winnipeg
* Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado
The four conferences are designed to alleviate geographic concerns among several current Western Conference teams that had been unhappy about their extensive travel through one, two, and sometimes even three time zones. Some of those teams argued that the late start of road games in the Pacific time zone were affecting fan interest, especially among younger fans.
The new alignment also enables the NHL to create a balanced schedule in which all teams will play each other at least twice every season, once at home and once on the road, giving fans a chance to see every team and superstar in the League. The remaining games will be played within the conferences.
In the seven-team conferences, teams would play six times -- three home, three away. In the eight-team Conferences, teams would play either five or six times in a 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: An eight-team Conference member that plays an opponent six times in one season would play it five times the following season.
The top four teams in each Conference qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team; the second-place team would play the third-place team. The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round of the Playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.
Bettman, you remain, as always, a complete jackass. Thanks for keeping the Wings away from the other Original 6 (save Chicago). Anytime the Wings win a Cup - by drawing crowds in sh!tty hockey markets- I hope they literally shove the Cup up your tradition-hating ass. Eat sh!t and die.
Originally posted by Reverend J ShaftBettman, you remain, as always, a complete jackass. Thanks for keeping the Wings away from the other Original 6 (save Chicago). Anytime the Wings win a Cup - by drawing crowds in sh!tty hockey markets- I hope they literally shove the Cup up your tradition-hating ass. Eat sh!t and die.
But this is to accommodate Detroit (among others) in the first place, so they wouldn't have to go further west as much. I know Detroit's wanted to come back east for the last...ever, but since it's four distinct "conferences" now they're actually less separate from the original 6 than NYR.
Originally posted by odessastepsThe most ominous part of the realignment is that it is tailor made for 2 expansion teams.
The most annoying part to me is that the "top 4 per conference qualify" means the 16 best teams will almost never make the playoffs.
This. I can only imagine the hell being raised when/if the Rangers, Bruins, Flyers, Red Wings or Maple Leafs were omitted from the postseason due to this rule. Of course, as a Leafs fan, I'm now somewhat pleased we only have to finish ahead of three teams to reach the playoffs instead of finishing ahead of seven.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
I had been thinking about this and if they were going to two conferences (which is basically what this is) I would've done all I can to put three Original Six teams in each conference and half of the Canadian teams in each conference. They CAN'T rotate the Conference finals (or I guess what would be now the Stanley Cup semifinals), can they?
Originally posted by JustinShapiroThe most annoying part to me is that the "top 4 per conference qualify" means the 16 best teams will almost never make the playoffs.
Yeah, but this is the way it used to be before they realigned to six five-team divisions and it really built up intradivision rivalries.
I would be more impressed if they announced starting next season each game was worth three points.
Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
*snip*
Revenge of the Sith = one thumb up from me. Fuck shit. I want to tittie fuck your ass. -- The Guinness. to Cerebus
My Flyer friends were crying that this somehow helps the Pens. I don't see how playing the Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Flyers and the Hurricane helps anyone. Typical, Philly tradition is to blame Pittsburgh for something that they have zero control over. No wonder they are called the Cryers.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.
Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
The new alignment also enables the NHL to create a balanced schedule in which all teams will play each other at least twice every season, once at home and once on the road, giving fans a chance to see every team and superstar in the League. The remaining games will be played within the conferences.
In the seven-team conferences, teams would play six times -- three home, three away. In the eight-team Conferences, teams would play either five or six times in a 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: An eight-team Conference member that plays an opponent six times in one season would play it five times the following season.
The top four teams in each Conference qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team; the second-place team would play the third-place team. The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round of the Playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.
If they're going to play each other at least twice a season anyway, why not just go with a single table w/ top 16 teams in the playoffs? 29 teams play each other 3 times (they would alternate 2 home 1 away / 2 away 1 home in alternating years), would make it 87 games a year. I suggest that because just 1 home and 1 away against 29 teams would be only 58 games and most people would scoff at less games played a year.
(edited by Zeruel on 6.12.11 1322)
-- 2006 Time magazine Person of the Year -- -- July 2009 Ordained Reverend --
Originally posted by lotjxMy Flyer friends were crying that this somehow helps the Pens.
Vastly increased odds of annual emotional playoff series against their two most bitter rivals instead of bottom seed pushovers and the possibility of playing Western Conference powerhouses before you even make it to the Finals? Yeah thanks for that.
I hope they name them the Gretzky/Howe/Lemieux/Orr conferences so the Flyers have the indignity of competing for the Mario Lemieux Trophy of Magnificence each year.
Originally posted by odessastepsThe most ominous part of the realignment is that it is tailor made for 2 expansion teams.
The most ludicrous part is going to be if, say, Boston and the Rangers play for the Cup. That's just, what.
It's like NBC made this up, to make sure that they can get Stanley Cup finals that can just be culled from the Philly/Pittsburgh/Rangers/Bruins/Blackhawks/Red Wings pool.
But NBC certainly wouldn't be thrilled if we got, say, a San Jose/Nashville Cup Final, would they?
I guess one thing that this change does ensure is that we'll always have at least one team in the Central or Eastern timezone competing for the Stanley Cup each year. There'll never be a Pacific time on Pacific time matchup. That might be one thing that NBC would've had a say in.
There never would've been a Pacific vs. Pacific finals anyway under the current divisional format.
Let's also not overlook the fact that it greatly limits the chances of a Canada vs. Canada Stanley Cup final. Only one of the Leafs/Canadiens/Senators and Oilers/Canucks/Flames can emerge from their respective conferences. Even if two of these teams plus the Jets reach the semis, the United States (and NBC!) still has one American club to root for.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
One thing I'll say in favor of the plan, I remember back in the old Norris Division days, when you had to fight your way out of the division in the playoffs every year - the Blackhawks had them some fine rivalries with the North Stars and Blues.
I don't see why we can't have the NHL forego the conference idea and merely run a round robin style pool...the best eight or twelve teams, regardless of geographic location, in the playoffs. With that in mind, combinations never seen before could logically happen as finals in the Stanley Cup: Toronto vs. the Rangers, Edmonton vs. Calgary, or anything else.
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