Looks like the NHL is going in a totally different direction with realignment next season. Link. - Four divisions: Pacific, Midwest, East, South - It's believe either Detroit and Columbus would move to the Eastern Conference. - 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. Let us speculate! Pacific - Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado, San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix (8) Midwest - Winnipeg, Minnesota, Chicago, St Louis, Dallas, Nashville, Columbus (7) East - Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Detroit, Buffalo, NY Islanders, NY Rangers (8) All the original six teams except Chicago. South - Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Florida (7) Just based on placement on a map and I know the NHL wants Pittsburgh and Washington together.