The Pointless Realignment Outpost

[RoughRiders99]

Needlers- Space Needle is in Seattle. I suppose it's a weird name but, what else? Seattle Frappachinos?

Peaks- Again, what else would work for Utah? I don't want a bee related name.

Utah Summit sounds better than Utah Peaks, IMO

[Magnus]

How about the Stags? The rocky mountain elk is the state animal - the bee is the state insect, and I believe it was jaha32 who came up with a Stags identity in his basketball concepts that would work well for Utah as well.

[Evil G]

What the heck, Summitt sounds like a great name.

EDIT: Done. I also change Seattle to the Pilots, Nashville to Indiana, and then Columbus to Cincinatti.

[DustDevil61]

A bit late, but what about Utah Yeti or Golden Eagles? Pilots is good for Seattle and Royals fits Cincinatti.

[Magnus]

It has always disturbed me that FBS schools play uneven home-away schedules. I understand that some games are neutral-site (that seems okay), and that many small schools travel to large schools because they get paid to get beaten to a pulp. But here's a fix I am proposing between the Rice Owls and Houston Cougars - both of which play home games in the city of Houston. Houston is scheduled to host 7 games this (2013) season, but their home field is being upgraded, so they are using the Houston Texans' stadium. Rice has 5 home games scheduled. Why not flip their conference game against each other to Rice Stadium, and give each team 6 home games? It would be one less date for the Texans to have to worry about, and give the Owls an extra home game.

[AJpackers]

How about the Utah Stormin' Mormons?

[The_Admiral]

I thought about revisiting Magnus's "pod system" approach to NHL scheduling, kinda sorta, with small divisions, but not.

Let's say we have 30 teams, 8-7-8-7 divisions. From within your conference but preferably your division, you get to pick four teams against whom you'll play six games each. For the other ten, you play three games a year, and if it's 2 home/1 away in one year, it's vice-versa the next.

So let's say Chicago would play its six-game series against Detroit, St. Louis, Minnesota, and Winnipeg. However, Winnipeg could have its six-gamers with Chicago, Minnesota, Calgary, and Edmonton. Every single series wouldn't be set in stone year after year, but you'd have some that were every year and a few that cycle in and out (so maybe the Jets play 6 with the Oilers and 3 with the Flames one year, then 3 and 6 the next). So that's 24 "pod" games, 30 conference games, and 30 interconference games (15 teams home and away). That comes in at 84, so let's mandate a four-game preseason (from which you can have no seventh or eighth games) and you come out with about what teams are playing now.

This might be the kind of thing that makes more sense in a spreadsheet/grid.

[Kramerica Industries]

The closest thing I can think of, and I'm not sure if it's done anymore, is the Swedish League from roughly 2003-2004.

I played a Swedish season one time on NHL 2004 (MIF Redhawks, who have only played one season in the top flight since being relegated after that season). Back then, there were 50 games in a season, and 12 teams in the league. I guessed the system was to play four games against five teams, and five against six teams (home/road divvied up however). Instead, the system was four games against eight teams, and SIX against the other three. From the Redhawk perspective, then, it worked like this:

Six game opponents: Frolunda, Linkoepings, and HV71

Four game opponents: Everybody else

So, even though the league format doesn't have any divisions, it kinda sorts creates mini-divisions for scheduling ease.

Is this what you mean?

[Evil G]

Changed alot of things.

[Magnus]

I'm sure I have posted something similar before in this exact thread, but with the talk of Phoenix likely being moved to Seattle, here's another look at the pod system.

[Evil G]

Switch Columbus off with Detroit then switch the Predators and Blackhawks and you have a deal.

[Magnus]

Switch Columbus off with Detroit then switch the Predators and Blackhawks and you have a deal.

I understand why Chicago would want to join St. Louis and C-bus, but I don't think there is much going on between Minny-Peg and Smashville.

--

Anyway, the 60-game season proposal in there would render divisions pretty moot, aside from the 2 games at the end of the season.

Every team has to travel to every city precisely once under that scenario. I like the idea of 60 games because then the playoffs might actually finish before snow melts.

If the NHL doesn't like the idea of losing 11 home dates, they can always host exhibition series before or after the season to make up the difference in revenue. Plus, you know, one outdoor game for everyone.

[Evil G]

I understand why Chicago would want to join St. Louis and C-bus, but I don't think there is much going on between Minny-Peg and Smashville.

You mean other than not moving them to Milwaukee?

Anyways, I found this online. I think it would work, it's just Columbus and Nashville need to be switched, and Bettman needs to realize his plan sucks:

[McCall]

Switch Columbus off with Detroit then switch the Predators and Blackhawks and you have a deal.

I understand why Chicago would want to join St. Louis and C-bus, but I don't think there is much going on between Minny-Peg and Smashville.

--

Anyway, the 60-game season proposal in there would render divisions pretty moot, aside from the 2 games at the end of the season.

Every team has to travel to every city precisely once under that scenario. I like the idea of 60 games because then the playoffs might actually finish before snow melts.

If the NHL doesn't like the idea of losing 11 home dates, they can always host exhibition series before or after the season to make up the difference in revenue. Plus, you know, one outdoor game for everyone.

It's Busch Stadium in St. Louis, not "Cardinals" Stadium. Why would the Predators travel to Knoxville when there's LP Field in Nashville?

[Magnus]

It's Busch Stadium in St. Louis, not "Cardinals" Stadium. Why would the Predators travel to Knoxville when there's LP Field in Nashville?

Why would the Wings travel to Ann Arbor when they could play at Comerica Park? I dunno. Spectacle? Nothing wrong with either venue mentioned. Those are just the ones I picked. Also - you'll notice I named St. Louis' game the Busch Bowl. I didn't completely forget...

[Evil G]

Pittsburgh in Heinz field is more suitable. The Flyers and the Penguins shoudn't have the same stadium.

[Magnus]

Pittsburgh in Heinz field is more suitable. The Flyers and the Penguins shoudn't have the same stadium.

I agree that using a stadium in your own city is preferable. The reason I picked a bunch of college stadiums (and I suspect, the reason that Detroit also did for their Winter Classic) was historic significance and spectacle (not to mention the fact that the Wolverines already proved what a success it could be with the Big Chill). I also don't think once a year is too often if they make it into a spectacle, like bowl season is for NCAA football.

Anyway, the point of using Penn State would be that it happens to be somewhat equidistant from both Philly and Pitt - roughly in the center of the state. Google Maps tells me it is a 2.5 hour drive from Pittsburgh, and 3.5 hours' drive from Philadelphia. (I realize that NHL teams take planes to cities further than 100 km away, but I'm just illustrating).

2.5 hours or 3.5 hours is a lot better on both teams than having to travel 6 hours to one city, and 6 hours to the other for the back-to-back. It also could put Penn State back on the national stage in a positive light...so there's that...

[LAWeaver]

Hockey in Jamaica, hmm? Almost as crazy as their jamaican bobsled team

[BBTV]

Pittsburgh in Heinz field is more suitable. The Flyers and the Penguins shoudn't have the same stadium.

I agree that using a stadium in your own city is preferable. The reason I picked a bunch of college stadiums (and I suspect, the reason that Detroit also did for their Winter Classic) was historic significance and spectacle (not to mention the fact that the Wolverines already proved what a success it could be with the Big Chill). I also don't think once a year is too often if they make it into a spectacle, like bowl season is for NCAA football.

Anyway, the point of using Penn State would be that it happens to be somewhat equidistant from both Philly and Pitt - roughly in the center of the state. Google Maps tells me it is a 2.5 hour drive from Pittsburgh, and 3.5 hours' drive from Philadelphia. (I realize that NHL teams take planes to cities further than 100 km away, but I'm just illustrating).

2.5 hours or 3.5 hours is a lot better on both teams than having to travel 6 hours to one city, and 6 hours to the other for the back-to-back. It also could put Penn State back on the national stage in a positive light...so there's that...

Penn State is really considered "western PA". Other than college kids who happen to come from Philadelphia area, there's not really any reason to make Flyers fans drive 4 hrs to go to a game. I get it for a true "neutral site" game, but it doesn't make sense under your system where each team "hosts" a game. Not sure if the Eagles would ever let the Linc be used for hockey, but it worked pretty well at Citizens Bank Park, or... they could always bring back the vet.

[Magnus]

[double post]