Improving the NHL

rams80 · December 2, 2006

My five division format:
Southern Division:
-Florida Panthers
-Tampa Bay Lightning
-Carolina Hurricanes
-Atlanta Thrashers
-Washington Capitals
-Louisiana Jazz
(This is just a rough draft, let me know if I forgot something or if I should add something.)

So what is the thought process behind moving Nashville to a city that got demolished by a hurricane last year?

PaperAirplane31 · December 2, 2006

Dammit! I knew I'd forgotten something.

My five division format, Pt. 2:

Canadian Division:

-Montreal Canadiens

-Toronto Maple Leafs

-Edmonton Oilers

-Vancouver Canucks

-Calgary Flames

-Ottawa Senators

Atlantic Division:

-Boston Bruins

-New York Rangers

-New Jersey Devils

-New York Islanders

-Philadelphia Flyers

-Pittsburgh Penguins

Central Division:

-Detroit Red Wings

-Minnesota Wild

-Buffalo Sabres

-St. Louis Blues

-Chicago Blackhawks

-Dallas Stars

Pacific Division:

-San Jose Sharks

-Los Angeles Kings

-Anaheim Ducks

-Phoenix Coyotes

-Colorado Avalanche

-Las Vegas Aces

Southern Division:

-Florida Panthers

-Tampa Bay Lightning

-Carolina Hurricanes

-Atlanta Thrashers

-Washington Capitals

-Nashville Predators

rams80 · December 2, 2006

My next question involves moving a Columbus team that seems to be doing all right in the box office even though the team plays like :censored: to Las Vegas

IronChefShark · December 2, 2006

my question is, why even have this thread to begin with? :therock:

PaperAirplane31 · December 2, 2006

My next question involves moving a Columbus team that seems to be doing all right in the box office even though the team plays like to Las Vegas

I couldn't think of where to put Columbus. I wanted to keep it to six teams per division and since I couldn't put Columbus in the central I had no idea where else they could go. It was them or Minnesota, and the people of Minnesota seem to like hockey a lot more then the people of Ohio. I also figured the team could make more money in Vegas and it doesn't help that they, as you said, "play like :censored: ."

my question is, why even have this thread to begin with?

Here are some more questions: Why is Dallas considered near the Pacific ocean, but Colorado isn't? Why do I always hear about how good the Ducks are, but me being an east coast I can never see myself and vice versa for the Sabres and west coast teams?

IronChefShark · December 3, 2006

Here are some more questions: Why is Dallas considered near the Pacific ocean, but Colorado isn't?

I'm thinking because the Stars allready had some good rivalries with the Sharks, Kings, and Coyotes to begin with, and it only makes sense for the only other west coast team, Vancouver, to be in the same division as the two other western Canadian teams, which happen to be in the mountain time zone, the same as Colorado. Besides, it does sort of make sense to consider Colorado "northwest". No, Dallas is not near the Pacific Ocean, but the geography in the location of rival teams and such makes for Dallas being in the Pacific division a better fit.

IceCap · December 3, 2006

my question is, why even have this thread to begin with?

So we shouldn't discuss things that might upset you?

This is a topic people want to discuss, so it's being discussed. As much as you claim us "fans of old teams" are closed minded, you have no problem trying to discourage discussion that might produce opinions different from your own. If you don't want to participate in this discussion, then don't read. It's that simple.

Oh, and the shootout rules. I really don't see the down side to it. When my team wins in a shootout I don't feel like they got a cheap win. I would rather see my team lose in a shootout then watch a very close game for 3 periods, plus OT just to see a draw.

---------------------------------------

That said, here's my idea (with concepts!). I adopted the NFL style of organization. The two conferences are not aligned geographically. Each conference has a a set of North, South, East, and West divisions.

Wales

-North

-South

-East

-West

Campbell

-North

-South

-East

Columbus Blue Jackets

-West

Seattle Metropolitans

IronChefShark · December 3, 2006

my question is, why even have this thread to begin with?
If you don't want to participate in this discussion, then don't read. It's that simple.

so in other words, i have to respect your need to discuss the subject, but you don't have to respect that I might want to disagree with it?

maybe you shouldnt participate in this, or any subject for that matter. you seem to get defensive on many subjects relating to your zionistic beliefs around here, but yet you go around telling other members that they can't post in thread to express something they dont agree with.

and before you go with pot/kettle argument, there are plenty of topics that Ive seen posted around here that Ive stayed out of simply to be a good citizen of the community, but every now and then I will risk the "oh no ICS is being to mean to me again" BS to come out and say something that I feel like needs to be said. If you don't like it well I really dont care. It really doesnt matter to me what you like anyways.

and in case you didnt notice, this thread does violate the redundant threads and announcements notice at the top of this forum. just thought Id point that out.

that is all. I am a good person and everybody knows it. mazel tov and [Mod edit: Oh, no. Just 'cause it's in another language doesn't mean you can post that.]

wdm1219inpenna · December 3, 2006

Ok, they say "Ignorance is Bliss" so I am happy with hockey because I do not follow it, and do not understand a lot of the game and its nuances.

That being said, here are some of the problems I have with hockey, specifically NHL hockey.

1. Too many teams qualify for post-season play. Why would I want to watch a 4th place team play in a post-season game which has a losing record, let alone more than one?

2. The playoffs are endless. They start in February it seems, and the Stanley Cup finals don't end until freakin Flag Day! Who wants to watch ICE hockey in mid JUNE?!?!?!?!

3. Lack of marketing. While they have made some changes to try to improve the game (eliminate ties, reduce fighting), I have no idea where or when a game is on tv, if ever.

They have what, 6 divisions now? Why not have the six division winners ranked 1-6, and have 2 wild card teams, ranked 7 & 8. Play the first round best 3 out of 5, the 2nd round best 4 out of 7, and Stanley Cup Finals best 4 out of 7. Too many playoff series. Another thing is with the playoff schedule, they play game 1, and take a day off, play game 2 and take 2 days off, play game 3 & 4, then take 4 days off. Get more consistency w/playoff scheduling already!

4. Instead of a 5 minute sudden death overtime period, play a FULL 10 minute overtime period, if it's still a tie, then go to the shootout to break the tie.

With the NFL, college football, college basketball & NBA games on, there are too many other choices, and all 4 of these other games draw better tv ratings than the NHL does.

5. Play ALL the other teams at least twice per season (once home, once road), and divisional teams 4 times, or 6 even. I don't know how the mathematics woud work out with that.

The regular season is so long and drawn out, not unlike baseball, and all the regular season does is act as placement for 16 teams. Anytime you have more than half the league in a playoff tournament, it renders the regular season games as insignificant. NFL and college football on the other hand, every game is like a playoff game, and has a huge effect or potential effect on post-season play.

Same is true with college basketball. 65 teams make it, making the regular season all but irrelevant to the average sports fan like me. Unless you're a die-hard fan, no college basketball game in the regular season is a must see, ditto NBA, ditto NHL hockey. That's the problem. Same with MLB baseball, 162 games, long drawn out season.

Happy Holidays,

Bill

HedleyLamarr · December 3, 2006

Contract teams down to 22, 11 per conference, 5-6 per division. Get rid of the Southeast division, get rid of the four newest expantion teams, minus Minnesota. Also get rid of the Pacific division, minus LA and Dallas. Then add Winnipeg and Hartford to the mix. The NHL goes back to the days where more people watched it than the NBA and everyone is happy.
Boston
Buffalo
Calgary
Chicago
Colorado
Dallas
Detroit
Edmonton
Hartford
LA
Minnesota
Montreal
NJ
NYI
NYR
Ottawa
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Toronto
Vancouver
Winnipeg
I would make it 24, 12 per conference, 6 per division.
As such...
Boston
Buffalo
Calgary
Chicago
Colorado
Dallas
Detroit
Edmonton
Hamilton
Hartford
Kansas City
LA
Minnesota
Montreal
NJ
NYI
NYR
Ottawa
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Toronto
Vancouver
Winnipeg
Washington's no Toronto,but we support our team.Now the other four.......

Judging by current attendance figures, Washington trails Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Atlanta, and Florida is giving the Capitals a run for their 4th-place money.

slapshot · December 3, 2006

1. Too many teams qualify for post-season play. Why would I want to watch a 4th place team play in a post-season game which has a losing record, let alone more than one?

If the NBA playoffs started today, the Atlantic Division champion would be in the playoffs with a sub-.500 record. There are at least a couple teams in the NBA playoffs this season that are at .500 or below. Didn't a team win the World Series with a record of 2 games over .500?

2. The playoffs are endless. They start in February it seems, and the Stanley Cup finals don't end until freakin Flag Day! Who wants to watch ICE hockey in mid JUNE?!?!?!?!

Nice exaggeration. The playoffs start at the end of April, about a week before the NBA playoffs start. And the NBA is known for stretching out 5 and 7-game series over 2-1/2 weeks, with 6 or 7 day stretches between games.

3. Lack of marketing. While they have made some changes to try to improve the game (eliminate ties, reduce fighting), I have no idea where or when a game is on tv, if ever.

Pick up a copy of TV Guide now and then. Or, better yet, go to nhl.com.

They have what, 6 divisions now? Why not have the six division winners ranked 1-6, and have 2 wild card teams, ranked 7 & 8. Play the first round best 3 out of 5, the 2nd round best 4 out of 7, and Stanley Cup Finals best 4 out of 7. Too many playoff series. Another thing is with the playoff schedule, they play game 1, and take a day off, play game 2 and take 2 days off, play game 3 & 4, then take 4 days off. Get more consistency w/playoff scheduling already!

See #2 above. You're exaggerating again.

4. Instead of a 5 minute sudden death overtime period, play a FULL 10 minute overtime period, if it's still a tie, then go to the shootout to break the tie.

5-minute OT is fine. Teams play 20-minute sudden-death OT periods in the playoffs. It all works out.

With the NFL, college football, college basketball & NBA games on, there are too many other choices, and all 4 of these other games draw better tv ratings than the NHL does.

There are also far more NCAA teams than NHL teams, so of course they're on TV more. NHL has significantly had low ratings. Its a tough sport to market. Either you've played it, or grown up near a pro city, so there's your exposure.

5. Play ALL the other teams at least twice per season (once home, once road), and divisional teams 4 times, or 6 even. I don't know how the mathematics woud work out with that.

It used to be done that way, but the NHL decided it wanted to put more emphasis on divisional and conference play, and to save money on travel costs. So the unbalanced schedules were created. You should play your division rivals more often than teams in the other conference.

The regular season is so long and drawn out, not unlike baseball, and all the regular season does is act as placement for 16 teams. Anytime you have more than half the league in a playoff tournament, it renders the regular season games as insignificant. NFL and college football on the other hand, every game is like a playoff game, and has a huge effect or potential effect on post-season play.
Same is true with college basketball. 65 teams make it, making the regular season all but irrelevant to the average sports fan like me. Unless you're a die-hard fan, no college basketball game in the regular season is a must see, ditto NBA, ditto NHL hockey. That's the problem. Same with MLB baseball, 162 games, long drawn out season.

Football teams play once a week. And they only play for 4 months. Of course the seasons are shorter, and each game is more meaningful. Most other sports have 6-month regular seasons. That's between 25-30 weeks. At 3-4 games a week, there's your 75 to 80 games.

Sounds like you're just a fair weather fan of most sports. You must want a 4-month season with the top 4 making the playoffs. It's a proven fact that more fans stay interested in their favorite teams when they're still in contention to win their league championships. So a longer season, with more playoff spots, means more fan participation and money for the team and the league.

By the way, counting pre-season and the All-Star games, football goes from July to February. 7 months.

IceCap · December 3, 2006

mazel tov and [Mod edit: Oh, no. Just 'cause it's in another language doesn't mean you can post that.]

Good luck, and my mother is short? :therock:

IronChefShark · December 3, 2006

mazel tov and [Mod edit: Oh, no. Just 'cause it's in another language doesn't mean you can post that.]
Good luck, and my mother is short?

do you really want to know what it means? or do you wish to remain blissfully ignorant?

IceCap · December 3, 2006

mazel tov and [Mod edit: Oh, no. Just 'cause it's in another language doesn't mean you can post that.]
Good luck, and my mother is short?
do you really want to know what it means? or do you wish to remain blissfully ignorant?

Well I think for your sake I'll remain blissfully ignorant. After all, I wouldn't want to see someone such as yourself, such a stickler for board rules, get in any kind of trouble due to inappropriate language.

That would be shame.

Stampman · December 3, 2006

The divisions are fine--what I don't like is that you don't play all the other teams at least once--in an 82 game sechedule that's just crazy.

-kj · December 3, 2006

Just as a sign of the apocalypse, I'm going to agree with Shark that there aren't really any significant changes that need to be made. I wouldn't mind going back to playing each intra-conference team at least once, mind you.

Oh, and the suggestion of shootouts in the playoffs? NO NO DEAR GOD NO. I may well turn my back on the NHL if that happens, and I love hockey.

HedleyLamarr · December 3, 2006

Exactly.

The double- and triple-overtime games are what make playoff hockey great.

IceCap · December 4, 2006

Oh, and the suggestion of shootouts in the playoffs? NO NO DEAR GOD NO. I may well turn my back on the NHL if that happens, and I love hockey.

I agree. I think the shootout has been a great addition to the regular season game, but it should stay out of the playoffs.

December 4, 2006

I don't think even the staunch shootout advocates want it in the playoffs. The shootout was the remedy to the tie. Problem solved. I'd hate to lose triple-overtime hockey.

winters in buffalo · December 4, 2006

I don't think even the staunch shootout advocates want it in the playoffs. The shootout was the remedy to the tie. Problem solved. I'd hate to lose triple-overtime hockey.

Bah, the tie is better than the shootout. At least if you tie, you do it as a team.

I'd much rather see OT go to a 10 minute 4-on-4, and eliminate the shootout altogether.

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