2011-12 NHL Season

[ZapRowsdower8]

I have really come around to like this format a lot. Far more "winners" than "losers" here. Washington and Carolina make out the best, IMO. Closely followed by Florida and Tampa Bay. The midwest team fans (especially Dallas and Minnesota) don't have to stay up late to watch most of the road games. Minnesota can build on natural geographic rivalries. I think the new (old) playoff format will make the playoffs, which are already the best playoffs of any sport, that much better.

The only negative that I could see is that making the playoffs will be considerably more difficult for some teams (NYI, CAR and others) for the foreseeable future, but this too shall change.

[JQK]

I'm fine with geographic anomalies

[BrySmalls]

You're not taking Philly or Pittsburgh from the Devils/Islanders/Rags...

So that doesn't work.

If you're trying to do it geographically, you have to split them up.

Here was my other idea... this is probably my dream scenario...

Atlantic

Washington

Buffalo

Philadelphia

New York Rangers

New York Islanders

New Jersey

Boston

Midwest/Southeast (Rejects) Division

St. Louis

Dallas

Columbus

Nashville

Carolina

Tampa Bay

Florida

North

Detroit

Toronto

Chicago

Montreal

Minnesota

Buffalo

Ottawa

West

Vancouver

San Jose

Anaheim

Phoenix

Los Angeles

Calgary

Colorado

Edmonton

Points of emphasis:

- No geographic oddities

- Keeps most of the historically significant or financially rivalries in tact. For those that are severed (such as Montreal/Boston), they are replaced with other historically relevant rivalries that have been dormant (such as Habs/Wings or Habs/Hawks).

- Teams like Columbus and Nashville lose those "moneymaking" games against Chicago/Detroit/etc... but will recover lost profit from playoff games by being placed in a weaker division and the establishment of geographically significant rivalries.

Under your dream scenario, which Division is Pittsburgh in? I presume the North Division as opposed to the Atlantic Division.

[GFB]

You're not taking Philly or Pittsburgh from the Devils/Islanders/Rags...

So that doesn't work.

If you're trying to do it geographically, you have to split them up.

Here was my other idea... this is probably my dream scenario...

Atlantic

Washington

Buffalo

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

New York Rangers

New York Islanders

New Jersey

Boston

Midwest/Southeast (Rejects) Division

St. Louis

Dallas

Columbus

Nashville

Carolina

Tampa Bay

Florida

North

Detroit

Toronto

Chicago

Montreal

Minnesota

Buffalo

Ottawa

West

Vancouver

San Jose

Anaheim

Phoenix

Los Angeles

Calgary

Colorado

Edmonton

Points of emphasis:

- No geographic oddities

- Keeps most of the historically significant or financially rivalries in tact. For those that are severed (such as Montreal/Boston), they are replaced with other historically relevant rivalries that have been dormant (such as Habs/Wings or Habs/Hawks).

- Teams like Columbus and Nashville lose those "moneymaking" games against Chicago/Detroit/etc... but will recover lost profit from playoff games by being placed in a weaker division and the establishment of geographically significant rivalries.

Under your dream scenario, which Division is Pittsburgh in? I presume the North Division as opposed to the Atlantic Division.

Actually they would be Atlantic to balance out the conferences 15/15...

[BrySmalls]

Nicely done with the alignment! Plus, it covers the eventual move of the Coyotes to Quebec, which I envision is a simple switch from West to North Divisions.

[WJMorris3]

I propose instead that the divisions be named for King Edward VIII, Ambrose O'Brien, Clarence Campbell, and Lester Patrick.

[McCall]

You're not taking Philly or Pittsburgh from the Devils/Islanders/Rags...

So that doesn't work.

If you're trying to do it geographically, you have to split them up.

Here was my other idea... this is probably my dream scenario...

Atlantic

Washington

Buffalo

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

New York Rangers

New York Islanders

New Jersey

Boston

Midwest/Southeast (Rejects) Division

St. Louis

Dallas

Columbus

Nashville

Carolina

Tampa Bay

Florida

North

Detroit

Toronto

Chicago

Montreal

Minnesota

Buffalo

Ottawa

West

Vancouver

San Jose

Anaheim

Phoenix

Los Angeles

Calgary

Colorado

Edmonton

Points of emphasis:

- No geographic oddities

- Keeps most of the historically significant or financially rivalries in tact. For those that are severed (such as Montreal/Boston), they are replaced with other historically relevant rivalries that have been dormant (such as Habs/Wings or Habs/Hawks).

- Teams like Columbus and Nashville lose those "moneymaking" games against Chicago/Detroit/etc... but will recover lost profit from playoff games by being placed in a weaker division and the establishment of geographically significant rivalries.

Under your dream scenario, which Division is Pittsburgh in? I presume the North Division as opposed to the Atlantic Division.

Actually they would be Atlantic to balance out the conferences 15/15...

Also, under yours, Buffalo would compete in both the Atlantic AND North, and Winnipeg would cease to exist. That might upset Jets fans just a tiny bit.

[GFB]

Also, under yours, Buffalo would compete in both the Atlantic AND North, and Winnipeg would cease to exist. That might upset Jets fans just a tiny bit.

haha... I guess I forgot some teams when I was moving them around... Let's try this one:

Atlantic

Washington

Buffalo

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

New York Rangers

New York Islanders

New Jersey

Boston

Midwest/Southeast (Rejects) Division

St. Louis

Dallas

Columbus

Nashville

Carolina

Tampa Bay

Florida

North

Detroit

Toronto

Chicago

Montreal

Minnesota

Winnipeg

Ottawa

West

Vancouver

San Jose

Anaheim

Phoenix

Los Angeles

Calgary

Colorado

Edmonton

[Sodboy13]

[TFoA]

How long until we hear travel complaints from Tampa and Florida?

You won't. Snowbird money will soothe them nicely.

I love the Lightning being in the same division with three Original Six teams.

On the other hand, I love seeing the Lightning win games, which hasn't been happening of late.

Reminds me of when they entered the league in the Norris Division & shared that division w/ Chicago, Detroit, & Toronto. Funny how that came back around for them.

[Don]

So there are four conferences, so what happens to the all-star game? Are we going back to n. America vs. The world? Perhaps a NHL vs. KHL?

The captains select teams like they did last year.

[PurpleRush]

So if they name two of the conferences eastern /western,

there is the potential for teams to have two Eastern Conference/Western Conference champions banners with totally different meanings.

I'm not a fan of the 1st two round playoff set up.

Though it is much better than seeing the same yearly playoff matchups throughout the 80's when there were only 5 teams in 3 of the divisions.

But I'd rather have the Eastern / Western conference set up.

[OMMF]

So if they name two of the conferences eastern /western

Nope. Commissioner has made it clear he wants to avoid geographic names for the conferences. (Source: Friedman on Hot Stove when discussing realignment.)

[twi]

The only thing I would change is the playoff setup. I'd do divisional playoffs for just the first round, then a global 1-8 reseed. It allows for diversity in matchups and also for rivalry matchups in the finals that divisional playoffs don't have

[TBGKon]

I'm really confused as to why everyone is referring to a 16/14 or 15/15 East-West split. There is no East-West split!!!!!!

We'll have 4 conferences, not two. Who cares if there's more teams on the other side of the country, look how much room is between some of the teams.

The only thing I would change is the playoff setup. I'd do divisional playoffs for just the first round, then a global 1-8 reseed. It allows for diversity in matchups and also for rivalry matchups in the finals that divisional playoffs don't have

This is a route I can agree with. Stay divisional to kick off the playoffs and eliminate half of the field, then reseed 1-8 according to points in round 2.

The only issue with Twi's plan is travel. You could essentially have a 7-game series between Tampa Bay and Vancouver if the end up on the right place of the bracket.

[TFoA]

Apparently the NHL issued a press release today detailing the NHL's growth concerning media on TV, online, and on your phone & whatnot...well, once they decided to tout that their TV ratings were going up in a decent amount of markets, this shocked me:

First Quarter Filled With TV Ratings Highlights

Eleven local Regional Sports Networks experienced double- and triple-digit growth,

including:

• Nashville (+200%)
  
• Carolina (+125%)
  
• Florida (+100%)
  
• Tampa Bay (+71%)
  
• Philadelphia (+60%)
  
• Boston (+57%)
  
• Minnesota (+53%)
  
• San Jose (+44%)
  
• Buffalo (+26%)
  
• Edmonton (+21%)
  
• New York Rangers (+14%)

Carolina, I will continue to accept your half-priced Papa John's for victories as thanks. Nashville, just send me a home sweater and we're good.

But seriously, Nashville & Carolina's TV growth are easy to explain: They got whatever Atlanta viewers who didn't turn away from the league in disgust from what happened during the summer. How about Florida, though??? I guess the lockout + the Panthers actually winning games = citizens of Miami exclaiming "Oh wait, we DO have a hockey team."

I wonder if Phoenix's ratings went up after yet another relocation scare. I doubt it.

[PurpleRush]

So if they name two of the conferences eastern /western

Nope. Commissioner has made it clear he wants to avoid geographic names for the conferences. (Source: Friedman on Hot Stove when discussing realignment.)

Ahh, thanks.

[DaytonBlue]

I propose instead that the divisions be named for King Edward VIII, Ambrose O'Brien, Clarence Campbell, and Lester Patrick.

I'd swap King Edward for Prince of Wales and their done.

Northeast/Fla: Prince of Wales

Atlantic; Patrick

Central: Campbell

Pacific: O'Brien

Another benefit is that most media sites by default list the standings by division. I'll no longer have to check the conference standings because there will only be conference standings.

[Corvus]

I can't believe the NHL is going to be OK with a scenario where you could have an all pacific time zone stanley cup, which I think is possible under this?

[Roger Clemente]

I can't believe the NHL is going to be OK with a scenario where you could have an all pacific time zone stanley cup, which I think is possible under this?

Considering every team in the Pacific and Mountain time zones are now all in the same conference, they will all be facing each other during the first two rounds of the playoffs. Only one team from that "Pacific/Mountain" conference will even make it as far as the third round.