Possible NHL realignment?

[Davi323]

With the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnepeg, there has been a lot of talk about the NHL realigning for the 2012-13 season. (next year's season is already set in stone, so they can't do it quite yet). Every time a team moves and realignment talks start up, my team, the Detroit Red Wings always mention how they want to move back to the Eastern Conference...This time, because its an Eastern team moving much farther west geographically, it might just happen. Not guaranteed, but certainly possible.

With that being said, should the NHL realign? If so, what criteria would you use? Would you go East/West, North South, or completely throw away geography, and go hodge podge? Using a blank map of the NHL cities that I found online, and then moving Atlanta to Winnepeg, I believe I came up with a realignment plan that actually makes sense...

I did NOT separate the six divisions into Eastern and Western Conferences, I just went at the divisional level, nor did I pay strict attention to current divisional alignments. I simply went by what would make sense if I were starting the league from scratch.

I tentatively would call them the Northeast, Atlantic, South, Great Lakes, Southwest and Northwest, but the names of the divisions are far less important than the teams in the division.

 

[Phoenixsplash]

East/West works best. Or maybe go with the 6 divisions, and the top 8 teams get in the playoffs, and if you win your division you get an automatic seed. You would have it tournament style, seeded 1-8.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

There is no "should". Yes, the NHL will re-align, as they have to because of the fact they have divisions within their conferences.

Logic tells you if Winnipeg plays in the central time zone, they should be in the central conference. Nashville, Columbus and Detroit all play in the Eastern time zone, so any of them can move over with less of an issue than moving teams in the west to try to accommodate the new club.

Easiest move is as follows: Winnipeg to Central, Nashville to South East.

That said, Detroit will undoubtedly make a huge pitch to move East again just as they did years back, and Columbus will be doing the same, so it's hard to say exactly what will happen just yet.

Your division, however, do not work. They break up too many heated rivalries. How on earth can you justify losing the Devils/Rangers, Leafs/Canadiens, Leafs/Senators, Sabres/Canadiens, Wings/Preds, Sharks/Nucks, Nucks/Hawks, etc.

Sorry dude, but this just won't work.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Detroit should have a lot of pull with the league as a legendary franchise, Original Six team, respected owner, etc. They should have first dibs on the East spot that is now open. Columbus should be contracted all together. I think Detroit has more "natural" rivalries in the East too.

Detroit-Pittsburgh, Detroit-Toronto, Detroit-Montreal just to name a few.

Putting Columbus in the East really does nothing in terms of adding intrigue or rivalries.

Somehow though, Gary Bettman will mess this up.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Detroit should have a lot of pull with the league as a legendary franchise, Original Six team, respected owner, etc. They should have first dibs on the East spot that is now open. Columbus should be contracted all together. I think Detroit has more "natural" rivalries in the East too.

Detroit-Pittsburgh, Detroit-Toronto, Detroit-Montreal just to name a few.

Putting Columbus in the East really does nothing in terms of adding intrigue or rivalries.

Somehow though, Gary Bettman will mess this up.

They'll have pull, but the logistics behind it will be a factor. If Detroit moves east, there is only one of two divisions they could join — the Atlantic or the North East, and either displaces a team within a very close geographical location into the South East who likely doesn't "belong" there.

How do you justify having the Flyers, who play in Pennsylvania, in the "south east"? How do you justify having the Penguins there, either? Makes no sense.

If Detroit went into the North East, Boston could come to the Atlantic, but there will still be one team in one way or another who will be displaced unjustly unless Nashville moves to the South East.

In terms of geographics, it makes the most sense. Period.

 

[justinsayne]

What makes the most sense to me is this

EASTERN CONF.

Northeast
-Detroit
-Toronto
-Ottawa
-Pittsburgh
-Buffalo

Atlantic
-Boston
-Montreal
-NYR
-NYI
-NJ

Southeast (though I would rename it as Philly & Washington aren't really southern cities)
-Philly
-Washington
-Carolina
-Tampa
-Florida

WESTERN CONF.
Central
-Minnesota
-Chicago
-Columbus
-Nashville
-St. Louis

Northwest
-Vancouver
-Calgary
-Edmonton
-Winnipeg
-Colorado

Southwest
-San Jose
-Anaheim
-LA
-Phoenix
-Dallas

I just find this to be the most logical re-alignment of the divisions, based mainly on location, I know Detroit has already been pushing hard to be moved over to the east, and from what I've heard it's very likely that that will be happening, though nothing has been made official yet