phreload
Alternate Captain "A"
Section 307 - Row 10 - Seat 4
Posts: 569
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Post by phreload on Jan 10, 2012 16:11:03 GMT -6
What about 3 conferences? It solves the travel problems by focusing regular season games in the primary time zone and then this splits for the playoffs where you must preserve a 2 conference structure! Thus the 3 conferences, West, Central and East become 2 once the season is over. Here are the detailsÂ…
Western Conference, Northern Division
Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, San Jose
Western Conference, Southern Division
Dallas, Colorado, Phoenix, LA, Anaheim
Central Conference, Northern Division
Minnesota, Chicago, St Louis, Detroit, Toronto
Central Conference, Southern Division
Florida, Tampa Bay, Nashville, Carolina, Washington
Eastern Conference, Northern Division
Montreal, Boston, Buffalo, NY Islanders, Ottawa
Eastern Conference, Southern Division
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus, NY Rangers, New Jersey
This resolves the public demands to realign Winnipeg, Dallas & Detroit
Each team 6 divisional games (24) plus 4 conference games (20) plus 2 out of conference games (40). This balances nicer with every team visiting every other team at least once a season.
To make the playoffs function as they currently split for east vs west, the central splits - north plays on the west and south plays on the east. To qualify, you must be top 2 in your division or be among the top 2 teams who finished 3rd or lower in one of the 3 divisions. 1 plays 8, 2 plays 7, 3 plays 6 and 4 vs 5.
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quackbeth
Captain "C"
By the pricking of my thumbs Something hockey this way comes!
Posts: 741
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Post by quackbeth on Jan 10, 2012 17:42:57 GMT -6
I liked the new alignment plan, I was shocked when I heard it was busted.
The alignment choices made sense, and the 7/8/7/8 setup allowed for a moves to be made and more flexibility regarding relocated teams (see: Phoenix-to-Quebec.)
Will this really lead to a lockout, though, just this alignment issue? :/
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Post by clutterstache on Jan 10, 2012 22:12:17 GMT -6
While listening to KFAN in Minneapolis today, Lou Nanne took the position that realignment has nothing to do with Donald Fehr or the NHLPA, that if the owners want to reset the conferences, they have the authority and do not need the union's blessing. All this is much ado over nothing.
Comments? Me, I hope all this doesn't blow up into an ugly situation that cancels any part of next season. If there are issues that need to be adressed, so be it. The schedule is a non-issue and does nothing for the greater good of the league. Find a real issue and resolve it, everybody wins.
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jmt21
1st Line Centre
"Winnipeg... Hello"
Posts: 480
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Post by jmt21 on Jan 11, 2012 7:51:18 GMT -6
I've come to the realization that this is nothing more than a bargaining chip the NHLPA will use once negotiations get serious in the coming months.
Please tell me that NHL has learned from the NFL and NBA.
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Post by floatyghosthat on Jan 11, 2012 11:59:27 GMT -6
Remember everyone, this whole west-east thing doesn't matter in the new alignment. There is no more east or west. There are now 4 distinct Conferences, with no significant difference in relation to any other conference. Edmonton will mean just as much to Winnipeg as New Jersey does.
There will be two 8 team Conferences and two 7 team Conferences. It doesn't matter where those conferences are. You could have 23 teams based in Toronto and 7 based in San Diego and it wouldn't make a difference.
The "Phoenix moving to Quebec" 15 and 15 thing is nice, but it really doesn't matter at all when it comes to balance of the league. That is one of the major advantages of the new system.
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Post by The Unknown Poster on Jan 11, 2012 12:04:22 GMT -6
If I understand it though, the four conferences were pretty much split between east/west. During the season, East/West means nothing but in the playoffs, you'd still have an east/west cup final.
I heard Fehr on the radio and he sure seems to think the PA has the authority to block this.
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Post by floatyghosthat on Jan 11, 2012 12:32:59 GMT -6
If I understand it though, the four conferences were pretty much split between east/west. During the season, East/West means nothing but in the playoffs, you'd still have an east/west cup final. I heard Fehr on the radio and he sure seems to think the PA has the authority to block this. My understanding of the payoffs was that the winners from each Conference would be re-seeded for the final 4. However, I could be wrong. |
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Post by jetsorbust on Jan 11, 2012 12:44:20 GMT -6
If I understand it though, the four conferences were pretty much split between east/west. During the season, East/West means nothing but in the playoffs, you'd still have an east/west cup final. I heard Fehr on the radio and he sure seems to think the PA has the authority to block this. My understanding of the payoffs was that the winners from each Conference would be re-seeded for the final 4. However, I could be wrong. That was the plan I believe. So the 3rd round would have 2 East and 2 West teams but they may or may not play eachother, meaning it could be any 2 conferences in the SC Finals. |
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Post by dkehler on Jan 11, 2012 12:54:30 GMT -6
My understanding of the payoffs was that the winners from each Conference would be re-seeded for the final 4. However, I could be wrong. That was the plan I believe. So the 3rd round would have 2 East and 2 West teams but they may or may not play eachother, meaning it could be any 2 conferences in the SC Finals. I thought so too, but Bettman was asked that question and he said no, it hadn't been decided yet. |
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Post by Guardian on Jan 11, 2012 13:28:56 GMT -6
That was the plan I believe. So the 3rd round would have 2 East and 2 West teams but they may or may not play eachother, meaning it could be any 2 conferences in the SC Finals. I thought so too, but Bettman was asked that question and he said no, it hadn't been decided yet. That is correct. The playoff formate was going to be decided by the general managers at their next meeting. |
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phreload
Alternate Captain "A"
Section 307 - Row 10 - Seat 4
Posts: 569
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Post by phreload on Jan 13, 2012 2:00:00 GMT -6
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sharksphan
Rookie
Somewhere in cyberspace...
Posts: 11
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Post by sharksphan on Jan 14, 2012 2:22:12 GMT -6
What's wrong with Winnipeg in the Southeast? After all, you are south-east... of Yellowknife, right?  Seriously, I see a much simpler solution, which can preserve the current realignment plan and still address the 8-8 vs 7-7 issue: Add two expansion teams! That brings the total # of teams in the league to 32, which being a power of two is very easy to subdivide in half as many as five times. Choosing the best 16 out of 32 (or best 8 out of 16, twice) becomes trivial. Realignment is simple. And the league gets to collect two expansion fees, which they can use to prop up Phoenix or Carolina for another season or two. Plus, that way Québec and one other city (Seattle? Kansas City?) get their teams after all without disrupting any of the current franchises. Everybody(*) wins! ------------------------------------ * - except maybe the Phoenix taxpayers |
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roo604
1st Line Centre
Posts: 437
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Post by roo604 on Jan 14, 2012 2:53:40 GMT -6
And the league gets to collect two expansion fees, which they can use to prop up Phoenix or Carolina for another season or two. This is the problem...you dont add two teams knowing that a few teams are already on their deathbed....one or two of Florida, Phoenix, Dallas,Carolina, Nashville would be gone after a lockout in my opinion (no lockout and maybe they last bit longer). The Mayor Scruggs email from the other day (if that was real) was a sure sign that Glendale is effed unless they get Hulsizer 2.0 who actually does something...maybe that Balkan character from Atlanta is kicking around. I think if anything if you could contract down to 28 (4 divisions of 7) realistically. Doesn't look good for the league on appearance levels, but I think everyone would agree there is a lot of dead weight being pulled along right now, 2 steps back 1 forward? Quebec, Seattle, Southern Ontario would be potential locations to put us back up to 30 once they were ready enough to go (haven't paid much attention to their progress) |
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sharksphan
Rookie
Somewhere in cyberspace...
Posts: 11
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Post by sharksphan on Jan 14, 2012 3:33:07 GMT -6
I wasn't entirely serious, but 32 is a nice "round" number for subdividing... I doubt Nashville or Dallas are going anywhere. I really thought Carolina was out of the hole a few years ago, but they've turned around again, and not in the right direction. I just don't see contraction happening in the current league environment. Teams will move before they go away entirely. And who knows? If the league shuffles enough teams around, maybe the realignment issue will resolve itself. |
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