phreload
Alternate Captain "A"
Section 307 - Row 10 - Seat 4
Posts: 569
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Post by phreload on Sept 24, 2011 23:29:24 GMT -6
The NHL has a near impossible task to complete by the December deadline. Move several teams and satisfy some very frustrated owners who have been waiting to move to new divisions for years. There is a thorny problem of unequal geographical distribution that has made the simple solution of 4 divisions very unpopular. With 2 conferences and 6 divisions today there are simply too many compromises where teams travel 2 time zones on a regular basis. In short, the owners are unhappy and rightly so. How do you stimulate rivalries and limit travel? How do you create a strong divisional identity that works? Do you run a balanced schedule? Here is an alignment plan that simply works better: 6 Divisions, 3 Conferences! What? Are you insane? Good luck running a playoff bracket with 3 conferences! Why would you even think about a silly scheme like that? The answer is simple: geography dictates 3 conferences to minimize travel and create strong divisions – but this reverses through 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 details… 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. I believe this is a terrific way to maintain 6 divisions, maintain close rivalries and ensure teams have balance schedules. Attachments:
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Post by phillipsmithson on Sept 25, 2011 0:22:36 GMT -6
I like the games played split, still like the idea of keeping 3 divisions in each Conference though. Here are some of my thoughts:
For the purpose of discussing the future makeup of the league let us presume that the Coyotes stay put for the time being under stable-local-ownership. An existing team still needs to move from the West to make room for the Winnipeg Jets. Who should go? Who stays? Well, Nashville is the farthest west out of the 3 so they stay put. That leaves us Detroit and Columbus. If I were the one picking who gets to join the Eastern Conference I would choose the Columbus Blue Jackets. A Columbus team in the East helps their fans more than anything. With the bulk of their games being held outside the Eastern Conference in the past the Jackets have been bleeding money. If their fans could follow the team in the Eastern Conference they would probably watch a lot more of the games on TV and start then to follow the team from the seats in Columbus. Detroit on the other hand has a healthy following and can probably tough it out a while longer in the Western Conference.
Breaking it Down
Northeast Division: Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Boston; No changes, not much you can do here.
Atlantic Division: Pittsburgh, Columbus, Rangers, New Jersey, Islanders; Adding Columbus here would give them an instant geographical rival with Pittsburgh which is only a little over 3 hours away.
Southeast Division: Philadelphia, Washington, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Florida; Philly and Washington can get their hate on now they are in the same division, Philadelphia is the closest and best choice to join the Southeast.
Central Division: Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Nashville; Spread out? Absolutely, but then again so is the rest of the Western Conference.. Dallas and St. Louis can see if they can not get along enough to develop a rivalry.
Pacific Division: Vancouver, San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix; Welcome to the toughest, meanest division in all of hockey. This division will become so good that even the folks on the farthest reaches of the east coast will stay up until 2 am to watch these guys play.
Northwest Division: Edmonton, Calgary, Colorado, Minnesota, Winnipeg; All these teams either do or have hated each other and that hate will continue to grow to the point that we can nickname the division “The Rivalry Division”
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phreload
Alternate Captain "A"
Section 307 - Row 10 - Seat 4
Posts: 569
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Post by phreload on Sept 25, 2011 0:38:17 GMT -6
IMO one of the problems with the current alignment and schedule is that playing 2 home and away within a 15 team conference (40) and 3 home and away within the division (24) means 64 of the 82 games are in one side! IMO this is far too many. With only 18 games vs 15 teams on the other side, it means there is no exposure to the rest of the NHL. With only 10 teams per conference this leaves 20 extra games to play the remaining 20 teams which is much more balanced. You get to see every team once, which is a big deal!
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Post by swervinmervin on Sept 25, 2011 0:38:51 GMT -6
Way to go Phreload!!!!!! Problem solved!!!!!! I like the logic. That's probably the fatal flaw - it's just too logical!
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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 Sept 25, 2011 0:47:20 GMT -6
The NHL has a near impossible task to complete by the December deadline. Move several teams and satisfy some very frustrated owners who have been waiting to move to new divisions for years. There is a thorny problem of unequal geographical distribution that has made the simple solution of 4 divisions very unpopular. With 2 conferences and 6 divisions today there are simply too many compromises where teams travel 2 time zones on a regular basis. In short, the owners are unhappy and rightly so. How do you stimulate rivalries and limit travel? How do you create a strong divisional identity that works? Do you run a balanced schedule? Here is an alignment plan that simply works better: 6 Divisions, 3 Conferences! What? Are you insane? Good luck running a playoff bracket with 3 conferences! Why would you even think about a silly scheme like that? The answer is simple: geography dictates 3 conferences to minimize travel and create strong divisions – but this reverses through 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 details… 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. I believe this is a terrific way to maintain 6 divisions, maintain close rivalries and ensure teams have balance schedules. ANA/LA/SJ are NOT being split up... That's one of the best rivalries in the game right now, and all are in the same state!
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phreload
Alternate Captain "A"
Section 307 - Row 10 - Seat 4
Posts: 569
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Post by phreload on Sept 25, 2011 0:52:19 GMT -6
Of course by each team once I mean a home AND away game. Note: this year the Jets will not have home games against: Nashville, Vancouver, Calgary, Chicago or Detroit!
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Post by andyvette on Sept 25, 2011 7:26:10 GMT -6
The NHL has a near impossible task to complete by the December deadline. Move several teams and satisfy some very frustrated owners who have been waiting to move to new divisions for years. There is a thorny problem of unequal geographical distribution that has made the simple solution of 4 divisions very unpopular. With 2 conferences and 6 divisions today there are simply too many compromises where teams travel 2 time zones on a regular basis. In short, the owners are unhappy and rightly so. How do you stimulate rivalries and limit travel? How do you create a strong divisional identity that works? Do you run a balanced schedule? Here is an alignment plan that simply works better: 6 Divisions, 3 Conferences! What? Are you insane? Good luck running a playoff bracket with 3 conferences! Why would you even think about a silly scheme like that? The answer is simple: geography dictates 3 conferences to minimize travel and create strong divisions – but this reverses through 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 details… 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. I believe this is a terrific way to maintain 6 divisions, maintain close rivalries and ensure teams have balance schedules. Is there any thought put in this at all: 1. You can't break up PIT & PHL 2. You can't break up ANA, LA, & SAN. 3. There is no way TO is leaving MON & OTT 4. You can't break up NYI, NYR, & NJ. Instead of 6 divisions make 2 divisions 15 teams in each. To balance the sched. each team plays 4 games in their division, 2 home 2 away. each team plays the other division 2 games, 1 home 1 away. I know it is 86 games but the players owe us a bit for paying their salaries. Just switch Wpg with either Det., Nash, Colu. do a rock paper sicssors, winner gets to move. Then if Pho. moves to Que. then the remaining 2 teams flip a coin.
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phreload
Alternate Captain "A"
Section 307 - Row 10 - Seat 4
Posts: 569
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Post by phreload on Sept 25, 2011 7:44:34 GMT -6
Great feedback on the rivalries. Clearly there are big NHL fans out there who can see room for improvement in my post. Let's keep the ideas coming - post your own realignment complete with games per team and playoff format. Go Jets Go!!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 12:12:34 GMT -6
IMO one of the problems with the current alignment and schedule is that playing 2 home and away within a 15 team conference (40) and 3 home and away within the division (24) means 64 of the 82 games are in one side! IMO this is far too many. With only 18 games vs 15 teams on the other side, it means there is no exposure to the rest of the NHL. With only 10 teams per conference this leaves 20 extra games to play the remaining 20 teams which is much more balanced. You get to see every team once, which is a big deal! AHL is worse with the conference thing. My local team plays 74 in the East and only 2 in the west.
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Post by cameron on Sept 25, 2011 12:23:32 GMT -6
1.) Move the Coyotes to Seattle.
I know a lot of people will have a problem with this and shout about Quebec and Southern Ontario, but the reality is Quebec isn't ready yet, and the NHL will NEVER relocate a team to Southern Ontario. They may expand there, or contract a franchise and open a new one there, but they will never relocate there. Having a franchise in that location is basically a license to print money, and the league will want to auction that right off for as much as they can get. Comparitively, the talk is that the Maple Leafs may go for 2-2.5 billion, so imagine if Balsillie had managed to get a team there for only 200 million. No wonder Bettman hates him.
2.) Create Four Divisions:
North West: ========= Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Minnesota, Seattle, Colorado
South West: ========= San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Detroit, St.Louis, Dallas, Chicago
North East: ========= Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, Boston, New York, New York, New Jersey
South East: ========== Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Florida, Washington, Columbus, Nashville, Carolina
Now the weakest money earning teams in the league have the biggest star power in the league to help them sell tickets. Nashville and Columbus will get regular visits from Crosby, Ovechkin, Stamkos and the Flyers.
All the key rivalries are kept in tact.
Detroit still won't be happy about all the travel, but being in a division with the California teams helps everyone in that market significantly reduce travel. Now a road trip involves one flight to California - the other two teams are a stones' throw away from each other. And still, Detroit maintains a couple of close teams like Chicago and St.Louis - rivalries continue.
There are only 7 teams in the Western conference division, which also cuts down travel slightly. To rectify this with playoff positioning, you could have carry overs from the other conference, or simply split the conferences north/south.
Dallas is still screwed over pretty bad, but is there really a way to not have them get screwed over - they're in the middle of nowhere.
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Post by Guardian on Sept 25, 2011 12:30:21 GMT -6
My biggest problem with the current schedule is we only play teams in the other conference once.
If it was okay for Gretzky and the Oilers to play in every eastern conference building at least once every season, then Crosby can fly to Winnipeg in the western conference at least once as well.
And yes, I know we are in the east this year.
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Post by NHLWinnipeg on Sept 25, 2011 12:33:30 GMT -6
1.) Move the Coyotes to Seattle. I know a lot of people will have a problem with this and shout about Quebec and Southern Ontario, but the reality is Quebec isn't ready yet, and the NHL will NEVER relocate a team to Southern Ontario. Seattle isn't ready yet either: they are actually behind QC in any plans for a suitable NHL venue. The aging Key Arena was the excuse for the Sonics leaving Seattle. And that arena was specifically designed as an NBA arena and is unsuitable for hockey in terms of sight lines. QC arguably has a better temporary facility in which they could play for a few seasons while building their new arena -- i.e., the Colisée. QC already has an excellent ownership in place as well: Quebecor.
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cc74
Prospect
Posts: 1
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Post by cc74 on Sept 25, 2011 12:37:53 GMT -6
The problem is that IMO 6 divisions don't work, it's like pounding a square peg into a round hole. Washington should be in the Atlantic, Minnesota and Dallas should both be in the Central, not to mention 3 teams want out of the West - it's not right for Detroit fans to have to watch playoff games that start at 10:30 local time because they draw, say, the Ducks in the first round. And what happens if the Coyotes move to Quebec City next year? That's 6 teams that almost have to be in a 5 team division (who do you move out of the Northeast: Bos, Buf, Mon, Ott, Que, Tor) - whomever you move will raise holy hell.
I thought the idea of 4 divisions and intra-division 1st round playoff matchups was the best idea the league has had in a while, I hope they stick to it.
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Sam
Captain "C"
Hello, hello!
Posts: 787
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Post by Sam on Sept 25, 2011 13:47:04 GMT -6
Possibly one of the best threads I've ever read
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mrconfusion87
1st Line Centre
Resident of the Tropical Hockey Wasteland
Posts: 415
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Post by mrconfusion87 on Sept 26, 2011 4:45:30 GMT -6
The NHL has a near impossible task to complete by the December deadline. Move several teams and satisfy some very frustrated owners who have been waiting to move to new divisions for years. There is a thorny problem of unequal geographical distribution that has made the simple solution of 4 divisions very unpopular. With 2 conferences and 6 divisions today there are simply too many compromises where teams travel 2 time zones on a regular basis. In short, the owners are unhappy and rightly so. How do you stimulate rivalries and limit travel? How do you create a strong divisional identity that works? Do you run a balanced schedule? Here is an alignment plan that simply works better: 6 Divisions, 3 Conferences! What? Are you insane? Good luck running a playoff bracket with 3 conferences! Why would you even think about a silly scheme like that? The answer is simple: geography dictates 3 conferences to minimize travel and create strong divisions – but this reverses through 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 details… 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. I believe this is a terrific way to maintain 6 divisions, maintain close rivalries and ensure teams have balance schedules. Is there any thought put in this at all: 1. You can't break up PIT & PHL 2. You can't break up ANA, LA, & SAN. 3. There is no way TO is leaving MON & OTT 4. You can't break up NYI, NYR, & NJ. Instead of 6 divisions make 2 divisions 15 teams in each. To balance the sched. each team plays 4 games in their division, 2 home 2 away. each team plays the other division 2 games, 1 home 1 away. I know it is 86 games but the players owe us a bit for paying their salaries. Just switch Wpg with either Det., Nash, Colu. do a rock paper sicssors, winner gets to move. Then if Pho. moves to Que. then the remaining 2 teams flip a coin. Don't forget the fact that Minnesota and Winnipeg HAVE TO BE together! Time to get that overdue divisional rivalry going at last after the league stupidly squandered that opportunity the last time around, when they were the North Stars and the original Jets!
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