On a random day last week, I woke up and decide to solve the NHL’s realignment problem. Quite a daunting task I might add, but I thought I was up for the challenge. I started by pulling up a map showing the location of all 30 teams, which is essential when trying to figure out this 30-piece puzzle that really doesn’t have a solution. I then jotted down the few ideas that seemed to come to mind, as well as the ones I had somehow woken up with (must have had that recurring dream where I usurp Gary Bettman and take control of the NHL again). Then I decided to address the concerns of the major teams that would be involved in the realignment and see if they fit into any of my plans.
What I quickly found out is that every single team has an opinion, and a concern that they want addressed through realignment. Children! Squabbling children! I wish I knew this before I started, because if I knew I was going to have to conjure up close to 30 different scenarios I would have switched to baseball realignment instead! Houston to the AL West. Done. But this NHL puzzle had just turned into the Japanese River Test (google it if you’re bored -or if you want to prove to yourself how smart you think you are) and I wanted no part of it. She won’t go with him, he won’t go with her, she won’t go with him or her…
Anyway, later that day I did eventually write down the concerns of EVERY team, and start to piece them together, when my brother called me to get together for a pint and a pizza at the local pub. We ordered our drinks, and settled in to watch Toronto beat the trap out of Tampa Bay. Halfway through the game I brought up the topic of realignment. My brother listened to me rant and rave about all of the problems surrounding it, and then mentioned that he had just read an article on it by TSN’s Bob McKenzie. He went on to explain that in the article Bob also showed his frustration with the teams, and the infinite number of possible solutions, each one catering to a different club. I have spent the majority of my life admiring McKenzie, and agreeing with his positions on various hockey issues over the years. But lately (mainly this season), I have found myself on the other side of the fence. I didn’t agree with his stances on fighting and supplementary discipline earlier in the year. As well as his prediction that Montreal would win the division, and finish 3rd in the Conference. Everybody has their share of bad predictions (myself included), but I’m sorry Bob, I can’t let that one go.
After stuffing the last slice of pizza in my mouth and sliding the bill over to my brother (oh, and chirping the guy wearing the Stamkos jersey). I headed home to read Bob’s article and finish mapping out mine. After reading Bob’s article I have to say I was impressed, and it definitely restored my faith in the man I used to see as the best hockey analyst on the planet. Here is a link to his article that you might want to read before going further. But be forewarned, you might want to grab a coffee or a tea and settle in, because if you’re passionate about realignment, the journeys just getting started… http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/bob_mckenzie/?id=377916
In my mind there are four main factors when considering realignment, geographical location, time zone, travel time, and rivalry (ticket sales). Based on these factors, here are the senarios I like best. If you’d like to follow along at home, I suggest pulling up a map of all 30 teams, but remember Atlanta is now Winnipeg…
NYR-NYI-NJ-PIT-PHI
TOR-BUF-BOS-MON-OTT
FLO-TAM-CAR-WAS-NAS*
CHI-STL-DET-CLB-DAL*
VAN-CAL-EDM-MIN-WIN*
PHO-SJ-LA-ANA-COL*
*-teams that moved
Sticking with the division format, I like this scenario the best, but obviously Minnesota doesn’t. The other option here is to move Vancouver (against their will). Basically just swap VAN and COL, which when it comes to time zones makes the most sense.
Another format option is to have 3 conferences, each containing 10 teams. It’s nice and clean on paper (30/3=10), and also looks surprising clean geographically. But it makes for a messy playoff structure, and I don’t think anybody really likes it, including myself.
Which brings us to the final format. Two Conferences with two divisions, or simply four conferences. The debate on keeping East vs. West or just having four conferences does have an impact on the playoffs, but not on how the teams line up, so lets push it aside for now. As the league stands now with 30 teams, we would have 2 conferences with 7, and 2 with 8. I say, what better time than now to expand? I know there are teams that are financially unstable, but there are also markets crying for teams! If we expanded to two more cities, it would give us an even 32 teams with 4 Conferences of 8. It would also still leave a few viable cities for potential bankruptcy moves in the future.
Here are some examples of possible franchise candidates; Quebec City, Hamilton, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Hartford, Houston, Seattle. Here are a couple of examples of what the new conferences would look like. I’ll use Quebec and Hamilton for one, and Quebec and Vegas for the other.
Option #1
(East)
Conference A
Quebec
Montreal
Boston
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey
Philly
Washington
Conference B
Ottawa
Toronto
Hamilton
Buffalo
Pittsburgh
Carolina
Tampa Bay
Florida
(West)
Conference C
Detroit
Columbus
Nashville
St. Louis
Chicago
Dallas
Minnesota
Winnipeg
Conference D
Edmonton
Calgary
Vancouver
San Jose
Los Angeles
Anaheim
Phoenix
Colorado
Option #2
(East)
Conference A
Quebec
Montreal
Boston
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey
Philly
Washington
Conference B
Ottawa
Toronto
Buffalo
Pittsburgh
Detroit
Carolina
Tampa Bay
Florida
(West)
Conference C
Columbus
Nashville
St. Louis
Chicago
Minnesota
Winnipeg
Dallas
Colorado
Conference D
Edmonton
Calgary
Vancouver
San Jose
Los Angeles
Anaheim
Phoenix
Las Vegas
I think these conferences line up well, and I think the expansions would be well received in their respective cities. Plus a 32-team league makes for 4 even conferences, wherein 4 teams make the playoffs, and 4 teams miss the playoffs. However, the NHL, and of course Gary Bettman, have no desire to expand right now. They have also released their own version of the 4-conference format to be voted on by the Board of Governors at their meeting in Pebble Beach on Monday. Here is their proposal.
Conference A (7 teams)
Toronto
Ottawa
Montreal
Buffalo
Boston
Florida
Tampa Bay
Conference B (7 teams)
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey
Philly
Pittsburgh
Washington
Carolina
Conference C (8 teams)
Winnipeg
Detroit
St. Louis
Chicago
Nashville
Columbus
Minnesota
Dallas
Conference D (8 teams)
Vancouver
Edmonton
Calgary
Colorado
Phoenix
Los Angeles
Anaheim
San Jose
