Wings Expect To Be Part Of NHL Realignment

[5DOM]

http://hockey.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ar ... alignment/

ESPN.com - Red Wings owner Mike Illitch reiterated his belief Monday night that his club will likely be taken care of in the NHL's realignment for next season, according to an ESPN.com report.

"Gary (Bettman) said that there would be a change in the alignment and that Detroit would be in that," Illitch told ESPN.com after arriving at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night. "I know they're working hard at it."

[WEFFPIM]

Technically, everyone will be apart of NHL realignment

[ajaX82]

Technically, everyone will be apart of NHL realignment

I think its more implying that we will finally play in the Eastern conference, or at least in a conference with teams in the Eastern time zone. which would be excellent.

[Nolan]

Moving the Wings to east makes tons of sense, so i'm not really suprised. I wonder who's going to move west though?

[WEFFPIM]

Moving the Wings to east makes tons of sense, so i'm not really suprised. I wonder who's going to move west though?

Winnipeg?

Frankly, they need to overhaul it into four divisions based off time zones.

[Nolan]

Moving the Wings to east makes tons of sense, so i'm not really suprised. I wonder who's going to move west though?

Winnipeg?

Frankly, they need to overhaul it into four divisions based off time zones.

That's kinda who I was thinking, at the very least they need to take them out of the southeast.

I do like the idea of four divisions though, it would work a lot better.

[WEFFPIM]

There's too many teams (Detroit, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville) that will be horribly pissed if the league decides to plop Winnipeg in the West and someone else in the East and leave it at that. Dallas and Minnesota are in divisions where they're the only team in the Central time zone, meaning their road division games are starting at at least 8:00 their time, sometimes 9:00p. Detroit, Columbus and Nashville all being in the West mean they may actually start some games at 10:00p.

This isn't just a logical realignment, it makes the most financial sense. Less travel expenses, more people watching games, etc. The only teams that are pissed at this idea are ones that may lose a rivalry (*cough*Pittsburgh*cough*). I have the world's smallest violin for you.

[OldNo7]

There's too many teams (Detroit, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville) that will be horribly pissed if the league decides to plop Winnipeg in the West and someone else in the East and leave it at that. Dallas and Minnesota are in divisions where they're the only team in the Central time zone, meaning their road division games are starting at at least 8:00 their time, sometimes 9:00p. Detroit, Columbus and Nashville all being in the West mean they may actually start some games at 10:00p.

But those teams won't be as peeved if they change the schedule to include one home game and one away game against every team in the league, which isn't happening now. This will cut down on travel time a great deal to the more Eastern of West teams, and would satisfy a lot of the peeved GMs. And Pierre LeBrun has spoken/written that we should expect this schedule change.

[WEFFPIM]

But those teams won't be as peeved if they change the schedule to include one home game and one away game against every team in the league, which isn't happening now. This will cut down on travel time a great deal to the more Eastern of West teams, and would satisfy a lot of the peeved GMs. And Pierre LeBrun has spoken/written that we should expect this schedule change.

How would that not peeve off more teams? Now you're just completely wiping out rivalries, essentially. There's a reason why the NBA rivalries are worthless, everyone plays each other at least twice a year. Only four games in the division, so regional rivalries are meaningless. It's also made winning a division meaningless.

In fact, I would think that this would piss off more Eastern conference teams because they'd travel west so much more.

There's one correct way to do this. Hopefully it's put into action.

[ajaX82]

There's too many teams (Detroit, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville) that will be horribly pissed if the league decides to plop Winnipeg in the West and someone else in the East and leave it at that. Dallas and Minnesota are in divisions where they're the only team in the Central time zone, meaning their road division games are starting at at least 8:00 their time, sometimes 9:00p. Detroit, Columbus and Nashville all being in the West mean they may actually start some games at 10:00p.

This isn't just a logical realignment, it makes the most financial sense. Less travel expenses, more people watching games, etc. The only teams that are pissed at this idea are ones that may lose a rivalry (*cough*Pittsburgh*cough*). I have the world's smallest violin for you.

Some Wings games start at 10:30 here. When we have those "in-conference" swings against San Jose, LA and teams like that, it makes like a weeks worth of games really hard to watch.

I hope to all hell we go to a reasonable conference and get to renew some Original Six rivalries (Toronto, Montreal)

[ajaX82]

Perfect example tonight, as we play in SJ for a 10:30 start here in Michigan. For those with real jobs, they aren't staying up until 1:00 am to watch the game.

This is exactly why conference realignment needs to happen

[WEFFPIM]

And radical realignment. None of this namby-pamby, one team a conference, crap.

[trwi7]

I prefer a different schedule than a radical realignment.

West:

Pacific Division: San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Vancouver
Central Division: Dallas, St. Louis, Nashville, Detroit, Chicago
Northwest Division: Minnesota, Winnipeg, Colorado, Calgary, Edmonton

East:

Southeast Division: Columbus, Florida, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Washington
Northeast Division: Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston
Atlantic Division: Pittsburgh, New York, New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey

10 games each against your division. Two games against the rest of the league. Every team is pretty much travelling the same distance. Boston has to play as many games in Vancouver as Detroit. No team is more than one time zone away in their division. It cuts the season down to 78 games but it makes more sense than radical realignment.

[OldNo7]

The most logical route would be going with the 4 regional divisions. They just have to hammer out how playoff scenarios play out.

[WEFFPIM]

First two rounds are divisional, East 1 champ v. East 2 champ; Central champ v. Pacific champ, Stanley Cup Final.

I just saved the NHL. GIVE ME MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR OWNERSHIP OF THE COYOTES.

[OldNo7]

First two rounds are divisional, East 1 champ v. East 2 champ; Central champ v. Pacific champ, Stanley Cup Final.

I just saved the NHL. GIVE ME MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR OWNERSHIP OF THE COYOTES.

But the chatter about that is: is it fair to have 3 teams out of the playoffs in one division and 4 in another?

[WEFFPIM]

First two rounds are divisional, East 1 champ v. East 2 champ; Central champ v. Pacific champ, Stanley Cup Final.

I just saved the NHL. GIVE ME MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR OWNERSHIP OF THE COYOTES.

But the chatter about that is: is it fair to have 3 teams out of the playoffs in one division and 4 in another?

Is it fair to have a handful of teams have a ton of their road games start when people are asleep?

Of course, the NHL could always stop pussyfooting around with relocation and just add two teams if they want. I hear Quebec City and Kansas City would love teams, and wouldn't ya know it, that would work perfectly in making eight teams per di-conference.

[ajaX82]

First two rounds are divisional, East 1 champ v. East 2 champ; Central champ v. Pacific champ, Stanley Cup Final.

I just saved the NHL. GIVE ME MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR OWNERSHIP OF THE COYOTES.

But the chatter about that is: is it fair to have 3 teams out of the playoffs in one division and 4 in another?

Is it fair to have a handful of teams have a ton of their road games start when people are asleep?

Of course, the NHL could always stop pussyfooting around with relocation and just add two teams if they want. I hear Quebec City and Kansas City would love teams, and wouldn't ya know it, that would work perfectly in making eight teams per di-conference.

As in you move two teams or you add two teams? Which two teams move?

[WEFFPIM]

Add two teams, 32 total, 8 per division, playoff inequality solved.

[ajaX82]

Add two teams, 32 total, 8 per division, playoff inequality solved.

I have a very hard time believing the NHL would actually add teams