The NHL Board of Governors have still not officially voted to allow expansion to the city of Seattle, but as Pierre LeBrun notes on TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment, they’ve already worked out a realignment plan. A proposal has already been “vetted and adopted” by the board’s Executive Committee, the small selection of owners that first decides if things are even brought before the whole group. The realignment plan is now just waiting to see if Seattle will in fact be brought in as the league’s 32nd team, a vote that is expected to take place in early December.
Though he can’t guarantee it, LeBrun—and his fellow panelists Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie apparently—feels as though the realignment would consist of the Arizona Coyotes moving to the Central Division, with Seattle taking their place in the Pacific Division. That’s the most obvious option, given the Central currently consists of just seven teams and putting a team from Seattle there doesn’t make much sense. The league also wouldn’t want to break up the rivalry of Calgary/Edmonton, or move the Vegas Golden Knights so soon after establishing them in the division.
If Seattle does end up in the Pacific, there’s a natural rivalry ready to take off with the city of Vancouver.
Makes Sense. Arizona is farther east than Nevada is. Not much other choice here. Besides, it’s not like Arizona has a heated rival with really anyone. They haven’t been competitive for a very long time.
Should just relocate them to another city while they are at it.
This is what I expected. Also would allow the Yotes to move to Houston in a few years without requiring realignment.
I prefer moving Colorado to the Pacific and Edmonton and Calgary to the Central. Much better geographically and for travel.
Those are my thoughts as well. Jets, Flames, & Oilers could rekindle some of the old Smythe Division rivalries. Meanwhile, Arizona & Vegas continue to build on a natural geographical rivalry. The Avalanche moving to the Pacific would have little impact on current rivalries, however, the possible Arizona relocation to Houston contingency may play a role.
I understand that and don’t disagree, except that it’s no secret that unless the Coyotes get a rink in either downtown, or more geographically centered, they can’t survive.
They have been hemorrhaging money in Glendale. Nothing will change that. It’s just too far away from the population center to be fiscally sound. It take too long to get there from Mesa and Tempe on weeknights for those people to make Yotes games more than a treat instead of a regular meal.
You make an excellent point but I do think they will get their downtown arena. Then it would look dumbing having them in the Central. As a Kings fan I would love to have by closest division rival in Denver.
Why not a Western Conference of:
SOUTHWEST DIVISION
— Arizona
— Vegas
— Los Angeles
— Anaheim
NORTHWEST DIVISION
— Colorado
— San Jose
— Seattle
— Vancouver
MIDWEST DIVISION
— Chicago
— Nashville
— St. Louis
— Dallas
CENTRAL DIVISION
— Edmonton
— Calgary
— Winnipeg
— Minnesota
My thoughts:
*Colorado is a bit isolated from the rest of the West so they get shipped Northwest
*San Jose is SOL and is separated from its California brothers. But, honestly, NorCal prides itself on *not* being SoCal and it’s not a stretch seeing them play Seattle and Vancouver more.
*Southwest features two pairs of “archrivals”
* Midwest is nearly perfect; another two-pair “rivals” division
* Central is also very tight geographically and features teams that are heated rivals or close geographically.
Also, copying the NFL conference/division structure as well as its playoff schedule is the way to go:
— Two conferences
— 16 teams in each conference
— Four divisions of four teams in each conference
— Division winners earn automatic bid; four wild cards via most points
That’s what I’d do, anyway.
Not bad. I, for one, would love to see a greater number of “rival games” per season. I would also be okay with lowering the number of games vs opposing conference opponents.
Have a rotating system of games vs 1 or 2 divisions from the other conference in a season. Reinstate the number of games vs teams in your conference but not in your division to 4 per season. Use the remaining extra games against the other conference to increase the number of games versus your division.
Let’s get that hatred of rivals back to where it used to be. Let’s face it, nothing is nearly as exciting as battling a rival and their fans.