NHL Division Realignment
With the potential sale of the Atlanta Thrashers, and possible relocation of the team to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada,the NHL is looking at the potential need to realign a few teams into new divisions. While the rumors are out there for a simple realignment plan, with only one team switching conferences besides the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise, my brain got to thinking of how the league should properly segment itself. Find out how the league wants the league to look, and what restructuring I think would benefit hockey the most, after the jump.
Below are the new possible alignment for the NHL divisions in the future. These are still speculative at this moment, as the Thrashers sale and relocation isn’t complete yet. For more information about the potential sale of the Atlanta Thrashers and relocation to Winnipeg, click here. Besides the potential NHL changes to the division residents, I have added my own realignment option to the table. Looking at geographical locations, time zones, and multitudes of other factors, I have come up with my own ideas on where teams should be placed. The NHL division occupants are in black, my teams are colored red.
Likely NHL Alignment
My Alignment
Eastern Conference
Northeast Division
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Buffalo Sabres
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Buffalo Sabres
Boston Bruins
This division will stay intact in both the league’s scenario and my vision for realignment. Due to the close proximity of the cities to one another, and the long tradition of having three Original Six franchises in one division is too good for the league to tinker with. Everybody is happy with the current format, and these five teams will continue to grind it out against each other for years to come.
Northeast Division
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Philadelphia Flyers
Washington Capitals
And now we have reached the first conflicting ideas of realignment in the Atlantic Division. While the league would see fit to keep the current grouping intact, I think it is in the league’s best interest to shake it up, and transfer Pittsburgh to the West as well, creating a second available spot in the Eastern Conference. Sliding Washington into the Atlantic Division is a geographical no brainer, and also puts the league’s flashiest superstar, Alex Ovechkin, in New York City for about a third of his road games. Pittsburgh would be switched into a new Central Division, more on that later.
The tight radius of teams in this division could even help the league promote it’s ever growing green awareness.
Southeast Division
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Capitals
Nashville Predators
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Carolina Hurricanes
Nashville Predators
Dallas Stars
The logical restructuring of the NHL would just substitute one team swapping conferences for another, minimizing the damage. The most logical selection would be for Nashville to leave the Western Conference and take Atlanta’s place in the Southeast Division. There have been rumors that Detroit would like to move to the Eastern Conference, but they draw too well out west to have them switch conferences.
The logical geographical equation of Nashville in the Southeast is enough for the league. I say create a true Southern Division. The Florida teams, Carolina, Nashville, and Dallas would create a Nascar belt of hockey, creating interest and more intense regional rivalries. Dallas has more association to the East Coast than the two hour time difference of the Pacific Division. Nashville saves on travel costs, and gets the benefit of earlier road television times.
The league could even hold a game, perhaps even a Winter Classic, at Cowboys Stadium. While this could currently be done anyway if the league and Jerry Jones wanted, the idea that the Stars could play conference games against Philadelphia or Washington Or New York strums up not only more interest for hockey, but also digs into the deep football fan bases. There is built in hatred between cities, a little realignment could stoke those fires even more.
Western Conference
Central Division
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
St. Louis Blues
Minnesota Wild
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
St. Louis Blues
Pittsburgh Penguins
The team who most benefits from a simple change in places would be the Minnesota Wild, they would go into a logical division, the Central, with tradition rich franchises like the Red Wings and Blackhawks. The Central instantly becomes a Big 10 like division, which is a blessing for the soon to be formed Big 10 college hockey conference, not to mention regional matchups for the NHL.
In my scenario, the hockey mad State of Hockey won’t get to go into the Central. Instead, it would remain in the Northwest, where it would wrestle for the true soul of hockey with the Canadian franchises. My realignment would instead bring the immortal, if still concussed, Sidney Crosby to the Western Conference. While Pittsburgh may be a difficult sell to the Western Conference, it is geographically a very reasonable idea from a division standpoint. Detroit and Columbus are a short interstate drive from Pittsburgh. It puts Crosby in Chicago more often, creates new rivalries for the league, not the mention the extra amount of games between NBC favorites that would be created. Dick Ebersol, Edzo, and the gang between the glass at NBC/Comcast/SoonNoLongerToBeVersus dreamy at least once or twice a week. It also lets Crosby do like Gretzky did back in the day. Crosby can get away from the grinding East Coast style play and into the free flowing West. He can come in multiple games a year to struggling homes like Phoenix and Winnipeg and Columbus. The expenses may be higher for the franchise, but the business money far outweighs the airplane fuel and flight times.
Northwest Division
Edmonton Oilers
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Vancouver Canucks
Atlanta Thrashers/Manitoba Moose
Edmonton Oilers
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Minnesota Wild
Atlanta Thrashers/Manitoba Moose
The NHL would like to keep all four Canadian franchises in one division, not only for the sake of in country competitiveness, but also to cut down on the number of trips through immigration that splitting them apart would cause. The NHL just supplants the Winnipeg franchise for the Wild, who have shifted to the Central. In my scenario, the Wild are still in the Northwest Division, along with Winnipeg. While it is difficult for me to take the Wild away from such a hockey rich division as the Central, the new Northwest becomes a quick passage for the Wild. And the retooling Avalanche, and Oilers, and even the young Thrashers/soon to be Moose. It is a competitive, centralized division and will serve as a gentle resting spot for the relocated franchise.
Pacific Division
Phoenix Coyotes
Anaheim Ducks
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Dallas Stars
Phoenix Coyotes
Anaheim Ducks
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
With the NHL’s quick realignment, there would be no change in the Pacific Division. In my scenario, Dallas has gone into the Southeast Division, and I have slotted Vancouver into the Pacific Division. This put the Canucks geographically closer to the majority of its division opponents, and links the major West Coast media markets, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancover into one time friendly conference. Like the Pac 10 (now 12) or a Boise State game, entertaining sports late into the night for the Midwest and East coast is always fun, damned what the old people going to bed think.
While it is highly unlikely that the league would ever think closely about this type of radical realignment, especially if it were to occur on such short notice. However, this is a league that has been at the forefront of innovation in recent years, and have shown a willingness to adapt and change to cater to the wants of the public. No matter what, a sale of the Thrashers almost certainly means some type of division realignment, it’s just a matter of how much the NHL wants to shuffle the deck.
Bryan Vickroy has an addiction to hockey, and is willing to partake in all its forms. He is skating extra shifts for The Sports Bank, covering the Minnesota Wild, the NHL, and NCAA hockey all year long. Look for new articles throughout the week. He can be followed on Twitter at @bryanvickroy. If you’d prefer to speak in more than 140 characters at a time to him, he can be reached at bryan.vickroy@gmail.com .