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I’ll be honest here I’m not going to play the whole game of what team ‘deserves’ something in the realignment game. I think the league and PA are doing this all wrong they are dividing the league by longitude and seeing who sits on what side of an imaginary boundary.
If the imaginary boundary is for east and west, why consider not north and south?
Let’s use the Mason-Dixon Line!
The Mason–Dixon line (or Mason's and Dixon's line) was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Masonand Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It is ademarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, andWest Virginia (then part of Virginia). In popular usage, especially since the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Mason–Dixon line symbolizes a cultural boundary between the Northeastern United States and the Southern United States (Dixie).
There are seven teams above it in Canada and with a little massaging of the line location there can be an equal split of 15 teams above and below.
The Northern Conference
Vancouver
Calgary
Edmonton
Winnipeg
Toronto
Ottawa
Montreal
Boston
Buffalo
NY Rangers
NY Islanders
Detroit
New Jersey
Chicago
Minnesota
The Southern Conference
Anaheim
Los Angeles
San Jose
Phoenix
Dallas
Colorado
St. Louis
Columbus
Nashville
Carolina
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Washington
Florida
Tampa Bay
Top 8 in each conference with three divisions of 5 teams in each.
NW: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary,Winnipeg, Minnesota
MW: Chicago, Ottawa, Detroit, Buffalo, Toronto
NE: Montreal Boston NYR, NYI, NJD
SW: San Jose, Anaheim, LA, Phx Colorado
SC: Dallas, St. Louis, Columbus Nashville, Carolina
EC: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washignton, Tampa Bay, Florida
The way I see this is it makes travel a bit more equitable. While east coast teams will always have an advantage over the more spread out western based teams should realignment not address travel disparity to some degree?
Take an 82 game schedule and base it around East-West conferences and make the schedule reflect equal travel. 64 games in each conference and 18 for inter-conference would mean teams see a much more equal cross-country travel and time zone change effect.
This schedule also keeps some rivalries in place but also helps foster new ones by placing Carolina with Nashville. Colorado moves much closer to regional cities and would Dallas not welcome having to see St. Louis and Nashville both of which being closer than both Phoenix and Colorado?
Teams like Vancouver, San Jose, Anaheim, LA, Edmonton and Calgary are still going to have travel to the east it will now be reciprocated due to those eastern teams being in the same conference.
Are there other options?
Other ideas that could be considered are where teams play a weighted schedule like the NFL does. Although much easier to manage in a 16 game season could it be an equalizing method?
The league and PA could leave the current alignment as it is and play a weighted travel schedule so that all teams face the same obstacles in fatigue and cost. The last point being another great equalizer with how the NHL operates.
Right now there is a small percentage of the league with a much easier travel expense on their books. It would be very interesting to see how many of those teams are in the top revenue earners and what increased travel expenses may do to the bottom line.
Regardless of what happens I do hope the league looks at every option and not holds fast to tried and true geography and old back room promises. This game needs a shot of life to it and perhaps truly addressing the travel disparity helps in the long run.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
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