Borschevsky says hello.
- Atomic Wedgie

hi

If the NHL plan is to keep Florida afloat because of snowbirds, it's not going to work. The attendance does improve but it's not going to save that franchise. The ticket prices are still dirt cheap. And the divisions are still stupid and uneven.

Columbus, a team the NHL is going to want to save, is going to get murdered in the proposed division. It's definitely going to get worse for them.

The solution is simple and it looks like this.



Western Conference

Northwest
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Winnipeg Jets
Minnesota Wild
Colorado Avalanche

Pacific
Vancouver Canucks
San Jose Sharks
Anaheim Ducks
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotes (Seattle Stickhandlers)

Central
Chicago Blackhawks
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Dallas Stars
Columbus Blue Jackets

Eastern Conference

Northeast
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings
Boston Bruins

Atlantic
New York Rangers
New Jersey Devils
Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia Flyers
Buffalo Sabres

Southeast
Florida Panthers (Quebec Nordiques) Another problem for another day.
Tampa Bay Lightning
New York Islanders
Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Capitals

A more radical realignment that includes divisional playoffs would be this.

Northern - The Original Six
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Blackhawks
Boston Bruins
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers

Atlantic - Patrick Division
Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia Flyers
Ottawa Senators
Buffalo Sabres
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders

Central - Smythe Division
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Winnipeg Jets
Minnesota Wild
St. Louis Blues
Colorado Avalanche

Southern - Calder Division
Tampa Bay Lightning
Florida Panthers
Nashville Predators
Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Capitals
Columbus Blue Jackets

Pacific - Campbell Division
Anaheim Ducks
Phoenix Coyotes (Seattle Stickhandlers)
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Dallas Stars
Vancouver Canucks

Regular Season - Every team starts the season by playing the 24 other, non-divisional opponents twice. Once at home and once on the road. That equals 48 games and guarantees everybody plays each other at least twice every season. Once that is complete, every team plays each divisional opponent six times. In total, that creates a 78 game season. To reduce travel, every team will embark on three sets of 8 game road trips as well has host three sets of 8 game home stands. This allows teams to reduce travel and eliminates the need for teams to travel back and forth unnecessarily.

Divisional Playoffs - Top four teams in each division qualify for the divisional playoffs for a total of 20 playoff teams. This helps supplement the 4 games lost in the normal 82 game season as well as expand the playoffs. The first round is a best of 5 series played 1 versus 4 and 2 versus 3. The second round is a best of 7 series.

Stanley Cup Playoffs - Each division champion is seeded 1 through 5 based on their regular season point total with traditional tie breakers being used. The 4th and 5th seeded team would play in a best of 3 series to gain entrance into the semi-finals as the 4th seed.

To accommodate the idea of a Toronto versus Montreal Stanley Cup Finals possibility, this would have to be different. The division champions would have to be seeded 1 through 5 and the final three seeds will be given to three teams with the best regular season record but who lost in the 2nd round of divisional playoffs. This creates 8 spots to challenge for the Stanley Cup and at least allows the possibility for a Toronto vs. Montreal Cup final. The third, fourth and fifth round are best of 7 series.
- Two_For_Truth

I liked your proposal for the Western Conference.

Everything after that?

Not so much.

In fact, not at all.

Who has looked better?
- I-own_da-Northwest

If you really do need to pick between the two of them, I'd say this:

Reimer has looked better than Luongo, while Scrivens has looked better than Schneider.

I hope this helps.

I was at that game 6........it was Larionov who rang it off the crossbar.Gardner ended up winning it for us........

I payed $65 for the ticket! (front row Grey)
- billyberg10

I was at the very next game at MLG - game one vs. the Canucks.

Zezel in OT, baby!

Let's not talk about the rest of the season after that, OK?

Dude, seriously. Write a book...
- p_zub

It just looks really long because all the divisions are written out. It's really just a couple of paragraphs.

Edit: All kidding aside...the NHL already had an easy enough solution to the problem, and they somehow decided to do things the hard way. The only teams you could argue were at a disadvantage financially due to geographical reasons, were Detroit and Winnipeg. Any other concerns should have just been passed off as horsepoop and moved on...

The easy solution is what I laid out the first time. Pretty much Detroit to the East, Winnipeg to the West and a few teams swapping divisions to make more sense geographically.

If you really do need to pick between the two of them, I'd say this:

Reimer has looked better than Luongo, while Scrivens has looked better than Schneider.

I hope this helps.
- Atomic Wedgie

To be fair - I took a dump this morning that looked better than Schneider has in net.

I liked your proposal for the Western Conference.

Everything after that?

Not so much.

In fact, not at all.
- Atomic Wedgie

There's two different realignments there, I hope you know that. What's wrong with the Eastern Conference? Don't like Detroit in the division?

the best nickname tho is komisareks (pylon)
- xXwagzXx

that one isn't a nick name.. .its a description.

that one isn't a nick name.. .its a description.
- BorjeFan4Ever

A few blogs ago, that was Phaneufs??

Nothing like a Leafs vs Habs game to get you fired up.

Looking forward to tonight. A few barley sandwiches, few shots, the Leafs pounding the Habtards. Life is good.

There's two different realignments there, I hope you know that. What's wrong with the Eastern Conference? Don't like Detroit in the division?
- Two_For_Truth

It's madness to push Detroit to the east before knowing what will happen to the Coyotes - there is a much greater chance of them going to Quebec City than Seattle.

Many will disagree, but I'd switch Buffalo and Boston. Yeah, I know, Boston and Montreal should be in the same division, but something would have to be broken for this thing to work. But Buffalo would benefit more from Detroit and Toronto rivalries, and as much as Boston hates Montreal, they will always hate things from New York more - it's just how Boston works.

And putting the Islanders in the Short Bus Division? We shouldn't reward failure.

And then your scheduling ideas were a mess, and your playoff scenarios were far too complicated.

That list can change with one game Luongo was first a game ago
- pker2theend

Eight goals scored against in a game will do that!

Nothing like a Leafs vs Habs game to get you fired up.

Looking forward to tonight. A few barley sandwiches, few shots, the Leafs pounding the Habtards. Life is good.
- OBGYN Kenobi

I was thinking of getting into the hennessey for this one

With Franson being only a restricted free agent, I doubt the Leafs move him. He's only 24-25, so his best years are still ahead of him. Wilson sucked as a coach for him, but Carlyle has been perfect.

I'd say Macarthur, Grabovski & Liles are the trade chips

Nothing like a Leafs vs Habs game to get you fired up.

Looking forward to tonight. A few barley sandwiches, few shots, the Leafs pounding the Habtards. Life is good.
- OBGYN Kenobi

And Flyers/Capitals on TSN2 during commercial breaks.

lol is this guy trying to propose his own realignment on Hockeybuzz??? I think most of it's already set, i'm not huge on bringing Tampa AND Detroit to Toronto's division, but sure will add competition and Detroit is back in the East, where they BELONG.

With Franson being only a restricted free agent, I doubt the Leafs move him. He's only 24-25, so his best years are still ahead of him. Wilson sucked as a coach for him, but Carlyle has been perfect.

I'd say Macarthur, Grabovski & Liles are the trade chips
- Davey_Crockett

Nice little article on Colborne today in the Star - the wrist is better, and he is back on track.

The Leafs are making real progress: in a short period of time, we've gone from having no 1st or 2nd line centres and too many 3rd and 4th line centres, to too many 2nd, 3rd and 4th line centres, with no #1 centre.

lol is this guy trying to propose his own realignment on Hockeybuzz??? I think most of it's already set, i'm not huge on bringing Tampa AND Detroit to Toronto's division, but sure will add competition and Detroit is back in the East, where they BELONG.
- blahman20

In his defence, is it any crazier than coming up with your own trade proposals or line combinations or coaching changes or third jerseys or outdoor game proposals or franchise relocation proposals?

It's Hockeybuzz. It's not real life.

Ahh right his is the same dude that told me that Kevin Bieksa sucked when I said Toronto should go after him when was going to be a pending UFA. A guy that can skate, hit and plays with an edge in his own zone, who would want a guy like that?

In his defence, is it any crazier than coming up with your own trade proposals or line combinations or coaching changes or third jerseys or outdoor game proposals or franchise relocation proposals?

It's Hockeybuzz. It's not real life.
- Atomic Wedgie

Writing out something that long is crazy, actually. Trade speculation is fun, and that's the reason for this damn site, not that I really do it very often.

It's madness to push Detroit to the east before knowing what will happen to the Coyotes - there is a much greater chance of them going to Quebec City than Seattle.
- Atomic Wedgie

Detroit has been promised being moved to the East for a long time. And if you ask the NHL about Phoenix, they will tell you they aren't moving anywhere. Take it up with them.

Many will disagree, but I'd switch Buffalo and Boston. Yeah, I know, Boston and Montreal should be in the same division, but something would have to be broken for this thing to work. But Buffalo would benefit more from Detroit and Toronto rivalries, and as much as Boston hates Montreal, they will always hate things from New York more - it's just how Boston works.

You just don't want to see Boston in the division anymore.

And putting the Islanders in the Short Bus Division? We shouldn't reward failure.

The NHL needs to give the weaker franchises bone and the Islanders are in tough in their current division. If it spurs minor success or a "division championship" for the fans to get excited about, it's probably in the best interested to do that. If they didn't want to reward failure, the 1st overall pick would be a 30 team lottery. It isn't. Obviously, the NHL needs to do certain things to keep teams from dying.

And then your scheduling ideas were a mess, and your playoff scenarios were far too complicated.

Two different realignments. As in completely different. One was tweaking the current system. The other was a radical change that includes divisional playoffs.

I was thinking of getting into the hennessey for this one
- Arctic_AARDVARK

As the resident medical specialist in these forums, I'm going to have to go ahead and recommend a prescriptions of 12 Hennessey's for tonight's tilt.

No offense to Quebec City, and even Markham, but Seattle is likely higher on the NHL's list of relocation targets. The other two, if they are still viable options, will likely be expansions teams, complete with expansion fees!!

No offense to Quebec City, and even Markham, but Seattle is likely higher on the NHL's list of relocation targets. The other two, if they are still viable options, will likely be expansions teams, complete with expansion fees!!
- p_zub

I'd say Seattle is prime for any relocation too.

No offense to Quebec City, and even Markham, but Seattle is likely higher on the NHL's list of relocation targets. The other two, if they are still viable options, will likely be expansions teams, complete with expansion fees!!
- p_zub

Seattle is even a better option now that they will need another team in the West, either by relocation (Phoenix) or expansion.