Peter Tessier: Think Different: Realignment It's time to apply a different way of thinking when looking at future league alignment of teams.

Travel, time zones, not gonna work.

Peter Tessier: Think Different: Realignment
It's time to apply a different way of thinking when looking at future league alignment of teams.
- Peter.Tessier

Supremely uninterested in putting all Canadian teams in one conference, let alone half in one division. If anything I think there should be a canadian team in every division (except the southeast)

Creative suggestion though!

Travel, time zones, not gonna work.
- LeftCoaster

That's the point to equal out the time zone and travel effect.

Travel costs stop this from happening. Just move nashville/Dallas and lets move on.

Travel costs stop this from happening. Just move nashville/Dallas and lets move on.
- Sirfunkyton

For some teams they are increased others would stay similar. Is that a bad thing? Why should some teams shoulder the expense more than others?

Interesting Pete. I'd never even considered it before.

That's the point to equal out the time zone and travel effect.
- Peter.Tessier

The goal shouldn't be to equalize, though. It should be to minimize.

The goal shouldn't be to equalize, though. It should be to minimize.
- saul91

But geography contradicts that. If that is the goal, then the league is failing at it now.

Last year the Devils did not play out of their time zone for almost two months. Is that fair to Detroit? Dallas, or others?

You suggest a split based on the Mason Dixon Line and place the Columbus BLUE JACKETS in the South? Didn't that strike you as a bit incongruous (not to say geographically ludicrous!)?

That's the point to equal out the time zone and travel effect.
- Peter.Tessier

So the point is to Jet Lag Everyone? Well that will make regular season games more exciting.

I understand your point in attempting this but the idea of making it worse for everyone to be equal is not going to fly.

For some teams they are increased others would stay similar. Is that a bad thing? Why should some teams shoulder the expense more than others?
- Peter.Tessier

The precise reason why I hate the Winnipeg to the Northwest idea. The division already has a brutal travel schedule and poor weather going against it, but people forget in their math that sending Winnipeg to the Northwest makes the average travel schedule for the Northwest marginally easier, but makes the travel schedule for other divisions much much easier comparatively.

You suggest a split based on the Mason Dixon Line and place the Columbus BLUE JACKETS in the South? Didn't that strike you as a bit incongruous (not to say geographically ludicrous!)?
- pete-goegan

I know, and Philly and Pittsburgh. I was trying to find a way to put 15 teams in each conference.

as for US history- you got me on that. Sorry if it was offensive- really. Columbus just seemed close enough to'slip' over compared to anyone else.

So the point is to Jet Lag Everyone? Well that will make regular season games more exciting.

I understand your point in attempting this but the idea of making it worse for everyone to be equal is not going to fly.
- flyler

I hear what you're saying.

The difficulty in my mind is that if you try to balance out the travel schedule for every western conference division, you just make western conference divisions that much more ridiculously travel-heavy than the Eastern conference. The status quo isn't really "working" either though.

I'd like to see a poll or study on player's opinion on the importance of travel schedules and its impact on free agent signings.

So the point is to Jet Lag Everyone? Well that will make regular season games more exciting.

I understand your point in attempting this but the idea of making it worse for everyone to be equal is not going to fly.
- flyler

First thing I would really do is drop it to a 72 game schedule.

But that's NOT going to happen!!

Here's a radical suggestion: since the general unbalance in travel is an east-west one, why not have a proportionately higher number of inter-conference games be hosted by the western conference team? It could be a small skew, and maybe only happen every second or third season so it would be barely noticeable but be a small measure of equalization. Thoughts?

First thing I would really do is drop it to a 72 game schedule.

But that's NOT going to happen!!
- Peter.Tessier

Yeah, no it's not.

Here is my thought on this right now, just switch Columbus & Winnipeg. Why? No offense to the Phoneix fanbase, but I don't know how long they are going to be there. Quebec is gearing up to try and lure the next move or maybe get an expansion team of their own. We do not know what the near future is going to bring as far as teams and cities they represent, so let's make the easy fix until we get a better idea of where the NHL teams are going to be for the long term. Then we can maybe do something more drastic and in depth.

Here's a radical suggestion: since the general unbalance in travel is an east-west one, why not have a proportionately higher number of inter-conference games be hosted by the western conference team? It could be a small skew, and maybe only happen every second or third season so it would be barely noticeable but be a small measure of equalization. Thoughts?
- Morris

I'm a Flyers fan on the west coast. Sounds good to me.

Yeah, no it's not.

Here is my thought on this right now, just switch Columbus & Winnipeg. Why? No offense to the Phoneix fanbase, but I don't know how long they are going to be there. Quebec is gearing up to try and lure the next move or maybe get an expansion team of their own. We do not know what the near future is going to bring as far as teams and cities they represent, so let's make the easy fix until we get a better idea of where the NHL teams are going to be for the long term. Then we can maybe do something more drastic and in depth.
- flyler

Makes sense for short term.

You suggest a split based on the Mason Dixon Line and place the Columbus BLUE JACKETS in the South? Didn't that strike you as a bit incongruous (not to say geographically ludicrous!)?
- pete-goegan

there is no EXACT line. east/west or north/south there will be a team, or teams , that border the boundry and have to flip for numerical balance. this actually appears much more fair, travel wise, than the current or any east/west allignment. the nyc area teams now own a huge advantage over western teams and even some other eastern teams.

as for US history- you got me on that. Sorry if it was offensive- really. Columbus just seemed close enough to'slip' over compared to anyone else.
- Peter.Tessier

Certainly no offense taken, just pointing out something I found amusing. Though it seems somewhat likely, from what has been most frequently proposed, that the Jackets may end up in some configuration with what is now the Southeastern Division, anyway. Whatever it's called, fans of the team would definitely welcome a move to the east, in keeping with our time zone location.

As you're well aware, the powerful Eastern teams have no interest in equitable travel, so your proposal for N/S conferences will meet vigorious opposition from them!

Peter Tessier: Think Different: Realignment
It's time to apply a different way of thinking when looking at future league alignment of teams.
- Peter.Tessier

Time zones are the answer to your question.

Five, 6 team divisions.

The Heritage Division (containing the Original Six)

Then re-align the remaining teams geographically into...

The Patrick Division
The Adams Division
The Smythe Division
The Norris Division

One large 15 team playoff bracket featuring the top 3 teams from each division. The Presidents Trophey Winners get a first round bye. The remaining teams are seeded by total points with the Division Winners getting the top seeds.

I like one the one big bracket formula because theoretically two teams from the same division, or any two teams really, could conceivably play each other in the Cup Final...and that would be insane.

This is a bad idea.

.its bad enough having to watch teams in Alberta's time zone

Our natural rivalries are all in the Pacific time zone with the California teams plus the rivals from the playoffs such as the hawks and to a lesser extent the Bruins.

If the stars align we'll get a Seattle team to play against as well and hopefully we don't have to go east of the BC border anymore within our division. At the very least we'll have less travel east and more Pacific time zone starts.

I like this set up better (assumes growth of 2 teams - Seattle and Quebec City):
- 2 conferences, 4 divisions per conference, 4 teams per division.
- Top team from each division plus next best 4 teams make playoffs:
Western Conference:

Rockies:
Vancouver
Seattle
Calgary
Edmonton

Pacific:
LA
Anaheim
San Jose
Phoenix

Central:
Colorado
Dallas
Winnipeg
Minnesota

Midwest:
Detroit
St. Louis
Columbus
Chicago

Eastern Conference:

Northeast: :
Montreal
Quebec City
Ottawa
Boston

York
New York I
New York R
Buffalo
Toronto

Beltway:
Washington
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
New Jersey

Southeast
Florida
Tampa Bay
Carolina
Nashville

You play 1 game a year against opposite conference, 4 games per year with same conference, other divisions, 6 games per year within the division. Would create serious rivalries as well as overall minimizing travel as much as possible.

Edit: Fixed formatting