NHL Board of Governors Approve Realignment

[chilly666]

The NHL's Board of Governors approved the realignment plan proposed last week.

The new four-division plan, featuring a new-look set-up for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, will go into effect next season.

The NHL and NHLPA each had input into the plan to realign the League into an more geographically appropriate two-conference, four-division format that features 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 teams in the Western Conference.

The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets are moving to the Eastern Conference to provide them the ability to play the majority of their games against teams in the same time zone. The Winnipeg Jets are moving to the Western Conference for the same reason.

The Dallas Stars are staying in the Western Conference, but moving into a division that includes five other teams from the Central time zone.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs will still consist of 16 teams, eight in each conference, but it will be division-based and a wild-card system has been added as a new wrinkle.

The top three teams in each division will make-up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season points and regardless of division. It will be possible, then, for one division to send five teams to the postseason while the other sends three.

The seeding of the wild-card teams within each divisional playoff will be determined on the basis of regular-season points. The division winner with the most points in the conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lowest number of points; the division winner with the second-most points in the conference will play the wild-card team with the second fewest points.

The teams finishing second and third in each division will play in the first round of the playoffs. The winners of each series will play for the divisional championship.

The two divisional champions in each conference will then play in the conference finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

The divisions will be temporarily referred to as Division A, Division B, Division C and Division D. Permanent names will be assigned later.

The Western Conference will house Division A and Division B, while Division C and D will consist of eight teams each and make up the Eastern Conference.

Division A is the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks.

Division B features the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

Division C has four Original Six franchises: Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning are also in the division.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals will join the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins in Division D.

The new alignment ensures that all 30 teams play in all 30 arenas at least once a season for the first time since 1997-98.

The new alignment plan will be re-evaluated by the NHL and National Hockey League Players' Association following the 2015-16 season.

Here is a breakdown of the new schedule matrix created for the new alignment plan:

Western Conference (7-team divisions)

Within Conference (Division): 29 games

* 5 games vs. five teams (3 Home/2 Away vs. two teams, 2 Home/3 Away vs. three teams) AND 4 games vs. one team (2 Home/2 Away). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 5 X 5 =25 games
* 1 X 4 = 4 games

Within Conference (Non-Division): 21 games

* 3 games vs. each team (2 Home/1 Away vs. four teams, 1 Home/2 Away vs. three teams). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 3 X 7 = 21 games

Non-Conference: 32 games

* 2 games vs. each team (1 Home/1 Away)
* 2 X 16 = 32 games

(Exception: one team from each division plays one less game inside Division and one more game inside Conference outside Division)

Eastern Conference (8-team divisions)

Within Conference (Division): 30 games

* 5 games vs. two teams (3 Home/2 Away vs. one team, 2 Home/3 Away vs. one team) AND 4 games vs. five teams (2 Home/2 Away). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 5 X 2 =10 games
* 4 X 5 = 20 games

Within Conference (Non-Division): 24 games

* 3 games vs. each team (2 Home/1 Away vs. four teams, 1 Home/2 Away vs. four teams). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 3 X 8 = 24 games

Non-Conference: 28 games

* 2 games vs. each team (1 Home/1 Away)
* 2 X 14 = 28 games

[shaud19]

Like most fans I feel it's not fair that one division has more teams than the other. However, having teams in the same time zone will even the playing field over a long season. Fewer games with jet lagged teams.

[The DZA]

Originally Posted by chilly666

The new alignment plan will be re-evaluated by the NHL and National Hockey League Players' Association following the 2015-16 season.

Makes sense. By then Phoenix should finally move to Quebec and they will return to 15 in each conference.

[thepolishkid88]

I'm all for it! Pens division looks absolutely intense!

[gdameo]

Originally Posted by The DZA

Makes sense. By then Phoenix should finally move to Quebec and they will return to 15 in each conference.

huh? East have 16 teams and West have 14 teams. So Phoenix (West) moves to Quebec (East) then that would be 17 for East and 13 for West?

[gdameo]

Originally Posted by thepolishkid88

I'm all for it! Pens division looks absolutely intense!

how is that? Pens still have all teams (NYI, PHI, NJ & NYR) in the div plus three weak teams (Columbus, Carolina and Washington). Not really much change.

[Broons66]

We need to add new teams in Hartford and Quebec City, just so the B's don't have to play friggin Detroit.

[Phila26Flyers]

Originally Posted by The DZA

Makes sense. By then Phoenix should finally move to Quebec and they will return to 15 in each conference.

How do you figure? In keeping with the pattern, that would be 17-13.

[bigjack]

What the hell does Columbus have to do with the Rangers/Islanders/Devils/Flyers?

I understand why but it would of been nice to have Boston, Toronto, and Montreal back with the Rangers pre 1974 realignment or make one Division the Original 6 Division.

That would of been cool to have NY, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago in one Division and maybe add the Devils and Islanders!

[Broons66]

Totally agree big jack, that was a tossed around proposal initially.

[JKidd]

Glad the Wild didn't get stuck with Detroit in their division. That would have really sucked.

Really happy to see Winnipeg in our division. Those games are going to be a ****ing blast.

[Boston Garden]

They might as well just made an Original 6 division, Swap the Florida teams for the Rangers. Then put the Blackhawks in division 3 and give the West the Blue Jackets.

[Killah_punk]

[The DZA]

Originally Posted by gdameo

huh? East have 16 teams and West have 14 teams. So Phoenix (West) moves to Quebec (East) then that would be 17 for East and 13 for West?

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I thought CLB should be in the central (west).

[thepolishkid88]

Originally Posted by gdameo

how is that? Pens still have all teams (NYI, PHI, NJ & NYR) in the div plus three weak teams (Columbus, Carolina and Washington). Not really much change.

Columbus has become a bit of a rival with the Pens and the games against them have been a ton of fun as well. Carolina has so many storylines against the Pens over the past few years and a team that has the Pens number as well. The Caps adding into the mix adds another Pens rival.

The fact the Pens are still in a division with the NYC teams and Philly is awesome. Will be quite a division.