Reading some scuttlebutt that the realignment proposal that the NHL and NHLPA are working on will be out around Feb. 23. According to Lebrun it's based off last year's 4 conference proposal with a tweaked playoff sytem that would allow for crossovers to counterbalance the uneven conferences, and that a couple of teams would be moved around. I think it's pretty clear te four conference structure is making way for a two team expansion down the line.

 

Here's last year's structure whch is being used as the new framework.

Conference A
Anaheim
Calgary
Colorado
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

Conference B
Chicago
Columbus
Dallas
Detroit
Minnesota
Nashville
St. Louis
Winnipeg

Conference C
Boston
Buffalo
Florida
Montreal
Ottawa
Tampa Bay
Toronto

Conference D
Carolina
New Jersey
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Washington

 

Based on that, and the possibilty of reloaction and expansion, I think within the next few years (5?) that realignment could end up looking like:

Conference A
Anaheim
Calgary
Colorado
Edmonton
Los Angeles 
Seattle
San Jose
Vancouver

Conference B
Chicago
Columbus
Dallas 
Milwaukee
Minnesota
Nashville
St. Louis
Winnipeg

Conference C
Boston
Buffalo 
Quebec
Montreal
Ottawa 
Detroit
Toronto

Washington???

Conference D
Carolina
New Jersey
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh 
Florida
Tampa Bay

If they go to Markham instead of Milwaukee, then Detroit would stay out west.

For the 8-8-7-7 structure for next season, wouldn't it make more sense to move Philly and Pitts to Boston's division instead of Tampa and Florida?

I vote to keep Toronto and yes lets go ahead n take Florida (Quebec) and Tampa, PC would love the Tampa move for his golf game.

In response to red75's comment:
[QUOTE]

Reading some scuttlebutt that the realignment proposal that the NHL and NHLPA are working on will be out around Feb. 23. According to Lebrun it's based off last year's 4 conference proposal with a tweaked playoff sytem that would allow for crossovers to counterbalance the uneven conferences, and that a couple of teams would be moved around. I think it's pretty clear te four conference structure is making way for a two team expansion down the line.

 

 

I would rather see a team in Hamilton and Hartford, before Seattle and Milwaukee.  It will be interesting to see what they come up with.  Quebec is a no brainer the Nords need to come back.

In response to MeanE's comment:

With the continued opposition from Buffalo and the new rink going in the GTA I think Hamilton's window for a new team has closed. And with Hartford, both Seattle and Milwaukee are hockey markets with larger populations than Hartford. Can't see it happening.

In your hypothetical realignment think Rangers rather than the Caps.  5 of the original 6 in one conference!  Not good for marketing but it would be great for hockey fans.  

In response to islamorada's comment:

 

In your hypothetical realignment think Rangers rather than the Caps.  5 of the original 6 in one conference!  Not good for marketing but it would be great for hockey fans.  

 

Be great to watch, but they'd never pull the Manhattan team out of the same division as the teams in Brooklyn and Newark - Barclays is 9 km from MSG, and the Prudential is only 22 km away. If you hit the train right, you can get from Barclays to MSG in about 20 minutes.

In response to islamorada's comment:

would be the most fun conference to watch by a long shot...

I was bored so I goofed around and came up with my "What if Ran the League"? dream conferences, including axing and moving a few clubs

Mountain/Pacific

Seattle Vancouver Edmonton Calgary Anaheim LA SJ Colorado

Central

Winnipeg Minnesota Chicago Milwaukee Dallas Houston (or Saskatchewan in the distant future once Saskatoon grows more) Nashville St Louis

Northeast

Boston Quebec Montreal Halifax (or Hartford) Leafs GTA Ottawa Detroit

Atlantic

New York Brooklyn NJ Buffalo Pittsburgh Philly Carolina Washington

Put in Houston because right now they're the only other, aside from Milwaukee, viable market in the Central time zone - Sask isn't big enough yet. Like I said, I was bored.

 

In response to red75's comment:

Interesting Red. As someone currently residing in Saskatchewan I can say that it will be more than ready in the next 5-10 years. Huge population and corporate growth going on here at the moment as I am sure you know.

Yeah, the trick is hockey isn't like the Riders. Sask. is growing financially and demographically, but it's not centralized, it's spread out over much of the province. I think they'll have a large enough population centre eventually, but hockey is 41 home games in the dead of winter, whereas the Riders are 9 home games in the summer and fall. It's easier for y'all in Saskatchewan to support the Riders logistically than it would be to support an NHL squad. I do think it will happen eventually, it just in my mind depends on the concentration of the growth you're experiencing and how quickly that occurs.

In response to red75's comment:

The growth concentration (pop and corporate) is in the two major cities connected by a double laned highway. I don't think commuting is an issue. This province is not ready yet to be sure but will be soon.

I'm a Prairie Girl, jm. I get your point, but I do think commuting could be more of an issue than you let on. It may be a good highway, but those January drives are not easy. Once Saskatoon breaks 500,000 ( and  the projections are for that to happen just outside of a decade) then I think they'll be viable.

So for giggles, I'd hope for Phoenix to move to Seattle and Florida to GTA, then add Quebec and Houston. Leaves 4 divisions of 8:

Division I

Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo, GTA, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto

Division II

Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington

Division III

Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, St. Louis, Tampa

Division IV

Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver, Winnipeg

 

Now if I really had my way, we'd contract Phoenix & Florida, then move the Islanders to Quebec instead of Brooklyn and place the Rangers in Division I.

Division I

Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto

Division II

Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington

Division III

Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis, Tampa

Division IV

Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Winnipeg

In response to red75's comment:

   This was rejected by the players last season. Word from the rumour mill is that it could be rejected again. Also, both Bettman and Daily have stated that expansion and relocation are not on the radar for the forseeable future.

This would be my league: total of 28 teams

(1) Boston,Buffalo, Washington, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec , Hartford

(2) NJD, NYR, NYI, Philly, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Carolina

(3) Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, LA, Anaheim, Colorado

(4) Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, ST. Louis, Toronto, Nashville, Minny

PHX, DAL, or Fld  2 out of 3 becomes Hartford and Quebec, the other team folds

28 teams in the league 2 conferences 4 divisions:

Division (1) the adams, div. (2) the calder div. (3) the  smythe div. (4) norris div.

(1) no back to back games

(2) inter conference games, home and home game series one day rest to travel back to other teams city

(3) games out the conference will be home and home series with 2 days rest for traveling

(4) each team will get two weekends off per season 1st half and 2nd half, once a month a 3 day rest during the week

 6 gms. agst div teams, 4 gms. agst inter con. teams, 2 gms. agst outer conference teams

Total of 88 gms. with 2 less teams then the present league