Quote:
Originally Posted by mrkajz44
This is the exact reason for the re-alignment. Check out the conferences again:
Conference A - Pacific and Mountain time zone
Conference B - Central time zone
Conference C - Eastern time zone
Conference D - Eastern time zone
I suppose that would give some room for shuffle in C and D based on location, but it is really all about the time zones. The NHL wants to avoid teams in the eastern time zone playing games that would start at 9 or 10 EST.
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The likely re-alignment will actually result in Eastern teams playing more games in the West.
Under the current alignment (and an 82 game schedule), you play your own Division 6 times (24 games); the other teams in your Conference 4 times (40 games); and 18 games against the other Conference (9 home, 9 road). So, for any Eastern Conference team, the maximum number of games on the road in the Pacific or Mountain time zones is 8 per year (although, the would mean playing every team in those time zones, so the realistic maximum is probably lower).
Under the proposed re-alignment, every team will play one road game against every team outside their own Conference (22 for the teams in the 8-team Conferences, and 23 for the teams in the 7 team Conferences).
So, for example, let's look at the road schedules in 2011-12 for the Flyers (who visited Western Canada); and the Bruins (who didn't visit Western Canada):
In 2011-12, the Flyers 9 western road games were in: Anaheim (PT), Phoenix (MT), Colorado (MT), Dallas (CT), Nashville (CT), Detroit (ET), Edmonton (MT), Calgary (MT), San Jose (PT). 2 Pacific Time Zone (3 hour difference), 4 Mountain (2 hour difference), 2 Central (1 hour difference), and 1 Eastern (no difference).
In 2011-12, the Bruins 9 western road games were in: Chicago (CT), Columbus (ET), Phoenix (MT), Dallas (CT), Minnesota (CT), St. Louis (CT), San Jose (PT), L.A. (PT), Anaheim (PT). 3 Pacific Time Zone, 1 Mountain, 4 Central, and 1 Eastern.
So, for the Flyers, that was 6 games in the Mountain or Pacific Time Zones; and for the Bruins, it was 4.
Under the proposed re-alignment, it will always be 4 games in the Pacific Time Zone; 4 in the Mountain (unless/until Phoenix moves); and 6 in the Central.
The only Eastern Time Zone teams who will greatly benefit from the re-alignment are Detroit and Columbus, who will have their trips to the Pacific and Mountain time zones cut in half.