[News] Coyotes relocating to Salt Lake City

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

The divisions would be:

Central

1. Edmonton
2. Calgary
3. Winnipeg
4. Minnesota
5. Chicago
6. Dallas
7. St Louis
8. Nashville

Pacific

1. Anaheim
2. LA
3. San Jose
4. Vegas
5. SLC
6. Colorado
7. Vancouver
8. Seattle.

At this point, why not try and do 8 Divisions with 4 teams.

Calgary
Edmonton
Seattle
Vancouver

Anaheim
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
San Jose

Colorado
Minnesota
Salt Lake City
Winnipeg

Chicago
Dallas
Nashville
St.Louis

Play your own Division 4 times, other 3 Divisions 3 times other conference twice and just do 80 games.

Division winners get a playoff spot and 4 wild cards based on record.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

At this point, why not try and do 8 Divisions with 4 teams.

Play your own Division 4 times, other 3 Divisions 3 times other conference twice and just do 80 games.

Division winners get a playoff spot and 4 wild cards based on record.

It's a nice idea, but neither the owners nor the PA will consent to reducing the length of the season.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Siberian Division

Edmonton
Sibir Novosibirsk
Vladovostok
Khabarvsk
Kunlun Red Star

[Stud_McCool]

Where will Auston Matthews sign when he becomes a UFA?

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

It's a nice idea, but neither the owners nor the PA will consent to reducing the length of the season.

The extra 2 games can be done with 3 year rotation
Year 1
Cgy vs Edm, Cgy @ Van
Edm @ Cgy, Edm vs Sea
Sea @ Edm, Sea vs Van
Van vs Cgy, Van @ Sea

Although at this point maybe just scrap Divisions since as is 56 of 82 games are outside the Division and you play two teams inside the Division only 3 times anyways.

[flamingred89]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

At this point, why not try and do 8 Divisions with 4 teams.

Calgary
Edmonton
Seattle
Vancouver

Anaheim
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
San Jose

Colorado
Minnesota
Salt Lake City
Winnipeg

Chicago
Dallas
Nashville
St.Louis

Play your own Division 4 times, other 3 Divisions 3 times other conference twice and just do 80 games.

Division winners get a playoff spot and 4 wild cards based on record.

That looks pretty darn good. Any lost revenue from the 2 less games can easily be made up if the NHL expands the playoff format like all other major sports.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by flamingred89

That looks pretty darn good. Any lost revenue from the 2 less games can easily be made up if the NHL expands the playoff format like all other major sports.

NFL: 14 of 32 teams make the playoffs
MLB: 12 of 30
NBA: 16 of 30

The NHL doesn't need to expand the playoffs. It just took them 40 years for the size of the league to catch up with the number of teams that qualify for the postseason.

[getbak]

The NBA is 20 teams in the postseason now, isn't it?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by getbak

The NBA is 20 teams in the postseason now, isn't it?

You're right, it is.

For some reason, the first two sites I checked with had it wrong.

EDIT: I see what happened! They have a play-in for the 7th through 10th teams in each conference, but they don't call that part of the playoffs. The two winners end up being the #7 and #8 seeds in the first round of the actual playoffs.

So by the NBA's definition, there are 16 teams in the playoffs, but a sane person who can count would say 20.

[Sylvanfan]

Yeah NBA added a play in round 3 seasons ago. For the 7-8 teams it's pretty much a double knockout. If you win the 7-8 game you're in. The 9-10 teams play and the winner plays the loser of the 7-8 game for the final spot. So the 9-10 team has to win 2 games with at least one on the road to get in.

[Manhattanboy]

So does this move help our playoff chances?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

At this point, why not try and do 8 Divisions with 4 teams.

Calgary
Edmonton
Seattle
Vancouver

Anaheim
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
San Jose

Colorado
Minnesota
Salt Lake City
Winnipeg

Chicago
Dallas
Nashville
St.Louis

Play your own Division 4 times, other 3 Divisions 3 times other conference twice and just do 80 games.

Division winners get a playoff spot and 4 wild cards based on record.

I like, but maybe one small change:

- Division winners get a playoff spot and home ice in the first round
- 2nd place in each division plays 1 game to determine the next 2 playoff spots
-- winners are in the playoffs
-- losers play another game, this time against the two top teams amongst the 3rd 3rd place teams
-- winners get the final 2 playoff spots

Example:

1 Calgary
2 Edmonton
3 Seattle
4 Vancouver

1 Anaheim
2 Las Vegas
3 Los Angeles
4 San Jose

1 Colorado
2 Minnesota
3 Salt Lake City
4 Winnipeg

1 Chicago
2 Dallas
3 Nashville
4 St.Louis

1st place teams CGY, ANA, COL and CHI are in the playoffs (4 of 8 spots)
2nd place teams are seeded 1-4 based on the standings (let's say EDM is 1, VGK is 2, MIN is 3, DAL is 4)

Qualifier Round One
1 EDM plays 4 DAL, 4 DAL wins and is in the playoffs (5th of 8 spots)
2 VGK plays 3 MIN, 2 VGK wins and is in the playoffs (6th of 8 spots)

- QR1 losers are seeded 1 and 2 (1 EDM, 3 MIN)
- Top two 3rd place teams are seeded 3 and 4 based on the standings (let's say LAK is 7, NSH is 8)

Qualifier Round Two
1 EDM plays 8 NSH, 8 NSH wins and is in the playoffs (7th of 8 spots)
3 MIN plays 7 LAK, 3 MIN wins and is in the playoffs (8th of 8 spots)


- Division winners make the playoffs
- 2nd place teams get two chances to make the playoffs
- Top 2 3rd place teams get one chance to make the playoffs
- Essentially, the wildcard spot becomes a "wildcard weekend" which is a couple extra games in each conference to help offset the 80 game schedule

[topfiverecords]

Just go 1-32. Top 16 get in. 1 plays 16. 2 plays 15 and on and on.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Just go 1-32. Top 16 get in. 1 plays 16. 2 plays 15 and on and on.

That doesn't work well unless you have a balanced schedule. The league tried that system in 1979-80 and 1980-81, but the travel required was hideous.

[TheScorpion]

I'm a huge supporter of hockey in southern markets, especially AZ (which I feel like I will someday call my second home), and I love a lot of the players on that Coyotes team, but Meruelo and his cronies are all con men and I cannot fathom how the league put up with him for so long. Absolutely abysmal. Feel for the fans.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Someone needs to get this printed poster size and get it on camera at Sunday's game.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I'm a huge supporter of hockey in southern markets, especially AZ (which I feel like I will someday call my second home), and I love a lot of the players on that Coyotes team, but Meruelo and his cronies are all con men and I cannot fathom how the league put up with him for so long. Absolutely abysmal. Feel for the fans.

This was something that was much easier to acknowledge from the outside. I feel bad for fans like you and Jordan who were strung along by those guys. Telling people what they want to hear is a powerful method of deception.

The NHL is going to give Meruelo an explicit requirements list of what is needed to qualify for an expansion team during his window but you know they would prefer he doesn't meet it and just goes away.

I'm sure the league is holding their breath that he follows through on this sale agreement and doesn't change his mind and fight it.

[Reign of Fire]

Why not just go NFL style and make 8 divisions of 4 teams?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by getbak

Someone needs to get this printed poster size and get it on camera at Sunday's game.

No way! The entire Flames team should come out to warm-up with those jerseys!

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

Why not just go NFL style and make 8 divisions of 4 teams?

I like that idea.

For reasons unknown, the NHL doesn't seem to.