The "Metropolitan" Division???

[Brewmaster]

It's a huge advantage to be in the West with the way the new divisions are set up. 4/7 chance to make the playoffs vs. 4/8.

[jroc]

Did they ever implement the idea of a 'wild card' or 'crossover'? or is it just as easy as being in the top 4 of 7?

Further more, are the first 2 rounds of playoffs both within the division, or just the first round?

[_Q_]

I think the Panthers move to Quebec sooner or later and Tampa switches places with Columbus in the divisions. Then everything is perfect in the world.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by jroc

Did they ever implement the idea of a 'wild card' or 'crossover'? or is it just as easy as being in the top 4 of 7?

Further more, are the first 2 rounds of playoffs both within the division, or just the first round?

For all the Western teams that have missed the playoffs in favor of far inferior East teams over the past few years, I would hope not. Although there should be.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

To me, it makes more sense to throw Boston into the yellow group (Metro); Carolina and the Floridas into the red group (Murica); and Chicago, Minny and Wpg into the blue group (Great Lakes)

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Assuming the 32-team NHL has teams in Quebec and Hamilton/K-W/GTA, that allows for an easy slide of the Florida teams into the Central and Colorado to the Pacific. The Avs are ideally situated that, with the exception of Nashville, they are only one time zone away from their divisional rivals in either the Central or Pacific. Makes them easy to move when the time comes.

Except that the NHL has finally removed the eastern timezone from the western conference. As it is, it is bad enough that the Western conference crosses 3/4 North American time zones (with NHL teams in them) but if we are going to move some eastern cities into the western conference it makes a lot more sense to bring Detroit and Columbus back than to move the Florida teams to the West.

If nothing else, the travel time between the Western Canadian teams and the Florida teams would really make it a poor decision to use them to balance the conferences. Hopefully they either relocate or expand into Seattle so that we have another Pacific team to use for alignment.

[Resolute 14]

Travel time would not matter as every team only plays out-of-division opposition twice. From that perspective, it makes no difference if the Lightning and Panthers are in the Atlantic or Central. In fact, based on the map, every team but Winnipeg would be closer than their current division opponents.

Moving the Avs back to the Pacific doesn't change the timezones, as it would remain Pacific and Mountain. Moving the Florida teams to the Central doesn't change the number of timezones. It just goes from Mountain and Central to Central and Eastern.

[powderjunkie]

Maybe it's already been posted, but there is a reasonable chance that Pittsburgh, Carolina and Columbus/New Jersey could be the "Metropolitan" playoff teams this year.

[getbak]

They should have called it the Megalopolis Division: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_megalopolis

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Travel time would not matter as every team only plays out-of-division opposition twice.

Twice against out-of-conference opponents; three times against opponents in the other division of the same conference. So travel time does matter, actually.

[Mattman]

Originally Posted by Element55

Never mind. Found this: edit: found an existing map and added the new division names. Cross referenced the teams to make sure they match the divisions.

Just seeing those two less teams in the west makes me have the feeling Betman will add a team like Seattle and some other place. Very peculiar Gary

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by Mattman

Just seeing those two less teams in the west makes me have the feeling Betman will add a team like Seattle and some other place. Very peculiar Gary

Expand to Seattle and Portland, move Phoenix to the Central.

[Itse]

I seriously doubt Bettman had that much to say in this. Considering the importance of the divisions financially, you can bet that every GM and propably representatives from most owner groups were pushing their views.

Considering the amount of inevitable compromise, I think the new alignment looks pretty good. Just needs two more teams to make it a nice 32.

[Itse]

Hmm, a thought just occurred to me.

It's common knowledge that western teams need to travel much more, which costs both money and some UFA:s, who much prefer working for teams that get them home for the night more times in a season.

Perhaps both 7 team divisions are in the west not because of expansion plans, but as compensation for this imbalance.

[Lanny_McDonald]

I see a five year plan for the NHL. By 2020 I think we see four divisions of eight teams each, with expansion franchises being awarded to Quebec and Portland, shortly after Phoenix moves to Seattle. Divisions shape up like this.

Pacific: Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton

Central: Colorado, Dallas, Winnipeg, Minnesota, Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, and Detroit

Atlantic: Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Washington, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Rangers, and Islanders

Northeast: Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Toronto, Boston, Montreal, Quebec, Ottawa and Columbus

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by New Era

Central: Colorado, Dallas, Winnipeg, Minnesota, Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, and Detroit

With the amount of clout the Red Wings have in the league, I can't see them getting pushed back into the Western Conference. The reason the conferences are imbalanced now is to allow Detroit to play in the East.

[powderjunkie]

I imagine Columbus is stoked on the business side to be in the same division as Crosby and Ovy (and other geographically closer to their whole division). I can't imagine the Jets, Flames and Oilers were much of a draw.

Too bad their drought of playoff misses is more likely to continue.

[trublmaker]

my 2 cents, hate the name metropolitan division. Just doesn't sound hockey.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Mattman

Just seeing those two less teams in the west makes me have the feeling Betman will add a team like Seattle and some other place. Very peculiar Gary

Unless the NHL is run totally by somehow very rich incompetent people we should be expecting the divisions even out eventually. I think a Pacific Northwest team expansion makes sense, probably making Seattle a front runner. And another team in the central, maybe bring back the Scouts. Kansas City does have a relatively new arena that was looking like a possible, if only slightly, home for the Penguins a couple years back.

However, Quebec is building a $500M hockey arena. They'll be getting a team. Which is even more peculiar as it would obviously be in the East. I would love the NHL to give Quebec a team and move Detroit back to the central just as a big "f you" but I have a feeling that wasn't their plan. So I wouldn't be a bit surprised at all to see an East team relocate to Quebec. The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn, they're safe, but that's also an hour closer to New Jersey...who are in financial trouble. It's probably just a case of New Jersey eventually being sold and staying put, but it could make some sense to relocate them to Quebec (or to complete the circle, move them to Kansas City where they started and give Quebec a new team) and hope some of the Devil fanbase between Jersey and Brooklyn latch onto the Islanders.

Or maybe there's a reason that division is already split with the 2 teams in Florida...

If I was a betting man, that would be my horse. Seattle, Kansas City, Quebec and 1 team in the East gone with Phoenix still in a bit of a limbo.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Expand to Seattle and Portland, move Phoenix to the Central.

All indications are that wether is be via relocation or expansion that Seattle is the next big market the league wants to get into. If/when they get a new facility on the go it will be only a matter of time.

[Erick Estrada]

Feel bad (all right not that bad) for Jets fans. I know as a Flames fan the only teams in that division I would truly get excited about seeing is the Hawks and the Blues when they are good. We have seen a lot of boring hockey out of Dallas, Nashville, Minnesota (good riddance) and the Avs.