Welcome to the AZ Coyotes Insider newsletter. My plan is to publish stories four to six times per week. By subscribing, you’ll be supporting independent, accountable journalism. Subscribe now so you won’t miss a story. The NHL map. All illustrations by Clay Collins (
It seems like the main problem is there are just too many teams clustered up there in the North East. I think the NHL probably just needs to move the Canadiens, Senators, and Maple Leafs to Atlanta, San Diego and Portland. That would fix it. :)
I don't get all of the complaining, and some of the odd realignment suggestions in these replies. Obviously, you have to keep the five teams along the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Division. Vegas is farther west than Phoenix is, and there's no way the Edmonton-Calgary rivalry should be split up. That makes eight teams, and leaves us as the odd man out. None of us like it, but it's just luck of the draw.
I actually love this idea, having a southwest division creating that natural rivalry between AZ and Vegas makes sense. The primary reason I think the NHL would never consider this is probably "tradition" because that seems to be about half of how every decision is made.
Since they announced AZ to the Central, it never made sense to me that they didn’t try to keep AZ and Vegas together. I’d even settle for a AZ/LA/ANA/LV division. Each division opponent would be within an hour by plane.
The whole idea of having Vancouver and Seattle in the same division is to have a natural rival in close proximity and the same would hold true for AZ and VGK.
8 - four team divisions makes the most sense. I imagine MLB will do the same when they expand to 32 in the next five years (to help recoup COVID losses).
I think it is worth exploring some more. Some glaring challenges I see is having Boston playing in a division with 3 Canadian teams and then Buffalo and Toronto being in different divisions. Generally 4 team division just feels too small but willing to explore it a bit more.
I like the analogy to the NFL, which I think has the best league organization and *had* the best playoff format prior to getting greedy and adding another set of teams. I’d take it a step further and standardize the division names to a simple N-S-E-W.
The Big Read: A sensible realignment plan that the NHL probably won’t consider
This is sensible. Logical. Well reasoned.
In other words... never gonna happen.
1.
Vancouver
Seattle
Edmonton
Calgary
2.
LA
Anaheim
San Jose
Las Vegas
3.
Colorado
Dallas
St. Louis
Arizona
4.
Winnipeg
Minnesota
Chicago
Detroit
5.
Buffalo
Toronto
Ottawa
Montreal
6.
Boston
New Jersey
New York
New York Isles
7.
Washington
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Carolina
8.
Tampa
Florida
Nashville
Columbus
I think it's great plan. You'd make a fantastic commissioner. Bettman IS close to retirement?
It seems like the main problem is there are just too many teams clustered up there in the North East. I think the NHL probably just needs to move the Canadiens, Senators, and Maple Leafs to Atlanta, San Diego and Portland. That would fix it. :)
I don't get all of the complaining, and some of the odd realignment suggestions in these replies. Obviously, you have to keep the five teams along the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Division. Vegas is farther west than Phoenix is, and there's no way the Edmonton-Calgary rivalry should be split up. That makes eight teams, and leaves us as the odd man out. None of us like it, but it's just luck of the draw.
With the revenue issues caused by Covid, & realignment being associated with travel savings, the idea gets revisited?
I actually love this idea, having a southwest division creating that natural rivalry between AZ and Vegas makes sense. The primary reason I think the NHL would never consider this is probably "tradition" because that seems to be about half of how every decision is made.
SCIENCE!
Since they announced AZ to the Central, it never made sense to me that they didn’t try to keep AZ and Vegas together. I’d even settle for a AZ/LA/ANA/LV division. Each division opponent would be within an hour by plane.
The whole idea of having Vancouver and Seattle in the same division is to have a natural rival in close proximity and the same would hold true for AZ and VGK.
8 - four team divisions makes the most sense. I imagine MLB will do the same when they expand to 32 in the next five years (to help recoup COVID losses).
I hate the realignment, the last Edmonton game had huge energy. Now we only get to see the best player in the league twice every other year??
Excellent analysis..thanks.
I think it is worth exploring some more. Some glaring challenges I see is having Boston playing in a division with 3 Canadian teams and then Buffalo and Toronto being in different divisions. Generally 4 team division just feels too small but willing to explore it a bit more.
I like the analogy to the NFL, which I think has the best league organization and *had* the best playoff format prior to getting greedy and adding another set of teams. I’d take it a step further and standardize the division names to a simple N-S-E-W.
Well, we were looking for things to upset Toronto a couple of threads ago. I think this would do it.
You know why they don't want to, because that big of a change would really upset all Canadians.
I would've left the Coyotes in the Pacific; moved Colorado to the Pacific and Calgary & Edmonton to the Central.