The NHL has announced a plan to go back into the future by bringing back four team divisions based on their time zones. For example, Colorado, Calgary, and Los Angels would all be in the same division because they are Mountain and Pacific Time zones. There would still be eight teams per conference making the playoffs, with the top two divisional finishers per division getting the top four seeds, and the other four seeds given to “wild card” teams. How would the playoffs look this year? In the Orr division, the surmised teams are Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Washington. Obviously, the class of this division is the Buffalo Sabers. The Sabers should have an easy romp through this one, capturing the number one seed. Montreal would also be bound to the playoffs. Then comes the mess. Washington would seem to finish third and would possibly make the playoffs, followed by Pittsburgh, Toronto, Ottawa, and then Boston in last place.
Meanwhile, in the LaFontaine division, all three New York area teams, the Rangers, Islanders and the New Jersey Devils would be joining Philadelphia, Atlanta, Carolina, Florida, and Tampa Bay. This would be one of the better divisions in the NHL. Atlanta is an amazing team this year, so are the Rangers. The Islanders, Devils and Hurricanes would also be players. Using the powers of prognostication, the Thrashers may win this division, followed by the Rangers, Devils, Islanders, and Hurricanes as possible playoff contenders. Tampa, Florida and Philly still would have an outside shot, but it’s not that likely.
The Howe division could be the best in the National Hockey League, period. Nashville, Columbus, Detroit, Dallas, Minnesota, Chicago, and St. Louis would all grace this division. Dallas, Detroit and Nashville would have the upper, while the Wild would have an outside shot at a playoff berth. Chicago, St. Louis and Columbus would have a hard time keeping pace in this division, especially when the proposal is to play six division games per opponent.
That would leave the Gretzky division. Colorado, Anaheim, Los Angles, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Phoenix would all be grouped together. San Jose and Anaheim would fight it out for the top spot in this division. Meanwhile, Calgary and Edmonton would be close to a playoff spot. Colorado and Los Angles would be on the outside looking in, while Phoenix and Los Angles would be far back in the chase.
This is just a proposal, but if approved by the majority of the Governors, could take effect by next season. The division names were made up, as there is no way to tell just yet, if this passes, how they would name the divisions.
Why would they do this? It’s quite simple really. They want to generate television revenue, and what better way to do that then to separate each division into geographical regions? Right now, a fan in Dallas would have to wait to see interdivisional road games, because they lie in the Pacific division. Under this system, the Stars would play six games a piece in their own division, which is made up of Western Conference teams from the Central and Eastern Time Zones.
Will it work? At this point, the NHL is just throwing something against a wall, and hoping that it will stick. This is a desperate league clinging onto it’s “Big Five” status, it has to do whatever it can just to survive.
