ScottM Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Gary Bettman is out there with another dumb idea. In an interview with the Boston Globe, he said that if Las Vegas and Quebec City receive expansion teams, the NHL would have to consider placing the Nordiques in the Western Conference, even while acknowledging that having Winnipeg in the Southeast Division was "less than ideal." Keep in mind, Quebec City is barely west of Boston. In another thread, we've had a bevy of ideas for realignment floated, and while we all found some we liked and others we disliked, I think they all beat this idea. Being in the west would be more difficult logistically for a Quebec City-based team than it was for Detroit or Columbus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 @ScottM Absurd that we are still talking East and West but if we are, if that is the pride that Quebec has to pay to regain admission into the league than so be it. Rather them than an established team like, ahem, some other Eastern time zone teams that have already paid their dues with ridiculous multiple Western conference trips every year. Just sayin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 And so the stage-setting for the relocation of an existing team/franchise begins... Give Seattle an expansion team, let Quebec pay their entrance fee and make the Panthers the Newordiques. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I have been to Quebec City four times, an absolute jewel of a city, almost exclusively French, a lot of NHL players have had a difficult time adjusting to playing there. John Ogrodnick, an early hero of mine absolutely found Quebec City abhorrent. Others have as well. But yeah, realignment needs to come, Quebec has no business in the West. Just follow the NFL pattern and put a Western division in each conference and get it over with and it all falls together nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 @yave1964 The East/West thing was one of the driving forces of my "independent" divisions idea. That keeps them in divisions with geographically close teams, and limits travel somewhat because of the lack of "conferences." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Gary Bettman is out there with another dumb idea. In an interview with the Boston Globe, he said that if Las Vegas and Quebec City receive expansion teams, the NHL would have to consider placing the Nordiques in the Western Conference, even while acknowledging that having Winnipeg in the Southeast Division was "less than ideal." Keep in mind, Quebec City is barely west of Boston. In another thread, we've had a bevy of ideas for realignment floated, and while we all found some we liked and others we disliked, I think they all beat this idea. Being in the west would be more difficult logistically for a Quebec City-based team than it was for Detroit or Columbus. There's no need to worry about this happening because I still think (with 99% confidence) that Quebec City is NOT going to receive an NHL expansion team. (Nobody is.) They're going to receive an EXISTING NHL team from the Eastern Conference. And I'm almost entirely certain that team will be the Florida Panthers. That way the Nordiques fit into the same division with the Leafs, Sens, and Canadiens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Quebec vs Montreal rivalry. Nuff said. Quebec won't be west Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom I think we're going to continue to disagree on expansion, but Bettman's comments suggest to me that expansion is even more likely. Apparently, some thought has been put into this, because he had an answer ready. @J0e Th0rnton I'd believe that if we weren't talking about Bettman... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom I think we're going to continue to disagree on expansion, but Bettman's comments suggest to me that expansion is even more likely. Apparently, some thought has been put into this, because he had an answer ready. @J0e Th0rnton I'd believe that if we weren't talking about Bettman... That's what makes life great. Another troubling issue of late is the fall of the Canadian dollar. Quebec City's timing couldn't be any worse. If I were them, I would pull my bid off the table and wait to see what happens. As the Canadian dollar plummets, revenue sharing dollars will decrease and teams like the Panthers will have to fold. If the prospective owners in Quebec City were smart, they would wait for the NHL to put the Panthers up for sale and then bring them home. It's inevitable. Trying to force the issue now is such a major financial blunder. It's a really bad time to buy for Canadian teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom I think we're going to continue to disagree on expansion, but Bettman's comments suggest to me that expansion is even more likely. Apparently, some thought has been put into this, because he had an answer ready. @J0e Th0rnton I'd believe that if we weren't talking about Bettman...Expansion is virtually inevitable, especially if there are two cities willing to pony up ONE BILLION DOLLARS combined for the privledge."One billion dollars? Oh, please, no thank you!" - said no NHL owner ever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Expansion is virtually inevitable, especially if there are two cities willing to pony up ONE BILLION DOLLARS combined for the privledge."One billion dollars? Oh, please, no thank you!" - said no NHL owner ever... I think the NHL would like to expand if they could. Having said that, I think they know that they can't. This is the reality that is staring Gary Butthurt and the 30 owners in the face right now (and it's not going away):Arizona Coyotes on life support... doctor's prognosis: imminent death.Carolina Hurricanes in bad shape.Florida Panthers in bad shape.77 cent Canadian dollar that continues to plummet.The NHL is going to have the Oilers, Flames, Senators, and Jets struggling to break-even very soon. The revenue sharing dollars are going to dry up. The cap is coming down. The league is in for some hard times the next few years. The Nordiques (if they re-emerge) will be in the red financially right off the hop and will have their hand out because of the Canadian dollar. Las Vegas is not going to be the NHL's white knight. They may prove to be a bigger disaster than Phoenix/Arizona. If the NHL puts teams in Quebec City and Las Vegas, then they will have to contract at least one or two teams in the next five years as a result. (Another NHL first.) So if they go through with this, and these owners in Quebec City and Las Vegas are dumb enough to cough up the 500 mil for an expansion team, then they're going to watch the NHL fold two teams that they could have relocated for free. Or they're going to watch a Johnny-come-lately (smart cookie) owner swoop in, buy the Panthers for a song (~100 mil), and move them to Seattle without having to pay any extra fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 I think the NHL would like to expand if they could. Having said that, I think they know that they can't. I disagree with the idea that the league can't expand. Let the debate continue as to whether or not it should, but it definitely can. Ultimately, though, even if it is an unwise decision, it's pretty clear that Bettman and the league don't think it is. If so, they would have stuck to their same old story. They've been denying expansion rumors for years, even when everyone knew that something was probably in the works. If they felt that they couldn't add two new teams, they would have simply continued to sing the same old song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Nords....take your lumps, enter the league in the West....North pole for all that matter....and inevitably, the Nords will get moved back to the East over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPuk Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Good grief..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I think the NHL would like to expand if they could. Having said that, I think they know that they can't. This is the reality that is staring Gary Butthurt and the 30 owners in the face right now (and it's not going away):Arizona Coyotes on life support... doctor's prognosis: imminent death.Carolina Hurricanes in bad shape.Florida Panthers in bad shape.77 cent Canadian dollar that continues to plummet.The NHL is going to have the Oilers, Flames, Senators, and Jets struggling to break-even very soon. The revenue sharing dollars are going to dry up. The cap is coming down. The league is in for some hard times the next few years. The Nordiques (if they re-emerge) will be in the red financially right off the hop and will have their hand out because of the Canadian dollar. Las Vegas is not going to be the NHL's white knight. They may prove to be a bigger disaster than Phoenix/Arizona. If the NHL puts teams in Quebec City and Las Vegas, then they will have to contract at least one or two teams in the next five years as a result. (Another NHL first.) So if they go through with this, and these owners in Quebec City and Las Vegas are dumb enough to cough up the 500 mil for an expansion team, then they're going to watch the NHL fold two teams that they could have relocated for free. Or they're going to watch a Johnny-come-lately (smart cookie) owner swoop in, buy the Panthers for a song (~100 mil), and move them to Seattle without having to pay any extra fees. https://youtu.be/-WCFUGCOLLU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 https://youtu.be/-WCFUGCOLLU LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 I see the league doing one of these in a couple of years. The NHL with 32 teams 16 in each conference 8 in each division Toronto Ottawa Montreal Buffalo Quebec (expansion)Boston DetroitTampa PittsburghRangers Islanders DevilsWashington CarolinaColumbus Philadelphia St.LouisDallas ChicagoWinnipeg Minnesota Nashville Colorado Las Vegas (expansion) Calgary Edmonton Vancouver Los Angeles Anaheim San Jose Phoenix Seattle (relocation of Florida) But I wouldn't be opposed to 8 divisions either such as: Eastern Conference Canada East DivisionMontrealQuebecTorontoOttawa US NorthEast DivisionNY IslandersNY RangersBostonBuffalo US Atlantic DivisionPhiladelphiaWashingtonNJ DevilsPittsburgh US South DivisionCarolinaNashvilleFloridaTampa Canada West DivisionEdmontonCalgaryWinnipegVancouver The US Lakes DivisionColumbusDetroitChicagoMinnesota The US Plains DivisionDallasSt. LouisLas VegasColorado The US Pacific DivisionLAAnaheimSan JosePhoenix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 I think if they went with 8 divisions I'd rank the top 4 division winners in each conference 1-4 and then pick the next top 4 teams in the East and West based upon points record thus some divisions may only have one team in the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenagemutantninjahertl Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 I see the league doing one of these in a couple of years. The NHL with 32 teams 16 in each conference 8 in each division Toronto Ottawa Montreal Buffalo Quebec (expansion)Boston DetroitTampa PittsburghRangers Islanders DevilsWashington CarolinaColumbus Philadelphia St.LouisDallas ChicagoWinnipeg Minnesota Nashville Colorado Las Vegas (expansion) Calgary Edmonton Vancouver Los Angeles Anaheim San Jose Phoenix Seattle (relocation of Florida) But I wouldn't be opposed to 8 divisions either such as: Eastern Conference Canada East DivisionMontrealQuebecTorontoOttawa US NorthEast DivisionNY IslandersNY RangersBostonBuffalo US Atlantic DivisionPhiladelphiaWashingtonNJ DevilsPittsburgh US South DivisionCarolinaNashvilleFloridaTampa Canada West DivisionEdmontonCalgaryWinnipegVancouver The US Lakes DivisionColumbusDetroitChicagoMinnesota The US Plains DivisionDallasSt. LouisLas VegasColorado The US Pacific DivisionLAAnaheimSan JosePhoenix Except Florida is NOT moving. We're talking about expansions, NOT relocation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Except Florida is NOT moving yet. Fixed it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I still like the idea of three conferences. It could work, and the NHL could introduce another new trophy (the Bettman trophy?) that players would never touch. It's perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I still like the idea of three conferences. It could work, and the NHL could introduce another new trophy (the Bettman trophy?) that players would never touch. It's perfect. How would you set up the playoffs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Eastern ConferenceOttawa MontrealQuebec CityBoston Tampa BayPittsburghRangersIslandersDevilsWashingtonPhiladelphia Central Conference Toronto DetroitChicagoSt.LouisMinnesotaWinnipegNashvilleMarkham (the second team in the GTA)ColumbusBuffalo Western Conference Calgary Edmonton Vancouver Los Angeles Anaheim San JoseColoradoSeattleDallasLas Vegas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 How would you set up the playoffs? Like this: DIVISION VIEW (with no thought put into the teams in each division): Eastern ConferenceOttawa MontrealQuebec CityBoston Tampa Bay PittsburghRangersIslandersDevilsWashingtonPhiladelphia Central Conference Toronto DetroitChicagoSt.LouisMinnesota WinnipegNashvilleMarkham (the second team in the GTA)ColumbusBuffalo Western Conference Calgary Edmonton Vancouver Los Angeles Anaheim San JoseColoradoSeattleDallasLas Vegas I made up two divisions per conference (teams would have to be shuffled around a bit, but this is quick and dirty)...... Top team in each division is in for sure. The rest are determined by points within their conference until you arrive at 16 total teams. Each conference will send at least 5 teams into the playoffs (total). The remaining team will be a "wildcard" team that can come from any conference. CONFERENCE VIEW (with teams sorted by points for pretend): Eastern ConferenceOttawa - 1Montreal - 2Quebec City - 3Boston - 4Tampa Bay - 5Pittsburgh (wildcard team)RangersIslandersDevilsWashingtonPhiladelphia Central Conference Toronto - 1Detroit - 2Chicago - 3St.Louis - 4Minnesota - 5WinnipegNashvilleMarkham (the second team in the GTA)ColumbusBuffalo Western Conference Calgary - 1Edmonton - 2 Vancouver - 3Los Angeles - 4Anaheim - 5San JoseColoradoSeattleDallasLas Vegas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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