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The Gallagher Report: If the NHL implemented this, does the new T.O. team go in the West?

M.M.

By M.M.
in Around the NHL

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M.M. Newbie

M.M.

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If ask this question because if the NHL actually went through with this particular plan, there would be at least four strong arguments for putting the new Toronto team in the Western Conference:

1) It would balance the conferences;

2) It would give the Western teams an equal number of games in hockey's biggest market;

3) It would maximize the possible number of playoff series in hockey's biggest market;

4) It would minimize the number of games between the Toronto teams and it would ensure they couldn't meet in the playoffs, except in the Final.

 

That final point is a particularly important one because, as I see it, the only way MLSE would ever sign off on another Toronto franchise is if they had some sort of an ownership stake in that team.

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hf101 Grand Master

hf101

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Welcome @M.M.

 

Interesting post.  The first thing issue I can think of in adding a Toronto team in the Western Conference is the added travel distances for the Western conference teams. 

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ScottM Newbie

ScottM

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Travel and time zones would be an issue. If the Toronto-based team were put in the west, they would have the unique disadvantage of having to move across three time zones for multiple conference opponents. The league just moved the Eastern Time Zone based Red Wings and Blue Jackets to the east after (as I understood it) having privately promised the Red Wings to do for years. I don't think the league would want to get into that situation with another team.

 

I would think the same thing would apply to a current team being moved to the other conference as well. Who would they move?

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Hatrik98 Newbie

Hatrik98

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Travel and time zones would be an issue. If the Toronto-based team were put in the west, they would have the unique disadvantage of having to move across three time zones for multiple conference opponents. The league just moved the Eastern Time Zone based Red Wings and Blue Jackets to the east after (as I understood it) having privately promised the Red Wings to do for years. I don't think the league would want to get into that situation with another team.

 

I would think the same thing would apply to a current team being moved to the other conference as well. Who would they move?

I would think they put the new Toronto team in the Atlantic to keep a inner city rivalry and bounce Columbus back to the Central.

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ScottM Newbie

ScottM

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I would think they put the new Toronto team in the Atlantic to keep a inner city rivalry and bounce Columbus back to the Central.

 

Columbus would be one of the best candidates if they were to do that, but they're still in the Eastern time zone. Every Eastern conference team is.

 

Here's where I stand: I don't like the unbalanced conferences. But most of the better expansion candidates (at least in my eyes) are in the east. So no matter how you look at it, balancing the conferences mean moving an Eastern time zone team back to the west. That also seems like a bad idea to me. I honestly don't know the answer to this.

 

I do think putting the new Toronto team in the Atlantic would be a wise move, though. There's not only the rivalry with the Leafs, but they'd have a natural rival in the Sens too, thanks to the Battle of Ontario.

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Hatrik98 Newbie

Hatrik98

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Columbus would be one of the best candidates if they were to do that, but they're still in the Eastern time zone. Every Eastern conference team is.

 

Here's where I stand: I don't like the unbalanced conferences. But most of the better expansion candidates (at least in my eyes) are in the east. So no matter how you look at it, balancing the conferences mean moving an Eastern time zone team back to the west. That also seems like a bad idea to me. I honestly don't know the answer to this.

 

I do think putting the new Toronto team in the Atlantic would be a wise move, though. There's not only the rivalry with the Leafs, but they'd have a natural rival in the Sens too, thanks to the Battle of Ontario.

Yeah but if an expansion team was awarded in Hamilton or London, you gotta think that the Battle of Ontario would become bigger. It would be more of a war than a battle. :hocky:

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jammer2 Proficient

jammer2

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Yeah but if an expansion team was awarded in Hamilton or London, you gotta think that the Battle of Ontario would become bigger. It would be more of a war than a battle. :hocky:

 

 It did not start out as a war, but over the last decade or so, Leafs vs Sens games have much more emotion and you can tell the fan bases and teams have a real animosity towards each other....which, of course makes the games much more fun to watch. A new team in Ontario would give us Leafs vs Sens x2. Just endless possibilities....I could see the teams or prospects having a 3 way tourny, the winner claiming the all Ontario trophy.

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Hatrik98 Newbie

Hatrik98

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 It did not start out as a war, but over the last decade or so, Leafs vs Sens games have much more emotion and you can tell the fan bases and teams have a real animosity towards each other....which, of course makes the games much more fun to watch. A new team in Ontario would give us Leafs vs Sens x2. Just endless possibilities....I could see the teams or prospects having a 3 way tourny, the winner claiming the all Ontario trophy.

 

An Ontario Trophy.  I think you are on to something. A season within a season.

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