NHL's Re-Alignment... Coming soon

I thought I would throw up a post that can help distract from the travesty in Seattle Monday night and the absurdity of a second NHL lockout in the last 8 years.

For the last few years, reports have been out there in the NHL circles that the relocation of select teams was inevitable. The Phoenix Coyotes are owned by the NHL, the New York Islanders are being driven off LongIsland by taxes and a poor facility, and Florida really can’t support 2 NHL teams. Add to that the fact that Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz took team management on a tour of Seattle’s Key Arena yesterday. Quebec City and Hamilton, ON have been clamoring for teams for a long time. Relocation is coming, and with that, the need for realignment is becoming more and more obvious. So I decided to do some fantasy booking and redraft the divisions with what I think would happen once realignment occurs.

There are two potential ways to go about this, with 6 divisions of 5 teams each, as the league is currently structured, or the way that the proposed realignment looked last December, 4 divisions, 2 with 8 teams and 2 with 7 teams.

I have arranged the divisions with the Coyotes moving to Quebec City, The Islanders moving to Hamilton, and the Oilers moving to Seattle. If a 4^th team were to move, say the Panthers, Oklahoma City or Houston would be potential locations, but for the sake of this posting, I am leaving the Panthers in Florida.

6 Divisions

• Eastern Canada: Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton
• Atlantic: Boston, New York, New Jersey, Buffalo, Philadelphia
• Midwest: Pittsburg, Columbus, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis
• Southeast: Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Nashville
• Southwest: Colorado, Dallas, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose
• Northwest: Minnespta, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle

4 Divisions

• Northeast: Montreal, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec, Hamilton, Buffalo
• East: New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay, Pittsburg
• Midwest: Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, Columbus, St. Louis, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Dallas
• West: Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Colorado, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary

I am more partial to the 4 division setup, as it does more to preserve the natural rivalries than the 6 division setup does, but it is anyone’s guess as to what the NHL will decide to do. This is just one man’s opinion. I am curious to think what others think about this.