How will the re-shaped divisions impact the NHL?

by Tyler Movsessian

When the Atlanta Thrashers lost their fan base in 2011, they migrated north of the border to one of hockey’s proudest cities in Winnipeg, Manitoba. However, this move was problematic. The Atlanta based team was in the southeast division. Winnipeg is in the middle of Canada and it was too taxing for the teams in Florida to go to Winnipeg three times and vice versa. This led to the NHL division realignment.

            Since 1993, there have been 2 conferences, East and West with three divisions in each with the conferences containing 15 teams a piece. Now, the NHL shifted Winnipeg Jets to the Western Conference’s Central division and they moved Detroit and Columbus into the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions, respectively. Thus, there are now 16 teams in the east and 14 teams in the west.   

Sophomore Justin Scott likes that the realignment is finally taking place two years after the Atlanta transaction.

“It makes more sense based on location and it will make traveling easier,” commented Scott.

            However, it wasn’t all perfect as some things were not pleasing to NHL fans.

            “I dislike the playoff format because it is a lot like the MLB postseason, with the wild cards. Just like in the MLB, too many good teams miss the postseason and I feel like this new playoff format has potential to deny some teams that are close to making it and perhaps would have got in if they had not changed the divisions,” added Scott.

            The playoff format has been altered slightly as well.  The three teams in each conference with the best record and the two teams that are not in the top 3 become wildcard. Then, the wildcard with the worst record plays the division winner with the best record and the wildcard with the best record plays the division leader with the worst record. For example, if Boston defeats Montreal in the wildcard game and Detroit defeats Toronto in the 2^nd and 3^rd place game, Detroit and Boston plays in the divisional championship. Then, a similar bracket ensues in the other division with the division champion playing the winner of the Boston and Detroit series for the Eastern Conference Championship who then plays the Western Conference Champions for the Stanley Cup..

            But is there another way the NHL could have adjusted the divisions without changing the number of divisions or playoff format?

            Ryan Kelly, an avid hockey fan theorized a plan so that the NHL could have kept the same six divisions that it has had since 1993.

            “If the NHL put Winnipeg in the Northwest division and moved Minnesota to the Central division, then transferred Nashville to the Southeast, I believe that would be less complicated and it would geographically make sense,” suggested Kelly.
             In sports, only time will tell when the league makes a change regarding conference realignment. Certainly, the new members of each division will create new rivals and it will be an interesting power struggle to watch as the teams now try to push in late March to squeeze into the new playoff system set for mid April. Until then, let the fun begin!