12/18/24
July 19, 2013
NHL Re-Alignment:: The NHL announced the new alignment today, with two conferences of two divisions each. The Detroit Red Wings will now play in the Eastern Conference in the Atlantic Division, and the Winnipeg Jets will be in the Western Conference in the Central Division. Let the natural rivalries (Tampa-Toronto?) begin to take shape!
I like this for the Dallas Stars. No more division games two time zones to the West, the teams I most want to see the Stars play (Detroit and Colorado) and a Dallas-Minnesota Norm Green rivalry.
posted by rcade at 02:46 PM on July 19, 2013
Take heart, yerfatma, at least your team isn't in the Metropolitan Division. I think they were going to name it the Cosmopolitan Division, but the creators of Sex and the City threatened to sue.
Also, I forgot to note that the Blue Jackets are also heading east to join the aforementioned Cosmopolitan Division. Good thing, too, because the Kovalchuk-less, draft pick-less Devils will need a patsy in the division (besides themselves, of course).
An Original 6 Cup finals is going to be a bit tougher now, as the only Original 6 team in the West is now Chicago. 4 are in the Atlantic and 1 in the Cosmopolitan.
We'll see. I don't want to poo-poo it just yet, and I think it's an improvement over the previous iteration. I just wish they'd brought back the old names.
On edit: sorry to steal your post format, beaverboard.
posted by tahoemoj at 02:50 PM on July 19, 2013
at least your team isn't in the Metropolitan Division
Yeah, that is a bit cringe-worthy. At best it's an Art Deco-era throwback name.
posted by yerfatma at 03:10 PM on July 19, 2013
The problem with the old names is that few of the younger fans know who they are. At least Detroit finally gets its decades-long plea to reduce the number of 9 and 10 p.m. road games.
The Metropolitan Division ... most will just call it the "Metro Division."
posted by jjzucal at 03:15 PM on July 19, 2013
Though I'll miss the Hawks and Blues 36 times a year, I welcome my team being a member of the Neopolitan division...
Guess I shoulda read the article first...the Wings are in the Atlantic. Nevertheless, I will be calling it the Neopolitan fron now on...
posted by MeatSaber at 03:43 PM on July 19, 2013
As a Minnesotan, I like that the Wild aren't constantly having to go to western Canada for divisional games. Tougher division than before, but much more logical geographically.
posted by TheQatarian at 05:05 PM on July 19, 2013
The problem with the old names is that few of the younger fans know who they are.
That's what they say every 3 years when they re-name, but what does it matter? No young kid cares that much about the conference or division alignments or names and once they're old enough, labels are just labels.
posted by yerfatma at 08:58 AM on July 20, 2013
I guess they had to juice it for the schedule to work, but odd that there are 16 teams in the East (50% chance of making the playoffs, all other things being equal) but only 14 in the West (57% chance).
posted by holden at 09:24 AM on July 20, 2013
I wonder if they will fiddle with the playoff system to fix that. It seems odd that teams/the NHLPA would agree to a realignment that has unbalanced playoff qualification.
I'm also very happy that the Wings have finally moved east. It will get rid of the constant 10:00 PM playoff games and they'll be able to play the Leafs with more regularity again.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 10:43 AM on July 22, 2013
*sob* We're never getting the Adams/ Patrick/ Norris/ Smythe/ Wales/ Campbell back.