Revive the classic divisional names. Revive Quebec & Hartford. Give Houston (largest market without a team) one after the Aeros should’ve been absorbed from the WHA but Jeremy Jacobs politics squashed it. And make #36 a revenue-generating second Toronto team.

ADAMS DIVISION
Buffalo Sabres
Hartford Whalers
Boston Bruins
Quebec Nordiques
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators

PATRICK DIVISION
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

NORRIS DIVISION
Toronto St Pat’s
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
Columbus Blue Jackets
Chicago Black Hawks
St Louis Blues

SMYTHE DIVISION
Minnesota North Stars
Winnipeg Jets
Edmonton Oilers
Calgary Flames
Vancouver Canucks
Seattle Metropolitans

GRETZKY DIVISION
San Jose Sharks
Los Angeles Kings
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Vegas Golden Knights
Arizona Coyotes
Colorado Avalanche

BETTMAN DIVISION
Dallas Stars
Houston Aeros
Nashville Predators
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning

Sack the shootout. Make overtime a 20-minute 3x3. Ties 1 point apiece.

Playoffs: 6 divisional winners and top 2 wild-card’s comprising seeds 1-8 with next 8 wild-cards comprising seeds 9-16 — leaving open two rivals playing for the Stanley Cup. First team to clinch a SCF berth gets its choice of Wales or Campbell trophy with other left for 2nd team to clinch.

Schedule: play your 5 divisional opponents 4x (20) and 30 non-divisional opponents 2x (60).
81st and 82nd games would be against a geographic or historical rival(s):

Buffalo (TSP)
Hartford (NYI/NJ)
Boston (NYR)
Quebec (OTT)
Montreal (TML)
Ottawa (QUE)

NY Rangers (BOS)
NY Islanders (HFD/NJ)
New Jersey (HFD/NYI)
Philadelphia (PIT/WSH)
Pittsburgh (PHI/WSH)
Washington (PHI/PIT)

TOR St Pat’s (BUF)
TOR Maple Leafs (MTL)
Detroit (CBJ)
Columbus (DET)
Chicago (MIN)
St Louis (NSH)

Minnesota (CHI)
Winnipeg (EDM/CGY)
Edmonton (WPG/CGY)
Calgary (WPG/EDM)
Vancouver (SEA)
Seattle (VAN)

San Jose (LA/ANA)
Los Angeles (SJ/ANA)
Anaheim (SJ/LA)
Vegas (AZ/COL)
Arizona (VGK/COL)
Colorado (VGK/AZ)

Dallas (HOU)
Houston (DAL)
Nashville (STL)
Carolina (FL/TB)
Florida (CAR/TB)
Tampa Bay (CAR/FL)

Also reserve all weekends for geographic or historic rivals so fans can travel to those games and optimize tv (HNIC/NBC).

These alignments prioritize tradition and foster regional coherence, imo. Exceptions would be Toronto (but they were an original Norris anyway plus get 2 O6 rivals plus a crosstown), Minnesota (couldn’t find another western team), & Nashville (but at least they get to carry the torch for southern hockey). Tried to makeup for it by having them get 3rd and 4th games against Montreal (Toronto), Chicago (Minnesota), & St Louis (Nashville), respectively.

Minnesota Wild?

Whalers come back to Hartford but Carolina keeps the Hurricanes?

Seattle is the only confirmed expansion team so ate you saying Houston, Qubec, and team #2 for Toronto are a go?

I don't like the current division set up either but...

36 teams will dilute the talent pool imo. With Vegas and Seattle making for an even 32 teams, I think the NHL is in a good state (though I think the Panthers or Coyotes should move to Quebec). Houston is a large market, but unless I'm mistaken it's an apathetic hockey city; it's another Atlanta Thrashers waiting to happen. A second Toronto team would work but the Leafs won't allow it.

As this article suggests, it's likely that the Canadiens are just as opposed to a team in Quebec City as the Leafs are to a second team in the Toronto area. And add to that, Bettman's obsession with US markets that don't give a rat's azz about the NHL.

Columbus and Pittsburgh are tied at hip. There is more history between those two teams than CBJ and Detroit.

(04-14-2019 03:36 PM)Wedge Wrote:  As this article suggests, it's likely that the Canadiens are just as opposed to a team in Quebec City as the Leafs are to a second team in the Toronto area. And add to that, Bettman's obsession with US markets that don't give a rat's azz about the NHL.

I always thought that building of that arena up in Quebec sounded kind of fishy in that the Nordiques moved, the exchange rate, and the NHL wasn't really in expansion mode. I wondered how that arena was shopped to the city of Quebec because I doubt an arena of that cost gets built unless there was guarantee of a NBA or NHL team coming there.

(04-13-2019 03:42 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Revive the classic divisional names. Revive Quebec & Hartford. Give Houston (largest market without a team) one after the Aeros should’ve been absorbed from the WHA but Jeremy Jacobs politics squashed it. And make #36 a revenue-generating second Toronto team.

ADAMS DIVISION
Buffalo Sabres
Hartford Whalers Expansion team add?
Boston Bruins
Quebec Nordiques Expansion team add?
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators

PATRICK DIVISION
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

NORRIS DIVISION
Toronto St Pat’s Expansion team add?
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
Columbus Blue Jackets
Chicago Black Hawks
St Louis Blues

SMYTHE DIVISION
Minnesota North Stars Wild right?
Winnipeg Jets
Edmonton Oilers
Calgary Flames
Vancouver Canucks
Seattle Metropolitans Expansion confirmed but I don't think their name has gone final.

GRETZKY DIVISION
San Jose Sharks
Los Angeles Kings
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Vegas Golden Knights
Arizona Coyotes
Colorado Avalanche

BETTMAN DIVISION
Dallas Stars
Houston Aeros Expansion team add?
Nashville Predators
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning

They'd add 4 expansion teams? I mean I am sure the NHL loves money and the corporate office loves taking in expansion fees but.... 4? That is a lot to take on especially with Seattle and Vegas coming in.

Toronto #2 makes a lot of sense but IDK if its like the Islanders/Rangers kind of deal where they could actually make two teams viable. Unless there are so many left out Leafs fans that if another team came in they'd have no issues getting started.

I would think they'd like more western teams akin to Vegas and Seattle so.... Kansas City, Houston, Portland(?)

Not sold on an eastern expansion like Hartford, Toronto #2, and/or Quebec.

Then you get into the relocation rumors of the Florida Panthers and the Arizona Coyotes.

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I did like Carolina's old division of TB, ATL, and Washington though. As the Metro, it just feels too big to form rivalries.

Every true hockey fan knows Atlanta needs a Hat trick: