CBJ Board realignment discussion II (Jackets officially to the Atlantic Division)
- Thread starter Double-Shift Lasse
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Matthew
OK Boomer
A sure fire way for the Jackets to withstand any realignment plan is to get better players. Better players means a better team, a playoff team. A playoff team means more Jacket fan fannies in the seats, a full house every night at the Arena, and a rivalry with any NHL team because we would[/B] at long last be in the playoffs year in and year out
- Jan 12, 2011
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Exactly right which is why it's hard to get too exited. The better solution would be to go to three conferences - East, West, and Central - which was being floated about 18 months ago. That would seem to offer a longer term solution with more flexibility. At worst we would be in the central playing EST and CST games with the Wings, Blues, Blackhawks and Preds - a good group to have on our schedule.
Matthew
OK Boomer
true but the trouble with the current alignment is about so many late start times, which affects revenue and complicates viewing for hometown fans. Those things seem more important than re-alignment for the sake of "easier" competition
Sore Loser
Sorest of them all
I like this map from Icethetics for a visual look at the proposed plan.
Really, those two Florida teams are in the wrong division ... but, it's semantics.
Matthew
OK Boomer
I'm not pro-moving teams, but this is a situation where its like if we just plucked the Florida teams and put one in Washington State and the other in Kansas City, everything would make a lot more sense.
Dreger reporting tonight that the players want either Columbus or Detroit kept in the West to keep the conferences at 15-15.
Double-Shift Lasse
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I'd actually prefer this as well. As long as it's Columbus. Which I assume is the hang-up. The league wants to move Columbus but Detroit wants to go, too, and has a good bit of pull. This the 16-14 plan.
I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear the contraction discussion that's being had, JF.
Not to worry, DSL, as long as I'm President of HF, you always have a job in the front office.
EspenK
Registered User
- Sep 25, 2011
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Here's an interesting article about one guy's view on how this should work.
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/21780081/nhl-realignment-with-no-perfect-solution-nhl-should-wait
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/21780081/nhl-realignment-with-no-perfect-solution-nhl-should-wait
Interesting, but Stubbits refutes his own premise when he says, "As you can see, there's no perfect solution. It's precisely why I don't understand why the NHL is doing this now. Obviously there is a need to do something." Then he offers another imperfect solution.
Realignment has never been just about convenience or perfection. It's about marketing too. The NHL has seen attendance rise when new teams come to town. We saw it in Cbus too. This realignment is another step in that direction.
Realignment is a periodic jiggling of the PR machine.
And creating two apparent slots in the West signals a desire for expansion out west. The writer's Eastern-centric Snobbery is evident. Remember when they said Columbus couldn't support a team?
And for you youngsters....they said the same thing about LA, and Vancouver, and Dallas, and Tampa, and Miami. Stubbits --being a 2002 college graduate, probably doesn't know this history.
Double-Shift Lasse
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Interesting, but the guy refutes his own premise when he says, "As you can see, there's no perfect solution. It's precisely why I don't understand why the NHL is doing this now. Obviously there is a need to do something." Then he offers another imperfect solution.
Realignment has never been just about convenience or perfection. It's about marketing too. The NHL has seen attendance rise when new teams come to town. We saw it in Cbus too. This realignment is another step in that direction.
Realignment is a periodic jiggling of the PR machine.
And creating two apparent slots in the West signals a desire for expansion out west. The writer's Eastern-centric Snobbery is evident. Remember when they said Columbus couldn't support a team?
The same was said about Kansas City, Atlanta and Oakland. Which is apropos of nothing, but true nonetheless.
Short term, I think the 16-14 is just about appeasing both Detroit and Columbus. I think the league would like to simply swap Columbus and Winnipeg, but can't do so without angering a significant constituent in Ilitch and the Wings. Long-term, there may be hopes of expansion out west to balance the conferences, but there is significant support for a team in Quebec as well. And has the situation in Phoenix stabilized?
Anyway, to reiterate - I think the league wants to fix the Winnipeg situation, but is left with few palatable solutions.
I don't think the league cares that much about Columbus or Winnipeg. They have 0 leverage.
("Winnipeg, you're new, suck it up". "Columbus, until you stop sucking, shut up.")
I think they want Detroit in the East for $$.
And I think they see a natural rivalry for Pittsburgh in Cbus that's going unu$ed.
And I think they want/need the expansion $$. The franchise fees, new merchandise income, and television rights for two new teams is money in the bank for both the NHL owners and the NHLPA.
Double-Shift Lasse
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Based on your subsequent points (potential rivalries, TV rights), you don't think the league wants Winnipeg playing against Minnesota, Calgary and Edmonton? I didn't say those franchises have leverage, but both have alignment/travel situations that need improved.
Detroit is going to generate dollars regardless. If Columbus is inconsequential, then why this? When the Pens already have rivalries with the Caps and Flyers and to a lesser extent the Rangers?
I don't doubt this, but the 16-14 alignment means that expansion will be targeted to the west. While there may be viable options, you've aligned yourself into a corner, so to speak, with 16-14.
Again, I believe a simple Columbus-for-Winnipeg swap would be best, but is complicated by Detroit's gravitas and desire to move east. So we get 16-14.
Not sure i agree with this. Detroit in the west is a huge draw. Moving the D to the east will give the eastern conference 5 of the O6. I am a proponent of the 4 division realignment with two eastern, one central and one western division. If, and its a big IF at this point, the nhl expands it will be in the Toronto market first.
1857 Howitzer
******* Linesman
“@Aportzline: Told #CBJ would fight like hell if plan is changed to send Detroit to the Eastern Conference and keep #CBJ in Western Conference.”
Meh, we go to the East. If the players and owners approve it, I'm good. The rest of the talk really isn't relevant to me. I'm not much of a "wait on the start to align" kind of guy. If Phx does move they aren't going to the East, so it really is a moot point in IMO anyway.
If the league expands the current disparity will only be in place for a small handful of years anyway, maybe 2 or 3. No big deal. If it doesn't expand there will be an elephant in the room. I can't see them planning on leaving this in place forever.
I have no problem with stop gaps as long as teams don't have to move conferences a second time (Detroit and Columbus).
So let's just get this thing done and be done with it.
If the league expands the current disparity will only be in place for a small handful of years anyway, maybe 2 or 3. No big deal. If it doesn't expand there will be an elephant in the room. I can't see them planning on leaving this in place forever.
I have no problem with stop gaps as long as teams don't have to move conferences a second time (Detroit and Columbus).
So let's just get this thing done and be done with it.
Good for them. They would lose, but good for them. If it happens that way, I'll be disappointed for a good 2 or 3 hours and then move on.
The board would explode and ***** and complain for decades, but I'd be fine in a couple of hours.
A lot of the fans around the league would laugh at us, which would cause even more drama around here.
Looking at that map, selfishly I would surround Lake Erie:
Detroit, Toronto, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus
Add Carolina
Add the 2 Florida teams.
It really packs the NorthEast down and splits up the Pittsburgh-Philly rivalry, but it puts more teams in "drivable" distance from Columbus.
Jaxs
Registered User
- Jul 4, 2008
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If the NHL were to adopt this, just moving Detroit, East, wouldn't they have to scrap the realignment and just swap Winnipeg and Detroit? Otherwise there would be 8-7 in each of the halves. There will be more infighting.
This case would make it easier to expand to one team in the East and one in the West.
Agreed, it is what it is, God forbid we should have anymore drama than there already is.
Central would be an acceptable alternative if that's what it takes to get it done. The West Coast swings have to be addressed. The Eastern Conf Teams would still be home and home.
If it upsets people send your complaints to the NHLPA.
If the unbalance really bothers them, maybe top 2 in each division and then add the crossovers (wildcards).
I like this map from Icethetics for a visual look at the proposed plan.
Columbus and Pitt should be in the North with DET, BUFF, TOR, etc. The regional rivalries would be more significant imo. The FLA teams would be better suited with CAR, WASH, NJ, etc.
Any move that gets us out of a conference with PST teams is a good deal for Columbus, this just isn't the best deal for Columbus.
