So it got approved today.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=660138&navid=DL



The 4 divisions.

Division A is the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks.

Division B features the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

Division C has four Original Six franchises: Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning are also in the division.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals will join the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins in Division D.

So I'm happy that each team will play in each building each year....and really happy that Pavel Datsyuk and the Red Wings will be making at least 2 trips to Ottawa (might even be 3) so I can see him play(should be good games as well). Dude is awseome.

But I wanted to see how the playoff situation would look if the season ended today (keeping in mind the match-ups up to this point would not have been the same and would probably result in different totals...and not all teams have played the same amount of games)

So as of today

Division A
1 Ducks 41 pts
2 Kings 30 pts
3 Canucks 30 pts

Division B
1 Hawks 45 pts (top seed)
2 Blues 30 pts
3 Wild 28 pts

WC#1 Coyotes 29 pts
WC#2 Sharks 28 pts

Round 1 Match-ups

1 Ducks vs WC-1 Coyotes
2 Kings vs 3 Canucks

and

1 Hawks vs WC-2 Sharks
2 Blues vs 3 Wild

------------------

Division C
1 Canadians 40 pts (top seed)
2 Bruins 37 pts
3 Senators 32 pts

Division D
1 Penguins 38 pts
2 Hurricanes 31 pts
3 Devils 31 pts

WC#1 Leafs 31 pts
WC#2 Red Wings 31 pts

Round 1 Match-ups

1 Canadians vs WC-2 Red Wings
2 Bruins vs 3 Senators

and

1 Penguins vs WC-1 Leafs
2 Hurricanes vs 3 Devils

Things I noticed:

- 4 Canadian teams in right now (Mtl, Ott, Van, Tor). Not sure if that would last but I'm sure Winnipeg could squeak in if Tor falls out.

- of the 16 playoff spots, 15 went to the top point getting teams only the Rangers (#15 with 28 pts) who are in because of Tiebreaks. Not bad for a Division system.

-Both Division A and C have 5 teams in the playoffs (both WCs in their Conference came from the same division)......not sure that bodes well for Calagry/Edmonton or (and even worse) Tampa/Buffalo who will probably be looking to improve next year.


Should be interesting to do another look at the end of this season...but I think it might be alright.

As a Columbus Blue Jackets fan, I am tickled that they have moved to the Eastern Conference. West Coast travel from Columbus was really killing them. You should also post what the actual standing are right now, so they can be compared. Just for fun.

The league standings?

Living in Hong Kong I've been cut off from Hockey this "season". The strike hasn't endured them to me either to be honest.

Are they doing playoffs this year? (I could google it of course, but I'm already on here looking some stuff up, and it is more fun to "talk to people" about hockey than just look it up :P)

Yes sir, playoffs are only about 20 games away for most teams right now.

Still using the current system (3 division winners for each conference and then the next best 5)

As of today the playoff match-ups would be.....

East

1) Canadians vs 8) Hurricains
2) Penguins vs 7) Devils
3) Jets(!) vs 6) Leafs
4) Bruins vs 5) Senators


West

1) Hawks vs 8) Sharks
2) Ducks vs 7) Canucks
3) Wild vs 6) Kings
4) Blues vs 5) Red Wings

But the races for the playoffs are really tight.......with the exception of the Hawks/Ducks/Habs/Pens/Bruins a couple of bad games in a row and you'd be bumped out and have to climb back in.

Its really interesting to see Columbus playing some great hockey and while I didn't think the Rangers were a very good team (despite their great season last year) I thought they still a lock for the playoffs.........I'm starting to think that is not the case.


Oh and straight out of the Canucks game last night.........apparently this Pavel Datsyuk guy is ok.

Well I'm a Cauncks and Sens boy myself (though I'll cheer for the Sharks based on their logo if I need a third option :P) so those initial line ups are good for me. May have to look into finding the games in round 2 if any of my guys make it.

Thanks for humouring me on the update I know it was lazy of me.

As a Red Wings fan, I am mostly glad they are going into the Eastern Conference. I think the travel on them is hard now (it used to be that they played better on the road than they did at home, but not in the last couple of seasons).

I also think overall that the north-south alighment within time zones will help the entire NHL. And the "everyone plays in everyone else's arena" is a good decision, too... better than some years that teams didn't even see each other.

I will personally have to get over some prejudices, though... I've always thought of Western Conference hockey as "pure" hockey, skater's hockey... and Eastern Conference hockey as "dump and chase" and "trap" hockey. (Stupid 90s Devils)

Here's a decent graphic showing the new divisions.

I really, really, really dislike Bettman. Looking at that graphic, I fail to see how putting Tampa and The Panthers in that division makes any sense at all?

Also, they'd better be naming the Divisions something other than A,B,C & D. 'Cause I'll go ####### ape#### if that ends up being the names

The general league opinion is that the Lightning and Panthers ticket sales/attendance are made up from a significant amount of 'snowbirds' (specifically Leaf and Habs) and that the more games they get the better it will be for those two franchises.

I defiantly looks odd on a map, but it doesn't bother me that much for a few reasons;

- the players most effected by this are the Ontario/Quebec/norther States who have been shown to be appreciative of the Florida trips mid winter when they get them now (team family trips ect)

- the 2 teams that have to travel the most (Lightning/Panthers) are, in theory, getting the biggest attendance bump out of it (I would like to say revenue but I've heard some stories about the way their revenue is generated that suggests that might not be a direct correlation)....I'm sure their front offices were pushing for it.

-I would hope (although I have very little faith in the schedule makers for the NHL) that most of the trips (up or down) would be made for several games to minimize the flight miles...........I think the first season will be rough and the second season will take that into account.



I'm sure they will be called something else...............or at least I hope so.......dang it WIT! Now you have me worried

Time to play another round of 'What would it look like next year?' with teams only needing to play 5-6 more games (with the exception of Boston who has 7 and Nashville who only have 4 more to go)


So under the current system, if the season ended today the playoffs would look like this;

East
1) Pit 64pts 8) NY-R 46pts
2) Mtl 57pts 7) NY-I 49pts
3) Wash 50pts 6) Ott 50pts
4) Bos 56pts 5) Tor 53pts

*Winnipeg is tied at 46 pts but played one more game(than the Rangers) so they are considered to be in 9th right now.

West
1) Chi 70pts 8) Det 47pts
2) Ana 59pts 7) Stl 50 pts
3) Van 55pts 6) Minn 51pts
4) LA 53pts 5) SJ 53pts

*Columbus(!) is tied at 47 pts but played one more game(than the Wings) so they are considered to be in 9th right now.

So 16 of the top 17 pt earning teams are in under the current system.



So under the new system, if the season ended today the playoffs would look like this(keeping in mind that with the different schedule break down teams might earn different points);

East

Division C
1 Canadians vs WC-1 Senators
2 Bruins vs 3 Leafs

Division D
1 Penguins vs WC-2 Red Wings
2 Capitals vs 3 Islanders



West

Division A
1 Ducks vs WC-1 Sharks
2 Canucks vs 3 Kings

Division B
1 Hawks vs WC-2 Jets
2 Wild vs 3 Blues

So under the new system 16 of the 18 point getting teams get in.



Still looks ok right now.....obviously next year will be more telling...........I'll take another look when the regular season is done.

Ok.................with the playoffs set to go lets take our last look at this year and how this years results would look under the new system.....


This year, under the current system

East

1) Pittsburgh (72pts) 8) NY-Islanders (54pts)
2) Montreal (63pts) 7) Ottawa (56pts)
3) Washington (57pts) 6) NY-Rangers (56pts)
4) Boston (62pts) 5) Toronto (57pts)


West

1) Chicago (77pts) 8) Minnesota (55pts)
2) Anaheim (66pts) 7) Detroit (56pts)
3) Vancouver (59pts) 6) San Jose (57pts)
4) St Louis (60pts) 5) Los Angeles (59pts)



This year under next years system..........

East

Division C
1 Canadians vs WC-1 Red Wings
2 Bruins vs 3 Leafs

Division D
1 Penguins vs WC-2 Senators
2 Capitals vs 3 Rangers



West

Division A
1 Ducks vs WC-1 Sharks
2 Kings vs 3 Canucks

Division B
1 Hawks vs WC-2 Jets
2 Blues vs 3 Wild