Reallignment big topic this weekend - my 4 options

[capt55]

BoJo, why don't you update your profile and we'll actually think of you as a real member, and how come your alwayssssssssssssssss sooooooooooooooooo NEGATIVE.

[bojohnson]

BoJo, why don't you update your profile and we'll actually think of you as a real member, and how come your alwayssssssssssssssss sooooooooooooooooo NEGATIVE.

i did update it.
i dont think the mods have checked, it and i havent had time to message them telling them i updated it.

[MatsSundin13Rocks]

If your were a Winnipeg fan you wouldn't even be making this argument. I'm a Red Wing Fan and nobody in the West travels more than them Period !!

I don't give a damn if they have to live in an Airport to win the Stanley Cup.

The Wings have lived in airports and won Stanley Cups! I'm not reading all 4 pages of opinion on this as I have my own and that includes the best 16 teams make the playoffs with the team with the most points playing the team with the 16th most points. As for realignment their is NO WAY the Leafs and Habs aren't in the same division playing any less than 6 games a year. I'd love if the Leafs didn't have to play Boston 6 times a year. Though, that is for strictly selfish reasons!

[RGM81]

The one thing I don't like about the proposed realignment has to do with the playoffs - I would like to see more variety added to the mix. Having the first two rounds all intra-division ensures that major geographic/division rivals will square off on a regular basis...but in the early rounds. One upshot of the current conference format is that potentially you could have Montreal v. Boston with a berth to the Stanley Cup Finals on the line; it hasn't happened under the current format as they tend to face off in the first round every year, but the conference format doesn't make it a near-certainty as the divisional format would. Why not have a couple tweaks so that you get this:

Round 1
Montreal Div 1 v Montreal Div 4 ; Montreal Div 2 v Montreal Div 3
Pittsburgh Div 1 v Pittsburgh Div 4 ; Pittsburgh Div 2 v Pittsburgh Div 3
Detroit Div 1 v Detroit Div 4 ; Detroit Div 2 v Detroit Div 3
Vancouver Div 1 v Vancouver Div 4 ; Vancouver Div 2 v Vancouver Div 3

Round 2 (winners re-seeded)
Montreal Div 1 v Pittsburgh Div 2
Pittsburgh Div 1 v Montreal Div 2
Detroit Div 1 v Vancouver Div 2
Vancouver Div 1 Detroit Div 2

Round 3
Winners of Montreal/Pittsburgh Divisions
Winners of Vancouver/Detroit Divisions

Heck, if they really want to go radical, make it so that each round rotates, making an East/West matchup in the third round, thus opening up the possibility for an all-Eastern or all-Western Cup Finals. Such a thing may affect revenues I suppose, which is why it may get voted down.

[Phoenix]

...the best 16 teams make the playoffs with the team with the most points playing the team with the 16th most points.

I would love to see this too, but only if they do a bracketed playoff system similar to the NBA/NCAA where the first round is 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, etc. but teams are NOT reseeded after the first round. Makes for more interesting watching if the lower seeded teams don't always have to play the best. They would also have to switch to the 2-3-2 format in 7 game series (which they should do regardless) to make for less travel.

[centrehice]

Good teams have to continue to play not so good one. If you throw out that philosophy, then why bother with a regular season.

82 games are there for a reason, to get your best possible spot in the playoff with home-ice advantage for as long as you are able.

[Phoenix]

Good teams have to continue to play not so good one. If you throw out that philosophy, then why bother with a regular season.

82 games are there for a reason, to get your best possible spot in the playoff with home-ice advantage for as long as you are able.

The best still play the worst if all goes to plan, but if there are upsets it rewards that lower seeded team for the next round. At the very least we have to get rid of divisional seeding. How many times have we seen a team seeded third have fewer points than the 5, 6, or even 7 seed, but they get home-ice. That's ridiculous.

[bojohnson]

The best still play the worst if all goes to plan, but if there are upsets it rewards that lower seeded team for the next round. At the very least we have to get rid of divisional seeding. How many times have we seen a team seeded third have fewer points than the 5, 6, or even 7 seed, but they get home-ice. That's ridiculous.

if a 1 seed is playing an 8 seed the expedtation is they finish them off under 7 games, so they get more home games in the first 6

[centrehice]

So in round 2 and 3 you are prepared to penalize the higher qualifying team by making them play a more difficult team?

Preposterous. Anything that brings American College behaviour to Pro Sport is worthless.

[Phoenix]

They still play a lower seeded team, just no the lowest seed. It's not penalizing the higher qualifying team, they're still expected to win, and if they can't beat an inferior opponent then they don't deserve the championship.

Or perhaps we can just scrap the whole playoff system and just have the two best teams from the regular season play for the Stanley Cup. No need to take the chance of an upset.