Comments on: A Flyers/Caps Rivalry Can Work, If…

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:41:55 +0000

There is no way Blackhawks should be sent to suffer in the Smythe division. The haven’t had any kind of rivalry with Minnesota since North Stars left. However, I do think the Blues should get added to the Adams Division. That way they could be with their old Norris Division rivals Detroit, Toronto, and Chicago and the two conferences will have the same number of teams. Columbus and Boston should switch division, that way Boston and Montreal which have one of the most heated rivalries in the NHL right now can be in the same division, and it paves the way for a possible Ohio/Pennsylvania rivalry that already exist in college sports. In the Campbell conference, you switch Minnesota and Colorado. That way Minnesota will have Western Canada in it’s division. And the Smythe division will be made of teams from the Southeast, cities that don’t care about hockey, or teams that have been relocated from cities that cared more about hockey than their current city.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:26:36 +0000

Dump Atlanta and bring the NHL back to Hartford. Nobody will miss the Thrashers. The Hartford franchise will be in the Adams Division, allowing either Chicago or Columbus to move the the Smythe Division and give the Blues a natural rival. My vote would be Chicago. They’d also give Minnesota a good rival. Will Detroit really complain about gaining Toronto and losing Chicago? Plus Ohio and Michigan seem to like hating each other, so I’m sure that rivalry will escalate when the Jackets find some success.

By: Krone

Krone — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:54:30 +0000

It looks alright except the fact that Minnesota gets screwed with a bunch of second rate teams.

By: john

john — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:36:24 +0000

Pop Columbus into the Smythe, and Minnesota dn St. Loius into Adams– then you have 15 in each Conference, each with Divisions of 8 and 7.

The Smythe becomes a logical, natural deposit of southern/newer teams that can create their own traditional rivalries if they’re able– rivalries are strongest when they’re somewhat regional, don’t you think? Minnesota and St. Loius are then also where they deserve to be based on tradition.

Hockey is about tradition, and the past in hockey runs through the present more than any other sport (if it does any more at all in any other sport). New hockey fans sense this, and this is one of hockey’s unique and strongest attractions to a newcomer– what sets it apart and what makes newcomers want to get to understand it better. THis is exactly what Bettman doesn’t get– tradition is hockey’s strongest selling point, and he tries to package like the NBA.

Get traditional rivalries back in place and sell them hard, and try to create a new generation of regional ones… But don’t try to sell them where they will never exist.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:02:54 +0000

I love what you have to say. I think your ideas are amazing. Going to the divisions you say would be so much better. Being a diehard Caps fan, I can’t stand playing the teams we play. They suck so bad. The Trashers? Come on. And yes, I spelled it Trashers. I can’t stand most of the teams that you put my Caps in with, which is why I’d want to be in the same division as them. Greaaaat rivalries.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:18:41 +0000

Good idea but a few things should be tweaked. There’s no reason the conferences should have a different amount of teams. Bringing either Minnesota into Adams or Carolina into Patrick would even things out without taking anything away. And the playoffs should be structured so that Adams and Patrick can meet in the cup finals, ie Adams paired with either Smythe or Norris in the semis. Because otherwise the setup is extremely tilted towards EC, in both competitive and interest edge.

By: slutnuts

slutnuts — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:13:04 +0000

i love the idea but i would alter one thing. switch the norris and smythe division names. your current norris div has the 5 members of the 1980’s smythe divison. your current smythe division has 2 members of the old norris division: stl, and min/dal

By: Frank Hallam

Frank Hallam — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:51:02 +0000

I’d just make a couple tweaks. switch Boston with Columbus. I don’t think it will fly unless Boston and Montreal are together. also maybe move Colorado to the Smythe and then bump Minnesota and Carolina to the Adams and Patrick. Basically making the Adams and Patrick have 8 teams a piece. Plus it would help out the travel in the Norris.

By: Travis Hughes

Travis Hughes — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:41:05 +0000

I felt that by including Minnesota and St. Louis with Dallas and Nashville, it pretty much eliminates the problem you guys are saying I’ve created.

There’s the strong Minnesota/Dallas hatred, and Nashville might be a struggling financial team, but they are certainly competitive every year. St. Louis loses Chicago, Detroit, and Columbus, sure, but they gain Minnesota and Dallas in the equation.

It’s not the same as Washington’s situation now because there isn’t one team tossed in with the Southeast. Of course nobody can just stay away from the Southeast teams, and you can’t leave them on their own and hope for the best because then they all fail.

But by throwing in a few teams that are successful (and, by virtue of geography, teams that are otherwise left out to dry), it can help the Southeast teams gain some respect without leaving just one team, like was done to the Capitals, left all alone.

By: JoshC

JoshC — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:22:53 +0000

Yes, the map does say it all. It’s the “Real NHL Conference” and the “Screw The Outlanders Conference”.

It’s funny how all the NHL realignment proposals seem to boil down to the writer trying to move his team as far away from the four truly-Southeastern teams as he can possibly get.