Thrashers headed to Winnipeg

Sorry, meant Tampa Bay Lightning. Corrected.

 

and if you move Vancouver to the Pacific their shortage flight would be 2.5 hours. You take two 1 hour flights away from them in Calgary and Edmonton. THey already fly the most mile in the league, they don't need the extra miles

 

No is definitely the answer, but I don't quite follow the colassal failure of Atlanta can beg the question of if it's time for another expansion. If anything, it solidifies that the last expansion was too much.

 

Detroit has been clamoring to move to the Eastern Conference for years. Geographically, I understand, but they're the closest thing to the Yanks/Red Sox the NHL has, so Western Conference teams would hate to see guaranteed sellouts (or damn close) go away.

I'd rather see Nashville go to the Southeast. It's a better fit geographically.

And while we're at it, I'd like to see the NHL abandon the Eastern/Western Conference set up. Keep the six divisions:

Northeast: BOS, BUF, MTL, OTW, TOR

Atlantic: NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT

Southeast: CAR, FLA, NSH, TBL, WAS

Central: CHI, CBJ, DAL, DET, STL,

Northwest: CAL, EDM, MIN, VAN, WPG

Pacific: ANH, COL, LAK, PHX, SJS

Play teams in your division 8 times (4 home, 4 away), play home and home with the rest -- total 82 games.

Six division winners reach playoffs, along with the next 10 teams based on points.

I don't care to see East vs. West. I want to see 1 vs 2. The NHL used to do that. Maybe they go can back to that, just like they went back to Winnipeg.

 

Nassau County approved a measure today calling for a referendum on the arena/hotel/casino plan. The referendum will be held on Aug. 1.

If that referendum fails, then you'll see the Islanders move to either Hamilton, Kansas City, Seattle or Las Vegas in the near future.

 

I would like to see the NHL seed teams 1-16 for the playoffs, but I also understand the chaos that could create if you wound up with, say, Boston vs. San Jose, New York vs. Los Angeles and Philadelphia vs. Anaheim in first-round series. Boy, that would be a boatload of travel.

Thought the eight games per year against each team in the division was a little too much, prefer the current format.

No objection to Vancouver staying in Northwest and moving Colorado to Pacific. But Van to Winnipeg isn't much of a bargain over Van to LA. No win situation there. Winnipeg and Minnesota could form a nice little rivalry given time.

 

They didn't have much of one when the Stars were still in the Cities as Chicago & St. Louis were Minnesota's biggest rivals at the time but it was uncommon to see a lot of North Star jerseys in the crowd when they played in Winnipeg.

 

Is Boston-San Jose any worse than, say, Detroit-San Jose or Vancouver (Or Anaheim)-Nashville?

I understand Detroit's (and Columbus' and Nashville's) reasoning for wanting to be in the East. If you eliminate conferences, travel issues would only come up in the playoffs. And the travel burden would be borne by all teams, not just a few.

 

Detroit moves east only if Chicago does. That only happens if the Panthers end up out west.

 

The Nassau County Legislature would have to pass the bond measure with 13 votes, even if the measure passes in August. The legislature approved the referendum 11-6 with one abstention.

 

When I was in Fargo a few years ago, I saw Winnipeg Jets retro gear in the Scheels there. It's possible.

 

I made a trip to Grand Forks in college. An autographed Teemu Selanne jersey was on display in the mall. It was second prize in an upcoming drawing. First prize was a new car.