 With the NHL All-Star game upon us I thought it would be a good time to propose some league changes to give the league a boost in the States. First up, let's revamp the divisions and place them based more on geography. Suggest putting all the Canadian teams together to not only reduce travel, but more importantly reducing the number of times Canadian based teams play their American counterparts. Canadian teams are a bad draw both at the gate and on U.S. television, so reducing their number benefits the league on both fronts. EASTERN CONFERENCE NORTHEAST METRO EAST SOUTH TORONTO NY RANGERS BOSTON TAMPA BAY MONTREAL NY ISLANDERS PITTSBURGH FLORIDA OTTAWA NEW JERSEY WASHINGTON CAROLINA BUFFALO PHILADELPHIA COLUMBUS NASHVILLE WESTERN CONFERENCE NORTH MIDWEST WEST CENTRAL WINNIPEG CHICAGO LOS ANGELES LAS VEGAS CALGARY DETROIT ANAHEIM COLORADO EDMONTON MINNESOTA SAN JOSE ARIZONA VANCOUVER ST LOUIS SEATTLE DALLAS Next they should reduce the number of regular season games back to 80. Here is the breakdown: 12 INTER DIVISION 36 INTER CONFERENCE 32 OUT OF CONFERENCE The two games lost can be replaced by an in season 3 on 3 tourney to be played during the All-Star season break. Can use the following format: 9 PLAYERS AND A GOALIE SINGLE ELIMINATION BRACKET TOURNAMENT FORMAT GAMES ARE 1 GOAL SUDDEN DEATH PLAYED OVER 2 DAYS Now for the standings and playoffs I recommend the following changes: DIVISION WINNERS GET TOP 4 HOME ICE SPOTS ADD THE NEXT 4 BEST WILD CARDS TO COMPLETE SEEDING CONTINUE REGULAR SEEDING STRUCTURE THROUGHOUT PLAYOFFS 3 0N 3 10 MINUTE SUDDEN DEATH OT IS NOW USED TO DETERMINE WINNERS. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR WINNING PERCENTAGE AND GAMES BACK TO BE USED FOR STANDINGS SAME AS THE NFL There you go NHL, some welcome changes to take the game’s profile in the U.S. to the next level. Now go enjoy All-Star Weekend. Make these changes NHL and many more Americans will watch. BY: GREGORY CAWSEY |
