http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/preview20 ... id=4496992

I voted for Melrose's.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I also like Melrose's, and I heartily enjoy it being called the Mullet Realignment Plan

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mechaphil

I agree with BArry Melrose also, keep the southern teams which are doing fine alone, and move the ones in terrible situations.

Atlanta may pick up soon with fans, but his was the smartest of all of them. Pierre is a moron, Europe, would never work out, and just taking teams away for no reason because it's warm is no a reason at all.

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Keep Nashville in the West, and bring Toronto Coyotes into the east...

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

I thought Lebrun's was a look how retarded I can be statement. Aside from the fact that having teams overseas is horribly impractical...

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I would say move Phoenix to Canada or Seattle, or Portland.

Those are the most viable options for that team, give Atlanta say five more years until they get moved, Nashville also, the Panthers are a bubble team to be moved somewhere else. The hardest part is finding cities for some of these teams, because of how Canada is laid out and how bare the midwest is.

Some Midwest places could get a team an thrive, Possibly in Kansas because it gets cold there, but Kansas city would be an option for a team.

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my friend is from kansas. no one watches hockey there. i mean NO ONE. and lets not forget, kansas city is not in kansas, but missouri.

but other then that, spot on, sky. seattle and portland. two wonderful cities. portland only really has the trailblazers. that would be an easy sell (and a beautiful arena) and seattle has to be itching for a team after they lost the sonics.

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Well, technically there is a Kansas City, KS - Right across the river from KC, MO...

I think they all put forth compelling (and in some cases, ridiculous) ideas - But, the one thing that wasn't addressed was the NHL's identity.

Is it for Hockey-lovers? Is it driven to market-saturation and expansion? Is it considering a "circle the wagons", rebuilding mode? Is it in a "trying to fix as much as possible, within the same framework, before the whole thing blows apart" mode?

I like a "smaller" NHL - Either go to smaller arenas, with an NHL that can accommodate a 30-40 team league, with lesser budgets and more fan-access OR take what (successful) teams you have and shed the dead-weight, contracting the sport into a better-quality, back-to-basics image (of older and fonder times.)

As for expanding into Europe? Damn. They can't get things right with what they've got. Why expand the virtual cluster-fuck further?

Under a more "evolution/de-evolution" based model, Melrose makes the most sense. Keep things as they (mostly) are, but tweak slightly to ease the problems out, without too much shame and madness.

But, I've been a strong proponent of Bucci's "give Hockey back to the fans" idea - Smaller arenas, more accessibility, smaller salaries, regional rivalries.

To some would say that this would make Hockey too "AHL/WHL/IHL" like...I would suggest a Pool A/Pool B soccer-like model, with the better team(s) from the lower division rising upward, and the worst of the superior division, descending downward, on an annual basis...With only select teams from Pool A qualifying to compete for the Cup.

Such a "populist" model would finally achieve dumb-ass Bettman's dream of "growing" the game. And it would also generate a much larger (in a league-wide sense) revenue pool.

It would also be a (positive) step back to the origins of Hockey - It ain't about having an Old-Boys' network that concerns itself with Nielsen Ratings and market-shares; it's about any Hockey-mad community forming a team and battling all takers, to win Lord Stanley of Preston's Silver Trophy For Hockey Excellence.

Here is my plan:

- Move Phoenix back to Winnipeg
- Move Florida to Hartford
- Move Nashville to Seattle [or Portland]
- Move Atlanta to Toronto
- Expansion team in Quebec City
- Expansion team in Kansas City

2 Conferences with 2 divisions of 8 teams each
Playoffs go back to the divisional set up where the 1v4 & 2v3 in the 1st Round, the winners of those series face for the Divisional title in the 2nd round, you have the divisional champs face off in the Conference Championship round, and then the Conference Champs face off in the Stanley Cup Final.

Schedule 76 games total:
48 non-division games - Home & Home with all 24 non-division teams
28 division games - 2 home and 2 away games with the 7 division opponents

Lemieux Conference
Orr Division
- Boston Bruins
- Montreal Canadiens
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Ottawa Senators
- Buffalo Sabres
- Hartford Whalers
- Toronto Thrashers
- Quebec Nordiques

Clarke Division
- NJ Devils
- NY Rangers
- NY Islanders
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Washington Capitals
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Carolina Hurricanes

Gretzky Conference
Howe Division
- Detroit Red Wings
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- St Louis Blues
- Kansas City Scouts
- Minnesota Wild
- Colorado Avalanche
- Dallas Stars

Messier Division
- Winnipeg Jets
- Seattle Bombers
- SJ Sharks
- LA Kings
- Anaheim Ducks
- Edmonton Oilers
- Vancouver Canucks
- Calgary Flames

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

I like your idea Jim, moving the dead weight cities to an area where they can flourish better.

But I'd still say add the 6 extra games or make it into an 84 game schedule to play everyone in your division once again, and have the site switch every year from home to away. So the tiebreaker could be easier to see.

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That was the one downside to going back to 4 even divisions.

But, with all the wear and tear, I'd rather take a few games away and really get back to blood and guts divisional playoff wars!

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

Understandable, makes the playoffs a little more fresh also.

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interesting read and i agree with what everyone else here thinks, Melrose's plan is the best.

extending to Europe is a dumd ideas for the reasons ice stated and the guy who said move Boston to the West should be shot in the knee.

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Check out my website: http://www.artistzero.com

"That wasn't very nice...I do believe you killed my hat."

Driver of the FIRE LINDY RUFF Bandwagon since 2008.

ETC's Realignment Plan

Eastern Conference

Atlantic
Boston
New York R
New York I
New Jersey
Philadelphia

Northeast
Toronto
Montreal
Ottawa
Buffalo
Hamilton*

Southeast
Washington
Carolina
Pittsburgh
Tampa
Florida

Western Conference

Midwest
Chicago
Detroit
St. Louis
Columbus
Dallas


Northwest
Edmonton
Calgary
Winnipeg*
Minnesota
Colorado

Pacific
Anaheim
Los Angeles
San Jose
Vancouver
Portland*

*Replacing: Nashville, Phoenix, Atlanta

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

I like Bucci's plan the best. With a few exceptions. I would add a few teams and move a few others.

Eastern Conference

North Division
Montreal
Ottawa
Quebec*
Toronto
Hamilton or Mississauga*
NY Rangers

East Division
Buffalo
Boston
Philly
New Jersey
Pittsburgh
Hartford*

South Division
Tampa Bay
Atlanta
Carolina (Moved to Charlotte)
Columbus
Washington
NY Islanders


Western Conference

North Division
Portland*
Seattle*
Edmonton
Calgary
Vancouver
Winnipeg Jets*

West Division
Dallas
Phoenix
San Jose
Anaheim
LA Kings
Colorado

Central Division
St Louis
Kansas City*
Minnesota
Green Bay or Milwaukee*
Chicago
Detroit

With revenue sharing and the stronger Canadien dollar I think Canadian cities who lost their teams before would be more stable now. In addition when a city loses a team once, they tend to do what they can to make sure it doesn't happen again. Next moving the Canes makes sense, but not out of Carolina. Charlotte has twice the population of Raleigh. Adding a team in Wisconsin makes since because besides the Packers that state does not have anything. In addition I think it would create another good rivalry between them Minnesota and Chicago. Kansas City I think would like to have a team again and a rival between them and St Louis would definitely be good for both cities. Portland and Seattle have been on the radar for a while and would create an instant rival while spreading the NHL to the northwest part of the US. Lastly, adding a team to Ontario makes sense. I put Hamilton on the list, but Mississauga may make more sense. It has a larger population than Hamilton and is closer to the Toronto metro area. Florida and Nashville would be moved to one of the new cities, doesn't really matter which one.

Bucci's idea of 10 teams making the playoffs does not work. After the first round their would be 5 teams left. Then what? 12 wouldn't work either because after the second round their would be 3 teams. The next higher number that would work would be 16, but that is obviously too many.

I would also add games to the schedule. You would play each team in you division 6 times, each team in your conference twice and each team in 2 divisions of the other conference twice (this would rotate every year, so you see each team at least every other year.) This would ensure each team would have 2 long road trips and two long home stands. Also, it would make the Western conference happy because they would get to see the stars of the East more like Ovie and Crosby. The total games would end up being 88 games and to make up for some of the extra time it would add to the schedule, I would propose to make the 1st round of the playoffs a best of 5.

Anyway, just my idea.

When in Rome

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We were biting this morning. We were biting this morning.

2 divisions per conference.

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"Go out and run 'em."
- Lindy Ruff, 23 Feb. 2007

For some reason, the idea of relegation/promotion doesn't sit well with me. Though it would be interesting to gauge its effectiveness with a salary cap in place.

I am in favor of contracting to 28 teams (eliminating Phoenix and Florida), and realigning to two 7 team divisions in each conference.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I actually didn't read those, I was pissed a few years ago when John Buccigross had Buffalo contracted in one of his realignment plans during the lockout year.

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret