My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

[St. Clown]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

Looks like we're the only ones bothered by this.

In our defense, I'll note that MLB just dropped a 16/14 split, moving to 15/15. But I guess for the silent majority, this is a non-issue. Or, at least it will be until some team on the bubble decides they were wrongly excluded from the playoff field, due to the imbalance.

I don't like unbalanced conferences at all, but I'm not overly concerned with it as the NHL is merely where the really good college players get set out to pasture.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

Be in the top 8 and you don't have to worry about it.


By and large, with 16 teams making it, nobody of any consequence will be left out (the Kings were an anomaly).

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

I had thought that the original idea was to have 4 conferences with no divisions, with the playoffs being done similar to what pgb-ohio noted above. In that case, is the 8-8-7-7 disparity that big of a deal?

[state of hockey]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

It is just leaving room for expansion. We'll only have to deal with it for a few years.

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

It is just leaving room for expansion. We'll only have to deal with it for a few years.

And Detroit will back out west when they put a team in Quebec City and Markham.

[aparch]

And Detroit will back out west when they put a team in Quebec City and Markham.

Nah, it will work better with Seattle and Kansas City getting expansion teams in the West.

Then the Panthers move to Quebec City...

[pgb-ohio]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

I had thought that the original idea was to have 4 conferences with no divisions...

That would have been my preference. Of course then we'd need to create two new trophies that no one would be willing to touch. But getting a couple more iconic names on prominent trophies might be a good thing.

...with the playoffs being done similar to what pgb-ohio noted above. In that case, is the 8-8-7-7 disparity that big of a deal?

We're on the same page. However it's labeled, this change would take a small problem and turn it into a non-issue. Rotating the semi-finals is the key element.

Nah, it will work better with Seattle and Kansas City getting expansion teams in the West.

Then the Panthers move to Quebec City...

Like it. KC fits well in the Central, as does Seattle in the Pacific. I also believe Quebec deserves a team and could make it work...

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

Nah, it will work better with Seattle and Kansas City getting expansion teams in the West.

Then the Panthers move to Quebec City...

Like it. KC fits well in the Central, as does Seattle in the Pacific. I also believe Quebec deserves a team and could make it work...

The Panthers to QC would be interesting. Especially since it really puts Tampa in a funny spot. The Flortheast division really turns into something funny then.

Also, I'd vote for Milwaukee to get involved somehow, but we missed our boat. Unless we can start making more beer again, or unless more people buy Harleys, I think we're done for on the NHL front.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

Also, I'd vote for Milwaukee to get involved somehow, but we missed our boat. Unless we can start making more beer again, or unless more people buy Harleys, I think we're done for on the NHL front.

The Bradley Center could become the UC North.

They'd be assured of at least 3-4 sellouts a year.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

The Bradley Center could become the UC North.

They'd be assured of at least 3-4 sellouts a year.

Whatever allows us to keep making money off of Baja Wisconsin, I'm fine with.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

...Also, I'd vote for Milwaukee to get involved somehow, but we missed our boat. Unless we can start making more beer again, or unless more people buy Harleys, I think we're done for on the NHL front.

Of course Milwaukee would be a great fit for that division. Whether there's any chance of viable application is hard to say. Would a Milwaukee team have to indemnify the Blackhawks for encroaching on their territory? That would make the mountain somewhat more difficult to climb. Does the Bradley Center have enough bells and whistles to fit in with the current generation of NHL arenas? And then there's the question of the local economy, which you raised. Observing only from afar, I guess I've stopped thinking of Milwaukee as a likely expansion candidate. But purely as a hockey town, with all other variables set aside, I've got to believe MIL > KC.

The Bradley Center could become the UC North.

They'd be assured of at least 3-4 sellouts a year.

And, once the Milwaukee team became competitive, the UC might occasionally become Bradley South. As I know you know, quite a few seats at the UC are purchased primarily for resale on the secondary market. If an opposing fan base is willing to throw money at the problem, they can definitely get people into the building.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

Would a Milwaukee team have to indemnify the Blackhawks for encroaching on their territory?

Dollar Bill wouldn't even hear of an expansion fee when Milwaukee originally proposed a team. Said a Milwaukee team would ruin the Blackhawks bottom line (read: I don't want any competition within 200 miles).

[joecct]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

Nah, it will work better with Seattle and Kansas City getting expansion teams in the West.

Then the Panthers move to Quebec City...

Didn't Kansas City move to Colorado who then moved to New Jersey? I am not a fan of a lot of US cities for an expansion team.

[aparch]

Dollar Bill wouldn't even hear of an expansion fee when Milwaukee originally proposed a team. Said a Milwaukee team would ruin the Blackhawks bottom line (read: I don't want any competition within 200 miles).

Dollar Bill was also a minor investor in the St. Louis Blues because he wanted a closer NHL team than Detroit.

While I don't remember all the details, the Bradley Center was built to woo the Blues to MKE. Dollar Bill stopped it because the Bradley Center was built a mile within the territory radius of the Chicago Stadium.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: My Stanley Cup Runneth Over

What everyone says about Wirtz re: Milwaukee is completely true (one reason I still hate the Hawks, even if that old ******* is rotting in the ground), and it was also true that the BC was built to lure the NHL, not just necessarily the Blues (albeit over 20 years ago... it might not necessarily be up to par as far as luxury stuff goes, but it's the right size and made for hockey sightlines).