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As the witching hour for the NHL lockout signaling the cancellation of yet another season rapidly approaches, the league’s corporate lawyer types and their acrimony for organized labor has predictably landed the sport in the courts. According to this Forbes article, it recommends the NHL should be contracted to twenty teams to become financially viable. Make no mistake, contraction is gaining traction, since it is the only reasonable solution in bringing some economic sanity back into the league.
Even if the lockout is settled, the same economic problems will continue to haunt the league unless the owners get out their sticks and start slashing away the dead weight which they have taken on over the past couple of decades. It has become unrealistic for the owners to expect the players to prop up their failed franchises with continued concessions.
Below is a contraction proposal which cuts down the league to 24 teams which would create a scenario where an American and a Canadian team will be playing each other for the Stanley Cup every season (who needs the Olympics?). It will also help return the league to the days when the regular season was actually meaningful and exciting by promoting regional and national rivalries, reducing travel costs and even providing a major bonus the following season to the championship city.
NHL DIVISION ALIGNMENT (Proposed Contraction to 24 Teams)
AMERICAN HOCKEY CONFERENCE (AHC)
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Washington Capitals
Great Lakes Division
Buffalo Sabres
Chicago Black Hawks
Detroit Red Wings
Pittsburgh Penguins
Big Sky Division
Colorado Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Saint Louis Blues
CANADIAN HOCKEY CONFERENCE (CHC)
Saint Lawrence Division
Halifax NS*
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Quebec QC*
Niagara Division
Hamilton ON*
London ON*
Toronto Maple Leafs
Winnipeg Jets
Western Division
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Saskatoon SK*
Vancouver Canucks
The * denotes new franchises in Canada.
Game Results: Five minute OT if tied after regulation. No shootouts. Win is two points, tie is one point, regulation and OT loss are zero points. Rewarding a losing team in OT with one point is whack.
Number of Games per Season: 72
Scheduling
Games vs division rivals: 12 (36)
Games vs non-division conference rivals: 3 (24)
Games vs opposing conference rivals: 1 (12)
Playoffs
10 teams (5 from each conference) will make playoffs consisting of the 6 division winners (3 from each conference) and 4 wild cards (2 from each conference) in total. The 2 teams with most points in each conference will get first round bye. Other division winners will play two wild card qualifiers in first round.
Stanley Cup Finals
Home ice advantage is given to the Conference which has the winner of the Presidents Trophy. This increases the importance of regular season and may award an underdog team with home ice advantage. The final playoff game should be in early May when more people are indoors, taking advantage of potentially better television ratings. With warmer weather, the public is out and about after this time of year and less inclined to stay in and watch TV. Thus, ratings end up taking a beating.
Arenas
For a change, it would be refreshing to see a trend towards smaller more intimate arenas, such as the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, which hosts many world class events and has received rave reviews. With a capacity of 15,000, it is a privately owned arena which personalizes the game for spectators. This type of an arena which helps enhance the fan experience is ideal for smaller city markets.
Winter Classic
Played between the previous season’s AHC and CHC Champions with Stanley Cup Winner getting home ice advantage for game.
All-Star Game
ASG should be scrapped because nobody cares about it – not even the hard core hockey starved. Players should be given a one or two week break in the middle of the season to recharge for the playoff run.
Conclusion
A leaner, meanier and sexier league setup will help generate interest from both new and old fans alike on both sides of the border; something this niche sport may require after this latest labor public relations trash heap. Unfortunately, the NHL has rarely been on the cutting edge of ideas when faced with radical transformation.
Whether or not the current crop of ossified league executives have the vision, incentive, motivation and ability to create such an exciting and vibrant league remains to be seen. Actually, whether or not we see hockey again anytime soon remains to be seen.
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