[reelins]

Here is the proposal

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=604852

Good or bad?

To me bad, they just wanted Crosby vs Ovechkin in the playoffs every year and there will be massive travel in the playoffs. When two west coast teams play two east coast in the semis

[Optimus_Prime]

I'm sure the detroit fans will whine that they still have to go out west coast (winnipeg) for playoffs...

I wish they'd do an original 6 division. that'd be pretty sweet.

[jacobystealshome]

* Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay

wow, bettman really hates the florida teams

[ricebondsmntna2young]

It looks like Bettman would prefer to have nearly 60% of the current Eastern Conference represented in the SC Playoffs while holding the Western Conference+Winnipeg at 50%. No east coast bias here...

It'd be fairer to give 9 spots to A & B Conferences and 7 spots to C & D. At least they didn't go nuclear and send Detroit east though. But I'll agree with that if the idea is to grow the sport in non-traditional markets, it's a good idea to see every team come to town at least once a year.

[KingYusei]

Toronto will never win anything again....lol

[reelins]

To me all they had to do was flop Nashville and Winnipeg and call it a day. The only one to me that could complain about travel now is Dallas.

[hckydv7]

* Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay

wow, bettman really hates the florida teams

Yea, but after Florida gives up and moves to Quebec or Hartford they would fit right in.

---

To me all they had to do was flop Nashville and Winnipeg and call it a day. The only one to me that could complain about travel now is Dallas.

Dallas was the BIG compliner before even more so than Detroit as most of there Division was 2 time zones away.

[NDlaxbeast927]

* Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay

wow, bettman really hates the florida teams

Even being a sabres fan i agree with you, switch tampa and florida for islanders and rangers and its good. Or devils and rangers too.

[pretzel mask]

The only thing I really don't like is that the first two rounds of the playoffs will be within each division. The league always tries to force rivalries, but they happen regardless.

[wickabee]

I like the playoff format. It makes the divisions actually matter instead of just placing the top teams in the top seeds and letting everyone else fight over the conference. In the current setup, divisions are meaningless unless you're fighting for top spot. Never again will you see:
1 - Detroit - 120pts
2 - Vancouver - 115pts
3 - Anaheim - 99pts
4 - Chicago - 118pts
5 - Colorado - 116pts
6 - Nashville - 110pts
7 - Minnesota - 100pts
8 - Los Angeles - 98pts
Some might say that it's still possible for a team to make the playoffs with less points than a team who didn't make the playoffs, but the way I see it, there's no comparison. You HAVE to be better than your conference and no one else, then fight your way out through two rounds of playoffs. I love it.