Conference Realignment

Along with the realignment, apparently we are calling them 'conferences' now, not 'divisions'. Here is how they realignment would shake out according to the current plan:

Central Conference: Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets.

West Conference: Anaheim, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver.

East Conference: Carolina, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington.

The... other East Conference: Boston, Buffalo, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto.


There will be six games against each conference opponent; 3 each home and away. In what was the West Conference, there will be five or six games against each, with a rotating schedule to determine who plays who how many times.

Your thoughts on the realignment?

NHL Realignment? Yes, According to Craig Leipold

Ever since the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg, there has existed an imbalance between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, bringing an NHL divisional realighment to the minds of owners.

There have been rumors in the past that the NHL is considering a massive overhaul in which the current NHL characteristics would be cleared for a landscape featuring a two conference format with 2 divisions each. Those rumors have always been pure speculation stemming from mysterious voices... until now.

Craig Leipold, during a radio interview with KFAN Minneapolis, may have let the cat out of the bag and let the public in on the NFL plans for realignment during the 2012 season.

"Our division would include the Winnipeg Jets, us [Minnesota Wild], the Blues, the Nashville Predators, the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and maybe the Columbus Blue Jackets... maybe not depending on if they go east or west. I am all in favor of that. I think that is a grand slam, home run, hat trick for our team.

We're all Central Division now. All of our teams, except for Columbus, all of our teams will be Central Division. We'll play less teams in Canada. We will play every team home and away at least one time."

Whoops.