Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

NBA's issue is with conference imbalance. Division winner means nothing, but in NHL, winning division helps for just 1 round. In NBA's format, you're still projected to be getting the top 4 teams per conference in the 2nd round. In NHL, you basically have a top 3 team in the conference guaranteed to be eliminated round 1. And 2 of top 3 seeds guaranteed to be eliminated in first 2 rounds. That's what happened last year. Leafs finished 3 seed, their reward... Road team VS 2 seed in 1st round. Tampa finished 1 seed, their reward... Playing a top 3 seed in 2nd round.

If you want a strictly conference-based format, that's fine by me. But then scrap divisions altogether and balance the schedules as much as possible:

Each team plays the teams in its own conference 3 or 4 times (10 teams x3, 5 teams x4, the 5 teams you play the extra game against rotate each season in a 3-season cycle) in addition to playing the other conference twice per team. 82 games. Then seed 1-8 per conference. Done.

What I don't want to see is an unbalanced, division-heavy schedule, followed by a conference playoff format. Divisions should mean a lot, as they do in MLB and the NFL, or not exist at all.

[Majingir]

Tuesday is the day. Question isn't whether Seattle gets a team, it's simply just if they start in 2020-21 season or 21-22 season.

Given we might have a lockout, wouldn't be surprised if it's 21-22. Would be bad look having a team entering the league having to wait half a season to actually play.

[SPTO]

The bigger news now is if Arizona can get that new money that some are speculating is there. If the owners there can't get new investors than the Coyotes are almost assuredly moving to Houston.

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

The bigger news now is if Arizona can get that new money that some are speculating is there. If the owners there can't get new investors than the Coyotes are almost assuredly moving to Houston.

I wonder how Houston would do as an NHL market. Can't be worse than the Coyotes I guess lol.

But Im still surprised nothing has ever happened with KC. They have an arena without a major pro team and seemingly no interest to get one.

[TracerBullet]

Woooooooooooooo!

[ImTellinTim]

Arizona to the Central.

[Majingir]

2021-22 season is when they'll begin play. Some little things I caught when they were talking about the arena timeline. Bettman did say 21-22 is better because of no uncertainty about if the arena will be done in time. But later on, Leiweke was talking about March-April as a time for the arena to open up. So that really does sound like the arena wouldn't have been ready for Fall 2020 if they likely won't open until Spring 2021.

Sucks NHL is staying with this 8 team/4 division format. It's my least fave division format of the major leagues, and least fave playoff format. Although he didn't comment on the playoff format, I imagine it stays the same unfortunately. Why can't we just have 2 division winners and no 2-3 seeds in division facing off. Like I've said many times, it'd suck being the 2nd best team in your conference, and your reward is playing the 3 seed in the conference in round 1(and similarly, 3 seed having to play 2 seed, and not even get home ice for at least first 2 rounds if they were to win.

Surprised nobody at the media conference asked about decision to keep the 8 team/4 division format. Or ask about playoffs.

As for the name, Bettman basically shot down the Metropolitans name for obvious reasons(being the name of a division already).

I'm still partial to Seattle Emeralds. Though of some rumored ones from awhile back, Firebirds would be a cool one.

[thaima1shu]

It won't happen but I still think Seattle Freeze would be hilarious.