The Blue Jackets Win And They Didn’t Even Play Today
By Howye
As anticipated, the NHL Board of Governors approved a realignment plan tonight. In a refreshing change for Blue Jackets fans, the franchise did not get the shaft from Lady Luck or her cousin Random Circumstance. The BOG could have just swapped Columbus or Detroit for Winnipeg’s old slot in the Eastern conference and been done with it. But that would have left one of the two out in the cold, led to a weird Southeast division, and not solved time zone based issues for Dallas or Minnesota. The BOG did the smart and bold thing and radically realigned the league.
Beginning next year the league will have four conferences, some with seven teams and some with eight. Playoffs will be in conference for the first two rounds, and during the regular season every team will play every other team in at least a home and home set. In conference teams will get more games depending on the size of the conference. With 26 teams voting for this plan at least 11 teams from the Eastern conference took on additional burdens of travel for the benefit of the whole league.
Where does this leave the CBJ? Playing 57 to 58 games a year in the Eastern time zone, and only 11 games in the Mountain and Pacific time zones (thanks to Jeff at Ten Minute Misconduct for the math help.) More games that are actually watchable for the casual fan and fewer time zones to cross for the players. No matter what kind of style those guys travel in, late night plane flights and four a.m. customs visits will take their toll on anybody. The Blue Jackets will be facing familiar conference opponents, as the new conference is the Central division with Minnesota, Dallas, and Winnipeg added in. The Dispatch has some early reaction from Jackets management.
Does it make the road to the playoffs any easier? Yes and no. Yes in that the Jackets will be playing more games against former Eastern conf. teams, which they have traditionally done well against, and they will be playing slightly fewer games against their former division mates. No, in that the Jackets have to be better than four of CHI, DET, NSH, STL, DAL, MINN, WIN. Yeah, that’s gonna be easy…
Still I am excited. A simple move to the East was always a long shot, and this is a realignment that is going to better the league. The Jackets are going to be more accessible on TV and radio, no more long disappearances a couple of times a season. A guaranteed trip into Nationwide by Buffalo and Pittsburgh every year, even in bad years that will sell some tickets. The rest of the league will get to see the Jackets more often, not always a good idea given how this year has gone but still. Even if the biggest benefit is the lower travel costs, I am fine with that. The team has been losing money, not a problem unique to the Jackets, and the owners have found a way to trim some costs. Can’t be too upset even with that. Let’s see what the new format brings next year, for now we can concentrate on how the team is playing this year…