In part 1 of my realignment series, I discussed Major League Baseball's future realignment, where the Houston Astros will move from the National League Central Division to the American League Western Division. Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to this as part of their newly ratified collective bargaining agreement.
Like Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League wanted to realign their divisions for the 2012-2013 season. In December, the NHL's Board of Governors were forced to realign due to the Atlanta Thrashers move to Winnipeg. It did not make much sense to keep the Canadian team in the Southeast division so they did a one-for-one swap moving the Jets into the Western Conference. Moreover, the NHL Board of Governors also voted on a complete overhaul plan that made even more sense in their eyes. The plan was to realign the league into a 4-conference setup where the top four teams in each conference would make the playoffs and the initial two playoff rounds would consist of inter-conference match-ups. However, much to the chagrin of the NHL's Board of Governors, the proposal was rebuffed by the National Hockey League Player Association and their new executive director, Donald Fehr.
Like Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League wanted to realign their divisions for the 2012-2013 season. In December, the NHL's Board of Governors were forced to realign due to the Atlanta Thrashers move to Winnipeg. It did not make much sense to keep the Canadian team in the Southeast division so they did a one-for-one swap moving the Jets into the Western Conference. Moreover, the NHL Board of Governors also voted on a complete overhaul plan that made even more sense in their eyes. The plan was to realign the league into a 4-conference setup where the top four teams in each conference would make the playoffs and the initial two playoff rounds would consist of inter-conference match-ups. However, much to the chagrin of the NHL's Board of Governors, the proposal was rebuffed by the National Hockey League Player Association and their new executive director, Donald Fehr.