Ideal NHL

Interesting. Let me take this from a structure and alignment standpoint, because otherwise my ideal NHL would just be a list of seasons and "Stanley Cup Champions: Philadelphia Flyers" ad infinitum. I'll also pick up with a POD in 1982, so the NHL would look like this to start:

Smythe: Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Vancouver
Norris: Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Toronto, Winnipeg
Patrick: Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
Adams: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Quebec, Montreal

Now, the POD here involves the Colorado Rockies. I'm not going to stop them from failing, but I am going to find an alternate bidder for the team. Instead of selling the Rockies to John McMullen's group, I'm going to sell them to Kenneth Schnitzer, the former owner of the Houston Aeros, and resurrect that team. From 1982-1990, the NHL would look like this:

Smythe: Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Norris: Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Toronto, Houston
Patrick: Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
Adams: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Quebec, Montreal

This prevents the insane logjam along the Northeast Corridor that developed OTL, with three teams in Greater NYC plus one in Connecticut and one in Massachusetts. It also gives St. Louis a team to the south in their division, which would likely develop into a strong rivalry. Speaking of the Blues, I'm going to make one change to their fate: In 1983, instead of Ralston Purina abandoning the team and almost selling them to Saskatoon, or having them contracted, I'm going to spark a slightly stronger sense of civic pride in August Busch III. Anheuser Busch purchases the Blues, leaving them on solid financial footing, and permanently aligned with the Cardinals.

In 1991, the Gunds will, as OTL, attempt to move the North Stars, and the league would, as OTL, instead create the San Jose Sharks. However, instead of Norm Green winning control of the team, Howard Baldwin and Morris Belzberg end up owning the franchise. (This necessitates new ownership in Pittsburgh in 1991; for the sake of argument, Norm Green becomes a minority partner in the Penguins, along with Eddie DeBartolo; the team will be owned by Paul Martha, who had wanted to buy the franchise but lost out to B&B.)

In 1992, the league expands by two teams: the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Tarpons. (Butterfly: Instead of the Esposito brothers bid being successful, they fail to replace the Pritzkers in time, and the Karmanos/Rutherford bid wins out. Butterfly from this: there is no counterbid for the Whalers, so the team is sold to William F. Dowling, the former EVP of the Yankees.)

1992's NHL looks like this:

Smythe: Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Norris: Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Toronto, Houston
Patrick: Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Washington
Adams: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal

1993 goes as OTL: Disney and Blockbuster want in, Disney and Blockbuster are rich, Disney and Blockbuster get in. The league realigns to East and West.

Pacific: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver
Central: Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Atlantic: Islanders, Rangers, Florida, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Washington
Northeast: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto

From 1995-1997, the league still has to deal with the cratering of the Canadian dollar, but this time, they work with the teams more, and several owners who had happy feet are in different locations. Baldwin and Belzberg have to sell the North Stars, but they find a willing buyer in Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who moves the team into the Target Center. The Winnipeg Jets turn a miracle, and get the new stadium Barry Shenkarow was begging for; they remain in Canada. Marcel Aubut ends up selling the Nordiques, but to Pierre Péladeau, then-owner of Quebecor, who again was taken by that same space bat spirit of civic pride that captured Auggie Busch.

By the late 90s, the league is feeling the pressure pass, and they've managed to avoid any team movement. Now they're looking to reach the big 3-0, and they have plans. Oh, yes, they have plans alright.

In 1997, the NHL announces that they're planning on expansion to 30 teams by the year 2000, and they've selected their four teams. Given the alignment of the league, with 12 teams in the West and 14 in the East, they have prioritized Western expansion, and will be relocating Detroit to the Northeast Division to enable their western push.

1998 sees the introduction of their second Texas team, the Dallas Texans. In 1999, the Seattle Metropolitans enter the league; Barry Ackerley, then owner of the Sonics, begins his negotiations with Howard Schultz early, freeing up money to bid on the Mets and add an additional tenant to Key Arena. In 2000, the league adds the Phoenix Coyotes (based in Scottsdale) and the Colorado Rapids.

The NHL as of 2001:

Pacific: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver
Central: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Atlantic: Islanders, Rangers, Florida, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Washington
Northeast: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Hartford, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto

Moving into the Centennial Season, the league has decided that they want to expand out to 32, four divisions of 8 teams each. After a round of bidding, the league receives the strongest interest from Las Vegas and Atlanta, and they proudly announce the introduction of the Las Vegas Silver Knights and the Georgia Peaches. The league, seeing the difficulty of putting a PTZ team in the Central, with MTZ teams in the Pacific, switches Calgary and Edmonton with Colorado and the new Vegas team.

The NHL in 2017:

Pacific: Anaheim, Colorado, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver
Central: Chicago, Calgary, Edmonton, Dallas, Houston, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Atlantic: Islanders, Rangers, Florida, Georgia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Washington
Northeast: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Hartford, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto
 
Interesting. Let me take this from a structure and alignment standpoint, because otherwise my ideal NHL would just be a list of seasons and "Stanley Cup Champions: Philadelphia Flyers" ad infinitum. I'll also pick up with a POD in 1982, so the NHL would look like this to start:

Smythe: Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Vancouver
Norris: Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Toronto, Winnipeg
Patrick: Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
Adams: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Quebec, Montreal

Now, the POD here involves the Colorado Rockies. I'm not going to stop them from failing, but I am going to find an alternate bidder for the team. Instead of selling the Rockies to John McMullen's group, I'm going to sell them to Kenneth Schnitzer, the former owner of the Houston Aeros, and resurrect that team. From 1982-1990, the NHL would look like this:

Smythe: Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Norris: Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Toronto, Houston
Patrick: Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
Adams: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Quebec, Montreal

This prevents the insane logjam along the Northeast Corridor that developed OTL, with three teams in Greater NYC plus one in Connecticut and one in Massachusetts. It also gives St. Louis a team to the south in their division, which would likely develop into a strong rivalry. Speaking of the Blues, I'm going to make one change to their fate: In 1983, instead of Ralston Purina abandoning the team and almost selling them to Saskatoon, or having them contracted, I'm going to spark a slightly stronger sense of civic pride in August Busch III. Anheuser Busch purchases the Blues, leaving them on solid financial footing, and permanently aligned with the Cardinals.

In 1991, the Gunds will, as OTL, attempt to move the North Stars, and the league would, as OTL, instead create the San Jose Sharks. However, instead of Norm Green winning control of the team, Howard Baldwin and Morris Belzberg end up owning the franchise. (This necessitates new ownership in Pittsburgh in 1991; for the sake of argument, Norm Green becomes a minority partner in the Penguins, along with Eddie DeBartolo; the team will be owned by Paul Martha, who had wanted to buy the franchise but lost out to B&B.)

In 1992, the league expands by two teams: the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Tarpons. (Butterfly: Instead of the Esposito brothers bid being successful, they fail to replace the Pritzkers in time, and the Karmanos/Rutherford bid wins out. Butterfly from this: there is no counterbid for the Whalers, so the team is sold to William F. Dowling, the former EVP of the Yankees.)

1992's NHL looks like this:

Smythe: Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Norris: Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Toronto, Houston
Patrick: Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Washington
Adams: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal

1993 goes as OTL: Disney and Blockbuster want in, Disney and Blockbuster are rich, Disney and Blockbuster get in. The league realigns to East and West.

Pacific: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver
Central: Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Atlantic: Islanders, Rangers, Florida, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Washington
Northeast: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto

From 1995-1997, the league still has to deal with the cratering of the Canadian dollar, but this time, they work with the teams more, and several owners who had happy feet are in different locations. Baldwin and Belzberg have to sell the North Stars, but they find a willing buyer in Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who moves the team into the Target Center. The Winnipeg Jets turn a miracle, and get the new stadium Barry Shenkarow was begging for; they remain in Canada. Marcel Aubut ends up selling the Nordiques, but to Pierre Péladeau, then-owner of Quebecor, who again was taken by that same space bat spirit of civic pride that captured Auggie Busch.

By the late 90s, the league is feeling the pressure pass, and they've managed to avoid any team movement. Now they're looking to reach the big 3-0, and they have plans. Oh, yes, they have plans alright.

In 1997, the NHL announces that they're planning on expansion to 30 teams by the year 2000, and they've selected their four teams. Given the alignment of the league, with 12 teams in the West and 14 in the East, they have prioritized Western expansion, and will be relocating Detroit to the Northeast Division to enable their western push.

1998 sees the introduction of their second Texas team, the Dallas Texans. In 1999, the Seattle Metropolitans enter the league; Barry Ackerley, then owner of the Sonics, begins his negotiations with Howard Schultz early, freeing up money to bid on the Mets and add an additional tenant to Key Arena. In 2000, the league adds the Phoenix Coyotes (based in Scottsdale) and the Colorado Rapids.

The NHL as of 2001:

Pacific: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver
Central: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Atlantic: Islanders, Rangers, Florida, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Washington
Northeast: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Hartford, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto

Moving into the Centennial Season, the league has decided that they want to expand out to 32, four divisions of 8 teams each. After a round of bidding, the league receives the strongest interest from Las Vegas and Atlanta, and they proudly announce the introduction of the Las Vegas Silver Knights and the Georgia Peaches. The league, seeing the difficulty of putting a PTZ team in the Central, with MTZ teams in the Pacific, switches Calgary and Edmonton with Colorado and the new Vegas team.

The NHL in 2017:

Pacific: Anaheim, Colorado, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver
Central: Chicago, Calgary, Edmonton, Dallas, Houston, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Atlantic: Islanders, Rangers, Florida, Georgia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Washington
Northeast: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Hartford, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto

How would such changes affect player flow in this NHL? For one thing, if the Nordiques never move, those great teams built on the back of the Lindros trade stay in Quebec - and almost certainly without Roy in net. No way do the Habs trade him to a division rival. And if the Nordiques and Red Wings are in opposite conferences, does this avert the rivalry? Assume that, in 1996, without the Avalanche to trip them up, the Wings plod their way into the Final. IOTL, Florida made the Final on the back of the rat movement. If the Nordiques are backstopped by Jocelyn Thibault, do they beat the Panthers? IOTL the Avs won that series four straight, but a goalie makes all the differences in the world in the playoffs.

Let's say the Nordiques win in seven. That averts south Florida's only appearance in the Final, but it sets the stage for Claude Lemieux's cheap shot on Kris Draper, turning Nordiques-Red Wings into the NHL's version of Celtics-Lakers or Steelers-Cowboys - two teams from opposite conferences who play for championships against each other a lot and really can't stand each other. The only thing missing from this rivalry would be four meetings a year and Patrick Roy. I'm sure someone else would take Roy's place as the enemy goalie, but maybe someone less punchable. (In case my bias is showing through, I'm a diehard Red Wings fan, and seriously, fuck Patrick Roy.)

This may mean that the Final is frequently Nordiques-Red Wings. Certainly in '96, '97, and 2002, with other years being averted by good teams out of NJ, Dallas, and Dominik Hasek's otherworldly skill (Hasek still goes to Detroit in 2001 - that was made partially because of a good relationship between the GMs of the Wings and Sabres, so it stands to reason the Wings would get first crack at him.)

I'd say the Nordiques win it in six in '96, the Wings do the same in '97, both over each other (sorry to rob the Flyers,) and the Wings repeat in '98 after the Nordiques stumble in the playoffs as they did IOTL. Given that the East in '98 was littered with upsets, a team like the Flyers (who got a bad draw with Buffalo) could make a long run, with the Devils, Nordiques and Penguins out of the picture. If the Flyers reach the conference finals, it's probably against Buffalo. They could win that round, but they're not beating the Red Wings.

The next year goes to Dallas on that damn skate-in-the-crease goal while the Devils get one in 2000. However, as 2001 was Devils-Avs IOTL, Devils-Nordiques becomes an epic conference final. Also, with a different West draw, the Wings going down in LA is averted, and the Nordiques-Wings rivalry is renewed in the Final, with Quebec winning in six. The Wings trade in the offseason for Hasek and shore up their shaky goaltending, and they avenge the loss in the Final the next year in seven.
 
How would such changes affect player flow in this NHL? For one thing, if the Nordiques never move, those great teams built on the back of the Lindros trade stay in Quebec - and almost certainly without Roy in net. No way do the Habs trade him to a division rival. And if the Nordiques and Red Wings are in opposite conferences, does this avert the rivalry? Assume that, in 1996, without the Avalanche to trip them up, the Wings plod their way into the Final. IOTL, Florida made the Final on the back of the rat movement. If the Nordiques are backstopped by Jocelyn Thibault, do they beat the Panthers? IOTL the Avs won that series four straight, but a goalie makes all the differences in the world in the playoffs.

Let's say the Nordiques win in seven. That averts south Florida's only appearance in the Final, but it sets the stage for Claude Lemieux's cheap shot on Kris Draper, turning Nordiques-Red Wings into the NHL's version of Celtics-Lakers or Steelers-Cowboys - two teams from opposite conferences who play for championships against each other a lot and really can't stand each other. The only thing missing from this rivalry would be four meetings a year and Patrick Roy. I'm sure someone else would take Roy's place as the enemy goalie, but maybe someone less punchable. (In case my bias is showing through, I'm a diehard Red Wings fan, and seriously, fuck Patrick Roy.)

This may mean that the Final is frequently Nordiques-Red Wings. Certainly in '96, '97, and 2002, with other years being averted by good teams out of NJ, Dallas, and Dominik Hasek's otherworldly skill (Hasek still goes to Detroit in 2001 - that was made partially because of a good relationship between the GMs of the Wings and Sabres, so it stands to reason the Wings would get first crack at him.)

I'd say the Nordiques win it in six in '96, the Wings do the same in '97, both over each other (sorry to rob the Flyers,) and the Wings repeat in '98 after the Nordiques stumble in the playoffs as they did IOTL. Given that the East in '98 was littered with upsets, a team like the Flyers (who got a bad draw with Buffalo) could make a long run, with the Devils, Nordiques and Penguins out of the picture. If the Flyers reach the conference finals, it's probably against Buffalo. They could win that round, but they're not beating the Red Wings.

The next year goes to Dallas on that damn skate-in-the-crease goal while the Devils get one in 2000. However, as 2001 was Devils-Avs IOTL, Devils-Nordiques becomes an epic conference final. Also, with a different West draw, the Wings going down in LA is averted, and the Nordiques-Wings rivalry is renewed in the Final, with Quebec winning in six. The Wings trade in the offseason for Hasek and shore up their shaky goaltending, and they avenge the loss in the Final the next year in seven.

Problem is, using my POD, we may never get to the point where those great Nordiques teams exist. A 5-team Patrick and 6-team Norris changes the schedule every year thereafter, which results in different matchups, different records, and critically, different draft orders. (And at 2 AM yesterday, I was nowhere near equipped to address those issues.) Further, the Blues and North Stars, among other teams, would surely be on better financial footing, and therefore would be stronger players in the FA market. (Side note: Devils/Nordiques would be a terrible conference final, since it involves a team that doesn't exist. A more apt comparison would be an Aeros-Nordiques Cup final, if we're stomping on butterflies to get here, and wouldn't that just grind Bettman's gears, presuming Bettman is hired at all?)

If I have a chance to return to this, and can find a suitable simulator, I'll try to project out some of the alternate decisions that might go into scheduling, roster balance, and free agency, but it'd be safe to say the NHL would look very different within about 5 years of the POD. (Not to mention the St. Louis Blues actually drafting in 1983, which would force a ton of changes by itself.) One factor: The Devils and Penguins were terrible teams in 1982-83, and the four good teams in the Patrick feasted on them. Take the Devils out, and put the Aeros in the Norris instead, and you're likely looking at the four top teams in the Patrick having slightly suppressed point totals, the Blackhawks and North Stars putting up even more points since they have another bad team to face, and a different draft order at the end of the season. None of this likely stops the Islanders from winning the Cup, or changes the North Stars' decision with the #1 pick in the draft (they acquired it in a trade) but some of the lower selections in the first round may be scrambled. Also also, without John McMullen in charge of the Devils, who's to say anyone would have hired Lou Lamoriello in 1987?
 
Problem is, using my POD, we may never get to the point where those great Nordiques teams exist. A 5-team Patrick and 6-team Norris changes the schedule every year thereafter, which results in different matchups, different records, and critically, different draft orders. (And at 2 AM yesterday, I was nowhere near equipped to address those issues.) Further, the Blues and North Stars, among other teams, would surely be on better financial footing, and therefore would be stronger players in the FA market. (Side note: Devils/Nordiques would be a terrible conference final, since it involves a team that doesn't exist. A more apt comparison would be an Aeros-Nordiques Cup final, if we're stomping on butterflies to get here, and wouldn't that just grind Bettman's gears, presuming Bettman is hired at all?)

If I have a chance to return to this, and can find a suitable simulator, I'll try to project out some of the alternate decisions that might go into scheduling, roster balance, and free agency, but it'd be safe to say the NHL would look very different within about 5 years of the POD. (Not to mention the St. Louis Blues actually drafting in 1983, which would force a ton of changes by itself.) One factor: The Devils and Penguins were terrible teams in 1982-83, and the four good teams in the Patrick feasted on them. Take the Devils out, and put the Aeros in the Norris instead, and you're likely looking at the four top teams in the Patrick having slightly suppressed point totals, the Blackhawks and North Stars putting up even more points since they have another bad team to face, and a different draft order at the end of the season. None of this likely stops the Islanders from winning the Cup, or changes the North Stars' decision with the #1 pick in the draft (they acquired it in a trade) but some of the lower selections in the first round may be scrambled. Also also, without John McMullen in charge of the Devils, who's to say anyone would have hired Lou Lamoriello in 1987?

This isn't to say there won't be butterflies galore, but the Nordiques were awful at the start of the 90s regardless of who's in their division. Draft orders may change, but just three things need to happen: the Nordiques need to suck (check,) the Flyers have to be crazy enough to make the Lindros trade (if similar personnel is in place, check) and the league's arbitrator has to go along with it (also a strong possibility.) So even if there's a lot of upheaval, there's no reason to believe that the Lindros trade is unworkable.

That said, things would be very different indeed if there's no such trade. Lindros could flounder in Quebec, Philly could end up being the super-team, and that rivalry I described above could end up being Red Wings-Flyers. Of course, that required Claude Lemieux as the spark, and if he's not a Flyer, the rivalry ends up strictly about winning the Cup and not about bad blood.
 
This isn't to say there won't be butterflies galore, but the Nordiques were awful at the start of the 90s regardless of who's in their division. Draft orders may change, but just three things need to happen: the Nordiques need to suck (check,) the Flyers have to be crazy enough to make the Lindros trade (if similar personnel is in place, check) and the league's arbitrator has to go along with it (also a strong possibility.) So even if there's a lot of upheaval, there's no reason to believe that the Lindros trade is unworkable.

That said, things would be very different indeed if there's no such trade. Lindros could flounder in Quebec, Philly could end up being the super-team, and that rivalry I described above could end up being Red Wings-Flyers. Of course, that required Claude Lemieux as the spark, and if he's not a Flyer, the rivalry ends up strictly about winning the Cup and not about bad blood.

I'm not expecting the butterflies to turn the Nords into a powerhouse by then; I'm thinking more in terms of knock-on effects changing what teams have to offer. Frex, Mike Ricci was a big part of the deal, but in 1990, the Red Wings, Flyers, Penguins, and Islanders finished with 70, 71, 72, and 73 points, respectively. A couple bounces here and there, and the Flyers could have ended up with Jaromir Jagr instead of Ricci. I can't imagine the Flyers being willing to trade him (and the point of Ricci being in the deal was that Quebec was adamant about improving their center depth), so the final deal for Lindros may have included Rod Brind'Amour instead, leaving the Flyers with Jagr on Lindros's wing. On the flip side, what if Detroit ended up with Jagr out of that? If they were desperate, they could have offered him to the Nordiques as the key piece of the deal, instead of Yzerman (Detroit offered, as I recall, and their bid fell apart because Stevie Y didn't want to go to Quebec), and maybe Quebec ends up with Jagr, and Philly keeps Forsberg.
 
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