How To Fix The NHL (Part 3)

Back again for Part 3 as the NHL's new commissioner. Here's a recap:
Part 1: Contract Phoenix & Florida
Part 2: Relocate Atlanta to Winnipeg & Carolina to Quebec

As important as it is to get rid of hockey in the south where people don't care much about it and return it to Canada and the passionate fans up there, it is equally important to keep rivalries intact and peak interest in the NHL. With the relocation comes the challenge of realigning the divisions to better reflect the geographic alignment of the league.

Realignment-
Much of the NHL and it's divisions will stay the same, but a few key moves will help to ignite more fan interest in a few areas. The Eastern Conference will see the biggest changes, especially the Southeast Division as 3 of the teams have changed locations or been eliminated. I'll go through each division individually and explain why teams should be placed there. 14 teams in each conference and 7 teams in 2 divisions.

Eastern Conference:
-Northeast Division
Boston
Montreal
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa
Quebec
Toronto

This could also be named the Canada Division. Or the Old Tyme Division. Or many other things that have to do with tradition. These are all teams that don't like each other and fan bases that despise people who cheer for another team. Canadians take pride in their city and their team, some of the rivalries up there are legendary. Boston and New York dislike each other with a passion. All cities are close to each other as well providing for a good fan following at away games. Every game in this division will have a playoff atmosphere.

-Atlantic Division
Buffalo
Columbus
New Jersey
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay
Washington

While there are a few teams that don't like each other in this division, it will be mostly made up of sprouting rivalries. It will be very competitive and provide for some exciting hockey. This division is currently made up of superstars on their respective teams and with a wide open feel, those players should prosper.

Western Conference:
-Central Division
Chicago
Colorado
Dallas
Detroit
Minnesota
Nashville
St. Louis

The main factor in this division is geography, but along with that comes rivalries from other sports as well. With Colorado being the only team outside of the Central Time Zone, fans won't have much of a problem catching their teams on TV when they are on the road. Most fans in these markets also travel well and will make their presence known on the road. There will be some great hockey played here.

-Pacific Division
Anaheim
Calgary
Edmonton
Los Angeles
San Jose
Vancouver
Winnipeg

As with the Central Division, the teams here will be mostly in the same time zone and this is a huge factor as the teams are spread out along the coast so travel won't be as prevalent. This doesn't mean the atmosphere at the games won't be any less spectacular. Three of the most passionate Canadian fan bases are in this division along with some very good California teams. Basically Canada vs California, teams won't be given any breaks by their fans and will be expected to compete every year.

Now that you are able to see where the teams will be and who they'll play the majority of their games against, there is only 1 part left in this series. Be sure to check back soon to see the finale.