Hawks talk realignment pros and cons
Under the NHL's new plan for realignment, the thinking inside the Blackhawks' dressing room is that it will be more difficult to make the playoffs next season.
The Hawks will play in a new eight-team conference with Detroit, St. Louis, Minnesota, Nashville, Columbus, Dallas and Winnipeg, with the top four finishers going to the postseason.
“Numbers wise, it's 50-50; I think it was a little easier before,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Our conference looks like it's going to be real tough.
“Minnesota is better this year. Dallas is better this year. Winnipeg's not bad. You put those eight teams in our group and only half of them will make it? It's going to be tough.”
Quenneville believes it's unfair to be in an eight-team conference when there are two others with only seven teams.
“I think it's going to be harder (to make the playoffs),” winger Andrew Brunette said. “There could be a year where five or six teams in this division here that have 95 or 100 points and miss the playoffs, and teams make it in the other divisions with a little less.”
So do the players like the new realignment? For the most part, they do.
“I'm on the fence a little,” Brunette said. “I think the rivalries will be kind of neat. I really like you're going to play first round within your division.
“It's going to create almost the old Norris Division rivalries. That will be a fun part, but the hard part is if one division is extremely strong, teams could miss the playoffs with 100 points. I have a little problem with that.”
Patrick Sharp likes the fact there will be two games with every team outside the conference.
“This is the NHL and I think fans in every city should get to see all the players,” Sharp said. “I do like the idea of going to every city home and home, (but) I'm just a little concerned with the emphasis on the conference because I don't know if it's a good idea having some teams out of the playoffs that might have more points than another team.”
The trade off:Under the new four-conference realignment, the Hawks will lose two regular-season games against the Vancouver Canucks, their biggest rival at the moment.#8220;I think whatever we lose with them we'll gain with St. Louis or Minnesota or Dallas, and get Detroit going again,#8221; Patrick Sharp said. #8220;You look at the Vancouver series, playing the same team in the playoffs over and over, that's what started that one.#8220;I don't know if you can manufacture the rivalries, but it's definitely good for the game when you have two teams that don't like each other.#8221;No more circus trip?Hawks chairman Rocky Wirtz is trying to work it so his team won't have to head out of town for two weeks around Thanksgiving because of the circus at the United Center.Wirtz told ESPN-Chicago.com that he and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf are negotiating with Ringling Bros. to change its November dates at the UC.#8220;Anything we can do to help keep us in the building so we don't have to be out for two weeks would be a big plus for both the Bulls and the Hawks,#8221; Wirtz said.Wirtz also would like to change dates for the ice show in February. Ahead for the Hawks this Jan. 31 through Feb. 18 is a nine-game road trip because of the ice show.