Dallas Stars Daily Links: Stars "Biggest Winner" In NHL Realignment

by Erin Bolen on Dec 6, 2011 6:05 AM CST in Dallas Stars Daily Links

A handful of NHL teams and their fans are bound to be displeased with the radical four-conference realignment passed by the league's Board of Governors on Monday night.

The Dallas Stars are not one of those teams.

No, the Stars are basically as happy as can be with the new league format, which has two eight-team conference and two seven-team conferences. In the new arrangement, the Stars are matched with teams in the central and eastern time zones only — the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

The folks at ESPN Dallas caught up with new owner Tom Gaglardi for his reaction.

"I'm not sure we're not the biggest winner in the whole league," Gaglardi said in a phone interview early Tuesday morning. "I feel pretty wonderful. It's something I've chased ever since I started to chase ownership of the Stars. It's a great day for Dallas."

After the jump, more from the Stars on the new conferences, all the reaction from around the league you can handle and good news on the injury front.

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General manager Joe Nieuwendyk is also very pleased with the news, talking about the impact on the television audience and getting back to more "natural rivals." [DallasNews.com]
Razor was ready for the repeated trips north even before he knew the BoG approved the plan. [Razor with an Edge]
What you really care about as a Stars fan - average travel distances. It's not all that pretty, but it's a significant improvement. [Puck Daddy]
Here's a solid roundup of quotes from some of the more influential powers around the NHL, complete with Gary Bettman interview at the end. [ProHockeyTalk]
A really good article on how Bettman was the puppet-master behind this whole plan, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. I got a good laugh from Brian Burke, who said he was concerned about the wear and tear the slightly increased travel will have on his Toronto Maple Leafs. Poor babies. That said, Toronto voted yes, so still looking for the four teams that voted no. [Yahoo]
Also making me laugh were these comments from the Detroit Red Wings, who felt they had it just so hard in the current Central Division. While I do appreciate that as an eastern time zone team, the travel to California is even more of a pain in the butt for them, at least all of their divisional games are within an hour time zone change. [Detroit Free Press]
I'm not much for Slam!Sports, and the misspelling of Sidney Crosby in this article (at least when I read it) is part of the reason why, but I do enjoy a good column that takes shot at how the Eastern Conference teams are whining about the travel. [Slam!Sports]
A team that is more understandably displeased is the Florida Panthers, who along with the Tampa Bay Lightning have the oddest division setup in the league. The travel will be worse, but the matchups are likely to draw better crowds, particular among the snowbirds. [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Even before the proposal had passed, the folks over at Puck Daddy were looking at the potential downsides of the plan, particularly the heavy emphasis on divisional playoffs. They do pull some interesting quotes from back in 1993 when the league shifted to the two-conference look. [Puck Daddy]
Finally, for the buzzkill of the morning, Mike Heika has a nice blog on why it might be awesome to be out of the Pacific Division, there are definite drawbacks to this new alignment as well that could affect the Stars' playoff chances. [DallasNews.com]
What? You say they're still playing hockey this season? Well then, more good news for the Stars on Monday came on the injury front, where Brenden Morrow, Trevor Daley and Alex Goligoski all practiced. Daley and Morrow are definitely in for Thursday's game against the San Jose Sharks while Goligoski is still waiting on a special brace for his once-broken thumb. [ESPN Dallas]
Around the Pacific Division: The Phoenix Coyotes celebrated the fact that Dallas was out of their division by defeating a fairly listless Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in the shootout. It was the only Western Conference game played Monday because the NHL is run by monkeys at keyboards. [Chicago Tribune]
Oh Greg Wyshynski, I respect the work you do at Puck Daddy a bunch, and in fact this will be the third time I link you in this post today. But please learn what charging actually is before you start spouting off about how leaving the feet after contact will get a guy a suspension. Now, I wouldn't put anything past the NHL, but that ain't what the rule says or how it's interpreted. [Puck Daddy]
Stars PR went a little crazy with the post-practice video interview today, talking to five players plus coach Glen Gulutzan, from whom I learned that they still call Morrow "Mini," which warmed my shriveled, blackened little heart. But I decided to share this interview with Radek Dvorak because he's an unusual suspect for this type of thing and I'm a sucker for a deep voice and Dracula-esque accent. Sue me.

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Comments

Sooo...

With Gologoski does he play once he gets this “special brace”? And any news on Burish?

by coolcolin09 on Dec 6, 2011 7:07 AM CST reply actions

New owner, so long pasific and Goose is back soon.

Good times for the Stars.

Good times are here and Stars will take what belongs to them. Sooner or Later.

by Henri Muroke on Dec 6, 2011 7:41 AM CST reply actions

Thank god.

I hate the Pacific Division. Long live the Central.

Defending Big D Check it out
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"You guys are talking about living forever like it’s a real thing, but I bust out a man shoving his head into a vagina, and it’s srs time?"
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by Josh Lile on Dec 6, 2011 8:27 AM CST reply actions

I'll miss the Sharks.

The rest…meh.

by Sugaa on Dec 6, 2011 8:34 AM CST up reply actions

I liked Sharks, when Irbe was their goalie.

But that’s that.

Good times are here and Stars will take what belongs to them. Sooner or Later.

by Henri Muroke on Dec 6, 2011 9:35 AM CST up reply actions

I liked Nabokov too

by 182below0 on Dec 6, 2011 1:00 PM CST up reply actions

Killed Stars too many times.

Before Morrow said no. =)

Good times are here and Stars will take what belongs to them. Sooner or Later.

by Henri Muroke on Dec 6, 2011 2:43 PM CST up reply actions

Glad for the chance to re-ignite the Detroit rivalry

Those were always some of the best games. Maybe Belfour will drop by and teach Lehtonen how to properly clear Red Wings out of the goal crease

by RB16 on Dec 6, 2011 8:53 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs

One thing for Stars fans to look forward to with the renewed Wings rivalry...

…this is almost definitely Holmstrom’s final year. There is talk that he and Lidstrom will retire together at the end of this year. (Sue me, but I’m hoping that Lidstrom keeps drinking from the Detroit Fountain of Youth and keeps playing another five years or so.)

Anyway, there are other Wings players who will go to the crease, but none quite so stubbornly as Homer. It will be a sad day in Detroit when he hangs it up and stops tormenting goalies across the league…but the rest of the league will likely rejoice.

by WingnutInStarsCountry on Dec 6, 2011 9:58 AM CST up reply actions

Halle-freakin-lujah

I concur.

Avery would have loved to play with the Rangers this year...but he got STUCK ON AN OIL RIG. -- John Tortorella. (Well, not really)

by EagleBelf on Dec 6, 2011 10:04 AM CST up reply actions

I would think you guys have to be happy with this

As a Preds fan I am very happy with the changes for several reasons.

Are you guys as happy to dump all those late night games as I think you are?

by Marcus Newman on Dec 6, 2011 8:44 AM CST reply actions

Hells yes.

It got to the point where I never watched the west coast games because I wouldn’t be able to stay up till the end.

by Sugaa on Dec 6, 2011 8:50 AM CST up reply actions

I figured as much. I hate the two trips out there that we have each year. …and I would much rather be guaranteed to see all of the northeastern teams twice a year than 4 tilts with the Ducks and Kings.

Built in rivalry with the Jets for you guys now. Long live the Norris!

by Marcus Newman on Dec 6, 2011 9:09 AM CST up reply actions

Yes, this is pretty much everything we could have hoped for.

Having so many fewer late start times on the west coast will help our market. More fans can watch the games. Easier travel on our group. I’m pretty much elated!

Avery would have loved to play with the Rangers this year...but he got STUCK ON AN OIL RIG. -- John Tortorella. (Well, not really)

by EagleBelf on Dec 6, 2011 10:02 AM CST up reply actions

Absolutely ... as one S. Ott always puts it!

Personally, I was almost always able to make it till the end of the game. But the huge thing is getting better TV numbers with the casual fan … and that equals bigger TV contracts and more fans.

by 1paniolo on Dec 6, 2011 12:48 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

It's kind of weird....

We’ll only be playing the Pacific teams twice. But I’ll take the old Central rivalries any day. We used to have crazy games against Chicago. I’ll never forget the New Years game the inaugural season! Not to mention the next game after Hatcher destroyed Roenick’s knee!

"That must be the Dallas Stars version of the shocker. You don't expect that on the other end!" Razor after Grossman went end to end

by James on Bass! on Dec 6, 2011 9:25 AM CST reply actions

great series of events for stars fans

new owner
conference realignment
team playing well despite injuries

now where are the fans?

by spatulacity on Dec 6, 2011 9:50 AM CST reply actions

Dvorak

I work with some linguists, and they pointed out that his name is actually “Radek Dvořák” (note the accents) which would actually be pronounced something like “da-vor-Zhak”. I’m assuming he gave up on getting people to pronounce it properly a long time ago.

I’ll just stick with Devo Las Vegas

by Sporkley on Dec 6, 2011 9:50 AM CST reply actions

I always thought it was pronounced like the composer.

di-vor-jhak

by Sugaa on Dec 6, 2011 10:36 AM CST up reply actions

Esssentially, they are pronounced the same.

I’d go with more of the zhak than jhak sound on both, based on my (limited) knowledge of pronunciation in similar languages.

by WingnutInStarsCountry on Dec 6, 2011 10:47 AM CST up reply actions

It's kind of a mix of the two.

At any rate, it ain’t dev-o-rak.

by Sugaa on Dec 6, 2011 10:52 AM CST up reply actions

You would think Ralph and Razor

would get with each player before the season to get down how they want their names pronounced. Most of us take our cue from them, esp on the eastern European/Slavic names.

by 1paniolo on Dec 6, 2011 12:51 PM CST up reply actions

Well, that's a mistake.

I heard both R & R mis-pronounce names of many players (granted, not Stars players) on many separate occasions. It cracks me up every time anybody (not just R&R) try pronouncing Russian names! Not only they are making wrong accents, but they just butcher the names so funny…

by iHorses on Dec 6, 2011 1:54 PM CST up reply actions

LOL, they still haven't settled on how to pronounce Wandell.

They even joke about it during broadcasts. Should it be Wand-ell, or Van-dell? They haven’t got a clue.

by WingnutInStarsCountry on Dec 6, 2011 2:06 PM CST up reply actions

I can think of two options

One, he’s Americanized his name after so many years on this side of the Atlantic and doesn’t go with a traditional pronunciation anymore.

Or two, like Modano and the Canadian announcers, he’s just given up.

Follow me on Twitter @ErinB_DBD

by Erin Bolen on Dec 6, 2011 3:16 PM CST up reply actions

I just now realized

As an out-of-towner in Nashville, this means I’ll be able to see the Stars more than twice a year! And possibly some playoff match-ups to boot! This just keeps getting better and better!

Avery would have loved to play with the Rangers this year...but he got STUCK ON AN OIL RIG. -- John Tortorella. (Well, not really)

by EagleBelf on Dec 6, 2011 11:03 AM CST reply actions

Out with the Old!

Love this new alignment. Not thrilled with the playoff piece, but I’ll accept it to play in the central time zone.

I’ve never liked the fact that the NHL takes over half its teams to the playoffs. I may be wrong, but I don’t believe the other major sports take such a large portion of their teams. While we’re being radical, let’s eliminate this “everyone’s a winner” thinking. Here’s my suggestion:

Three teams from each conference make the playoffs
The four conference winners receive a bye for the first round
Seeds 2 and 3 from each conference play each other in round one
The winners from round 1 and the four conference champions are re-seeded without regard to conference for the quarter-finals “Elite 8”.

This gives real value to winning your conference.

Finally, the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will no longer exist, so we all need to remove these terms from our vocabulary and thought processes.

by whayes on Dec 6, 2011 11:08 AM CST reply actions

Not a fan of that concept.

I know that more than half of the teams in the league get into the playoffs with the current system, but frankly, I like that. It gives teams who had some problems with injuries and the like to get in, when they might not have in another system…and then once you’re in, the real work begins.

The NHL playoffs are far more grueling than that in any other sport, and I’d hate to see that change. I especially hate how the NFL playoffs are just a one-and-done—no series at all. Have a single bad game, and you’re out. Blah. I’m more in the camp that I’d like to see the MLB playoffs expanded, where more teams get in.

Also, consider the fact that in hockey, while a few days of rest at the start of the playoffs would be a good thing, two weeks of rest (how long a the first round bye would essentially last) would potentially kill any momentum you had going for you. I’m not sure that winning the division would be such a great thing.

by WingnutInStarsCountry on Dec 6, 2011 12:26 PM CST up reply actions

NFL

“I especially hate how the NFL playoffs are just a one-and-done—no series at all. Have a single bad game, and you’re out. "

Oh I sooo agree with that. And the regular season also. 16 games? C’mon… lose a few and the team is hosed. Baseball is the opposite end of the spectrum with so many games played, it seems a farce. Hockey seems to strike a good balance, both in regular season and playoffs.

Twitter: @murrayvwhite

by MurrayW on Dec 6, 2011 6:13 PM CST up reply actions