(Note: I wrote this as a stream of consciousness post.. a kind of thinking out loud.)

Basically, I would love to see what the league would look like if team movement was “illegal” after 1990 and expansion was the only way to grow the game.

I would return all teams back to their original city and then those places with a hockey following get automatic expansion teams. They are designated in Bold.

ex. The Coyotes we know now would go back to Manitoba and be the Jets again.

West:
Pacific: San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver, Winnipeg
North: Edmonton, Calgary, Minnesota (Minneapolis) North Stars, Minnesota (St. Paul) Wild, Chicago, Detroit
Central: St Louis, Nashville, Dallas Lone Stars, Colorado Avalanche

East:
Southeast: Carolina Hurricanes, Florida, Tampa Bay, Washington, Atlanta
Northeast: Pittsburgh, Toronto, Buffalo, Ottawa, Columbus, Philadelphia, Boston
Atlantic: NY Islanders, NY Rangers, New Jersey, Montreal, Quebec, Hartford

Don’t worry about the Coyotes starting all over again. The fans there will never know the difference.

The only problem with this is that the Avs fans in Denver will be mad if they had to start over again. On second thought, maybe Quebec should be the expansion team. Oh well. That is the model I am using. Let the chips fall where they may.

I am not concerned with two teams named “Stars”. That is something the Canadians are used to with the CFL’s Roughriders and Rough Riders. Am I right?

Well.. since that area is the “Twin Cities” and hockey is big deal there too… why not have two teams in that state? the New York area has two teams. MLB’s Chicago Cubs and White Sox with the Mets and Yankees share a city. So, this isn’t really that radical of a concept.

Now everybody in Minnesota is happy who remember the North Stars and those newer generations who are attached to the Wild.

{expletive}, I am a genius! “wink!”