PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- NHL officials have approved a radical realignment plan that will give the league four conferences instead of six divisions The Board of Governors approved the move Monday at the first day of their meeting. The realignment won't be implemented until NHL commissioner Gary Bettman discusses the new plan with the NHL Players' Association. "This is not a subject that everybody is going to get their first choice on," Bettman said Monday. "What you try to do is come up with something everybody can live with." The league needed to make changes to accommodate Atlanta's move to Winnipeg this past summer. They could have switched one team from the Western Conference with the Jets but opted for a more dramatic plan. Conference "A" Anaheim Calgary Colorado Edmonton Los Angeles Phoenix San Jose Vancouver Conference "B" Chicago Columbus Dallas Detroit Minnesota Nashville St. Louis Winnipeg Conference "C" Boston Buffalo Florida Montreal Ottawa Tampa Bay Toronto Conference "D" Carolina New Jersey New York Islanders New York Rangers Philadelphia Pittsburgh Washington ESPN
yeah but the nhl is determined to have games played in front of half filled buildings in florida, l.a. & phoenix.
