The NHL may need to contract

August 29, 10:56 PMSports Business ExaminerJosh Lobdell

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Recent court fights for control of NHL franchises and the current economic crisis have really started to prove that the NHL may be a little too big. Given the current economic climate it is now vogue for business operations to be streamlined, to be smaller operating better. This is a lesson the NHL should take notice of.

For the last few years it has become painfully obvious that the NHL has become to bloated, too many team in non traditional hockey markets, and the regular season is far too long, and the playoffs stretch on for far too many days.

For the NHL to start to thrive again it seems that they must get smaller, shrink the regular season a bit and cut one round of the playoffs. In turn they should look to contract a few teams, realigning their conferences and divisions and make the remaining teams stronger.

Under this proposed plan the NHL could contract up to six teams, get itself out of many of the non traditional markets it has expanded to and hold a dispersal draft to make the remaining teams that much stronger.

Under this plan the following teams would be contracted based on their 2008-09 season attendance:

1. New York Islanders- They drew and average 13,773 fans per home game worst in the entire league and were only able to sell 85% of their tickets. On top of that they have won of the worst owners in Charles Wang, whom regrets his purchase of the Islanders each and every day.

2. Atlanta Thrashers- Hockey doesn’t belong in Atlanta; hence the city already lost one NHL franchise in the Flames to Calgary. They drew 14,626 fans per home game, and their ownership group is busy suing each for control of the organization and facility.

3. Phoenix Coyotes- This team has never made profit, and has lost something like 200 million dollars since 2001. Hockey in the desert isn’t working and it is that time for NHL team’s to move back to traditional hockey markets

4. Florida Panthers-there fans recently hired, sports super agent Drew Rosenhaus to get the team officials to drop the season ticket prices. This team is also for sale and drew 15k fans last season. It is time for the NHL to have only one team in the Sunshine State.

5. LA Kings- In a city as big as LA they can only drive in 16k fans per game even while promoting home and home series with the nearby Ducks. It seems LA only needs one hockey team for it sports fans and the Ducks are a far better organization.

6. Carolina Hurricanes- They are in the south, a non traditional NHL market and while having some on the ice success still fail to draw in big crows. The NHL could do without this Eastern Conference team so that the Detroit Red Wings could then become an Eastern Conference team.

That would leave the NHL with 24 teams which could be realigned in this way:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
1. New Jersey Devils
2. Montreal Canadians
3. New York Rangers
4. Boston Bruins
5. Washington Capitals
6. Tampa Bay Lightning

Central Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Buffalo Sabers
Western Conference

Mid West Division
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. St. Louis Blues
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. Dallas Stars
5. Minnesota Wild
6. Nashville Predators

Pacific Division
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Colorado Avalanche
5. Calgary Flames
6. Edmonton Oilers

Under this plan three teams from each division would make the playoffs cutting the NHL playoffs from it current four round configuration to three. Effectively ending the NHL playoffs two weeks earlier.

On top of that the NHL could cut 12-14 games off the regular season schedule giving the season an ending date somewhere in May instead of the middle of June.