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| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Regular season | |
| Playoffs | |
| Stanley Cup | |
| NHL seasons | |
| ← 2011–12 |
2013–14 → |
The 2012–13 NHL season will be the 96th season of operation (95th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). Pending ratification by the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), this season will feature a radical realignment of the league's 30 teams as the NHL will abandon its current two conference, six division format in favour of four conferences. The season will also mark the start of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), as the one negotiated between the owners and NHLPA in 2005 will expire following the 2011–12 season. The season calendar will open with the 2012 NHL Entry Draft on June 22–23, 2012, and held at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.[1]
The relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers from the American southeast to the Canadian prairies, where the franchise is now known as the Winnipeg Jets, in the summer of 2011 resulted in discussions within the league on how to realign the league's 30 teams. Following several months of speculation, the NHL's Board of Governors voted in favor of a radical realignment plan that would reduce the six current divisions into four conferences. The outgoing western conference will now consist of two conferences consisting each of eight teams. The outgoing eastern conference will consist of two conference of seven teams each. In general, the four conferences are based on the current divisions. In what is to be the former Eastern Conference, the Southeast Division is to be dissolved. The current Northeast will remain intact and takes in Florida and Tampa Bay (both from the Southeast). The Atlantic also will remain intact and takes in Washington and Carolina (both from the Southeast). In the Western Conference, the Pacific and Northwest divisions will be merged into one; to accommodate, the current Central division will absorb Dallas (from the Pacific), and Minnesota (from the Northwest). Winnipeg will move to the Central (from the Southeast) and be geographically correct in the new alignment.
The top four teams in each conference will qualify for the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while for the regular season, each team will face its non-conference opponents twice: once each at home and on the road. They will face their conference opponents five or six times each. The plan was designed to better balance each grouping of teams by time zone, as well as to cut the costs of travel western teams face.[2]
The four as-yet unnamed conferences will be organized as follows:[3]
The four new conferences bear a strong resemblance to the four divisions the NHL used prior to its six-division alignment. From west to east, the Smythe Division, Norris Division, Adams Division and Patrick Division covered much of the same territory as their respective proposed new conferences.
Another contingency plan reveals the media openly speculated that the Phoenix Coyotes could be relocated to Quebec City in the event the team fails to find a new owner to keep the team in Glendale in time for the 2012–13 season.[4][5] A new arena is planned to open in 2015 in Quebec. The club would play in the Colisée Pepsi arena until the new arena is completed. After the realignment for the 2011–12 season was announced, commissioner Bettman noted that the new configuration of the league could accommodate relocations if any took place. Phoenix is expected to move to Conference C if relocated to Quebec.[6]
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