Last week, I talked about what made the Western Conference so enticing for Detroit Red Wings fans. In short, the team flat-out dominated throughout most of their time in the conference, and they shared fierce rivalries with the Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche.
And while those rivalries still exist in a way, both teams only meet twice a year these days. Still, thanks to Detroit's location, it only made sense to put them in the East when the NHL realigned back in the 2013-14 season.
And don't worry; if you like the Red Wings in the East, they'll probably stick around the conference for a while, if not for a lifetime. The first domino to fall came after the 2010-11 season, when the Atlanta Thrashers bolted for Winnipeg and resurrected the Jets.
This caused a major geographic disadvantage for the Jets, since they played in Manitoba but still resided in the Southeast Conference with the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes.
The Winnipeg Jets couldn't keep playing in the East, forcing the Detroit Red Wings to switch
The shortened 2012-13 season was the last one that we saw under the old format, and in 2013-14, the Wings and another rival, the Columbus Blue Jackets, jumped ship. This was a godsend for a struggling Blue Jackets franchise, since there's no reason an Ohio-based team should've been in the West to begin with.
As for Detroit, I see the historical significance. But, look at the city's location, and you'll know why this has been an advantage for the fans, despite the lackluster track record. For one, fans don't have to stay up near or even past midnight to watch their team play in about one-third of their games.
That alone means a lesser-compromised sleep schedule. As for the Wings, they're not traveling across time zones so often. With Detroit in the Eastern time zone, they could play about three-quarters of their schedule in one time zone, visiting the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones just 16 times a year.
And finally, as members of the East, those rivalries with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and Boston Bruins have reignited, and they see the New York Rangers three times a year. That said, the Wings, because of Detroit's location, have more of a geographic advantage in the East.
Red Wings won't be rejoining the West unless the NHL expands East
If I were to guess, the NHL would add one team in Houston and one in Atlanta if they expanded again in the near future. Yep, the Houston Aeros and Atlanta Thrashers, or at least that's what I'd think they'd be called.
Houston would be in the West and Atlanta, the East. Unless, somehow, Quebec City and Atlanta got the two teams, or if two teams relcated east of Detroit. Unless something like that happened, don't expect the Red Wings to head back out west for a while.
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