With the league expandng to 84 games in 2026-27, we'll finally see each team play four games apiece against their division rivals. But what if the league also decided to expand to eight divisions of four teams, which would've allowed for even more intra-divisional games?
And, more importantly, which division would the Detroit Red Wings hypothetically have landed in and who would be their rivals? Well, I might just have the answer for you. If you're curious to see where the Wings land and who they'd play eight times a year, keep reading.
The Red Wings would still land in the Eastern Conference
Northeast Division: Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators
Here, we have an Original Six rivalry between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs, PLUS the Battle of Ontario. Further, the Sabres and Leafs maintain their rivalry, and the Sabres and Senators also aren't the best of friends.
North Atlantic Division: Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils
This might be my favorite division, with Boston and the New York Rangers maintaining a historic Original Six rivalry. The Blueshirts and Islanders also stick around, and it gives the Devils nearby geographic rivalries. Plus, there's history of bad blood between the cities of New York and Boston in other sports, AND between the states of New York and New Jersey.
South Atlantic Division: Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning
This one fit in well, with the Panthers and Lightning's brewing rivalry still going strong. Plus, there's the Carolina Hurricanes, who are more than familiar with the Washington Capitals from their days in the Metropolitan Division.
Central Division: Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings
Yep, we're pulling the Central's name to the East in this mock-up, and the Penguins-Flyers rivalry still lives on. As for the Wings, they'll have geographic rivalries with Pittsburgh and the Columbus Blue Jackets. My only real gripe here is that I couldn't find a way to get another Original Six team in this one, but the Wings will face most of those foes plenty of times anyway in this write-up.
Now for the Western Conference
Central Divison: Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators
Just joking, we got TWO Central Divisions brewing, with these familiar division rivals banding together. The Blackhawks still have bad blood with the Blues, while the Minnesota Wild are also nearby. Then, you got the Predators, who aren't that far away from St. Louis.
Southwest Division: Dallas Stars, Utah Mammoth, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche
This is an interesting division, and it keeps three teams from the old Central, with the Golden Knights joining. It also works geographically, with Utah, Vegas, and Colorado so close to one another. And as far as the 2026-27 season goes, since that would be the hypothetical kick-off season, Vegas, Colorado, and Dallas would have some hard-hitting matchups.
Northwest Division: Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers
An all-Canada division, and one with the potential to form some historic rivalries, especially in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. Meanwhile, Winnipeg would easily forge a rivalry with Edmonton in today's game, considering how dominant both teams are.
Pacific Division: Seattle Kraken, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks
Yep, this one's primarily in California, and could you imagine seeing the Kings, Ducks, and Sharks square off eight times per season, given how close all three cities are? Yeah, the Kraken are a while away, and it would nix a geographic rivalry with the Canucks. But they're far enough west for this one to work.
How does the scheduling formula work in this scenario?
Check out the table below on how the Red Wings schedule would work in this situation. Below the table, you'll find an even deeper explanation for each breakdown, totaling 84 games.
Number of Games | Division/Conference |
|---|---|
24 (3 x 8) | Central |
16 (4 x 4) | Northeast |
16 (4 x 4) | North Atlantic |
12 (4 x 3) | South Atlantic |
16 (16 x 1) | West |
84 total games |
For this one, the Red Wings would play eight games against each of their three division rivals, splitting four home and four away. This gives you 24 contests.
Then, against two of the three divisions in the East, they'd play in 16 games, four against each team in the Northeast and North Atlantic. This results in two home and two road games.
Then, the South Atlantic would be 12 games, with two at home, and one on the road against two of the teams, and one at home, and two on the road against the other two.
The following season, the Wings would play each team in the South Atlantic four times, while the Northeastern teams would square off with them just three times. The season after that, it would be the North Atlantic with three games while the Northeast and South Atlantic played four.
And, finally, the Wings would play the Western Conference teams just once each season, with one home, and one road game against each team every other year. Yes, that means fewer games against the Western Conference, which some fans may not like, BUT it also forges more rivalries in the division AND outside of it, but within the conference they play in.
That said, the sense of urgency late in the season will matter more, as teams would face more familiar opponents just over 80 percent of the time. As for the playoffs, four spots would go to the division winners, and the next four would go to the next four highest points totals.
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