The southern conference spans across 4 time zones.

Wales Conference

North

Toronto
Buffalo
Pittsburgh
Columbus

East

Montreal
Quebec
Ottawa
Boston

Atlantic

Philadelphia
New York
New York
New Jersey

South-Atlantic

Washington
Carolina
Florida
Tampa Bay

Campbell Conference

Central

Detroit
Chicago
St. Louis
Minnesota

Midwest

Winnipeg
Nashville
Kansas City or Houston
Dallas

West

Los Angeles
Anaheim
San Jose
Colorado

Northwest-Pacific

Vancouver
Portland or Seattle
Calgary
Edmonton

National Hockey League–Four conference format

American Hockey Conference: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Colorado, Dallas, New York Islanders, Washington Capitols.
Key rivalries: Boston-New York, Colorado-Dallas.

Canadian Hockey Conference: Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg.
Key rivalries: All, but especially Calg-Edm, Mont-Tor, Ott-Tor, Calg-Winn.

National Hockey Conference: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis.
Key rivalries: Chi-Det, LA-NY, NY-Phil, LA-Phnx, Chi-StL, Phil-Pitt.

World Hockey Conference: Carolina, Columbus, Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, San Jose, Tampa Bay.
Key rivalries: Carolina-Nashville, Flo-TB.

The comments from above about American or National Conference cities still apply. This has the beauty of locking the Canadian teams into one division (many people have accused Bettman of wanting just that!)–or horror. The World Conference cities is ‘named’, if you will, after the World Hockey Assocation (and lesserly, there was also a World Football League in the 1970s). Carolina (Charlotte), Florida, and Tampa Bay were in the WFL. The WHA included as member cities Minnesota and New Jersey, and there were phantom teams in Florida (Miami) and the Bay Area (San Francisco). Ohio had teams in Cleveland and Cincinnati in the WHA and now has Columbus. Nashville isn’t that far from Birmingham, a one-time WHA member. And finally….the Hurricanes franchise, before it transferred to Carolina, once called the WHA home, playing as the New England Whalers first in Boston and then Springfield Massachusetts, and then in Hartford before the shift to Raleigh.

Because the conferences are much different in proposal #4 than in #2, I think you’d have to go with a whole different set of trophy names for the divisional playoff winners. American: Orr (Bobby Orr, of Boston). Canadian: Richard (Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, of Montreal). National: Howe (Gordie Howe, of Detroit). World: Hull (Bobby Hull, of the WHA). These are probably the four biggest hockey names between 1945 and 1980. Then let the World and National champs play semifinals for the Lemieux Cup (Mario Lemieux, of Pittsburgh in the National), and the American and Canadian champs for the Gretzky Cup (Wayne Gretzy, of Edmonton in the Canadian). They are the two most important names in the league between 1979 and 2000. Sorry I couldn’t find room for goalie names…

Make all best of seven series follow the NBA Finals format of 2-3-2: 2 games in the city with home ice advantage, up to three if necessary in the other city, and then up to 2 more if necessary in the home-ice winner’s city. This idea is to decrease the travel that follows in the traditional 2-2-1-1-1 that the NBA uses in earlier rounds, and that the NHL uses in all rounds. The 2-3-2 is adapted originally from baseball, who used it first in the World Series, then added it to the League Championship Series and then to the Divisional Playoff Round.

National Hockey League–Three conference/Six division format

American Hockey Conference
Eastern Division: Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, New York Islanders, Washington.
Western Division: Anaheim, Colorado, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota.

Eight of these places spent varying amounts of time in the AFL of the 1960s, six are in the American League, and eight were in the ABA. Has one of the Original Six.

Canadian Hockey Conference
Eastern Division: Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, Ottawa, Toronto.
Western Division: Calgary, Columbus, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg.

The only way to divide the league evenly into three conferences was to add three US teams to the Canadian teams. There is a precedent for this when the NFL merged with the AFL, three NFL teams joined the AFL teams in the new AFC. Previously, when the NFL absorbed three teams from the AAFC, it briefly used American and National conferences before reverting to Eastern and Western divisions. The WHA used East, West, and Canadian divisions in the 1974-75 and 75-76 seasons. And most importantly, the NHL had American and Canadian divisions (the latter of which had 4 Canadian teams and the NY Americans, which were formerly the Hamilton Tigers, and in one season, the St. Louis Eagles, formerly the Ottawa Senators) from 1926-27 through 1937-38, after which time the Montreal Maroons folded and reduced the league to a single seven-team division. New Jersey was placed here as it was the third New York-area team, and Columbus and Nashville have not had substantial major league existences in any sports until the 1990s. Has two of the Original Six.

National Hockey Conference
Eastern Division: Detroit, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay.
Western Division: Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Jose.

Extensive presences for these squads in the NFL/NFC, the NL, and the NBA (allowing for San Jose to represent San Francisco). Has three of the Original Six. Retains important rivalries for Phil-Pitt, Chi-Det, NY-LA (cooled since Gretzky retired), Chi-StL, LA-SJ, LA-Phnx.

One more proposal coming up!

National Hockey League–Four conference format
Northeast Conference: Boston, Montreal, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Toronto
Continues Boston-Montreal, Boston-New York, Ottawa-Toronto, and Montreal-Toronto rivalries. Admittedly breaks up the NYI-NYR-NJ rivaly in the expectation that a Coyotes shift to Toronto, Hamilton, or Quebec is most likely (or even Rochester, LOL).

Southeast Conference: Carolina, Florida, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington.
Retains existing Southeast rivalries plus adds the long-overdue Carolina-Nashville one, keeps Phil-Pitt and Phil-Wash, and enhances NJ-Phil but because NJ is in the NY area will draw NYI/NYR fans to see Ovechkin and Crosby.

Central Conference: Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg.
Restores Minn-Winn rivalry; retains Minn-StL, Chi-StL, Chi-Det, Dall-Colo, Det-Colu rivalries.

Western Conference: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver.
Retains all existing rivalries. Allows a Phoenix franchise shift to Portland, San Francisco/Oakland, San Diego, or Salt Lake City without altering league structure.

In the event of a Coyotes shift to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Kansas City, or Houston, Colorado can trade divisions with the Coyotes franchise easily.

I’m one of those who prefers geographic names to the named-for divisions/conferences. I paid attention to the NBA first…and so the geographically-named divisions feel right. (You can’t imagine how incredibly negative I feel towards the Big Ten’s Legends and Leaders divisions!!!) However, I do appreciate the historical appreciations that the NHL has towards its founders. To that end, I would forge trophies for the six classic names. The divisional playoff winner in the Central Conference gets the Norris trophy, the divisional playoff winner in the Western Conference gets the Smythe trophy, and the semifinal playoff winner between the Central and Western Conferences gets the Campbell Cup. Similarly, the Northeast winner gets the Adams trophy and the Atlantic winner gets the Patrick trophy, while the Northeast-vs.-Atlantic champion gets the Wales Cup.

For the most part, I like your bold plan for realignment, especially the Southern Conference. To pull that one off, the league would have to line the schedule up like the NBA sometimes does with trips through the Texas Triangle (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio) or the California Four (Golden State, Sacramento, Los Angeles x2). In fact, it would seem that they should build the league’s schedule around the Southern Conference. since Bettman is so eager to grow the new markets of the Sunbelt. Start the travelers in South Florida and hop westward to the Pacific. Eight games in fifteen days–one tenth of the season–for the Atlantic, Eastern, and Western teams.

The only thing I don’t like from your plan, and agree with others, is to swap out Boston and Columbus.

I have four plans of my own. The first one is a ‘simple’ realignment.

National Hockey League–Two conference/Six division format

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division: Boston, Montreal, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers
Retains three of the Original 6; keeps Boston-Montreal, Boston-New York, and NJ-NYI-NYR rivalries red-hot.

Capitol Division:
Buffalo, Columbus, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
Has three capitols–current US in Washington and former US in Philly, plus state of Ohio in Columbus; retains Philly-Pitt, Philly-Wash, and Buff-Pitt rivalries, enhances Col-Pitt rivalry.

Southern Division: Carolina, Dallas, Florida, Nashville,
Tampa Bay
The most spread of the East divisions, but everyone is in one of Bettman’s prize markets; will help Nashville-Carolina rivalry grow.

Western Conference

Northern Division: Chicago, Detroit, Ottawa, St. Louis,
Toronto
Natural counterpart to the Southern Division; big division; has the other three of the Original 6, reuniting Toronto with their fellow western teams Chicago and Detroit while maintaining Toronto-Ottawa and Chicago-St. Louis rivalries.

Northwest Division: Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota, Vancouver, Winnipeg.
Restores the classic Western Canada rivalries dating back to the 1920s (before the NHL became sole possessor for the Stanley Cup), as well as the Minn-Winn rivalry.

Southwest Division: Anaheim, Colorado, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose.
These cities have been regional rivals since the Sixties in all the sports, and Southern Cal-Bay Area is more than 100 years old.

Three more proposals coming up…

Conference A

Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Colorado

Conference B

Same as originally proposed by the NHL.

Conference C

Montreal, Quebec, Boston, Toronto, Buffalo, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Florida

Conference D

Same as proposed by the NHL.

Reason for proposing it this way,

1> It’s based on the Phoenix situation and the fact that Quebec City wants back in the NHL.

2> This way it would leave two sides with an 7/8 team format which seems to make sense right now.

CAMPBELL CONFERENCE

EAST DIVISION:
Boston Bruins
New Jersey Devils
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning

CENTRAL DIVISION:
Buffalo Sabres
Columbus Blue Jackets
Minnesota Wild
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs

WEST DIVISION:
Anaheim Ducks
Dallas Stars
Edmonton Oilers
Phoenix Coyotes
Winnipeg Jets

WALES CONFERENCE

EAST DIVISION:
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers
New York Islanders
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

CENTRAL DIVISION:
Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadians
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues

WEST DIVISION:
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks

Someone had an idea for going back to Smythe/Patrick/Wales, etc, etc…I kinda liked that idea. ON the other hand, East/West, Atlantic/Northwest is a lot easier to remember

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

EASTERN
Boston
Buffalo
Montreal
New Jersey
New York I.
New York R.
Ottawa
Philadelphia

SOUTHERN
Carolina
Dallas
Florida
Kansas City (expansion)
Nashville
St. Louis
Tampa Bay
Washington

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

CENTRAL
Chicago
Columbus
Detroit
Minnesota
Pittsburgh
Toronto Legacy (expansion)
Toronto M.L.
Winnipeg

WESTERN
Anaheim
Calgary
Colorado
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

I like your idea, but with that format I would either rename the two divisions or conferences Adams/Patrick or Northeast/Atlantic. In other words, just fix them up as follows…

Northeast (Adams)

Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Toronto, Columbus, Ottawa, Quebec

Atlantic (Patrick)

Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York, New York, New Jersey, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Florida

The other division/conference proposals are fine.

Round 1:
Northeast 1 vs. Southeast 4
Northeast 2 vs. Southeast 3
Northeast 3 vs. Southeast 2
Northeast 4 vs. Southeast 1
Central 1 vs. West 4
Central 2 vs. West 3
Central 3 vs. West 2
Central 4 vs. West 1

and so forth

Southeast:
Carolina
Columbus
Florida
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay
Washington

Central:
Chicago
Dallas
Detroit
Minnesota
Nashville
St. Louis
Winnipeg

West:
Anaheim
Calgary
Colorado
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

Prince of Wales Conference (East)

Adams Division (Northeast)
Boston
Buffalo
Montreal
Ottawa
Toronto

Patrick Division (Atlantic)
Long Island
New Jersey
New York
Philadelphia
Washington

Francis Division (Southeast)
Carolina
Dallas
Florida
Nashville
Tampa Bay

Clarence Campbell Conference (West)

Smythe Division (Northwest)
Calgary
Edmonton
Minnesota
Vancouver
Winnipeg

Norris Divison (Midwest)
Chicago
Columbus
Detroit
Pittsburgh
St Louis

Dionne Division (Southwest)
Anaheim
Colorado
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose

The allstar game returns to an East vs West format. The three division winners and a fourth seed, a virtual wild card, from each conference would qualify for the playoffs.