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Minnesota Wild Time Line page3 |
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EXPANSION PLAN
A summary of the NHL Expansion Plan. [June 25, 1997] -- FINAL REALIGNMENT The new alignment will ultimately see two conferences, Eastern and Western; each comprised of three divisions of five teams. The new six-division format will ultimately be structured as follows; EASTERN CONFERENCE
Northeast
Southeast
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest
Pacific
A Short phase-in period is provided so that the four expansion clubs can be adequately integrated into the League's current competitive balance. During the phase-in period, Columbus will play in the Northeast Division and Toronto will play in the Central Division through the 2002-03 season, or until Columbus makes the playoffs, whichever occurs sooner, at which time Toronto and Columbus would switch divisions. This temporary phase-in period is designed to ensure that Columbus becomes sufficiently competitive prior to shifting to its permanent division and will also ensure that each of the expansion clubs is initially assigned to separate divisions. SCHEDULE Each club will continue to play an 82-game schedule, with 41 games at home and 41 games on the road. The schedule will continue to emphasize inter-divisional, interconference, and geographic rivalries. Each club will play the other four clubs in its division a total of six times - three games at home and three on the road (24 games). Each club will play the other 10 clubs within its conference a total of four times - two games at home and two on the road (40). Each club will play the 15 teams in the opposing conference once, to be rotated annually between home and road (15 games). With the three(3) games that remain, the League will institute a new scheduling feature, which will allow for the maintenance of existing rivalries, and the creation of new ones. Various scheduling issues that will arise in connection with having a 27 and 28 team format (as opposed to a 30 team format) will be left to the discretion of the Commissioner, who could use the extra games to schedule even more "rivalry games" (e.g. Montreal vs. Toronto). After the phase-in period in the case of the Western Canadian teams (Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver), the three "rivalry games" will be used for match-ups against each of the Eastern Canadian teams (Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto). PLAYOFFS Sixteen (16) of the thirty (30) teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first place team in each division will qualify for the playoffs (6 teams), as well as the next five best teams in each conference. The three division winners in each conference will be seeded one through three for the playoffs and the next five best teams, in order of points, will be seeded fourth through eighth. The teams will be reseeded at the start of each subsequent round. In each conference, #1 will play #8; #2 vs. #7; #3 vs. #6 and #4 vs. #5 in the best-of-seven Conference Quarterfinals. The Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals will also remain best-of-seven series. EXPANSION DRAFT The primary elements of the player stocking plan are based largely on the elements that led to Anaheim and Florida becoming highly competitive in a short period of time. These elements reflect the strong belief in the importance of having the expansion clubs become competitive as quickly as possible. Protected Lists Each of the new clubs will select a total of 26 players in the expansion draft, including at least three goaltenders, eight defensemen and 13 forwards. The existing clubs may protect either I) up to five (5) defensemen, nine (9) forwards and one (1) goaltender, or II) up to three (3) defensemen, seven (7) forwards and two (2) goaltenders. The existing 26 clubs will lose only one player per Expansion Club. In addition, and in order to mitigate the impact of back-to back single Club Expansion Drafts, the following additional provisions have been agreed to: 1) for the 1998 Expansion Draft only, the existing clubs will each be permitted to protect one extra skater; and 2) clubs that lose a goaltender in the 1998 Expansion Draft may not also lose another goaltender in the 1999 Expansion Draft. Experience Requirements/Exempt Players Each of the existing NHL clubs must expose for claim at least two experienced forwards and one experienced defenseman. Clubs protecting two goaltenders must expose at least one experienced goaltenter Exempt from the Expansion Draft will be all first and second year professional players. Timeline Following is the tentative timeline of important dates for Nashville's participation in the 1998 Expansion Draft (a similar schedule will be in place for 1999 and 2000 with dates being finalized at the conclusion fo the previous regular season). Protected lists must be submitted to the League office by 12 noon Eastern time on June 21 (or such later date as will accommodate the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs). Clubs will be permitted to make trades until 48 hours after the last game of the Stanley Cup Finals. The 1998 Expansion Draft will be conducted on June 24 (or such later date as appropriate) commencing at 2:30 P.M. ET. ENTRY DRAFT The expansion clubs will have the same draft drawing rights as the club that is seeded second prior to the draft drawing. Accordingly, there will be either six clubs (in a single expansion) of seven clubs (in a double expansion) that will have an opportunity to move up to the first pick. Depending on draft drawing results, the expansion clubs will draft no lower than third (in a single expansion) or fourth (in a double expansion). In a single expansion, the expansion club will have the second of third selection in each subsequent round, with the priority between the two expansion clubs alternating by round. In a double expansion, the expansion clubs will have the second or third selections in each subsequent round, with the priority between the two expansion clubs alternating by round CLUB ROSTERS As provided for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, beginning with the 1999-2000 season, NHL active rosters will be reduced to 23 players from the current 24 players. SUMMARY OF EXPANSION PROCESS The granting of four new franchises completes a 12-month process, which began on June 26, 1996, when the League announced that it would begin accepting applications for expansion teams. By November 1, 1996, the League had received 11 applications - Atlanta, Columbus, Hamilton, Houston (three applications), Minneapolis-St.Paul, Nashville, Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Newport News (Hampton Roads), Oklahoma City and Raleigh-Durham. On January 13-14, expansion application presentations were made to the League's Expansion Committee and on February 19, the NHL announced that the list of active expansion applicants had been reduced from eleven to six. The applicants that remained under consideration were: Atlanta, Columbus, Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville and Oklahoma City. The League spent the next four months further analyzing the six applications, which analysis included site visits in April to each of the six markets. The NHL has expanded by adding
three teams in the last five years. In the 1991-92 season, the San Jose
Sharks joined the League. The League grew to 26 teams for the 1993-94
season with the addition of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Florida
Panthers. The League's last expansion prior to 1991-92 was in 1979-80
when four clubs were added. MARKET INFORMATION Nashville
Atlanta
Columbus
Minneapolis-St. Paul
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