What the NHL’s potential Canadian division means for the Canucks
By Bill Huan
The implementation of an all-Canadian division seems imminent, but what does this mean for the Vancouver Canucks?
A few days ago, it seemed like a Canadian division was in jeopardy, which would’ve forced the Vancouver Canucks to play all their games in the U.S.
Fortunately, the NHL and NHLPA met yesterday and discussed many details pertaining to the upcoming season, one of which was the potential of a Canadian division:
Believe there was only one switch from the divisions I relayed a few weeks ago. Dallas for Minn. So here's how it would look, pending BOG approval (if Cdn teams can play in 🇨🇦):
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 19, 2020
Bos-Buf-NJ-NYI-NYR-Phi-Pgh-Was
Car-CBJ-Dal-Det-Chi-Fla-Nas-TB
Ana-Ari-Col-LA-Min-SJ-STL-VGK
🇨🇦 teams
This hasn’t been finalized yet, since the league still needs to hold discussions with Canada’s provincial health authorities:
The NHL's discussions with provincial health authorities on the proposed Canadian Division are scheduled to resume tomorrow.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 19, 2020
With that said, it seems likely that the Canadian division will come to fruition given the complexity of border crossings at the moment.
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If an agreement can be made with health authorities, there’s also a possibility that the Canucks might be relocated and play their games in a different city. British Columbia has implemented stricter rules to combat the current pandemic than some Eastern provinces, which might force the team to move this season.
One such option could be Quebec City, given that the Nordiques used to play there. This would allow the team to be closer to Montreal and the Ontario teams as well, which would make travel a lot safer and easier.
It’s also worth noting the potential playoff format, which could see the top four teams in each division make it to the postseason:
This should be good news for fans, since most Canadian clubs were bubble playoff teams last year. Outside of perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs, no other team seems guaranteed to make the postseason, which will bode well for Vancouver since all other divisions have multiple clubs that are locks to make the playoffs.
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If the Canadian division is agreed upon, deeper analyses will be provided about how Vancouver stacks up with the other teams. In the meantime, stay safe and Happy Holidays!