Re-alignment will be focus at BOG meeting

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Re-alignment will be the No. 1 topic for discussion by the NHLs Board of Governors on Monday and Tuesday at Pebble Beach, Calif.

A month ago, there were more than a dozen plans for trying to find some sense of geographical balance among the 30 clubs in the league.

Sportsnets John Shannon reported this weekend that the list has been cut to just two proposals. One easy, one hard.

The easy plan is moving Detroit out of the Western Conference back into the East. The hard plan is total re-alignment and thats where things get very tricky because so many clubs dont want their rivalries touched.

Theres so many scenarios they are talking about, said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. Its going to be interesting to see where the strongest sentiment is.

Something obviously needs to be done with Atlanta moving to Winnipeg. We built strong rivalries in our area so it makes sense for me to continue those rivalries.

Flyers chairman Ed Snider told CSNPhilly.com a few weeks ago at Mark Howes Hall of Fame induction that the Flyers and Penguins would remain in the same grouping, no matter what plan was chosen.

Well be together without question, if under a four conference set-up, Snider predicted of the Flyers-Penguins. We will have all our traditional rivals and some others in a four-conference setup.

The four division setup would have more overall balance. But it would also see some rivalries lost.

There has to be re-alignment, Snider said. But our traditional rivalries will always be with us no matter how it is realigned. Im pretty confident of that.

Among the scenarios, the entire Southeast Division would be lumped into the Atlantic Division in one of the previous scenarios.

We dont know what NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has as a backup plan, but he never comes to a BOG meeting without having support from key owners.

If the BOG doesnt find a consensus, however, its unknown when this issue will finally be resolved.

As Shannon pointed out, on Bettmans weekly show on SiriusXM radio, Bettman threw up the caution flag.

If we don't get it done now, we're going to be in really tough shape if we don't get it done by the All-Star Game, he said. I don't even think we can wait that long. But I haven't figured out what we'll do if it doesn't happen (next week).

Snider, Holmgren, Flyer president Peter Luukko and attorney Phil Weinberg are all expected at the meeting.

Note: The CBC's reported new re-alignment plan includes the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals all being grouped together.

E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net

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