Winnipeg Jets Move Into the NHL West: Why the Detroit Red Wings Will Move East

With the addition of the Winnipeg Jets to the NHL, conference realignment is almost inevitable within the following NHL season.

Without a doubt, the team that would be the most intriguing and sexy to move to the Eastern Conference would be the Detroit Red Wings.

As they should be in the East based on their geographical location, how would this move affect the competitive nature of the sport? Well, this we know: Western teams would breathe easy, as the Wings have won the West's Central Division almost every year for 10 years.

Geographically speaking, Detroit is the most logical choice to move eastward.

Detroit must travel thousands of miles to play fellow Western Conference teams such as Vancouver, Anaheim, and Phoenix. Not only does this constant traveling affect the Red Wings during the regular season, but also throughout the playoffs.

Detroit usually plays one or two of these Western teams on their yearly run for Stanley’s Cup, with the Wings usually falling to a far West team…when they do lose.

As for the financial perks of the move, the Red Wings would be given the opportunity to rake in mounds of money for the sport, as they would battle historic rivals and fellow Original Six-ers such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Stanley Cup-champions Boston Bruins.

Facing these teams six times a year would result in far more sellouts, especially Toronto-Detroit matchups. Gary Bettman's mouth better be watering at this point.

Interestingly enough, Detroit has a losing record against Toronto over the past five years. Listening yet, Mr. Bettman?

According to the Sports Business Journal, the Wings have the fifth-best attendance average in the NHL.

With this statistic, a move to the East, a more competitive conference with more intriguing matchups, would most likely result in a further rise in attendance, and would surely spike TV ratings for the league.

Owner Mike Illitch says he supports a move to the East, even though no realignment talk will begin until after the 2011-2012 season.

Although moving Detroit may cause a competitive imbalance between the two conferences, it allows more Western teams to flex their muscles for a chance to hoist Stanley's Cup, such as already powerful Vancouver and San Jose. Also, Detroit may become a less dominant team in the much more powerful East, with teams such as Boston, and the ever pesky Pittsburgh Penguins.

A move from the West to East for Detroit would help Bettman revive his quickly regenerating sport, and use Detroit as a money-making tool of entertainment and competition.