Chicago Blackhawks: Will the NHL Rob the Hawks of Their Oldest Rival?

If you have not read Jon Fromi’s fantastic piece Chicago Blackhawks Season Preview: 15 "Out on a Limb" Predictions, please do so.  One excellent prediction mentions the possibility of the Detroit Red Wings moving to the Eastern Conference beginning in the 2012-2013 season. 

Gary Bettman, I beg of you.  Do not let this happen!

Last summer, when the Atlanta Thrashers officially became the Winnipeg Jets, the first question on everyone’s mind was, “Are they going to stay in the Eastern Conference?”  For now they have, but due to the intense travel schedule this will cause, after one year they are expected to move to the West.

That means one team will have to move to the East, and early rumblings suggest it may be the Detroit Red Wings.  That would leave the Blackhawks as the only original six team in the Western Conference.

People are critical of Gary Bettman and, in fairness to him, he has done some good for the NHL.  One failure on his part is to recognize the impact of traditional rivalries.  A lot of these rivalries are now gone and teams that should play each other often, don't.  Bettman's focus has been so much on the growth of hockey in non-hockey markets as opposed to playing to the strengths of the core cities. 

When Blackhawks’ tickets went on sale a couple of weeks ago, I watched my browser refresh over and over again trying desperately to get seats to see the Montreal Canadiens during the holidays.  Because of the way the NHL is structured now, the Hawks host four of the six original teams every other year. 

The Norris division rivalry we grew up watching against the Toronto Maple Leafs is gone.  Hockey arguments with New York and Boston fans don’t exist.  As much as I love watching the Blackhawks play the Columbus Blue Jackets (I can’t believe I just wrote that) six times a year, it is catastrophic how little the big cities play one another. 

So now, the Detroit Red Wings want their case heard for a move to the East.  I can’t say I blame them, either.  They are one of three teams in the Western Conference that play in the Eastern time zone, the others being Nashville and Columbus.  If it comes down to seniority, then I can understand that.  Detroit has certainly paid their dues to the NHL and it’s not their problem if the Western Conference has beef with them leaving. 

On the flip side, this would be a disaster for the Hawks, as they would lose the biggest rival they've ever had.  Nobody can argue in favor of the Wings coming to the United Center once every two years.  That’s preposterous.  

It is also terrible for the Western Conference in general.  The West would lose a team like the Red Wings, which is a huge draw in opposing rinks, and would replace it with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise.

Don’t get me wrong, Winnipeg is a great hockey market, but you cannot say it is a fair swap trading a traditional power for, essentially, the Atlanta Thrashers.  The quality of the conferences would be significantly unbalanced.  It would only make sense to move a team like Columbus or Nashville, whom do not yet have a significant history in the NHL.

So I ask you, Hawks’ fans, how would you feel if the team that you love to hate came to town just once every two years?  Detroit and Chicago franchises play in division in the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB.  Now the NHL is considering separating itself from the pack once again with another downright goofy decision.

Chicago hockey fans, envision the future.  No more home and away games where you can drive three and a half hours, come back the same night and watch the same two teams battle again the next day.  You will now only have one game during the season for bragging rights with your neighbor from Michigan. 

Playoff history and rivalries will go out the window unless the Hawks and Red Wings meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.  You will have to search for a hockey fan from Columbus to be angry with and good luck finding one.  The Wings will become an afterthought, you will grow old talking about the glory days, and your sons and daughters will not understand your distaste for the dreaded Red Wings.