This concept is aimed at optimizing time zone travel and TV start times, and allowing for better overall fairness to the playoffs, much more so than optimal geography or catering to rivalries. In order to justify the adherence to time zones, a new alignment format must be created:
Here, each Division is comprised only of teams from each of the four North American time zones, and the schedule would look like this:
For playoff qualification, there are restrictions aimed at equalling the playoff odds within each Division, and within each pair of adjacent Divisions (Pacific/Mountain, Mountain/Central, Central/Eastern). These restrictions are:
Pacific: Top 2 teams clinch automatically, maximum number of playoff teams is 5 [2-5/7 = 50%]
Mountain: No teams automatically clinch, no maximum number of playoff teams exists (all 3 can make the playoffs)
Central: Top team automatically clinches, maximum number of playoff teams is 5 [1-5/6 = 50%]
Eastern: Top 5 teams automatically clinch, maximum number of playoff teams is 11 [5-11/16 = 50%]
Pacific/Mountain: Top 3 teams in combined group automatically clinch (including teams that clinch from above individual scenario), maximum number of playoff teams is 7 [3-7/10 = 50%]
Mountain/Central: Top 3 teams in combined group automatically clinch (including teams that clinch from above individual scenario), maximum number of playoff teams is 6 [3-6/9 = 50%]
Central/Eastern: Top 9 teams in combined group automatically clinch (including teams that clinch from above individual scenario), maximum number of playoff teams is 13 [9-13/22 = 50%]
This determines which 16 teams qualify for the playoffs, and ensure internal competition in each Division and combined groups of adjacent Divisions for playoff spots, in line with the time-zone oriented schedule. The number of teams from each Division can be even or odd, in specific patterns, and these patterns determine the need for crossover playoff series in each round, in order to even out the Divisional groups (this is not a bracketed format that would restrict a team that crosses over with a team from a different Division from moving on and meeting a team from a different Division). Here are the crossover scenarios, and what results must occur to even the groups:
Odd groups will have one team cross over to an adjacent group, while even groups either have matchups only within themselves, or have one team cross over to each of the groups adjacent to them (only applicable to the Mountain and Central groups for that reason). Matchups are determined by best-versus-worst record, as long as the teams involved are eligible to play each other (same group OR within groups that need a crossover to occur). This is repeated every round of the playoffs, and allows many different inter-division and even inter-conference playoff matchups, as well as intra-conference and intra-division Stanley Cup Finals matchups.
Equal playoff odds for all teams in all situations, despite uneven conferences and divisions;
Reduced travel and jet lag for players, optimized television start times for fans (playoff games almost always start no earlier than 6:00pm and no later than 8:00pm local time);
More variety in playoff matchups that are possible in each round due to possible inter-conference matchups in first 3 rounds;
Can have Stanley Cup Final series between heated rivals that would normally be restricted to within-conference series;
Relatively equal likelihood of very unique playoff match ups (through crossovers), and repeated rivalry match ups (within time zones), so it is possible for rivalries to be both created and sustained;
Playoff format can handle any relocation or expansion in the future. Once adopted, it would never need to be changed, since the cities each team occupies always have a pre-determined time zone, and respective spot in the time zone groupings.
Disadvantages
Very complex format, would be difficult for casual fans to understand;
Even for fans well versed in the format, it is difficult to gauge what playoff match ups are most likely or will occur at any given time, since you need to figure out the crossovers in order to do that, and one team moving one position can change many matchups;
Rivalries are not dictated by what time zone a team happens to occupy, so there are rivalries that would be hurt by being de-emphasized in this format (Vancouver vs. Calgary/Edmonton, Colorado vs. Minnesota/Dallas, Chicago vs. Detroit);
Eastern Division rivalries could be hurt by having fewer games against one another compared to the other Divisions, by virtue of being a much larger Division (for instance, it does not necessarily make sense for the New York Rangers to play the New York Islanders the same number of times as the Ottawa Senators, and have equal odds at meeting both teams in the playoffs);
Fans of Pacific and Mountain Division teams may find 7 games against Division rivals per season to be too much (thought for the Mountain Division, only 2 other teams are played that many times).
Bar chart of statistical results for Time Zone Grouping format [see here for full chart]
