How come the Detroit Red WIngs are in the western conference? Aren't they in the east?

Question

they are

they are in the east..not in the west..so why id they put them in the western?

Answer 1

There's just no way to get all of the teams in the Eastern time zone in the Eastern Conference. Yes, it's awkward to have Detroit and Columbus in the West, but there really isn't much choice.

Way back when in the 80's, Detroit was sent to the West for the first time and wanted an Eastern rival to join them. Toronto volunteered, and played in the West for a long time.

Answer 2

Why does no one ask this question of the Columbus Blue Jackets franchise? 30 NHL teams, 2 conferences. So 15 to a conferece would be logical, right? Check the map. Detroit is further west than any of the 15 teams in the eastern conference. If any two western cities could support a franchise better than the two most financially disabled eastern franchises, I would be all for moving Detroit AND Columbus to the east.

For all those that mentioned Nashville, isn't Nashville in the Central time zone, same as Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas, St. Louis? Why in the world should they move east?

Answer 3

Detroit is one of the Original Six teams (Boston, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks) 3 of them made up the Wales Conference, 3 of them made up the Campbell Conference.

As the league expanded, divisions were created and eventually (actually in the 1990's with the addition of Tampa Bay and Florida franchises, Winnipeg moving to Phoenix, Quebec moving to Colorado and the North Stars resurrecting in Dallas) the conferences were changed to an Eastern Conference and Western Conference instead of Wales and Campbell conferences. In turn, in order to equal out the conferences, Toronto was moved to the Eastern conference.

When Nashville and the Ducks were added, rather than splitting them between the Eastern and Western Conferences, they placed both in the smaller Western Conference instead of moving Toronto back to the west.

So this is why Detroit is a Western Conference team... it arose from the days of the original six and Bettman worked to put his stake in this by trying to create equality of teams between both conferences.

Answer 4

A question that no one knows for sure.

There were rumors that if the Penguins didnt reach a deal for a new stadium and were gonna have to move, that the Penguins would land in the Western Conference and Detroit would move to the Eastern Conference.

I would be upset if they moved Detroit to the Eastern Conference, breaking up the rivalries with Stars, Avs, and Blackhawks.

Answer 5

Because there are a lot of teams in the east and so few in the west. I can remember when the Flyers were in the Western Division.

Answer 6

Well if you look at the oringial 6 toronto, montreal, chicago, new york, boston, and detroit. detroit and chicago are the furthest west. i think they didnt want chicago the only one of the original 6 in the Western Conference. so they put detroit the next furtherest there to keep up the original rivalries. Look Det. and Chi are in the same division.

so i always figured that had something to do with it.

Answer 7

There really is no reason why. There was rumors of making a 16 team division, 2 conferences, 2 divisions, with columbus and detroit going to the east and minnesota and atlanta going to the west, but the chances are highly unlikely

Answer 8

Gonz were given it. merely hassle-free geography. The coastal communities are absolutes, there have been many exceptions (submit to in recommendations the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints in the NFC West?), yet even as leagues stay real to geography the communities between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts are on the mercy of the position the different "interior" communities call abode. i imagine the NBA needs to reboot their divisions because the Sonics at the on the spot are in Oklahoma city. Memphis might want to bump Milwaukee from the efficient who in turn bump the Thunder from the Northwest to the Southwest to soak up the emptiness left by the Grizzlies. it really is the in hassle-free words project I see in the professionals. it really is one area the NHL has acceptable.

Answer 9

With Pittsburgh apparently getting their arena, it looks like Detroit (and Columbus) will be staying in the Western Conference for a while. Thanks to the NHL and Anaheim for moving their starting times up to 9:00 PM ET, I really appreciate it. Now let's hope those games don't go to double overtime.

Answer 10

For that matter, so too is Nashville and Columbus. But looking at the current setup, who would you send to the West from the East?