Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

A One Time Shot For The North Division

03/22/2021 at 8:55am EDT

from Damien Cox at The Toronto Star,

Almost certainly, this will be the only time we’ll see this kind of format — barring another pandemic, of course. The NHL didn’t put a team in Seattle to leave that franchise without a natural rival in Vancouver just up the highway, one of many reasons why it seems almost certain this all-Canadian division is a one-time thing.

Finally, imagine the anticipation when the North winner heads south to face the American teams. There’s already plenty of debate over which of the four divisions is the toughest, and which is the weakest. There’s also been some whining from south of the border that members of the Canadian hockey media are behaving as if the 24 American teams don’t even exist, not paying the U.S. clubs enough attention.

You know what? They’re right. Generally speaking, we’re not paying much mind to the other divisions right now. Canadian hockey fans are pretty fixated on the Canadian teams locking horns every night. We’ll wait until the NHL semifinals to see what the American teams have to offer.

These divisions are separate hockey worlds. Really, each one should have its own Hart, Calder, Vezina and Norris trophy winners. There’s no overlap, so how can you possibly compare what Connor McDavid is doing for Edmonton with what Patrick Kane is accomplishing in Chicago? Or contrast Connor Hellebuyck’s play for Winnipeg this season with Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy since they have no opponents in common?

When the smoke clears in the North, there will be a definite Canadian champion, which actually could end up meaning more to many fans than competing for the Cup.

more

Create an Account

In order to leave a comment, please create an account.

About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]

Most Recent Posts

Most Recent Comments

Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry NHL Short Notes - 4 hours ago
Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry NHL Short Notes - 4 hours ago
Comment by Steeb in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 5 hours ago
Comment by calquake in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 6 hours ago
Comment by StargateSG1 in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 6 hours ago