Although he would miss some rivalries south of the border, the possibility of an all-Canadian division for the next season in the National Hockey League appeals to Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien.
“First, I’m not going to lie, I’m going to miss playing games in the United States. There are some great rivalries there too, ”Julien said earlier this week in an interview with the @TheRink podcast.
“We lose something, but at the same time, being Canadian and having grown up in Canada, it would be exciting (a Canadian division). It would be different, it’s short term, and it could be the only year that it happens. “
With the closure of the Canada-US border, the chances that the plan to bring teams together by geographic area will materialize seem increasingly greater.
Thus, the Canadian would find himself in the same division as the Calgary Flames, the Edmonton Oilers, the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Vancouver Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets.
“What I’m mostly seeing right now as a coach is how competitive it will be. Most of these teams … are very competitive and are playoff teams, Julien continued.
“If that happens, there will be some great battles. This is where we tell ourselves that we are better off being ready for this short season because it will be extremely competitive. ”
For the United States, the 24 teams would also be grouped by region.
Bettman is convinced
Commissioner Gary Bettman once again made the case for forming new divisions for the next season last Wednesday. Because even if teams can cross the border, mandatory quarantine would make things virtually impossible.
“With a regular schedule, you can’t quarantine players for 14 days coming in and out of the country,” said Bettman, whose comments were echoed by NHL.com. That is why, among the challenges for the next season, we must create a situation where the Canadian teams will only play among themselves, and realign all the other teams. ”
– .
