A Carolina Hurricanes Guide to the Shortened Season

New Division, New Rivals, New Play Pace

Thanks to the pandemic and border between the US and Canada no longer being the thruway that it once was, the NHL had to lump together the Canadian teams into their own division. That caused ripples throughout the rest of the league that resulted in four unique and new divisions that saw some serious changes.

No longer are the Carolina Hurricanes in the cutthroat division that featured the likes of the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers. Instead, they shift over into a Central Division that has been basically a globbed together group of teams that have no real home.

With the Bruins and Sabres moving into the Metro Division (now labeled the East Division) the Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets have been moved out and joining them are the suddenly division-less Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Detroit Red Wings.

The only teams from the original Central Division staying not being moved into the Canadian North Division or the new West Division (formerly known as the Pacific Division) will be the Chicago Blackhawks, the Nashville Predators, and the Dallas Stars.

Each division will operate internally like its own conference producing four playoff teams that will compete within themselves to produce a single division champion that will compete against the three other division Champions for the Stanley Cup. Considering both Stanley Cup Finals teams are in this same division, a rematch can happen as early as the first round!

This new division also means that there will not be any cross-conference or even cross-division play. The regular season for the Carolina Hurricanes will be wholly compromised of eight games against each divisional rival that will be bunched up in groups of two games against the same opponent, many back to back (with a few exceptions).

That means that, for now, rivalries against teams that have remained in the east will have to be put on hold until the conference finals (if they even call them that at this point). On the other hand, there will be some older rivals to reignite the flame with such as the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, and new rivals to create some history with.

This new system of rivalries will very likely create a unique Stanely Cup finals matchup that may even include teams that were just last year, in the same division and considered bitter rivals. Say if the Carolina Hurricanes emerge from Central and defeat the Western Champion on route to a matchup against a Washington Capitals team that defeated the Canadian Champion.

One can only imagine the possibilities.