Under the proposed plan, the league would be divided into two eight-team Eastern Conferences and two seven-team Western Conferences. Detroit and Columbus would move out of the West and into one of the Eastern conferences.
In addition, the new plan calls for divisional playoffs rather than the conference playoff system currently in place. The division winner with the most regular-season points would play the lowest-seeded wild-card team in the first round, with the other division winner playing the other wild-card team.
The proposal needs to be approved by the NHL Players' Association and the NHL's Board of Governors. If approved, it will go into effect next season.
