"NHL expansion team in 2017/18. Had over 100 points, and made the playoffs. Currently in first place, BTW."
To the surprise of, yes, everyone, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the next team on the NHL block in 2017, didn't exactly play like an expansion team. They made the playoffs, for one.
Granted, this had happened before. As far back as 50 years before, the NHL expanded six new teams to compliment the original six. Minnesota, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Oakland Seals came in.
However, looking at the way the NHL aligned the teams in 1967/68, you can understand why Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Minnesota made it. All of the original teams (Montreal, New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto and Detroit) were in one division, the East. All the new teams were in the other conference, the West. The way it was setup was the top four teams in each division would make it, meaning four of the six expansion teams were guaranteed a postseason berth. It didn't matter that none of the newbies even had a .500 record (Five of the six original teams finished at least two games above .500). Also, there was a guarantee that an expansion team would make the Stanley Cup Finals (That turned out to be St. Louis, btw) having to go through two other new teams.
The situation became even more ridiculous the next season as all of the original six teams finished above .500, but the Red Wings and Blackhawks missed the postseason. Meanwhile, in the Western Division, only the Blues were over .500. None of the other five teams in that division finished better than seven games below .500. No other expansion team besides St. Louis had more than 69 points. Chicago had 77 and missed in the East Division. Obviously, times are much different now. There were 12 teams then (Soon to be 14 in 1970/71). There are 31 now. Almost as many teams (16) make it to significant action in April as are on the golf course (15). Seattle seems poised to join the next season, for a total of 32 teams.
Four WHA teams joined the NHL in 1979/80, but again the circumstances were different. The teams didn't just come along in the World Hockey Association the year before, and all of them had been there since 1972/73, the WHA's first season. Two of the WHA teams that entered the NHL made the 1980 playoffs: 1) The Edmonton Oilers with some chap named Gretzky 2) The Harford Whalers (They have since relocated to Carolina) with three men named Howe, Hull and Keon.
The NHL then really went after the "other" places in North America. San Jose joined in 1991/92. Tampa Bay and Ottawa the next. 1993 welcomed Anaheim and Florida. There were 24 teams in the NHL in 1992/93. 25+ years later the number looks like it's increased by 8. There are fewer and fewer places in North America without an NHL team. The Vegas Golden Knight's success could mean The NHL might expand to both Quebec and Saskatchewan in the coming years, meaning there could be 9 in Canada alone. The previous high was 8 in 1994/95 before Quebec moved to Colorado. With proper management like the Knights have shown, a hockey team can work anywhere.
Las Vegas seems loaded in goal, as four of the five goalies to strap on the pads have either excelled like Marc-Andre Fleury or arrived like Malcolm Subban. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins didn't think losing these "extra" goalies meant much. Maybe not...But they sure made a difference in their new home. For Fleury, it was a chance to continue his success, and he did. For Subban, with all of just two NHL games experience to his name, it was a chance to play. Not only did Malcolm play, but he proved himself to be a dependable backup to Marc.
And this isn't just in the goaltendings. These so-called castoffs are actually good players. Well, at least some of them are. Las Vegas' top point-getter is Jon Marchessault actually scored 30 goals last year for Florida. He's got 25 so far this year.
Jon's coach last year was Gerard Gallant. Gallant had coached the Panthers to 103 points in 2015/16 and was quite a player, four times topping the 30-goal mark himself for Detroit. He even had experience as a player with a (Second year) expansion team. He played for Tampa Bay in 1993/94, the same year that Florida came into the league. Right guy behind the bench. Jack Adams Award Winner in 2017/18? Why not?
In any event, Vegas is heading to the playoffs with over 40 wins and 100 points to their name. Can they match the '67 St. Louis Blues with a run all the ways to the finals? Can the Knights win the Cup? We'll have to wait and see.
To the surprise of, yes, everyone, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the next team on the NHL block in 2017, didn't exactly play like an expansion team. They made the playoffs, for one.
Granted, this had happened before. As far back as 50 years before, the NHL expanded six new teams to compliment the original six. Minnesota, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Oakland Seals came in.
However, looking at the way the NHL aligned the teams in 1967/68, you can understand why Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Minnesota made it. All of the original teams (Montreal, New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto and Detroit) were in one division, the East. All the new teams were in the other conference, the West. The way it was setup was the top four teams in each division would make it, meaning four of the six expansion teams were guaranteed a postseason berth. It didn't matter that none of the newbies even had a .500 record (Five of the six original teams finished at least two games above .500). Also, there was a guarantee that an expansion team would make the Stanley Cup Finals (That turned out to be St. Louis, btw) having to go through two other new teams.
The situation became even more ridiculous the next season as all of the original six teams finished above .500, but the Red Wings and Blackhawks missed the postseason. Meanwhile, in the Western Division, only the Blues were over .500. None of the other five teams in that division finished better than seven games below .500. No other expansion team besides St. Louis had more than 69 points. Chicago had 77 and missed in the East Division. Obviously, times are much different now. There were 12 teams then (Soon to be 14 in 1970/71). There are 31 now. Almost as many teams (16) make it to significant action in April as are on the golf course (15). Seattle seems poised to join the next season, for a total of 32 teams.
Four WHA teams joined the NHL in 1979/80, but again the circumstances were different. The teams didn't just come along in the World Hockey Association the year before, and all of them had been there since 1972/73, the WHA's first season. Two of the WHA teams that entered the NHL made the 1980 playoffs: 1) The Edmonton Oilers with some chap named Gretzky 2) The Harford Whalers (They have since relocated to Carolina) with three men named Howe, Hull and Keon.
The NHL then really went after the "other" places in North America. San Jose joined in 1991/92. Tampa Bay and Ottawa the next. 1993 welcomed Anaheim and Florida. There were 24 teams in the NHL in 1992/93. 25+ years later the number looks like it's increased by 8. There are fewer and fewer places in North America without an NHL team. The Vegas Golden Knight's success could mean The NHL might expand to both Quebec and Saskatchewan in the coming years, meaning there could be 9 in Canada alone. The previous high was 8 in 1994/95 before Quebec moved to Colorado. With proper management like the Knights have shown, a hockey team can work anywhere.
Las Vegas seems loaded in goal, as four of the five goalies to strap on the pads have either excelled like Marc-Andre Fleury or arrived like Malcolm Subban. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins didn't think losing these "extra" goalies meant much. Maybe not...But they sure made a difference in their new home. For Fleury, it was a chance to continue his success, and he did. For Subban, with all of just two NHL games experience to his name, it was a chance to play. Not only did Malcolm play, but he proved himself to be a dependable backup to Marc.
And this isn't just in the goaltendings. These so-called castoffs are actually good players. Well, at least some of them are. Las Vegas' top point-getter is Jon Marchessault actually scored 30 goals last year for Florida. He's got 25 so far this year.
Jon's coach last year was Gerard Gallant. Gallant had coached the Panthers to 103 points in 2015/16 and was quite a player, four times topping the 30-goal mark himself for Detroit. He even had experience as a player with a (Second year) expansion team. He played for Tampa Bay in 1993/94, the same year that Florida came into the league. Right guy behind the bench. Jack Adams Award Winner in 2017/18? Why not?
In any event, Vegas is heading to the playoffs with over 40 wins and 100 points to their name. Can they match the '67 St. Louis Blues with a run all the ways to the finals? Can the Knights win the Cup? We'll have to wait and see.
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