Authorizes Commissioner To Implement, Pending Input From NHL Players’ Association

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2011) -- The National Hockey League Board of Governors tonight approved a four-Conference alignment format and authorized Commissioner Gary Bettman to implement this proposal, pending input from the National Hockey League Players’ Association. The format would create two eight-team Conferences and two seven-team conferences.

Under the format, every team would play every other team outside its conference twice -- once home, once away.