In Lou We Trust, a New Jersey Devils community

Starting next season, the NHL will introduce four new conferences, a new scheduling format, and a new playoff format. Here's another NHL link on the realignment news. Teams in a 7-team conference will play their rivals 6 times a year (teams in a 8-team will alternate between 5 and 6 games) and all teams out of conference will play a home and home. The new (well old) playoff format will see conference games 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in the first round and the winners face in the second round. The four conference winners will reseed and battle it out Final Four Style for Lord Stanley.

The Jets have officially unveiled their brand new logos for the upcoming season. I personally like them as it brings a fresh modern look, but i do hope they wear their vintage jerseys at some point in the future as well.

NHLPA and NHL have another season to write up an amended CBA. They also agreed on the 5% growth factor, which would put next year's salary cap right under $59 million. The NHL will announce the new cap before July 1st. UPDATE: Bob McKenzie has the official cap ceiling and floor numbers: $59.4 million cap, $43.4 million floor.

SBN blog From the Rink just compiled a top 25 Defensive Defencemen in the NHL at 2009's quarter-mark point in the season. Here is the criteria players ranks were based on: "It ranks players defensively based on (a) quality of competition at even strength, (b) goals against per minute played at even strength and (c) goals against per minute played on the penalty kill. Players also have to have played at least 15 games and fill a significant role on their team's shorthanded unit. Credit, as always, to Behind The Net for the data." Mike Mottau & Colin White come in at numbers 6 & 7 just after or before some pretty impressive and just surprising company. Hell I'm kind of surprised to see both up there this high myself.

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