Updated

Detroit and Columbus are going back East, and Winnipeg is heading West.

A six-division league is down to four, and they're not the same size.

The NHL has made several significant changes to its alignment and scheduling, and most players seem excited about the new-look league.

The conference lineups are changing, and the first two rounds of the playoffs will be in a divisional format. The schedule matrix is also changing, with every team playing every other team twice.

The biggest change sends Detroit and Columbus to the 16-team Eastern Conference, while the Jets head to the 14-team West.

Those uneven numbers are the subject of some concern, but there's no doubt they add up splendidly for the three teams on the move.