NHL Summer Meeting Has Plenty on Agenda

The National Hockey League Board of Governors will have plenty to discuss this week at the summer meetings, with topics ranging from division realignment to a new contract with the players’ union.

The meetings, which were switched here from Montreal because of a conflict with the Canadian Grand Prix auto race, also will include an Oscars-style awards ceremony and the entry draft of amateur talent.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Hartford Whalers both are interested in moving to different divisions.

The Penguins feel they would be more competitive in the Norris Division with Chicago, St. Louis, Minnesota and Detroit. If they were switched to the Norris, Toronto would be moved to the tougher Adams and Hartford would go from the Adams to the Patrick to join the Islanders, Rangers, Devils, Flyers and Capitals.

“It’s not that simple,” noted NHL President John Ziegler, who said it would take a two-thirds vote (14 of 21 teams) to approve a change in divisional alignments. “We are already pretty well done with the schedule, and any kind of alignment change would require a substantial rework of the schedule. It may be too difficult to do.”

The Whalers have suggested that a new playoff setup be adopted in which the top three teams in each division plus the four teams with the next-best records qualify. Hatford’s disenchantment with the present system, in which the first- through fourth-place finishers in each division make the playoffs, is understandable. The Whalers would have qualified under the proposed format, but they finished last in the Adams Division while the Rangers, Red Wings and North Stars made the playoffs despite worse records than Hartford’s.

On negotiations, the NHL Players Assn. exercised a contract right and notified the league that the collective bargaining agreement would expire in Sept., 1986.

Both sides met last week in London for preliminary talks on a new pact, and a report will be made to the governors here.

The governors also will discuss extending the opening round of the playoffs from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven series.

Wednesday night, the league’s individual awards will be presented at a Hollywood-type gala hosted by impressionist Rich Little. It will be televised live in Canada.

Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers, is a heavy favorite to skate off with a record sixth straight Hart Trophy as the most valuable player. Gretzky just completed his sixth NHL season by leading the Oilers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

The other Hart finalist is center Dale Hawerchuk of the Winnipeg Jets.

Another Oiler, Paul Coffey, and Boston’s Ray Bourque are the finalists for the Norris Trophy as best defenseman. Edmonton’s Jari Kurri and Joe Mullen of the St. Louis Blues are competing for the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play.