When the NHL re-aligned the conferences to accommodate the Atlanta Thrashers’ relocation to Winnipeg, they moved the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings out of the Central Division and over to the Eastern Conference. It made sense, since both of those teams were in the Eastern Time Zone; West Coast road trips were particularly hellish for their fans.
By re-aligning the conferences, the league managed to break up two very strong, and very heated rivalries: one between the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, and one between the Red Wings and the Blues.