NHL Announces New Conferences

The National Hockey League announced Monday that they will have realignment for the 2012-13 season. The Florida Panthers will be moved along with the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Southeast Division. They will share a new conference with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. The Panthers have been in the Southeast Division since the 1998-99 season. Prior to that, the team played in the Atlantic Division from their first season in the NHL in 1993-94 until the 1997-98 season. Florida has never won a divisional title and have appeared in the NHL playoffs just three times in their history.