wɪððə ɹᵻdˈʌkʃən ʌv tˈiːmz bᵻfˌoːɹ ðə stˈɑːɹt ʌvðə sˈiːzən, ðə lˈiːɡ ɹᵻtˈɜːnd tʊ ɐ tˈuːdᵻvˈɪʒən sˈɛɾʌp, ᵻlˈɪmᵻnˌeɪɾɪŋ ðə kɐnˈeɪdiən dᵻvˈɪʒən.
With the reduction of teams before the start of the season, the league returned to a two-division setup, eliminating the Canadian Division.