I spent way to much time thinking about this sitting in Sydney traffic a few years ago but here is my take.
18 teams
2x conferences
A) Conference, teams 1, 3, 5, 7 from last years ladder after GF
B) Conference, teams 2,4,6,8 as above.
A) Conference plays each other twice, home and away.
B) Conference plays each other twice, home and away.
At 3 integral times of the year conference A) plays Conference B) - top of each ladder play each other ie, 1st plays 1st, 2nd plays 2nd all the way down to last.
If you do this as the first game you have a GF replay every year.
You have another mid year and then at the end of the regular season.
You will be having blockbuster games guaranteed.
Even the last place games would create interest for spoon bragging rights.
After the end of the regular season you join both comps on paper to one and take your top 8 to play the finals.
The following year start from above.
I'd reckon this would create great interest for tv when you played the 3 blockbuster rounds and also for teams that may not have played each other over a season or even possibly 2. It would certainly throw up some variables.