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Entries with the tag: Gary+Bettman
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 12/16/11 at 12:58 PM ET
Comments (5)
Bettman and the NHL cannot wait for science. They can’t hide behind science, using it as their shield. They must move, and move quickly, out of Stage 2 to Stage 3. No amount of well-modulated, reasonable- and responsible-sounding words change the fact that a hit to the head, whether by elbow, shoulder, or fist, is an attempt to injure that needs to result in expulsion or suspension. No amount of hopefulness and crossed fingers will change the fact that the NHL, like the NFL, must begin to imagine and introduce more “head-smart” ways to play. Bettman needs to be Bettman. We look back on those people 50 years ago who defended tobacco and asbestos and think, How could they be so stupid? Bettman and the NHL cannot wait for this generation of players to get old just so they can know for sure.
-Ken Dryden. I suggest your read the complete article from Dryden at Grantland.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Ken+Dryden,
Evening Line
by Paul on 12/05/11 at 11:43 PM ET
Comments (12)
“It was typical Gary Bettman. It’s like a Chicago election in the 1930s. Not that it’s fixed, but you have a pretty good sense what’s going to happen beforehand.”
-Brian Burke, President and GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs on how the realignment decision was basically a done deal before the BOG meeting started.
More realignment talk from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Brian+Burke, Gary+Bettman,
Gary Bettman Chatter
by Alanah McGinley on 10/31/11 at 02:16 PM ET
Comments (0)
Regarding criteria for selecting teams for the Winter Classic:
“An important element of doing the Winter Classic is obviously the national TV ratings, so we have to be comfortable that whatever matchup we’re going to do will do a good number,” Bettman said.
Regarding players reporting that there is a painkiller problem in the NHL:
“I don’t know the answer to that. The counselors who monitor these things for us tell us they don’t think it’s a problem that’s widespread. We are a cross section of society, so we’re not immune to societal problems.”
continued with more from Bettman on issues of realignment, the CBA and Brendan Shanahan.
(From Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, via The Republic)
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman,
Lidstrom On The NHL Hour
by Paul on 10/20/11 at 10:07 AM ET
Comments (1)
NEW YORK (October 20, 2011) –Nicklas Lidstrom, captain of the Detroit Red Wings, will guest on today’s NHL Hour With Commissioner Gary Bettman. The show, which encourages fans to call in with questions, airs Thursday nights on NHL.com and on Sirius XM Radio at 6 p.m., ET.
Lidstrom is two games away from playing the 1,500th of his NHL career, a milestone he is scheduled to reach this Saturday in Washington against the Capitals (NHL Network US, FSN-Detroit, 7:00 p.m. ET). The Swedish-born defenseman is a four-time Stanley Cup Champion, winner of seven Norris trophies as the League’s top defenseman and one Conn Smythe as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Currently, he ranks third among active players in points, behind only Philadelphia’s Jaromir Jagr and Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne, and second in assists, again behind Jagr.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Nicklas+Lidstrom,
Bettman Deserves More Credit
by Alanah McGinley on 10/07/11 at 12:14 PM ET
Comments (9)
From Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press (via Canada.com):
It raised a good point — what exactly has Bettman done to be so disliked, even hated, by so many Winnipeg and Canadian hockey fans?
Move Winnipeg and Quebec franchises to the U.S.? Fine, but last time we checked, the fact that there were no potential owners, terrible arenas, a low Canadian dollar in those days was not Bettman’s fault.
Neither are rainy days and losing lottery tickets but there is no shortage of people who act like the NHL commissioner ruins their every day.
Fast forward to 2011 and it is incomprehensible how Bettman can be reviled for ushering the league back to Winnipeg in 2011.
But that perception continues, in many media outlets, in many instances during the May 31 celebrations, even in a Winnipeg hair salon which proudly boasted in early June that Bettman was not welcome.
It’s logic at its wackiest.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman,
How Will Winnipeg Fans Treat Bettman?
by Paul on 09/29/11 at 08:46 PM ET
Comments (6)
from Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun,
I wrote a column suggesting Gary Bettman was not evil incarnate and had actually become a friend to Winnipeg with the move of the Atlanta Thrashers.
Judging from the reaction of some of the readers, you would think I said the devil himself wasn’t all bad.
Many readers indicated they will never forgive Bettman for the fact the Jets left Winnipeg in the first place and pointed out he was only allowing the team to come back because he had no other choice.
That may be so, but it has come to light in the months since that time that Bettman was working with prospective Winnipeg owner Mark Chipman for years, had twice come close to selling him the Phoenix Coyotes, and put him on the fast track to buy the Thrashers when the Coyotes deals didn’t work out.
Chipman himself has said Bettman was the biggest driving force outside of Manitoba in the process of bringing the NHL back to Winnipeg.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Winnipeg Jets | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Peace Between the NHL and KHL?
by Alanah McGinley on 09/13/11 at 03:44 PM ET
Comments (0)
From Stu Hackel at Red Light on SI.com:
In a briefing published on the league’s website, KHL President Alexander Medvedev said Tuesday that he is interested in improving relations with the NHL in the aftermath of last week’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash.
“After the Lokomotiv tragedy I had a call from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who expressed his condolences,” he said. “The grief is felt by the whole hockey family. Now we can take a new view of all our differences with the NHL. I repeat once again: When we cooperate we can achieve much more for hockey than when in conflict or in isolation. I would like very much for this to be no mere surge of emotion, but that we move in step with each other. Gary and I agreed to meet in the near future and consider how we can further work together.”
This is good news because relations between the two league have sometimes been frosty, with gusts up to nasty, for a few years.
read on (about halfway down the page) plus other topics are covered
Filed in: NHL Talk, Non-NHL Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: alexander+medvedev, gary+bettman,
Bettman/Fehr Release Statement Regarding Recent Deaths Of NHL Players
by Paul on 09/01/11 at 03:13 PM ET
Comments (0)
NEW YORK/TORONTO (September 1, 2011)—The following statement was released jointly today by Don Fehr, Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association, and Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the National Hockey League:
“Everyone at the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association is profoundly saddened by the loss, within a matter of a few weeks, of three young men, each of whom was in the prime of his life.
“While the circumstances of each case are unique, these tragic events cannot be ignored. We are committed to examining, in detail, the factors that may have contributed to these events, and to determining whether concrete steps can be taken to enhance player welfare and minimize the likelihood of such events taking place. Our organizations are committed to a thorough evaluation of our existing assistance programs and practices and will make immediate modifications and improvements to the extent they are deemed warranted.
“It is important to ensure that every reasonable step and precaution is taken to make NHL Players, and all members of the NHL family, aware of the vast resources available to them when they are in need of assistance. We want individuals to feel comfortable seeking help when they need help.
“NHL Clubs and our fans should know that every avenue will be explored and every option pursued in the furtherance of this objective.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk, NHLPA | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Donald+Fehr, Gary+Bettman,
Respect for Bettman
by Alanah McGinley on 08/03/11 at 04:34 PM ET
Comments (30)
What’s The Thing You Secretly Respect Gary Bettman For The Most?
“The fact he comes out to present the Conn Smythe trophy and Stanley Cup, knowing he’s going to get booed and heckled mercilessly, and yet carries on with his little speeches and presentations as if there’s nothing amiss.
“Could any of us go out there and face that avalanche of verbal abuse from 18, 000 fans who hate your guts? I doubt it. Say what you will about Bettman, and I believe he deserves most of the criticism he gets, but I respect that he doesn’t shy away from the Cup presentation ceremony, even when he knows he’s going to be heaped with abuse. Especially if he’s making the presentation to the visiting team.”
—Lyle Richardson of Spector’s Hockey, in his interview at Puck Daddy
Maybe this is an interesting question for all of us. It’s so easy to criticize Bettman, but if pressed, could you share something you actually respect him for?
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman,
Afternoon Line
by Alanah McGinley on 08/02/11 at 01:53 PM ET
Comments (20)
“We will continue to work closely with the Islanders to explore whatever options still may be available in light of what obviously is not a positive development. Our goal is for the team to remain on Long Island and we still hope that objective can be realized.”
—Gary Bettman (via Katie Strang at Newsday)
Update 4:34pm ET: If anyone has any ideas how to realize that objective, county exec Edward Mangano would like to hear from you.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman,
Time To Say Good-Bye To Bettman
by Paul on 08/02/11 at 08:13 AM ET
Comments (20)
from Ken Gray of the Ottawa Citizen,
Look, I’m a big fan of journalist/businessman Mark Sutcliffe and his column Sports Ink in the Citizen. Don’t get me wrong.
Sutcliffe and I might not agree on everything (remember your Canadian Tire column, Mark?), but you have to like his entrepreneurism and contribution to this community.
That said, I didn’t agree with his Sports Ink column on Sunday. I’m not as big a supporter of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as Sutcliffe, not at all.
Bettman has orchestrated a league that has absolutely glorified violence to the point where the players are being irreparably harmed. Concussions from head hits and fighting would have normal business owners concerned. Sutcliffe would do something about it in his workplace. The pads are too hard. Bettman should have acted.
Furthermore, the game is basically flawed.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Bettman’s Compensation Plan
by Paul on 07/25/11 at 06:30 AM ET
Comments (9)
via Fred Dreier of SportsBusiness Journal (paid sub),
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s total compensation increased 4 percent during the 2009-10 season, pushing his salary plus benefits to $7.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, according to the league’s most recent tax filing.
added 12:36pm, The link above now shows the whole story and answers some of the questions left in the comments.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Bettman Expects Devils’ Potential Sale Won’t Need His Involvement
by Jon Jordan on 06/21/11 at 06:28 PM ET
Comments (7)
From Fire & Ice’s Tom Gulitti:
A report in The Hockey News earlier this month said the commissioner would “focus on the situations in New Jersey and Los Angeles” after the Atlanta/Winnipeg sale and Dallas’ sale were resolved.
“I don’t know who wrote that or why, but no,” Bettman said when I asked him if he had any plans to focus on the Devils’ ownership situation or monitor it more closely.
Although Brick City LLC – headed by Mike Gilfillan and Ray Chambers – is looking to sell its 47 percent share, Bettman said that the potential sale is not impacting team business and he expects it to be resolved without need for him to be involved, “to the best of my knowledge in my constant communications with everybody.”
More, including an update on Zach Parise…
Filed in: NHL Teams, New Jersey Devils, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Zach+Parise,
Bettman Talks Atlanta
by Paul on 06/20/11 at 06:21 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
On Monday NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, in an exclusive interview with Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thrashers beat writer Chris Vivlamore, talked about a variety of issues including what went wrong in Atlanta, the city as a hockey market and the relocation fee the league receives as part of the deal.
Q. Why do you think the NHL has failed in Atlanta twice?
A. I don’t know enough about what happened the first time (when the Flames left for Calgary in 1980) to say why it happened twice. I don’t know that the situations were comparable. In this case, the franchise wasn’t economically viable. We are not happy about it. The litmus test is: Does someone want to own the franchise? The Raine Group and current ownership were completely unsuccessful in their efforts to find a local buyer.
Q. What do you think of Atlanta as a hockey market? Does that differ from 1997 when the city was awarded the expansion franchise?
A. We had high hopes in 1997. This is obviously not the result we envisioned or we wouldn’t have come. How we got to this position involves a number of issues and that’s why we find ourselves in the current situation.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Booing or Ooooing Bettman
by Alanah McGinley on 06/17/11 at 12:48 PM ET
Comments (9)
Q&A with Gary Bettman at Sports Radio Interviews:
Do you feel you are getting treated unfairly in Canada based on the last collective bargaining negotiations? Was it uncomfortable to be booed when awarding the Boston Bruins the Stanley Cup?
“I was getting booed? Really? Wait a minute when did that happen? I thought it was like ‘oooooo…oooooo,’ they were so excited to see the Stanley Cup. To answer that question would require me to engage in some degree of whining, which I will not do. The fact of the matter is people sometimes have perceptions to why things do and don’t happen. People who understand what exactly we have tried to accomplish and the fact that most of the Canadian franchises wouldn’t be in Canada anymore if were not for the things we’ve done over the last two decades. They get it. I know the people in Winnipeg over entirely different circumstances than when we left are thrilled to be getting a team back.”
continued… with transcript and audio link
Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Playoff Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, scf, stanley+cup+final,
Crummy day for hockey in Atlanta
by pcoffey on 05/31/11 at 04:16 PM ET
Comments (2)
Despite advice to wait and see what happens, the sale and move of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg sure had a sense of the inevitable about it, didn’t it?
There will be more euphoria about the return of hockey to Winnipeg than angst over its loss in Atlanta. Still, the loss of the Thrashers will hurt the team’s core fans for a long time to come. Sure, we can talk about the Thrashers being swept in their only playoff series, their inability to keep star players, and the Thrashers ranking near the NHL basement in attendance. Still, there was a core of fans who “Believed in Blueland” and now are left without a team. Think about them for a minute today and put yourself in their shoes for a minute. It’s a pretty crummy feeling to lose “your” team. Success or not, fans love their team, even if they love to complain about it. In the long run, it’s better to be a “long suffering” fan, than have no team at all.
And feel worse for the team’s staffers that lost their jobs. Most won’t make the move to Winnipeg and now enter an employment market that can best be described as “challenging” to say the least. They are the ones you really need some action, not words like these from the team’s statement.
“It’s extremely disappointing to all of us that (this sale) became necessary after all other options were exhausted. We want to express my gratitude to you, the fans, for the years of dedication you have offered to the Atlanta Thrashers.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Phil_Coffey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: atlanta+thrashers, gary+bettman, winnipeg,
Video- Gary Bettman On The New NHL Franchise In Winnipeg
by Paul on 05/31/11 at 02:37 PM ET
Comments (0)
added 3:49pm, Watch the full True North press conference below…
Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Winnipeg,
Bettman is Doing Things Right
by Alanah McGinley on 03/19/11 at 04:45 PM ET
Comments (14)
From Cathal Kelly at the Toronto Star:
Bettman takes a ridiculous amount of stick for what he doesn’t know about hockey. He may have known nothing about it when he took the job, you know, 18 years ago. Let’s drop this snobbish pose that only a Canadian raised in the game can ever appreciate it.
Right now, by his actions, no one is proving a better defender of the NHL’s century old traditions than Bettman. The shrimp from Queens is the bulwark standing between hockey as it is and the reactionaries who want to neuter it.
What keeps getting lost in all the jabber around headshots is that few of those inside the game want radical change. And this is ‘inside’ — not to include yammering team owners and sponsors. If you’ve ever witnessed the excruciating meeting between any professional athlete and the people who sign his cheques, you understand how far away from the inner circle the moneymen stand.
Coyote Shane Doan summed up the insider philosophy the nice way: “We understand they have to take care of us, but at the same time, we choose to go out there and get hit and hit people. You understand it’s just the way it is.”
Filed in: NHL Talk, Cheap Hits | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, headshots,
Bettman Status Declining Among League Owners?
by Paul on 03/16/11 at 08:11 AM ET
Comments (5)
from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,
Suddenly, it seems Bettman’s grip over the league’s owners, a major reason why he has been able to stay in power for 18 years, doesn’t seem quite as tight. In the past decade, in particular, the hockey world has barely heard a dissenting voice from the league’s board of governors on any matter, let alone any pertaining specifically to the game.
But now Lemieux has twice independently commented about what he believes is the correct course the league needs to take on violence and concussions, the most recent contained in a letter leaked to ESPN.com on Monday calling for large fines for teams with repeat offenders.
Last week, Molson, the Canadiens part-owner, released a statement that said the league’s decision not to suspend Boston’s Zdeno Chara for a controversial hit on Max Pacioretty of the Canadiens “shook the faith” of Montreal hockey fans.
“Players’ safety in hockey must become the ultimate priority and the situation must be addressed immediately,” said Molson.
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Mario Lemieux’s Letter to Gary Bettman
by Alanah McGinley on 03/14/11 at 05:44 PM ET
Comments (24)
From Pierre LeBrun at ESPN:
The former superstar player and current co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins sent a letter to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman last week calling for that kind of action. The letter, obtained by ESPN.com Monday, was dated March 7.
“On behalf of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, I am writing to propose a discussion by the Board of Governors and general managers about the NHL’s current system of supplementary discipline—and how it affects not only the integrity but the perception of our great game,” Lemieux wrote.
“The current system punishes the offending player but does very little to deter such actions in the future. We need to review, upgrade and more clearly define our policies in this regard, so that they can provide a meaningful deterrence and effectively clean up the game.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, mario+lemieux,
Bettman’s Bad Week
by Paul on 03/10/11 at 09:02 AM ET
Comments (19)
from Damien Cox of The Spin,
The perfect storm. That’s about what this week has been for Gary Bettman.
The NHL’s two areas of greatest vulnerability, the two issues that attract the most public scrutiny and open the league to charges of being structurally unsound and run by outlaws, have been played out in some of North America’s largest media centres this week.
In one corner, you have the league-owned Phoenix Coyotes, quite possibly headed to Winnipeg because a public watchdog smells lies and deceit and law-breaking with the process being used to transfer the hockey club to a new, Chicago-based owner.
In the other, you have the violence issue, which this week was played out in an entirely different, nearly unprecendented fashion, with Montreal forward Max Pacioretty badly injured when run into a glass partition by giant Boston defenceman Zdeno Chara. Chara was penalized on the play, but not subjected to a suspension or fine. That left hockey fans in Montreal screaming bloody murder, and even had Montreal-based Air Canada complaining to the league and seemingly threatening to pull it’s financial support.
While each of these situations - Phoenix and the Chara hit - can be logically argued in different ways, the overall impression for the league is instability and mayhem.
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Video- Bettman Talks Phoenix Situation
by Paul on 03/08/11 at 10:43 PM ET
Comments (1)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Phoenix Coyotes | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Take The ASG For What It Is
by @DaveDavisHockey on 01/31/11 at 09:24 AM ET
Comments (1)
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has promised that NHL All-Star weekend 2012 in Canada’s capital will be a “once-in-a-lifetime, weekend long celebration of all that is great about hockey, the NHL and our city.”
Considering the wonderful job done by the folks in Raleigh who just staged a great show for the fans this past weekend, those are some big words.
But, much to the dismay of intolerant hockey purists and shortsighted all-star game detractors everywhere, one thing Melnyk hasn’t promised is a David Backes vs. Zdeno Chara slugfest.
We’re a year away from the festivities at Scotiabank Place, which means we’re a year away from the obligatory week long bashfest of the event by some mainstream media people who apparently weren’t required to take business and marketing classes in journalism school.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alexei+Zhitnik, Eugene+Melnyk, Gary+Bettman, Jeremy+Roenick, NHL+All-Star+Game+2011, NHL+All-Star+Game+2012,
Update from Raleigh: All Eyes on the Draft
by Jon Jordan on 01/28/11 at 04:25 PM ET
Comments (0)
Funny… In chatting with several casual hockey fan friends and family of mine about being in Raleigh here for ASG weekend, a mention of “The Draft” as part of the festivities has led to a pause in each case and a question along the lines of, “Wait, what? They’re having the draft at the All-Star game now?”
Of course, they don’t know any better - that it’s juuust a “fantasy” draft for an exhibition game.
We do, but if we didn’t, judging from walking around Fan Fest at the Raleigh Convention Center today, where the draft will be held, this silly little pick ‘em event is being taken pretty seriously.
Granted, Nicklas Lidstrom and Eric Staal aren’t exactly holed up in “war rooms” or anything but the league and its broadcast partners are certainly planning on putting on a first-class show. The set for the draft is aces (and enormous!) and the commentators and analysts from TSN and Versus were intently rehearsing each and every “pick”, with Darren Dreger playing Staal and Matthew Barnaby assuming the role of Lidstrom.
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Media, Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Cam+Ward, Eric+Staal, Gary+Bettman, Martin+St.+Louis, NHL+All-Star+Game, Nicklas+Lidstrom, Steven+Stamkos,
Bettman Talks TV Deal
by Paul on 01/11/11 at 09:30 PM ET
Comments (3)
Gary Bettman is in San Jose tonight for the Leafs/Sharks game and David Pollak of Working the Corners was part of a media Q & A,
What’s the timetable on the new TV deal?
“Soon. We’re in an exclusive negotiating period with Versus although we’ve been laying low because they’re waiting to see what the government does with the merger with NBC-Universal. My guess is within the next couple months or so, we’ll be focused on the TV arrangements in the United States on a national basis, both on cable and over the air.”
How much longer is the exclusive period with Versus?
“It expires soon. I’m not sure why that’s relevant. I don’t like negotiating in public.”
Well how much is the merger part complicating things?
“I wouldn’t say it’s complicating anything. It probably behooves everybody to have that behind us so we can work because in the final analysis, if the merger is approved, NBC and Versus will be under one roof and I think that’s a plus for us.”
more topics…
Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Evening Line
by Paul on 01/09/11 at 09:31 PM ET
Comments (3)
We are having a good season on all fronts. The game on the ice is good. You look at the races in the West. If you yawn and take the night off, you can drop from fifth to 12th place in the blink of an eye. Colin (Campbell) has been doing a good job with supplemental discipline and the players by and large have handled, for example the new role on blindside hits to the head, well. Revenues are strong and attendance is up. Things are continuing to grow. In a difficult economic environment, we are holding our own and even growing a little bit.
Revenues are up 4-5 percent, maybe. That is an early projection. We seem to be in a good place, in terms of the business. The national business, particularly with sponsors and the like, has been growing big double digits, something like 83 percent over the last three years. That has been in a recessionary environment. We are actually doing okay.
-Gary Bettman who is in Anaheim tonight, taking in Sharks/Ducks. More from Bettman at Ducks.com.
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Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 11/22/10 at 12:38 PM ET
Comments (1)
Everywhere in sports (not just hockey), people are expected to own up to mistakes. I think Gary Bettman’s public perception would be much better if, occasionally, he’d admit to one. No one’s perfect. I thought of that Saturday night watching Scott Morrison’s terrific interview with Colin Campbell. If someone in the NHL said, “You know what, this shouldn’t have happened, but, the past three years have proven Colin Campbell’s got no bias,” (which is my position after conversing with about eight referees) the public reaction would be much different.
-Elliotte Friedman of CBC. More thoughts from Elliotte plus a look at Marc Savard.
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Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Evening Line
by Paul on 11/18/10 at 07:07 PM ET
Comments (17)
“I want to talk about the matter of Colie Campbell and the e-mails and the assertion by some people on the Internet and in the media that some internal e-mails that he wrote three years ago somehow suggest his decisions on supplemental discipline have been in some way biased.
“There are a variety of unfortunate aspects to these assertions, and perhaps the most unfortunate of all is that the people making them have not had the opportunity to observe Colie’s professionalism and integrity. He brings that to every one of his many duties with the NHL day in and day out, year after year. He takes his job extremely seriously, and it is a very difficult job. He takes his service to the game, the teams and the players as seriously as any human being can and he is somebody of the utmost integrity, and that’s the way people around the League view him.”
Gary Bettman on Colin Campbell. Read more at NHL.com.
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Tags: Colin+Campbell, Gary+Bettman,
The Booing Of Bettman
by Paul on 09/30/10 at 10:52 AM ET
Comments (17)
from Ken Warren of Senators Extra at the Ottawa Citizen,
Why does Bettman insist on putting himself through the humiliation of hearing the catcalls? He heard them on the biggest stage when he presented the Chicago Blackhawks with the Stanley Cup in June. Tuesday he heard them at the 1,200-seat venue, which was full of children.
We understand why Bettman needed to be in the building on both occasions.
Obviously, he needs to be in the house when the league’s champions are crowned.
In the Dundas instance, he wanted to show he believes in the grassroots of hockey. We get that. Not to be overly cynical about it, it was also an opportunity for TV time.
Yet in hindsight, does it really help the image of the NHL — and the future of the NHL — when the guy running the league is being booed in front of several hundred children? Why bring on the hatred by taking centre stage at centre ice?
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,
Hockey Fans, How Do You Feel?
by Paul on 08/25/10 at 12:57 PM ET
Comments (27)
Gary Bettman made a statement today at the World Hockey Summit in regards to how hockey fans feel about NHL participation in the Olympics.
via Scott Burnside tweet,
Bettman says fans’ response to NHL participation in Olympics is a “mixed bag”. Not sure we buy that.
What are your thoughts and thanks to many of you who already responded to the same question on Twitter.
added 2:41pm, from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
To the surprise of practically everyone in the room, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wasn’t quite the wet blanket that delegates to Wednesday’s session of the World Hockey Summit might have imagined.
Instead, Bettman was quite playful during his 30-minute cameo appearance, teasing questioners, poking fun at IIHF president Rene Fasel, but most importantly, clarifying the NHL’s position with regard to Olympic participation, which was the day’s primary point of discussion.
Bettman stressed that he is not anti-Olympics and contrary to the general perception, the NHL hasn’t said no to appearing in Sochi, Russia, where the 2014 Games will be played.
Filed in: NHL Talk, Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Winter+Olympics,
Bettman Wins Again
by Paul on 08/11/10 at 07:04 AM ET
Comments (11)
from Bruce Arthur of the National Post,
You don’t have to like Gary Bettman, which is lucky, since it’s not like he makes it easy. You don’t have to agree with him on every issue, which is also fairly convenient. I would counsel that you never sign a contract with him, if only because it might not mean what you think it means. But then, that’s unlikely to become an issue.
One thing about Gary Bettman, though, is that you should never doubt that he is the boss, and that he is running the National Hockey League. Never doubt that he is in charge.
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Bettman’s Salary Released - How Does Around $7M Sound?
by Paul on 07/12/10 at 03:30 PM ET
Comments (9)
from Greg Wyshynski of PuckDaddy,
Tripp Mickle of Sports Business Journal looked at the NHL’s most recent tax filing and dug up some absolute gold—or at least enough financial information to make you scowl slightly harder when purchasing a $30 officially licensed hat.
Mickle reports that the NHL saw its legal fees rise 48.6 percent during the fiscal year of July 2008-June 2009, to $3.94 million. There was evidently some sort of small-claims court case in Glendale, Ariz. that affected that budget. Something about petty larceny we hear.
The other news concerns what the NHL’s power brokers pull down in annual salary, including Commissioner Gary Bettman:
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All Bettman Talk
by Paul on 06/03/10 at 09:20 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Adam Proteau of The Hockey News,
This may come as a shock, but there are some feats Gary Bettman is simply incapable of.
Connecting to the average hockey fan on a base emotional level is one of them. So is conducting a press conference in which he doesn’t either attempt to con attendees – my all-time favorite example is when he called speculation on the financial disarray of the Phoenix Coyotes “irresponsible reporting” – or condescend to them.
However, in the name of responsible reporting, you have to give the NHL commissioner credit when he gets stuff right. And last Friday afternoon, when Bettman conducted his annual state-of-the-league address, he came correct on a couple matters.
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Ron MacLean & Gary Bettman Talk
by Paul on 06/03/10 at 07:51 AM ET
Comments (17)
Ron was on Fan590 this morning and said he felt sorry for Bettman. The man is under a lot of pressure especially with the Phoenix situation, since he told the owners they would not lose money on this deal.
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Afternoon Line
by Paul on 05/28/10 at 02:58 PM ET
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As uncomfortable as Bud Selig looks when confronted with a microphone and an audience, Bettman beats him.
-Lindsey Willhite of the Chicago Daily-Herald. More on Bettman’s press conference from Lindsay.
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All Gary Bettman- Winnipeg Style
by Paul on 05/15/10 at 08:46 AM ET
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from Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press,
Free Press: “Are you aware of how many Gary Bettman sightings there have been in Winnipeg in the last two or three months?
Gary Bettman: It’s funny you should ask. The reports come streaming in on a regular basis, people asking me what I ordered for dinner at a particular restaurant or where I was staying. I haven’t been in Winnipeg in the last year or even longer and for example, I haven’t spoken to Mayor Katz ever. But I get reports that I’m in town and meeting with the mayor and neither of those reports are accurate.
FP: Interest is high here in current NHL events. Emotions are starting to run again. Is it your impression about Winnipeg there are any carts before the horse in this matter of the Coyotes?
Gary Bettman: It’s not a question of carts before the horse. What I’m more concerned about is people getting their expectations up when they shouldn’t be. I was very uncomfortable and unhappy over the last few years when people in southern Ontario were misled about what was going on. Some of that comes from people actually trying to do the misleading and some of it comes from media reports, and that’s not to knock the media because they’re attempting to do their job….
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Morning Line
by Paul on 05/12/10 at 09:12 AM ET
Comments (12)
Canadian hockey fans like to tar Bettman as anti-Canadian but conveniently overlook his implementation of a revenue-sharing scheme for struggling Canadian franchises under the previous CBA and his efforts in 2003 to save the Ottawa Senators from bankruptcy and relocation.
Time will tell if the NHL’s grand expansion plan is a failure, but it would unfair to lay the blame solely at Gary Bettman’s doorstep. There’s plenty of blame amongst the Board of Governors and the team owners to go around.
That doesn’t exempt him from criticism but doesn’t justify calling him anti-Canadian or pigheaded in his efforts to keep struggling franchise in their current locations.
-Lyle Richardson of Spector’s Hockey. More from Lyle on this topic.
added 11:35am,
Rumor Central, the favorite gathering place for the Canadian media the past year, got punched in the gut Wednesday night.
And at least for a while, the smugness of the hockey fans in Canada who were convinced the Coyotes were about to morph into the Winnipeg Jets is gone. Everyone, it seemed, knew someone who knew someone who heard someone say that the Coyotes’ run in Arizona was over.
But, they’ll just need a day or two to rest up, and again the rumor mill will be going full speed. They are probably still not convinced the team will remain in Glendale, even for another season.
-Jim Gintonio of Ice Chips.
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Bettman On Three Topics
by Paul on 05/03/10 at 10:59 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman held a media availability before Game 2 of the Canucks-Blackhawks series Monday night, although there was no formal announcement on his part. It was a just a chance for local media to have a crack at him, just like it was two weeks ago in Los Angeles.
Three items that caught our attention:
The officials: Bettman was also asked about the officiating in the playoffs—a sensitive topic judging from ESPN.com message boards—and whether the games are being called differently in the postseason.
“It’s not the case,” Bettman said. “They haven’t been given a different set of instructions. The game is played a little differently, and the officials have to react to that. And there are adjustments that go on in the course of a series that you don’t see over the course of the regular season, two teams will play and play different teams the next night.
“The games now are probably a little more intense. ... But no, they’re told to call it just the way they did [in the regular season]....
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Boomer Joins Bettman
by Paul on 04/15/10 at 12:29 PM ET
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NEW YORK (April 15, 2010) – Super Bowl quarterback and super hockey fan Boomer Esiason will be today’s guest on NHL Hour With Commissioner Gary Bettman on NHL.com and SIRIUS XM Radio at 6 p.m. ET.
Esiason, who played in the National Football League from 1984-97 and who quarterbacked the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1988 Super Bowl, went into broadcasting upon his retirement. Currently a man of many roles, he co-hosts a top-rated New York City morning radio sports talk show, is an NFL color commentator and serves as an analyst with The NFL Today on CBS in the United States.
Also a passionate hockey fan, Esiason owns season tickets to New York Rangers games, plays recreational hockey and has attended many of the NHL’s signature events, including the New Year’s Day Winter Classic games.
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Evening Line
by Paul on 03/02/10 at 06:00 PM ET
Comments (5)
“I believe that it will work out and we will be back in the 16 million home that we were on in the DirecTV universe once they work this out. And I am hopeful that the sides will work this out in advance of the playoffs. But in terms of the coverage we get and the treatment we get, we couldn’t be treated better by anybody else.”
-Gary Bettman on the Versus/Directv dispute and the Versus coverage. More at Chicago Breaking Sport News.
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“Gary, We Need You”
by Paul on 02/18/10 at 03:49 PM ET
Comments (12)
from Helene Elliott of the LA Times,
Fasel stopped short of dropping to his knees and pleading with Bettman to make sure NHL players are in Sochi, Russia, in 2014, but he didn’t stop short by a lot. He suggested the NHL can lose its All-Star break to create more time to send players to Sochi and said continuing to send players would enhance the game’s growth.
“The effort to shut down for two weeks and play here is worth it,” Fasel told reporters at a news conference while Bettman, sitting to his right, grew increasingly red-faced. “For our game, our fans, Gary, we need you.”
Bettman, the red spots in his cheeks fairly blazing by now, smiled. “It’s nice to be needed,” he said, though his tone didn’t match his words.
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Tags: Gary+Bettman, IIHF, Rene+Fasel, Winter+Olympics,
Atlanta Needs Ownership Stability
by Paul on 02/07/10 at 10:43 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rumors of the franchise being sold and moved are constant. The Spirit has acknowledged only that it has sought to bring in new investors, especially following the expected exit of partner Steve Belkin. The uncertainty has made for an unstable atmosphere.
Spirit owners have long claimed their litigation has had no effect on the teams. Bettman isn’t convinced.
“Let’s put it this way,” he said. “We can always agree to disagree on how much it hurts. But it certainly doesn’t help.”
Bettman remains confident in the Atlanta market, saying: “Ultimately, I believe when this all gets sorted out, the franchise will be in a better place.”
He then stopped and laughed, realizing it was a poor choice of words, given rumors of a move.
“Can I change that? What I mean is the franchise will be in a better situation.”
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Is Bettman To Blame For The Tampa Ownership Mess?
by Paul on 02/01/10 at 12:58 PM ET
Comments (4)
from Ken Campbell of The Hockey News,
There are a couple of perfectly logical reasons why NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is feverishly brokering a deal to sell the Tampa Bay Lightning to Boston-based hedge fund manager Jeffrey Vinik.
First and foremost, it’s his job to do everything he can to have stable and well-heeled owners for all 30 NHL teams.
But there’s another far more personal reason: His integrity is on the line. After all, it’s Bettman’s regime that is, in large part, responsible for this mess in the first place.
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Developing A Standard On Head Shots
by Paul on 01/27/10 at 10:07 PM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail (Thursday edition),
Before next season begins, the National Hockey League wants to crack down on headshots that leave unsuspecting players exposed to serious injury, commissioner Gary Bettman says.
“We want to develop a standard that is clear; that the players know what to expect; that the officials know exactly what to call,” Mr. Bettman said in a telephone interview yesterday.
According to Mr. Bettman, an NHL game averages 40 to 42 hits, or roughly 50,000 total in the regular season. He believes egregious headshots amount to about a dozen over the course of an entire season. The challenge, he says, is to develop a standard in order to impose discipline – without fundamentally changing the physical aspect of the game.
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Bettman Talks Head Shots
by Paul on 01/21/10 at 07:31 AM ET
Comments (1)
from the CP at CBC,
“This issue for us is what can we do about what is otherwise a legal check resulting in a shoulder going into a head,” he said. “We have studied it very carefully and extensively.
“We want to get it right. We average 40 hits a game. That’s somewhere in excess of 50,000 a year.
“It’s an essential element to our game. We want to get those hits that make us uncomfortable out of the game. But we want to do this in a very judicious, professional way.”
Bettman cautioned that finding a solution could take time.
“We need to take the time and create a very precise standard, something that’s easily understood and something the players know what to expect,” he said. “Something that the officials know what to call and if necessary Colin Campbell knows how he’s going to discipline.
“We’re looking for precision, not over-legislation. We will have ample time in March and, hopefully, we can come to some sort of consensus.”
more topics discussed…
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Is This An Apology?
by Paul on 12/11/09 at 05:47 PM ET
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from Helene Elliott at the Fabulous Forum,
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued an interesting statement today in the wake of the dismissal of the guilty plea made by Ducks owner Henry Samueli in a stock options backdating investigation.
Bettman had suspended Samueli in June 2008 but reinstated him Nov. 12. Samueli’s wife, Susan, had voluntarily stepped aside in support of her husband.
It almost sounds—gasp—like Bettman is admitting he was wrong.
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How Much Longer Will Owners Support Bettman?
by Paul on 09/29/09 at 08:31 AM ET
Comments (6)
Richard C. Powers is the associate dean and executive director of MBA and Master of Finance program at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
from Richard Powers at the Toronto Sun,
As we await the decision on the fate of the Phoenix Coyotes, there is an interesting angle to the story that should be front and centre—why does the NHL continue to push its southern U.S. strategy when everything seems to suggest it hasn’t worked?
More to the point, how has NHL commissioner Gary Bettman managed to keep his position despite numerous problems and fiascos south of the border? In just about any other job, he would have been turfed out with last week’s salad.
Let’s examine the facts. Phoenix is just the tip of the iceberg.
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Bettman Deserves Credit For The Tampa Plan
by Paul on 08/10/09 at 03:07 PM ET
Comments (7)
from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes,
Regardless of how you feel about the Tampa Bay Lightning’s ownership issues, no matter if you believe Len Barrie or Oren Koules should have control of the team or if you think former owner Palace Sports & Entertainment should come back in the picture, you have to give commissioner Gary Bettman credit for at least pushing to get the situation resolved.
As we read in Sunday’s paper, Bettman has given Barrie a 60-day exclusive window to see if he can buy out Koules. If he fails, Koules gets a shot. If he fails, the league could find another buyer or former owner Palace Sports, which financed about $70 million of the $200 million purchase price and lent OK Hockey another $30 million in operating capital, could take the team back.
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Len Barrie Needs $10M By Friday
by Paul on 07/14/09 at 06:35 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times,
Another chapter in the story of the Lightning’s bickering owners will play out this week, as Len Barrie has a Friday deadline to come up with $10 million to prove he can continue funding the team.
The deadline was imposed by commissioner Gary Bettman, who has ordered the participants to not speak on the issue.
Bettman acted during a June meeting in his New York office when he demanded Barrie and co-owner Oren Koules settle their financial and philosophical differences about how to build the team.
Barrie must come up with cash or an irrevocable letter of credit from a financial institution payable to the NHL. The money is to cover his share of the team’s projected losses for the fiscal year that began July 1 and provide an additional cushion.
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Tags: Gary+Bettman, Len+Barrie,
Bettman In High Tax Bracket
by Paul on 07/13/09 at 10:41 AM ET
Comments (24)
via The Detroit News,
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was paid $7.1 million in salary and benefits for the 2007-08 season, according to league tax filings and reported by Sports Business Journal.
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, Bettman earned $4,197,694 from the NHL and $2,911,550 from NHL Enterprises, the league’s business arm, according to the report. The total package represents a 27-percent raise over the previous season and the highest level of compensation Bettman has received in 16 years as commissioner.
added 11:53am, The Sporting News has posted the full article from Tripp Mickle of SBJ.
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