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Entries with the tag: Gary+Bettman

How Much Longer Will Owners Support Bettman?

by Paul on 09/29/09 at 09:31 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.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Bettman Deserves Credit For The Tampa Plan

by Paul on 08/10/09 at 04:07 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.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Len Barrie Needs $10M By Friday

by Paul on 07/14/09 at 07:35 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.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Len+Barrie,

Bettman In High Tax Bracket

by Paul on 07/13/09 at 11:41 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.

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Bettman- The Early Years

by Paul on 07/03/09 at 10:53 AM ET
Comments (0)

Because it is Friday and I am in relax mode…

from Greg Wyshynski of PuckDaddy,

This is simply one of the most fascinating video artifacts we’ve ever viewed on YouTube: Gary Bettman making his television debut as NHL commissioner, interviewed by the great Marv Albert on NBC during the 1992-93 All-Star Game in Montreal. It plays like an eerie prequel to the 16 years that followed.

continued

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman,

Nothing Else Needs To Be Said

by Paul on 06/13/09 at 04:54 PM ET
Comments (54)

from Matt Saler of On The Wings,

This warms my heart: “Mr. Ilitch … kept walking when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman approached him under the stands and tried to shake his hand after Friday night’s game.” No more words need to be said, eh Wings fans?

How Would You Feel If Bettman Did Not Present The Cup To The Winning Team?

by Paul on 06/11/09 at 12:59 PM ET
Comments (26)

from Adam Proteau of The Hockey News,

When the game is over and Gary Bettman appears at center ice with a microphone in one hand and the Cup at his side, he will be booed.

Allow me to emphasize that for a second. The league commissioner will be booed long and booed hard. He will be booed as if he and he alone mismanaged Michigan’s automobile industry. At least one square mile of vocal chords in attendance will be blown out amid the Bronx cheering.

He won’t deserve all, or even most of the ill will, but the crowd will bestow a virtual beret of raspberries (and not the kind you find in a second-hand store) on him nonetheless. And that is my big problem whenever I see Bettman handing the Cup over to a championship team’s captain.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Morning Line

by Paul on 06/07/09 at 07:50 AM ET
Comments (21)

The television cameras caught NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in his seat during the second period as the Wings poured it on.

Bettman’s expression said it all. Watching the team he’s tied his league’s future to go up in flames, he looked a guy who was suffering from kidney stones.

-Bob Duff of the Windsor Star & contributor at NBC Sports. More from Duff on the game last night…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

If They Actually Talked

by Paul on 05/24/09 at 10:01 PM ET
Comments (0)

from Malcolm Kelly of CBC Sports,

Gary: Hello? This is Gary Bettman, commissioner of the National Hockey League, and the man unequivocally in charge.

Jim: Hello, Gary. It’s Jim Balsillie.

Gary: Hello, Mr. Bal-Silly. How are you today?

Jim: Fine, Gary, but it’s Ball-silee, the accent is on the first syllable.

Gary: Oh, Balls-illy. Well, that makes some sense, doesn’t it? Don’t you think so, Bill?

Bill: Yes, sir!

Jim: Bill Daly’s on the line?

Gary: Oh, yes. Bill’s my right-hand man. Wherever I go, Bill goes too. Am I right Bill?

continued

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Jim+Balsillie,

It’s Getting Nasty

by Paul on 05/19/09 at 11:16 PM ET
Comments (16)

from Bruce Dowbiggin of the Globe and Mail,

However the Phoenix Coyotes’ bankruptcy proceedings go this week, the public scrap has become a zero-sum game for the two sides.

The release of private documents has embarrassed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, lifting the cloak of secrecy he and the league use to keep faltering franchises in line. The guerrilla attempt by Jim Balsillie to buy and relocate the Coyotes’ franchise to Southern Ontario has distanced him from even his most sympathetic supporters within the league.

But with no ceasefire in sight, the sides keep firing away. The release last Sunday of unprecedented Labatt Brewing Co. Ltd. commercials supporting Balsillie’s makeitseven.ca website has ratcheted up pressure on the league, portraying it as anti-Canadian and self-serving.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Jim+Balsillie,

The Power Of Radio

by Paul on 05/17/09 at 10:05 PM ET
Comments (1)

from Bruce Dowbiggin of the Globe and Mail,

It’s a bully pulpit his fellow sports commissioners wish they had. Every Thursday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hosts his own private klatch on The NHL Hour on Sirius XM Radio. For the most part, Bettman has played harmless interlocutor on his program, hockey’s version of Art Linkletter asking, “Don’t players say the darnedest things?”

But with Jim Balsillie at the door, Bettman has used the unfettered radio access to talk over the heads of conventional media to fans. Bettman plays the reasonable fixer, the man who only wants solutions, not conflict in Phoenix....

While Bettman has told listeners in the fireside chats why Balsillie is a queue-jumping opportunist, he hasn’t said how Jerry Reinsdorf — his white knight in the desert — will succeed in Phoenix where others have failed miserably.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Bettman On Moving The Coyotes

by Paul on 05/15/09 at 04:29 PM ET
Comments (5)

from Curtis Eichelberger of Bloomberg,

Research in Motion Ltd. Co-Chief Executive Officer Jim Balsillie’s effort to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Ontario may endanger the stability of all U.S. sports leagues, National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman said....

“You can not have a stable league if franchises can be uprooted at the blink of an eye on a personal whim,” Bettman said in an interview at league offices in New York. “It is up to the partners to decide who would be a good partner.”…

Bettman said he would only consider moving the team to another city if he can’t find a buyer, which is unlikely.

He said he understands how much Canadians love hockey, although more research has to be done before deciding whether Hamilton, a city of about 500,000 some 40 miles from Toronto.

“It’s not anything we’ve looked at, and before you make a decision that will involve hundreds of millions of dollars, that is something that is going to have to be studied,” he said. “It’s the reason we have relocation procedures.”

Filed in: NHL Teams, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Enjoy the Playoffs, Hockey Fans

by Alanah McGinley on 04/15/09 at 04:07 PM ET
Comments (10)

Dear Fans,

There is no suspense like NHL playoff suspense, no drama like NHL playoff overtime drama, no sacrifice in sports like NHL playoff sacrifice – and there is no trophy, anywhere, comparable to the Stanley Cup. So welcome to the excitement the next two months will provide as hockey’s top competitors rise to an even-higher level in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

We have the best sport, we have the best players, we have the best trophy and we have absolutely the best fans. Thank you all, so much, for supporting us in record numbers once again during the 2008-09 season. The season was absolutely fantastic and I believe the playoffs will be even better. I hope you enjoy every minute.

Gary Bettman

Source: NHL.com

Also, you can find the commissioner on his new Twitter account which he’ll be using tonight. NHL Tweetups are being held around North America, so if you want to watch opening night in the company of other fans, check out the cities hosting events.

Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, stanley+cup+playoffs,

Give Bettman Credit

by Paul on 03/30/09 at 08:04 PM ET
Comments (8)

from Marcia C. Smith of the OC Register,

He’s not the commissioner of America’s most, second-most or even third-most popular professional sports league.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wasn’t even close to being the tallest figure – counting pre-teen children, ice sculptures and hockey sticks on their ends – on Saturday night at the Discovery Science Center’s opening gala for its “Science of Hockey” exhibition.

But there’s big story about Darwinian survival for the little guy running what many consider an American niche sport. Bettman and hockey aren’t hurting as much as the big three behemoths of the NFL, Major League Baseball or the NBA in this economic recession.

While the other major pro sports leagues trim luxurious budgets, lay off workers and raise some ticket prices, hockey endures largely unscathed because Bettman already had instituted belt-tightening practices after the 2004-05 season lost to a work stoppage.

continued

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

The NHL Hour with Dave Ogrean of USA Hockey

by Alanah McGinley on 02/12/09 at 11:50 AM ET
Comments (0)

USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean will be the guest on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Gary Bettman. From NHL.com:

Ogrean will discuss the second annual Hockey Weekend Across America, which begins Friday, Feb. 13 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 15. Hockey Weekend Across America celebrates hockey and those involved in the game at all levels and also seeks to expose the game to additional audiences to attract more players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans to the sport.

Ogrean’s booking on the NHL Hour With Commissioner Gary Bettman also coincides with the one-year countdown to the start of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. The Games represent the 30th anniversary of the U.S. ‘Miracle On Ice’ at Lake Placid and the 50th anniversary of the U.S. capturing the Olympic gold at Squaw Valley.

The show is on from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208). You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

* While on the air, listeners can call into the show at 1-877-645-6696, or send questions/comments to this email address: nhlhour@nhl.com
**Archived shows available for download via podcast on NHL.com.

Filed in: NHL Talk, Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: dave+ogrean, gary+bettman, olympics, usa+hockey,

The NHL Hour with Peter Chiarelli

by Alanah McGinley on 02/05/09 at 02:57 PM ET
Comments (0)

Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli will be the guest on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Gary Bettman.

The show is on from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208). You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, nhl+hour, peter+chiarelli,

Bettman & MacLean

by Paul on 01/26/09 at 09:28 AM ET
Comments (3)

Last night Ron MacLean of HNIC had his annual ASG sit-down with Gary Bettman.

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

The Bettman Report

by Paul on 01/24/09 at 02:09 PM ET
Comments (1)

from Noah Love of the National Post,

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman held his annual All-Star news conference following the NHL Board of Governors meeting, and said he thought that if the league was to expand or forced to consider relocation, Toronto could probably handle a second team.

Mind you, he’s not thinking about it, doesn’t want you to think about it and seems to dread the thought of doing the legwork to make it happen.

“I’m not sure what level of research anybody has done on the subject, because we haven’t done any,” Bettman said at Montreal’s Windsor Hotel, coincidentally the same place the league was founded in 1917. “While we haven’t done a formal market study, intuitively, my guess is, on some basis somewhere it might work. You don’t make what could be a billion dollar decision — the combination of buying a team and building a building — on intuitive instinct.”

The NHL Hour with Luke Schenn & Drew Doughty

by Alanah McGinley on 01/22/09 at 02:30 PM ET
Comments (0)

Rookie sensations Luke Schenn (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings) are guests on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman.

The show is on from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208).

You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

* While on the air, listeners can call into the show at 1-877-645-6696, or send questions/comments via this email address: nhlhour@nhl.com
**Archived shows available for download via podcast on NHL.com.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: drew+doughty, gary+bettman, luke+schenn,

“We Are Having A Strong Season”

by Paul on 01/21/09 at 04:03 PM ET
Comments (0)

from Fan590,

The commissioner joins The Game Plan to discuss a variety of topics involving the NHL including the state of the league in spite of the fact that certain teams are in serious financial trouble, the possibility of re-location and the future of fighting in the game.

Listen here, about 17 minutes long.

Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Todd McLellan on the NHL Hour

by Alanah McGinley on 01/15/09 at 02:35 PM ET
Comments (0)

San Jose Head Coach Todd McLellan will be the guest on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman.

The show is on now, from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208).

You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, nhl+hour, Todd+McLellan,

Pat Quinn on the NHL Hour

by Alanah McGinley on 01/08/09 at 02:00 PM ET
Comments (0)

Pat Quinn, fresh off his gold medal win with Team Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, will be the guest on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman.

The show is on now, from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208).

You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, nhl+hour, pat+quinn, wjc,

Bettman Opens Up A Bit

by Paul on 12/23/08 at 02:19 PM ET
Comments (0)

via VancouverCanucks.com,

In a recent visit to Vancouver, Gary Bettman sat down with Kristin Reid to talk about the challenges and the perks of the job. He talks about the Olympics, his favourite teams, and best buildings in the League.

Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Bettman In Maxim

by Paul on 12/22/08 at 04:46 PM ET
Comments (0)

from Maxim.com,

(Maxim) The other great debate in hockey is fighting. Some people are for banning it, others say it’s a necessary part of the game. How do you feel about it?

(Bettman) It’s always been a part of the game. It’s an incidental part of the game and in increases and decreases based on how the game is being played. It’s physical. Contact is encouraged. Players are skating at each other, running into each other. It’s speeds up to 30 miles per hour and players are carrying sticks. It’s nonstop, it’s edgy, and it’s emotional. So the fact that this is an incidental part of the game-I don’t think it calls for debate to whether or not it should be in or out of the game. It’s always been a part of the game.

many more topics discussed…

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Tags: Gary+Bettman,

The NHL Hour with Trevor Linden

by Alanah McGinley on 12/18/08 at 02:18 PM ET
Comments (0)

Trevor Linden will be the guest on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman. Linden, of course, just had his number 16 retired and hung from the rafters in a pre-game ceremony last night honoring the longtime former captain.

The show is on now, from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208).

You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, trevor+linden,

The NHL Hour with Cam Neely

by Alanah McGinley on 12/11/08 at 02:30 PM ET
Comments (0)

Boston Bruins VP Cam Neely will be the guest on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman. The show is on now, from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208).

You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: cam+neely, gary+bettman, media, nhl+hour,

Wrong Guy Handed Down The Avery Suspension

by Paul on 12/05/08 at 05:48 PM ET
Comments (3)

from Al Strachan at Fox Sports,

Hockey players take great pride in never shirking their responsibilities to the sport. They’d rather crawl off the ice dragging a broken leg behind them than writhe around like an Italian soccer player with a hangnail. As the superb Orange County Register columnist Mark Whicker once wrote, “If Abraham Lincoln had been a hockey player, the day after the Ford’s Theater incident, he’d have been listed as ‘slight headache; will play.’”

So when Avery made his senseless remark — the latest in a series — he broke no laws, but he absolutely shattered hockey’s code.

This was his transgression and it was certainly deserving of the league’s action.

But the question that remains unanswered is this: Why was Bettman involved? This was a matter concerning hockey’s code of acceptable behavior, and where is there the slightest indication that Bettman has even the most cursory familiarity with that?

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Sean+Avery,

Press Conference Transcript: Bettman on the Avery Suspension

by Alanah McGinley on 12/05/08 at 03:36 PM ET
Comments (3)

Q. How did you come to settle on the number of six games, and two, had you spoken to the Stars before you decided on the suspension by the league? I get the feeling that they were going to take action if you had not.

COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: Let me take the second question first. What we have done is reflect the league response. This is what we felt was the appropriate response to what Sean Avery said, and what the Stars choose to do or not do is up to them. And you’ll have to talk to them if you would like their guidance in that regard.

With respect to the six games, as all of you who cover the game know, there is no formula that ever gets you to a particular number in disciplinary cases with precision. You have to do your evaluating based upon the entirety of the circumstances, what you think is correct.

What was guiding me in this case was a number of factors. One, we needed to be clear that this was the type of conduct that we did not view as acceptable and not representative of what our players do.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, media, sean+avery, suspension,

The NHL Hour with Jim Devellano

by Alanah McGinley on 12/04/08 at 02:30 PM ET
Comments (0)

Detroit Red Wings Senior Vice-President Jim Devellano will be the guest on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman. The show is on now, from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208).

You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, jim+devellano, media, nhl+hour,

Bettman’s First Year on XM Radio

by Alanah McGinley on 11/24/08 at 04:58 PM ET
Comments (0)

From Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo!’s Puck Daddy,

If you’ve never heard The NHL Hour with Gary Bettman, you can download the podcasts on NHL.com. What you’ll find is that Bettman is his usual well-informed self, digging his heels in on a myriad of issues and never giving an inch during a discussion. The man has a politician’s gift for staying on message, even if he’s never had a politician’s gift for charisma.

But you’ll also find the program is a Twilight Zone where harsh criticism of Bettman’s performance over the last 15 years doesn’t seem to exist. The callers are, to a fault, polite and complementary. If they guys behind Gary Bettman Sucks or Fire Bettman are calling in, they might be on lithium.

read on

Filed in: NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, media, nhl+hour, xm+radio,

The NHL Hour with The Maven

by Alanah McGinley on 11/20/08 at 03:52 PM ET
Comments (0)

Veteran hockey writer, broadcaster and historian Stan Fischler will be the guest on today’s edition of NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman. The show is on now, from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208).

You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online once the show starts.

Note: The player for the live feed is embedded below, in case anyone finds that handy.

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, nhl+hour, podcast, xm+radio,

Bettman Talks Hockey Topics

by Paul on 11/11/08 at 07:07 AM ET
Comments (0)

from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

“Can the Ontario market support another team? Probably,” Bettman told an audience at a sports business conference in Toronto. “But you can’t base a decision on probability. You have got to study the market closely.”

Bettman went on to say that relocating an existing franchise to the Toronto area to compete with the Toronto Maple Leafs would not happen because all 30 of the NHL’s clubs are in good financial shape. Then he said expansion was not on the horizon, either, because of “uncertain economic conditions.”

The only way the league would consider relocation of a franchise, Bettman said, is if an owner decided, with the agreement of the league’s governors, that his team could not survive in its market.

read on

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

The NHL Hour with Bob Gainey

by Alanah McGinley on 10/30/08 at 04:05 PM ET
Comments (0)

Montreal Canadiens Executive Vice President & General Manager Bob Gainey is the guest on the NHL Hour today, hosted by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. The show is on now, from 4-5 p.m. ET on XM Satellite Radio (204) and Sirius (208).

You can also listen live online at the NHL Network Online.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: bob+gainey, gary+bettman,

Time For Bettman To Step Down

by Paul on 10/30/08 at 03:06 PM ET
Comments (1)

from Adam Proteau of the Hockey News,

You see, in Gary Bettman’s NHL, rarely is heard a discouraging word about anything at all. And that’s perhaps the man’s biggest fault; he must genuinely believe fans, employees and media are so dense, they’ll always take what he says as gospel.

The choir is much smarter than that. And Bettman’s preachings fall as flat as that Def Leppard debacle.

At this stage, the sole way Bettman can get into the public’s good graces is by stepping into the shadows for good. And I think I speak for everyone when I say we can stomach one more Pollyanna pontification from him – as long as it’s part of his resignation speech.

Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Bettman Talks Many Topics This Morning

by Paul on 10/16/08 at 09:44 AM ET
Comments (0)

from Fan590,

(Gary Bettman) talk(ed) about the state of the league during the current worldwide economic crisis, the possibility of NHL teams north of the border in the near future, the falling Canadian loonie’s effect on Canada’s team revenues and the NHL’s look into expanding into Europe.

listen to the interview from this morning…

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

NHL Still Growing

by Paul on 10/13/08 at 07:49 PM ET
Comments (0)

from the CP via TSN,

The NHL is “still in growth mode” despite the economic downturn, commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday, noting that ticket sales have increased this season.

“We’re acutely aware of what’s going on out there, but it hasn’t yet impacted us,” Bettman said before attending Monday night’s game between the Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks.

“I have no doubt that, over time, if it’s long enough and bad enough, it will have some impact, but based on what we’re seeing right now, our business seems to be strong.”

continued

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

The Bell Goes Off

by Paul on 10/08/08 at 03:50 PM ET
Comments (5)

Gary Bettman rings the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

The Influence Of Bettman

by Paul on 09/29/08 at 10:04 AM ET
Comments (2)

from BusinessWeek,

It’s no surprise then that Bettman, 56, ranks among the most important people in sports according to BusinessWeek’s upcoming Power 100 survey, placing 21st in the annual balloting.

Bettman earned his spot by taking on the biggest brawlers in pro sports—the NHL Players’ Assn. In 2004, Bettman concluded that rising player salaries were pushing many teams, and perhaps the league itself, toward the brink. His fix: a pay cap similar to the one used in the National Basketball Assn., where Bettman worked from 1981 to 1993, in the marketing and legal departments.

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Bettman Looks Forward To The New Season

by Paul on 09/28/08 at 04:20 PM ET
Comments (4)

from the CP,

Another thing he’s not complaining about is a collective bargaining agreement that’s now entering its fourth year.

The NHL lost an entire season before owners and players ended up agreeing on a salary cap system that is tied to league revenues. Both have steadily increased during the three years since. The cap first began at US$39 million - a number that is no longer enough for a team to reach the floor because the current cap is set at $56.7 million.

Overall, the agreement has turned out to be something that both sides can be happy with, according to Bettman.

“I think this CBA has been fair to everyone,” he said. “It has made the industry healthier and it has made the game better.

“I think we give our fans a better product and environment to the game than we did before. I don’t think it’s close. And it’s working the way we anticipated it would.”

read on, many more topics discussed…

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

All Bettman And Daly

by Paul on 09/17/08 at 11:59 AM ET
Comments (0)

from NHL PR,

Following yesterday’s NHL’s September Board of Governors meeting yesterday in Toronto, Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly met with the media to answer questions. Among the topics discussed: the Alexander Radulov situation; the absence of an NHL-IIHF player transfer agreement; the North American economy and its possible impact on the NHL, and the possibility of expansion.

continue for the transcript…

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Bill+Daly, Gary+Bettman,

Gary Bettman Image Makeover

by Alanah McGinley on 07/23/08 at 11:38 AM ET
Comments (14)

From Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy:

No matter how high the NHL soars, Gary Bettman continues to be a pesky anchor; everything about him conjures ill feelings and painful memories of cancelled seasons and managerial ineptitude. The fact that he receives the blame for all of hockey’s problems ("Bettman invented the Neutral Zone Trap to steal teams from Canada!") doesn’t help his reputation, either.

The man needs an image makeover. And we’re just the puckheads to give him one.

And it’s a contest! “Gary Bettman: Portraits in Heroism” is accepting your drawings, paintings, photoshops. etc., looking for the best ideas to rehab the Commish’s image.

Note: I’ll put my own submission up here later today. I guarantee you’ll find it incredibly inspiring…

Update 3:02pm ET: Mine is in the comments, as are the far-superior efforts of a couple of readers. Awesome.

Filed in: Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: contest, gary+bettman,

New Traditions

by Alanah McGinley on 07/22/08 at 02:42 PM ET
Comments (4)

From the Detroit Free Press:

Representatives from the National Hockey League, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings and the National Hockey Players’ Association gathered this morning atop the third-base dugout of Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ historic home, to talk about the upcoming NHL Winter Classic 2009. They were joined by Blackhawks Hall of Famers Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito, along with the exciting young Chicago forward tandem of Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews.

The 701st all-time meeting of the clubs – no NHL opponents have played more regular-season games against each other – will begin at the memorably unique venue at 1 p.m. on Jan. 1.

“The NHL is delighted to bring its most historic rivalry to one of the most historic venues in sports,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “We thank Rocky Wirtz and John McDonough for their vision. We thank Mike Ilitch and the Red Wings for their cooperation. We also thank the entire Cubs organization and Mayor Daley, in advance, for the warm welcome we know the City of Chicago will extend to our newest tradition.”

continued...

Update 3:15pm ET: NHL.com was featuring a photo of Wrigley Field on their front page this afternoon, giving an idea of the ice placement. I’ve added it below.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, winter+classic,

Economic Roadblock

by Paul on 07/10/08 at 02:42 PM ET
Comments (2)

from Al Strachan of Fox Sports,

Three years down the road into economic paradise, the National Hockey League has hit a roadblock.

To some, this comes as no surprise. The Collective Bargaining Agreement that was hammered out after the lockout was clearly headed for trouble. For starters, no matter how many times commissioner Gary Bettman repeated his mantra for the gullible — “We’re doing it for the fans.” — there were three reasons for that lockout, and not one of them involved the well-being of fans.

Bettman wanted (a) to consolidate his power base; (b) to solidify his game plan of expanding the league into regions not familiar with hockey; and (c) to get rid of Bob Goodenow as head of the NHL Players’ Association.

continued

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: cba, collective+bargaining+agreement, gary+bettman,

Cost Certainty Out The Window

by Paul on 07/09/08 at 06:35 PM ET
Comments (8)

from Tim Wharnsby of the Globe and Mail,

On July 22, three years will have elapsed since the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association ratified a collective agreement to end the exhausting 310-day lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season.

During the shutdown, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s favourite buzzwords were “cost certainty.” While Bettman would never publicly condone the money that several clubs tossed at players this past week, the NHL office can’t be happy about the more than $725-million (all currency U.S.) that clubs spent in the past nine days to re-up some of their own players and lure new talent.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: cba, collective+bargaining+agreement, gary+bettman,

Samueli is Suspended

by Alanah McGinley on 06/24/08 at 04:34 PM ET
Comments (1)

Commissioner Gary Bettman today announced that Henry Samueli, owner of the Anaheim Ducks, has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Ducks and the National Hockey League.

On Monday, Mr. Samueli pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Sentencing by the U.S. Federal District Court is scheduled for August 18. Following sentencing, the League will review Mr. Samueli’s status and will finalize the duration of his suspension as well as any other action that may be deemed appropriate.

During his suspension, Mr. Samueli may not be involved in Club matters or activities.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, Henry+Samueli, press+release,

Canadian NHL Revenues

by Alanah McGinley on 05/31/08 at 10:01 PM ET
Comments (0)

From CBC:

[Gary] Bettman told interviewer Ron McLean before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final in Pittsburgh that interest in Canada is helping drive revenue but that it was partly a reflection of market forces and not cause for concern.

“It’s a little disproportionate and I think that may be a good thing, because if you go back seven or eight years ago when people were saying we’d only have one club left from Canada, the revenues were disproportionate the other way,” said Bettman.

“What it means is we’ve done a very good job of getting the Canadian clubs healthy. Frankly revenues are growing across the board — it isn’t just the Canadian dollar and it isn’t just the Canadian clubs and any suggestion to the contrary is somebody trying to get a headline.”

more...

Note: McLean’s questions were motivated by this article from Rick Westhead in last Thursday’s Toronto Star. There’s also an audio online at FAN 590 featuring an interview with Westhead about his report.

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: cba, gary+bettman,

Era of Failure

by Alanah McGinley on 05/30/08 at 09:30 PM ET
Comments (5)

From Stephen Brunt in the Globe & Mail (Saturday’s edition),

There are a couple of ways one might describe the Gary Bettman era in the NHL.

Unequivocal failure would be one.

Or for those more generous of spirit, perhaps … making the best of extremely challenging times for the game of big-league professional hockey in North America, giving it the old college try and, ultimately, sadly, falling far short.

continued...

Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman,

Moment of Silence

by Alanah McGinley on 05/30/08 at 11:48 AM ET
Comments (0)

PITTSBURGH—National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman today released the following statement:

“The National Hockey League family grieves with the family, friends and teammates of Luc Bourdon. We send heartfelt condolences to the Vancouver Canucks’ organization and the community of Shippagan, N.B. To honor a young life ended long before its promise could be fulfilled, a moment of silence will be observed Saturday night prior to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.”

Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, luc+bourdon, stanley+cup+playoffs,

The NHL Hour With Guest Vincent Lecavalier

by Paul on 05/29/08 at 03:30 PM ET
Comments (0)

Vincent Lecavalier will be the guest on the NHL Hour today, hosted by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. The show is on from 4-5 p.m. ET today on XM Satellite Radio (Channel 204) and NHL.com. NHL Hour is an interactive talk radio show that is hosted by a rotation of League executives, and co-hosted by XM sports host and former NHL player Bill Clement.

At show time, you can listen live by going to the NHL Network Online, then on the “NHL Livewire” link in the left column, and the show will then be accessible in the right column.

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman,

Bettman’s News Conference

by Alanah McGinley on 05/24/08 at 06:54 PM ET
Comments (3)

From Mike Householder of the AP via Yahoo!

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said every team in the league will play all the others at least once next season.

The announcement came Saturday before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals between Pittsburgh and Detroit, two teams that did not meet this regular season.

Bettman also used his annual pre-Cup news conference to say the size of goaltenders’ equipment will be analyzed in the offseason.

A complete transcript of Bettman’s remarks should be made available on this post shortly.

Update 8:27pm ET: Complete transcript now available below, of the commissioner’s opening remarks as well as the question & answer session which followed.

Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: cba, gary+bettman, press+conference, scheduling, stanley+cup+playoffs,

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