Gary Bettman's wrecking the game
 

I'm tired of this idiot destroying hockey, he's doing all he can to Americanize the game and its not working, the damage he has done to tradition can never be rebuilt. There are franchises that have to be moved out of non-hockey enviorments but he balks cause they'd be moving to Canada, now he's all but in bed with Vegas. He needs to leave A.S.A.P.

I miss the Winnipeg Jets and the Montreal Nordiques...seriously.

I thought it was the Quebec Nordiques?

PS: Who the hell is Gary Bettman?

What's hockey?

... and where's Canada?

the owners need to get together and oust that guy. frankly I think over expansion has seriously eroded the sport. can you believe the "Kansas City Islanders?" Not that they'd keep the name but really KC as a hocket town?

TV revenue is a joke. CBC pays big bux for hockey night but NBC does not pay much for their crap coverage.

Heck, I watched the entire playoffs online(hockeystreams.com) for $15USD!

Gary Bettman is doing a fine job. The salary cap system he put in place brings about the cost certainty that is needed for smaller (Canadian) teams and markets to survive, and is probably the best thing to happen to the NHL in decades.

Regarding the "Hamilton hockey team" thing, there are two ways to get a new team in that market:

1) let a potential new owner buy a bankrupt team for pennies on the dollar and move it

2) hold an auction for potential owners to bid on a new franchise in the new market, with the proceeds going to the league

Obviously Jim Balsillie would rather pursue the first option cause it is much cheaper, and he has resorted to painting Bettman as "anti-Canadian" to try to get his way. However, Bettman works for the league. As such, it is his duty to pursue the option that is most profitable for the league (ie. option 2).

Its just business...

A fine job? You can't be serious. The salary cap does not work. Consider that GB broke the union, but failed to put in place a structure that was appropriate considering their bargaining position. Salaries have continued to rise, players make more money, and get free agency earlier. The floor is way too high for small market/failed market teams, and cap is too low for the high income teams. It has not brought about 'parity', it has made the small market owners unhappy, while the top teams are unhappy making equalization payments.

His changes to the structure of the game are a push. Some like them, some hate them. I can live with them.

His position on Hamilton is unrealistic given that no one in their right mind would pay an expansion fee in 2009 or any time in the near future. There are simply too many weak teams floundering in red ink. (Teams that GB added to the league as part of his failed 'southern expansion'. ) I agree that the league owns the franchise rights. Tell me why it is a good thing to drive away a billionaire that loves hockey. (Or in the alternative tell me who could/should replace him in Phoenix)

And let's review the ownership issues under GB. a) Bruce McNall b) Buffalo (rescued by Galisano for now), c) Ottawa (basically bankrupt) d) Disney in (with 1/2 their payment directed to McNall) and then out because GB could not deliver on his promises e) Tampa (sold last year and now desperately short of cash already) f) Boots Delbiagio (who passed GB's due diligence then proceeeded to jail) g) the Anaheim Ducks owner - busted and on and on and on. He also allowed owners to loan money to other teams contrary to the league rules. He allowed Calgary to finish the season dressing 15 players per game when the contractual minimum is 18. Why? Salary cap issues.

A core of powerful owners (Philly, Boston, NY, Toronto) support GB. That support HAS to be crumbling as the leagues position becomes more and more embarrassing. There are hole sin the dike and GB only has so many fingers.

He is a little man who does not understand the roots of hockey and he is destroying a great game.

But yes, it is just a business. A business which shrinks every year....

The 'monkey' is passionate about hockey. :)

You forgot the Calgary Flames majority partner Norm Green, buying the Minnesota North Stars prior to divesting himself of his 'managing partner interest' in the Calgary Flames. I was there for all of that. The pilots always fly the criminals around and hear the gory details enroute.

The Gund Brothers getting the heck outta Dodge (Minneapolis) and being promised the next expansion team (the San Jose Sharks) in exhange for going quietly. All because they wanted to move NHL hockey from Minnesota.

Norm Green then later doing exactly that by moving the Stars to Dallas after being sued for sexual harassment by a very-well-politically-connected PA in Minneapolis.

Now comes the disclaimer. All of this orchestrated by Gary Bettman (alledgelly), to protect the little markets from the big markets. He was one of our most frequent 'guests' in the DC-9 and the Hawker.

AND He then oversaw the return of NHL to MN with the St. Paul 'Wild'.

Gotta say, I think you are onto something.

And he pushed Balsillie out of Nashville, and the owner (Leipold) took the haircut. About $27M worth apparently, as Balsillie offer $220M, but the team sold for $193, with $100M coming from Boots D. courteous of loan from another owner Henry Samueli, not that loans from team to team are allowed). But there was a payback of some sort...as Leipold ended up with the Minnesota franchise.

As Fred Sanford used to say 'Grady Grady always shady'. GB has been at the helm of the NHL since February 1993. Name me five good things he has done in 16 plus years. I can name about one hundred things he has messed up.