Gary Bettman: 25 years and counting

[Fenway]

The NHL has certainly changed since 1993.

Today’s NHL almost unrecognizable to the one Bettman inherited


A week or so before the first and only commissioner in NHL history was hired, former Boston Bruins general manager Harry Sinden sarcastically, although somewhat accurately, described the qualifications for the job.

“What everybody’s looking for,” Sinden told the Boston Globe in early December, 1992, “is the second coming of the man whose birthday we celebrate on the 25th of December.”

He didn’t say whether being able to walk on water, frozen or otherwise, was necessary. Turns out it wasn’t.
And that man they were looking for was Gary Bettman.

It was 25 years ago, on February 1, 1993, that Bettman officially took office and ultimately control of the NHL, with power never seen before.

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[LeafsNation75]

For as much as some say Bettman has been good for the owners and maybe the game itself, a lot of other people will still remember him being apart of three lockouts and the full cancelation of the 2004-2005 season because of this second lockout in his tenure.

 

[cbcwpg]

He did what he was hired to do. Improve the game for the owners. Unless he retires he will also have a fourth lockout under his watch.

 

[edog37]

greatest NHL leader ever. Took a myopic, bush league mentality & advanced it . Not saying he wasn't perfect, but considering some of his bosses, what he has accomplished is astonishing....

 

[Fenway]

 

[BKIslandersFan]

greatest NHL leader ever. Took a myopic, bush league mentality & advanced it . Not saying he wasn't perfect, but considering some of his bosses, what he has accomplished is astonishing....

Gary Bettman was perfect?

 

[canuckster19]

I’d rather watch hockey from before his tenure, but the overall health of the league has improved since then so I’ll give him credit for that.

 

[Colin226]

He did what he was hired to do. Improve the game for the owners. Unless he retires he will also have a fourth lockout under his watch.

All true

 

[cutchemist42]

Does have any truly objective failures? Something 80-90% of people would aay was a misstep?

 

[LeHab]

Does have any truly objective failures? Something 80-90% of people would aay was a misstep?

Didn't perform enough Due diligence with John Spano when he purchased NYI

John Spano - Wikipedia

 

[cbcwpg]

Does have any truly objective failures? Something 80-90% of people would aay was a misstep?

1- The 2004-05 lockout was the first time a major pro sports league in North America lost an entire season to a labor dispute and the first time the Stanley Cup wasn't awarded since 1919. It takes two to tango, and yes the NHLPA was involved as well, but cancelling a season is a failure no matter what it might have achieved in the long run.

2- Bettman continues to deny a link exists between chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and concussions. When the NFL is willing to admit a link between football and CTE but Gary Bettman refuses to do so in his sport, that's a terrible look for hockey.

3- In 1997, the league began reviewing goals in which a player's skate was in the crease before the puck entered the net. After confusion reigned when the Dallas Stars won the 1999 Stanley Cup over the Buffalo Sabres on a goal scored with Brett Hull's skate in the crease, the NHL eliminated video review of crease violations less than two days later. Bettman called this one of his biggest mistakes as commissioner.

4- John Spano, John Rigas, William "Boots" Del Biaggio III, and anyone who has owned the Coyotes.... Basically allowing anyone who "claims" to have more than $5 to their name, own a team.

 

[powerstuck]

For as much as some say Bettman has been good for the owners and maybe the game itself, a lot of other people will still remember him being apart of three lockouts and the full cancelation of the 2004-2005 season because of this second lockout in his tenure.

Add to that 4 relocations...

 

[Gnashville]

Add to that 4 relocations...

5 but who is counting.
Hartford
Minnesota
Winnipeg
Quebec
Atlanta
Owners move teams BTW the Commissioner doesn’t and some of those teams were looking to move long before he took the job. All but one occurred within 5 years of him on the job. He had no power to stop them. He has since helped stop Calgary, Edmonton, Nashville, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and Arizona from losing teams.

More relocations have occurred in the NFL in the same time period as Bettman tenure
Houston
Cleveland
LA Rams
LA Raiders
St Louis
San Diego
Oakland
Would you consider the NFL to be “unstable”?

 

[Mike in MN]

I don't hold the North Stars moving against Gary. He was only in the job for a few weeks when that was publicly announced - nothing he could have done.

Norm Green still sucks

 

[tony d]

He's had his good points (Growth of the game, expansion to some southern markets) but the 3 lockouts really stick out to me.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

He was in power during a time in which every major league had explosive increases in revenues. I'm not one to jump to blame things on him, but it's also kind of hard to praise Bettman for increased revenues when during his tenure the NFL, MLB, and NBA all likewise featured big jumps that were bigger than the NHL's.

 

[Albatros]

Better packaging, worse product. He has succeeded in developing the business, which is his prime duty, but has utterly failed in developing the game.

 

[WingsFan95]

One could say he strategically pushed the lockouts considering how revenue grew from them.

I watch junior hockey way more now but maybe I'm just old school.

 

[mouser]

Better packaging, worse product. He has succeeded in developing the business, which is his prime duty, but has utterly failed in developing the game.

What would a successful “developing the game” outcome look like in your opinion?

 

[Albatros]

If we take the gameplay in itself, the Bettman era quickly saw on average two goals less scored per game, a huge drop. Bettman labeled it the "Coolest Game on Earth" and that was that. He did not understand hockey and had no one else with the necessary vision and power to fix it for him.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

For as much as people hate him, and a lockout and a half do suck, player salaries have increased tenfold since that time. And fans enjoy much more nationally broadcasted hockey than they would've if the NHL stuck with ESPN, a decision so many people foolishly criticized.

Not to mention the salary cap. Like it or not, the league has been much more competitive since its introduction.

 

[PattyLafontaine]

greatest NHL leader ever. Took a myopic, bush league mentality & advanced it . Not saying he wasn't perfect, but considering some of his bosses, what he has accomplished is astonishing....

You do realize that the league may cease to exist because the NHL refuses to acknowledge CTE. Any half wit could have improved the NHL and frankly the position the league is in now is far from optimal.

 

[JMROWE]

I can't believe Gary Bettmen lasted 25 years considering all the crap that has happen with league underneath his watch such as 5 relocations & counting & 4 lockouts with one of them costing them an entire season not to mention the NHL's popularity in the USA. has gone down the craper since he took over with the NHL. going from a top tier sports league in the mid to late 90's to one of the lowest ranking sports leagues in North America hell the MLS. , Nascar & college sports are more popular than the NHL. & that is pathetic .

I hope this idiot will call it quits soon so the NHL. can begin to heal from years of incompetence & hire a guy who knows about hockey unlike Gary Bettmen who is a basketball guy not hockey guy just look at where he puts hockey teams & you well get my point Las Vegas , Arizona , Carolina , Florida for example all basketball markets .

The only reason this guy lasted this long is because of a strong inner circle of NHL. owners that support him & keep him in power .

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

You do realize that the league may cease to exist because the NHL refuses to acknowledge CTE. Any half wit could have improved the NHL and frankly the position the league is in now is far from optimal.

Cease to exist? That's a bit dramatic. But yes, for a guy who's supposed to be a clever negotiator and sharp legal mind, the conservative stance over CTE seems dangerous. Not that admitting culpability is necessarily a good move for the league, but denying any link seems like a setup for a massive lawsuit. You'd think they'd find a better way to hedge their position than sticking their heads in the sand.

 

[oldunclehue]

As many have said, Bettman is good for the owners but the product is nowhere near as entertaining. His hands are likely tied with this due to the fact that insurance costs in regards to contracts and injuries are rising. I'd say my biggest issue and failing he did was mid 90's, but this was pushed by ownership, just done poorly. Expanding in to none traditional markets with no real plan. The Fox deal with the glowing puck supposedly pushed the league to try and expand in to large metropolis areas where they could try and convert other major sports fans to come to hockey. Atlanta, Florida, Phoenix, Anaheim etc etc. A few of those have worked out long term, but the Atlanta/Florida/Phoenix issues have been a black eye. All in all he will have made the league a legit money maker, but he has failed to turn it in to one of the major sports in the USA as a whole, I would be curious to see how many billions were spent trying to do so.