JayPSU said:
Here are the reasons that the game has been reduced to something that is not even remotely marketable.
Expansion: I think this is probably the number one reason for the deterioration of the game. In Bettman's desire to spread the game to cities all across North America, he alienated the diehard hockey fans and thinned out the talent causing the product to be less talented. Bettman's big plan when he came in was expansion, expansion, expansion. Cities that never should have had teams, have them. And to make the game more "attractive" to other cities so that they would want to take on a team, Gary instituted rule changes on the game that took fighting and accountability out of the game. This combined with the fact that the NHL has NEVER enforced its OWN rules on obstruction has turned the game into a game that has watered down talent, no accountability and thus no respect for other players, and a defensive game that more closely resembles football then the game that reached it's peak in the mid to late 80's.
Gary Bettman has single-handedly destroyed a game that I have loved since I was 6 years-old. Something that is very rare for an American boy, and now because of what this game is today, even rarer.
Some facts you conveniently ignore:
1. Gary Bettman has overseen a grand total of four expansions, two of them that were no brainers - Atlanta because of its market size and Minnesota because it's about as much a hockey town as there is in the U.S. Columbus would seem questionable on first blush, but it's turned out to be a strong hockey market. The jury remains out on Nashville. He had nothing to do with Florida, Tampa or Anaheim. Regardless, all these expansions were voted upon and approved overwhelmingly by the NHL owners. These moves were not, as you imply, the result of unilateral decisions by Bettman.
2. NHL expansion has coincided with an unprecedented influx of talent into the league from Europe. In 2003, a full third of the league's players - including half of the all-star starters - were Europeans. Their presence has more than made up for the additional roster spots created by expansion. If anything, the NHL talent pool is deeper than ever before.
3. Contrary to your claim, Gary Bettman has never instituted a rules change. Not one. Rules changes are the made by the NHL Board of Governors with input from the general managers.
But other than those minor problems with your rant, you're right on.