It is no secret that players and fans despise NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the current Phoenix fiasco is further evidence that he is the worst commissioner in professional sports.
The recent lockout saw many players sling mud towards Bettman, and it is fair to say that it is time for a change.
Although Bettman has done some good things during his tenure, there have been many things that Bettman has done wrong during his tenure in the league as commissioner.
The recent lockout saw many players sling mud towards Bettman, and it is fair to say that it is time for a change.
Although Bettman has done some good things during his tenure, there have been many things that Bettman has done wrong during his tenure in the league as commissioner.
During Gary Bettman's tenure, he has overseen three lockouts that have resulted in two shortened seasons and one lost season.
The 1994-95 lockout came early in Bettman's tenure and it was the least damaging during his tenure. The cancellation of the 2004-05 season was a terrible move by Bettman and one that really hurt the sport.
No other professional sports commissioner has even come close to the losses of games under Bettman's watch, and it is another sign of poor leadership when it comes to collective bargaining.
The 1994-95 lockout came early in Bettman's tenure and it was the least damaging during his tenure. The cancellation of the 2004-05 season was a terrible move by Bettman and one that really hurt the sport.
No other professional sports commissioner has even come close to the losses of games under Bettman's watch, and it is another sign of poor leadership when it comes to collective bargaining.
While the NHL has thrived in Nashville, the expansion into markets such as Phoenix, Florida and Atlanta has not been successful.
The Thrashers ended up relocating to Winnipeg, the Coyotes are on the verge of relocation and the Panthers do not draw well enough to remain profitable.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been successful because of a Stanley Cup victory in 2003-04, and having a franchise player in Steven Stamkos.
This expansion really has caused financial problems that can be placed on the shoulders of Gary Bettman.
If teams were placed in better markets, the league probably would be more profitable than it currently is.
The Thrashers ended up relocating to Winnipeg, the Coyotes are on the verge of relocation and the Panthers do not draw well enough to remain profitable.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been successful because of a Stanley Cup victory in 2003-04, and having a franchise player in Steven Stamkos.
This expansion really has caused financial problems that can be placed on the shoulders of Gary Bettman.
If teams were placed in better markets, the league probably would be more profitable than it currently is.
It was noted that Bettman has had three lockouts under his belt
as commissioner but the most recent one was very head-scratching when
you consider the league was coming of record-setting revenue made in 2011-12.
The NHL was also at the height of popularity after the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup.
Bettman and the league's first offer during the summer really soured the beginning of negotiations and led to the league missing a good part of the 2012-13 season.
This action taken by Bettman was detrimental to the start of talks, and it further illustrates the poor judgements that have been made on his watch.
The NHL was also at the height of popularity after the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup.
Bettman and the league's first offer during the summer really soured the beginning of negotiations and led to the league missing a good part of the 2012-13 season.
This action taken by Bettman was detrimental to the start of talks, and it further illustrates the poor judgements that have been made on his watch.
Although Forbes suggested
that the NHL's best hope is contraction, the league can fix its current
problems and avoid future ones if they were more willing to put teams
in markets like Markham, Quebec City and/or Hamilton.
The final say in this process comes down to Gary Bettman.
Although it must have killed Bettman when the Atlanta Thrashers were moved to Winnipeg, it was the right move.
Had Gary Bettman not went head-to-head with Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, the Phoenix Coyotes would be in Hamilton, and they would likely be doing better economically than in Phoenix.
Now it is understandable that after Balsillie's attempts to move Pittsburgh and Nashville to Hamilton didn't make sense, Phoenix did.
Bettman blocked Balsillie's attempts at buying the Coyotes, and it is a move that didn't pay off.
If Bettman was willing to accept that his expansion moves haven't worked and that relocation was a viable option, there wouldn't be as many teams in the red.
The final say in this process comes down to Gary Bettman.
Although it must have killed Bettman when the Atlanta Thrashers were moved to Winnipeg, it was the right move.
Had Gary Bettman not went head-to-head with Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, the Phoenix Coyotes would be in Hamilton, and they would likely be doing better economically than in Phoenix.
Now it is understandable that after Balsillie's attempts to move Pittsburgh and Nashville to Hamilton didn't make sense, Phoenix did.
Bettman blocked Balsillie's attempts at buying the Coyotes, and it is a move that didn't pay off.
If Bettman was willing to accept that his expansion moves haven't worked and that relocation was a viable option, there wouldn't be as many teams in the red.
If you're a die-hard hockey fan, there's nothing more exciting than a seven-game series in the NHL playoffs.
How about Sunday's thrilling Game 7 win, when Detroit came back from a two-game deficit to beat Anaheim and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals against their arch rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, in what has the potential to be one of the most-watched playoff series in a long time.
Or how about Monday's Game 7 to determine whether the Washington Capitals or New York Rangers, or the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs, will advance to the second round? We can't wait for those games to start, that's for sure!
Let's face it, 4-0 or 4-1 series blowouts are fairly boring, especially for the losing team and its fans.
But a back-and-forth seven-game series, or one where a team takes a dominating 3-0 or 3-1 lead, only to watch the underdog come back, well, it just doesn't get much better than that.
And what's neat about some of the best nail-biting Game 7s are they occur in series that weren't necessarily considered marquee matchups heading into the playoffs.
We look back on the last decade (from 2003-2012) of Game 7s in the Stanley Cup playoffs and pick the 10 best. This list does not include Stanley Cup Finals because that's a whole other slideshow for another time.
How about Sunday's thrilling Game 7 win, when Detroit came back from a two-game deficit to beat Anaheim and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals against their arch rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, in what has the potential to be one of the most-watched playoff series in a long time.
Or how about Monday's Game 7 to determine whether the Washington Capitals or New York Rangers, or the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs, will advance to the second round? We can't wait for those games to start, that's for sure!
Let's face it, 4-0 or 4-1 series blowouts are fairly boring, especially for the losing team and its fans.
But a back-and-forth seven-game series, or one where a team takes a dominating 3-0 or 3-1 lead, only to watch the underdog come back, well, it just doesn't get much better than that.
And what's neat about some of the best nail-biting Game 7s are they occur in series that weren't necessarily considered marquee matchups heading into the playoffs.
We look back on the last decade (from 2003-2012) of Game 7s in the Stanley Cup playoffs and pick the 10 best. This list does not include Stanley Cup Finals because that's a whole other slideshow for another time.
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