Gary Bettman
Gary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettmanis the commissioner of the National Hockey League, a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association. Bettman is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Law...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSports Executive
Date of Birth2 June 1952
CityQueens, NY
CountryUnited States of America
fact hunt matter playoffs qualified regular season strong teams term until upset
I like the term 'competitive balance,' but the fact is, when you look at this year's playoffs, no matter who wins, it is probably not an upset because any one of the 16 teams that qualified have a chance. The regular season was exciting. There were 24 teams in the hunt until just about the end. Then, when you look at these series, the playoffs are off to a strong start.
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I have heard recent comments by the union and players who say they expect a work stoppage of anywhere from a season to a season and a half or even longer,
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Clearly, our league and our game have undergone tremendous change. The 2005-06 season is still young, but everyone from casual fans to expert commentators like many of you here today concurs that NHL hockey has been reinvigorated,
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We can't thank our fans enough for the record support they showed. For all our clubs, a terrific season was made even better by the enthusiasm and encouragement our fans displayed night after night. We are deeply appreciative.
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When owners are concerned about players playing in the Olympics when they're injured, that's a legitimate concern. From our standpoint and from our players' standpoint, our season is the most important (thing).
however plan season
We plan to play a season however it happens.
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The entry draft is one of the most important events on our calendar, as it marks the culmination of one season and casts all eyes toward the bright future that awaits.
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In many quarters, there was a constant suggestion over the last year that the situation we found ourselves in would result in tremendous damage and that's not the case,
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In an increasingly dynamic sports and entertainment marketplace, new technology and entertainment vehicles have impacted the way sports leagues function and how we deliver the NHL experience to our business partners and fans,
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not something we're looking at right now. It's not on the radar screen.
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They will continue to cover us in a meaningful and significant way, which is what we expect and the fans of this sport deserve. We anticipate continuous highlight coverage of our games.
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The fans deserve better in terms of experience. If there was no team here and somebody came to us and said, 'We'd like to bring a team to Nassau Coliseum,' our answer would be, 'Are you kidding?
cap exactly
The cap is working exactly how it was intended.
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It will take time for people to find us, to get into the habit, to get used to what the schedule is.