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
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Like all fans, we're thrilled that we're back and that the game is doing as well on the ice in terms of entertainment, excitement, speed and skill. And that our fans have been receptive.
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People make too much out of the term drop-dead date. But, at some point, as a practical matter, it's clear that there isn't enough time left. Whether or not it's Friday night or Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon, if we aren't actively engaged in drafting documents this weekend, I don't see how we can have a season.
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Long term for all franchises, especially for a well-run franchise like the Avalanche, having a predictable, stable system is better.
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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?
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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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When I stood before you in September, I said NHL teams would not play again until our economic problems had been solved,
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We go to the Olympics because it's part of our partnership with the players. This was very important to the players. It's not without its issues, but on balance I think it's a good thing to do. It will enhance the hockey tournament.
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The view is any team within that range can be competitive, unlike the $20 million to $80 million spread we had before. It enables each team to have the flexibility it needs with young players and returning players.
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Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Teams might be pushing more because they don't want to go to a shootout.
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Even in those cases when there were instances of alleged provocation, we have made it clear that NHL personnel need to do everything possible to avoid a confrontation of fans, and the failure to do so is not acceptable.
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We have a lineup because we owe Atlanta and Phoenix All-Star Games. We have a long to-do list. ... It's hard to predict because we owe two and have a couple in the hopper that were being worked on.
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We will return this game to our fans with a promise - we will do everything in our power to be the best we can be and to earn your continued devotion. This was a terrible time for everyone associated with the game. We will do everything we can to make it up to you.
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Who ever believed it could come back this strong? Actually we did.
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We're delighted to have XM as our newest satellite radio partner. At this exciting time in the league's history, a new partnership with XM allows us to offer hockey fans unprecedented NHL coverage on the nation's largest satellite radio service.