Gary Bettman

TONIGHT NHL COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN WILL BE AT GM PLACE FOR THE CANUCKS GAME WITH CHICAGO...
LAST WEEK HE CELEBRATED HIS 14TH YEAR ON THE JOB...
HOW YOU JUDGE BETTMAN CERTAINLY DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU STAND...
IF YOU BELIEVE IN EXPANSION AND RELOCATION...BETTMAN IS A HERO...
UNDER HIS WATCH THE NHL HAS SEEN THE ADDITION OF 6 NEW FRANCHISES AND THE MOVEMENT OF 3 OTHERS...
THE EXPANSION PUT HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO THE POCKETS OF THE OWNERS...
BUT IT ALSO RESULTED IN A WATERED DOWN PRODUCT FOR THE FANS...
THE RESULT WAS A GOLDEN AGE FOR OBSTRUCTION...
AVERAGE TEAMS COULD NOT ONLY COMPETE...THEY COULD GO RIGHT TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL...
EXPANSION ALSO PUT OFF A NEED TO ADRESS THE ECONOMICS OF THE LEAGUE...
THE 1995 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT TURNED INTO A WINDFALL FOR THE PLAYERS...
THE END RESULT WAS A LOCK OUT THAT WIPED OUT AN ENTIRE SEASON...
THE NHL IS THE ONLY LEAGUE IN THE HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TO SUFFER THAT EMBARASSMENT...
WHEN IT COMES TO TELEVISION...
RATINGS IN CANADA ARE AT A RECORD HIGH AND THE LEAGUE IS ABOUT TO SIGN NEW DEALS WITH TSN AND CBC THAT COULD BE WORTH AS MUCH AS 140 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR...
HOWEVER...THE NHL IN THE U.S. IS SUFFERING IT'S WORST RATINGS IN IT'S HISTORY...
THE LEAGUE HAS DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH IT'S UNBALANCED SCHEDULE...DESPITE THE FACT THE MAJORITY OF FANS AND TEAMS ARE OPPOSED TO IT...
NEVERTHLESS LAST WEEK THE NHL ANNOUNCED AN ALL TIME RECORD FOR ATTENDANCE IN JANUARY CLAIMING THAT OVER 3 MILLION FANS WENT TO SEE A GAME...
THAT'S DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE BECAUSE OVER A THIRD OF IT'S TEAMS CONTINUE TO PLAY IN HALF EMPTY ARENAS AND EVEN CITYS LIKE DETROIT ARE NOW WITNESSING THOUSANDS OF EMPTY SEATS PER GAME...
THESE ARE FANS THAT HAVE BOUGHT TICKETS BUT CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO GO...
THE NHL IS CLEARLY AT A CROSSROADS...
THE GRAND VISION OF A 30 TEAM LEAGUE HAS NOT PRODUCED THE PROMISED MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR NETWORK CONTRACT...AND NEVER WILL...
WHICH LEAVES US WITH TWO QUESTIONS...
WHERE DOES THE NHL GO FROM HERE...AND IS BETTMAN THE MAN TO LEAD IT?