Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll have the opportunity to sit down with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for a Q&A. As with last week’s Tim Leiweke interview, I would like the questions to come from you, the readers. My time with Bettman will be shorter, so I’ll have to be a little more judicious in selecting the questions, but please feel free to post your questions here, and I’ll do my best to select a good cross-section of interesting topics. Thanks!
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Bio
Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He previously worked at the Los Angeles Daily News, was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar.
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Recent Comments
- Gail Weber on Sutter postgame quotes (Feb. 22)
- tomb on Quick postgame quotes (Feb. 22)
- King Charles of Salt Lake on Game 61: Avalanche 4, Kings 1 (FINAL)
- Scott on Sutter postgame quotes (Feb. 22)
- Kinger on Sutter postgame quotes (Feb. 22)
- TeamJMFJ on Game 61: Avalanche 4, Kings 1 (FINAL)
- EternalOptimist on Sutter postgame quotes (Feb. 22)
- Duncanz on Sutter postgame quotes (Feb. 22)
- JD on Richards postgame quotes (Feb. 22)
- Croz on Richards postgame quotes (Feb. 22)
As with the Leiweke interview: What are the odds of the NHL sending the Winter Classic to LA?
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what do you think of the Canucks fans blaming you for their problems…
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How does bettman feel about the enforcer players, does he feel like they are needed in todays game.
Thanks.
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With the players having to rebate a larger portion of their salaries each year, is there a chance the salary cap may go down for 10/11?
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what is the NHL doing to increase the exposure of the sport after a successful Olympics.
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Any rule changes for the next Season (head shot rule, ‘distinct kicking motion’ rule etc…..)…???
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Why Games in Europe to start the season.I think it is a distraction for the teams.I understand the want for more exposure but I believe it hurts the teams.
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Is there any realistic chance of reviving either the Quebec Nordiques, Winnepeg Jets, or Hartford Whalers teams?
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I would love to know his feelings on the tv contract with vs rather than ESPN. Specifically, the lost exposure that would have come from ESPN promoting it’s programming via radio, web etc. I think the NHL really overlooked the big picture of what comes along with a tv deal from ESPN. Maybe it was more money short term, but way less exposure long term.
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Is there a chance that cities like Portland, Seattle or Salt Lake City could get a franchise? It would be great to have more Western Conference teams in the west.
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1) Is expansion on the radar?
2) Where are we, a year from now, when the current CBA expires?
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My question:
Is there any push on changing the “defensive, flip over the glass, delay of game” call, to more like an icing call. Going a man short seems to be overkill. I think doing it like icing where you can’t get your players off the ice is a more balanced approach.
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Rich–
Hell of a scoop!
1): Will there be a revision of the kicking the puck/no goal rule this summer? (Good luck getting an answer on this one!)… In an article I read yesterday, there was the best explanation I’ve ever heard about the issue: a) Tipped a shot from in front of the goal line–legal; b) Tipped a shot from along the goal line–legal; c): Tipped a shot from behind the net–illegal due to change of direction requiring impetus to the puck… Is this the logic used in the War Room?
2): If the Coyotes win the Stanley Cup this year, who will accept the Cup as the team owner (himself?);
3): Does he read the Insider Blog regularly, himself?
4): Could an option be offered to be able to buy individual IN MARKET GAMES during the season/playoffs, even if they are on Versus or the Home Network Station, much like baseball’s In Market Game Option for the Yankees?
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For number 4:
Make that “…buy Digital On-Line NHL Game Center Live IN MARKET GAMES…”
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When will the schedule change to where every team plays in every arena each year?
Make it so Number One!!!
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I would appreciate it if once and for all Mr. Bettman would explain to our Canadian friends that the “Curse of Marty McSorley”, (the curse linked to McSorley’s illegal stick that has prevented Canadian teams from winning the Stanley Cup since 1993) sill lives and until we get an apology from the Montreal Canadiens 1993 coaching staff, no team from Canada will ever win the cup again. That way Vancouver would know once and for all that it’s not a conspiracy but a curse that is derailing their cup run.
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Shorter than Leiwike? Doubt that’s possible…..
The one thing I’d like to know is how is the League making an effort to deter players from going after the head. We saw Booth and Savard both get NAILED, and with the NFL’s concern with concussions, it’s only a matter of time before somebody suffers a long-term effect that damages their normal function.
How is the league trying to prevent guys from going after the head?
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Considering how many people watch hockey on the internet versus cable TV, when is the NHL going to re-evaluate its blackout rules so that more people can watch online? Will that day ever come, or is the NHL inexorably tied to the cable networks?
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(Serious Question)
Dear Commish-
Being the nature of your job to receive a myriad of (In my opinion) unfair accusations, comments and dialogue, have you ever had a moment in time publicly, with all the criticism you endure, that you have either lost your cool or come close to doing so? If so, can you give us some insight as to what happened?
Thank you for enduring a beating all these years for the sport we all love. Regards-
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One Simple Question…How does he send these secret memos and instruct referees to make calls against Canadian teams, and in favor of our beloved Kings, without getting caught?
Thought I’d ask on behalf of any Vancouver Whinucks fans that may frequent this site…
GO KINGS
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Rich please ask Bettman when the NHL will come back to either ESPN, NBC or CBS rather than VS. It would be nice to see games on national television rather than gratuitous games in the playoffs past the first round from NBC (who doesn’t even care about the regular season). Can’t we negotiate a real TV contract now?
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1. What does Mr. Bettman think of no touch icing?
2. How can the league improve on marketing itself?
3. What is a average day in the league office as commissioner?
Thank you once again Rich, your work is truly a blessing for all us Kings fans!
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Why were the historic names for divisions and conferences taken away? The old names were something special to the NHL and it would be nice to go back to the historical reference. Eastern and Western conference names hasn’t made hockey more mainstream, just more ordinary. What’s the chance the league reconsiders this at some point?
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The NHL seems to missing the boat as far as national tv coverage. NBC has the rights to the nhl, however coverage only starts Jan 1st. Why, and how could you agree to that? To me, if you want to market the league you almost need to force feed it. Get it on NBC on Saturdays all season. Yes you will compete with college football, but not the NFL. What’s the problem?
(Thanks Rich!)
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Rich, feel free to rephrase this question as needed. Would the league consider making Colin Campbell more available for explanations and clarifications on disciplinary measures? It seems most fans are mind boggled by what is and is not suspension worthy – wouldn’t a prompt press conference or an appearance on HNIC or NHL on the Fly go a long way towards improving the image of the game? Mike Murphy’s appearance on HNIC seemed like a real positive. Just to say, “here’s why we did or here’s why we didn’t.”
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Any chance we’ll see the end of the 2pts some games/ 3pts some games and have every game worth 3 pts total?
How about making players’ helmets of clear acrylic (or whatever they are made of) so hair would show thru? If not, how about letting every player decorate their helmet (within reason, of course) like goalies can, to add some individual style?
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What are his thoughts on ‘Make it 7′, contraction/moving struggling teams and better marketing of the NHL and its stars.
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Is the league happy with the amount of teams. Expansion or contraction or stay the same. Above asked if teams are moving, I would like to ask as well.
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Since the inception of the instigator rule, fighting has gone down, however more vicious hits and cheap shots have taken place. Why not get rid of the instigator rule and allow the fighting to take place between a group of people?
Why does the NHL view the VS contract as successful, when it only reaches a select number of households? Why have there been little to no negotiations in regards to an ESPN contract to spread the visibility of the NHL?
What is the exact purpose of the NHL Premiere games being played in Europe, other than a distraction for those teams?
Why not contract the poorly attended franchises such as Atlanta, Florida, Columbus, and Phoenix?
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I know it’s not a question but, BOOOOOOO!
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The lockout took a heavy toll on the league, recovery from it was very slow. What are his thoughts on the upcoming CBA and can we assume that a voice of reason will prevail in the talks this time around?
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Rich, can you kick him in the pants for us?
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Rich,
can you ask him if there are plans to raise the salary cap to a level where teams can actually build and keep their core players, and not bump the cap in the process? I know he will say they raise it every year or based on league revenue, blah blah, I mean raise it up where teams have room to breath and are not forced into being a worse team because of it. If they do this and keep the maximum players can get paid in line with the trajectory its on now, then teams could get several top paid players instead of 1 or 2 and then be stuck with entry level guys filling out the roster.
Thanks Rich You Rule!
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Gary, how important do you view the Los Angeles market for the NHL and their success this year in the post season?
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Does Bettman understand that Vs. is not lit in most homes? That it is often a super-premium-tier channel?
Does Bettman understand that when Vs. has an exclusive right to show a game, but pre-empts it because the previous game is in OT, it means NO ONE can see the pre-empted game out-of-market? this is of particular concern to this displaced Kings fan who pays for Center Ice but lost part of game 1 and almost game 2 when the Caps/Habs went to OT.
this is just one example of how bad the Vs. contract is. If they’re not going to reliably show a game, they shouldn’t have an exclusive on it. NO EXCLUSIVES ON GAMES JOINED IN PROGRESS, PLEASE!
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Please ask him if, with all the economically strapped teams and teams with low attendance, does he regret expanding the number of teams in the first place?
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1. Add another request for comments about having VS cover hockey. Their coverage is very limited, both number of games and repetition of the same few east coast teams, rather than the ESPN networks which could cover a lot more games and teams. We are unable to see all of the current playoff games because we have no choice of which teams we want to see. It’s bad enough that during the regular season we have to get a second provider to purchase Center Ice, thanks to our cable company, but now we don’t have any options or coverage.
2. Why haven’t the shots to our players’ heads since the new rule resulted in a suspension?
3. When will the schedule be changed to allow all teams to be played at least twice?
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I would like to know where he thinks the cut off, if any, should be on long term contracts? in other words…Does he approve of 12 and 15 year contracts in order to fit under the cap? Should owners be more responsible or should the cap be more flexible?
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Four letters: E.S.P.N.
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Rich,
Thanks for the opportunity to allow us to ask the questions!
1. Does he not understand how the fans want to see each team each year? When is the change going to happen?
2. Everywhere he goes, his reception by the fans is not the most considerate…why does HE think he gets booed from the ticket-paying public?
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After the defined ‘kick in’ no goal in the King’s game 3 does Gary Bettman see any re-definition in the kicking rule that will enable faster and easier evaluation by referees and Toronto?
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Commish, as an avid NHL fan I am an avid listener to NHL Live on XM. Other than EJ Hradek, the other hosts display limited knowledge of teams who are not East Coast based. If you tell me your marketing says your listeners are primarily in the east than I get it. If that is not the case, I feel something needs to change. Your thoughts.
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Would he be open to changing the points structure of Wins, Losses, and OT Losses? Would he ever consider going to a SO after the end of one period of OT during the playoffs? (While I’m personally not a fan of this, heard rumors this could happen)
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Now that the novelty of the shootout has worn off, what are the chances of going back to ties after five minutes of overtime in the regular season? Will all the “loser” points awarded to teams that lose in OT or a shootout, the format ends up skewing the point records. Also with shootouts now such common place, penalty shots have lost their luster. Two points for a win, zero for a loss anda point each for a tie…sounds like a good format to me! Thanks
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1) When will the league actually punish the superstars for the same infractions as the rest of the players? Players like Ovechkin get away with too many “accidents.”
2) Is the rumor about an expansion team in Las Vegas just talk or reality? If so, why not bring expansion to Winnipeg or Quebec?
3) Will teams ever go back to white as their home jerseys and dark for the road games?
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Rich,
I have to ask about the instigator rule. I am an older fan, I enjoy the new changes in the game, but enjoy the old traditions too!
I feel that a lot of the injuries now, the head shots, the rough play, the dirty shots, all those came about due to the instigator rule. I believe that if the players were able to police themselves; the injuries would be less. I know that the speed of the game, the men who play, the game itself has been faster and some injuries are par for the course, but if there were not an instigator rule, and if fighting were allowed like the old days, (that two men face each other and drop the gloves, not the cheap shot stick to the head types, but man against man), if that were allowed I truly believe the cheap shots and the head shots would be less. What are Bettans feelings about this and why is he tryint to deter fighting? is it to please the general public, which doesnt care much about hockey anyways, or for some other reason?
Thanks for all you do Rich! This is great!!!
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Question for Gary…
I am a huge Kings fan with no cable so the only access I have to games is listening to the games online. Is there any hope that the NHL will will drop local market blackout restrictions on the NHL Gamecenter? If I’m willing to pay money to watch games online, shouldn’t I be able to watch games of the team I am a fan of? Doesn’t the NHL want to be the first to offer all games online to all it’s fans with no black out restrictions? More and more people are going to be droping cable because of the online availability of the shows they want to watch. This is a great oportunity for the NHL to tap into that market.
Thank you.
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If you can’t score a goal off of a hand, why can’t you change the rule so you can’t score a goal off of your feet?? You can redirect the puck into the net with your foot as long as its not a “distinct kicking motion”. Wouldn’t it just be easier to make the rule you can’t score a goal off of your hand or off of your feet. PERIOD
Would save a lot of time in reviewing goals to see if the foot was turned inward, or if there was a ‘kicking’
motion. etc.
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Does he think that team sponsored blogs like this one are in the future for each of the leagues team’s website.
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Mr. Bettman,
What is the main focus in regards to choosing the participants of the Winter Classic? Have you been approached by teams in the “Non Traditional” markets, primarily those that do not make their name in the Northeast. I’m not only speaking in regards to the California based teams, but also perhaps the thought of a hockey traditional market such as Minnesota hosting a Winter Classic at their new Target Field against a team from a Non traditional market like LA? Just the thought of seeing a team from California skating in the freezing cold of the Minnesota winter would challenge the casual fan to see and take notice of how far hockey really has reached in expansion… and at the same time not alienate the large fan base in the West and Southwest. Just think of the marketing possiblity of seeing the LA Kings take on the Minnesota Wild in a battle that will see the “Beach Invade the Land of Lakes…”
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When will the NHL realize that if it wants to succeed it starts here at home, not in Europe? Why isn’t there a contract for NHL games to be televised all season long and ON as network everyone can see? I go to a bar ask for the hockey game and they ask me what channel and they are clueless or don’t get it because it is a premium channel. Why not ABC or CBS? For the games during the week why not ESPN? I can turn my TV on any given weekend day and find the NBA, MLB, MLS, or the NFL on, but no NHL except for after Jan 1 and even then it is the same boring teams over and over. I have just about had it with Red Wings, Penguins, and Capitals.
Also, why no push to expand or relocate teams to Seattle or Portland? Seattle has to WHL teams that are very successful (a 3rd if you include Eastern WA’s Tri-Cities Americans), and is a market that loves hockey. Insterad we are going to places that don’t want it like Phoenix, Nashville, Raleigh, Florida. Why not expand to cities where it will be supported and people actually want it?!?!?!
Also, I’m tired and sick of having to wait 3 years to see a team from the Eastern Conference come to the west coast. The Western teams have to travel, so should the Eastern teams and I want to see the league stars every year, not every 2 or 3 years!
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I had a question in mind but read through the posts to see if it had already been asked. I get to the end and Kenny beat me to it. Because I like the question I will re-post it: “Will teams ever go back to white as their home jerseys and dark for the road games?” I always liked seeing the different colors coming into the building. Now, the opposition always wears white.
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You’ve GOT to ask something about the no-goal call last night.
How is it that a rule can suddenly be ammended? Do you support toronto’s decision? stuff like that
thanks Rich!
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Similar questions have been asked, but I’m throwing it in to emphasize how important the question is: What measures does the NHL need to take to broaden its audience?
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What are the chances of switching to 4 on 4 in overtime in the playoffs?
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1.)I would love Mr. Bettman’s view of the current national TV agreement…I would love to see a little bit more not western conference, but west coast exposure especially with NBC, those 9am and 9:30 games (locally) is really catering to the east coast, I would love to see NBC’s games starting at more like 11 or 12 pacific time. I think would help the all around ratings from both coasts.
2.)Are there current discussions or any dialog with the NHLPA in regards to a CBA, I believe it expires just before the 11-12 season. Are you optimistic that both sides can agree to an extension, or agree to new terms prior to the experation.
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Are you related to Juraj Mikus?
Do you secretly pay his salary?
Do you secretly pay someone to pay his salary?
Help me here Mr. Bettman!
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Rich, I have been dying to know if the NHL is going to switch back to the white uniforms at home and dark uniforms on the road? I am an old school who was raised on the white uniforms at home. I thought the NHL was only going to try what they have now for a trial of 2-3 years?
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SERIOUS question.
Mr. Bettman,
While LA is not viewed as a “traditional” hockey market, the feeling amongst the fans and ownership is there is something special being built here. LA could have the potential to be huge for the NHL going forward as “model franchise”.
Is the NHL truly into the East coast bias and hung up on players like Crosby and Ovechkin?
If so you might overlook two of the brightest young talents in the game in Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty.
Thoughts about getting more exposure to a market like LA and using it as a “model franchise”?
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Rich,
First of all, if it is true that ESPN wanted a seat on the competition committe for the purpose of taking fighting out of hockey, please tell GB “thank you” from all true hockey lovers out there. ESPN can go to hell.
My question would be:
On HNIC it was reported that Winnepeg was a lock to get the ‘Yotes. Is this true? What do you do with a team starving for attendance like ATL?
Thanks Rich!!
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Unlike minor league baseball that wraps its season before the MLB playoffs begin, allowing the big club to expand its roster and have all hands on deck, the NHL affiliate teams (AHL, OHL, etc.) are having their own playoffs now. Normally that’s not a problem, but for the Kings who’s #2 goalie is really in Manchester (Bernier), is there ever any thought to having a shorter season in minor league hockey so there’s no conflict of players between teams and for NHL teams having to decide between “sit or play” when it
matters most?
Seems like the Kings could suffer if they had to pull Quick early in a game and not have Bernier there to back him up, but the concurrent playoff schedules pose a development block if Bernier just sits on LA’s bench.
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1) How has HD affected the ratings for the league?
(has it helped?)
2) Are the rumors I hear from Jerry Bruckheimers camp true that he’s bringing an NHL team to Vegas?
3) I like the Versus coverage. They do a great job.
FORGET ESPN, They don’t want us anyway and I’m tired of listening to their reporters miss-pronounce players names.
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Ask Mr. Bettman to explain the details of his anti-Canadian conspiracy, i.e., does he call the officials before each game and demand a quota of anti-Canadian/Pro-SunBelt team calls ? Does he call the War Room personally to demand that calls go against the Canadian teams ?
I know the question may sound idiotic, but I’m sure a lot of Canadian conspiracy theorists would love to know…..really….
Seriously – please thank Mr. Bettman for his weekly call-in show on XM Radio. The commissioners of the other major sports would rather die than deign to converse with the common fan….
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Mr. B
Thanks for being on our side and sorry the Canucks fans don’t understand how important it is that we win.
Vancouver is to cold in the winter anyway so don’t worry what they think.
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Be sure to thank him for all the help he has given the kings and assure him that he did the right thing–this really is a very important market and, honestly, nobody really cares about Canada–they’re going to watch hockey regardless of whether they win or not.
Remind him that it’s essential for the future of hockey that the kings make the finals this year and hoist the cup, so we would appreciate his continued interest in making sure that all the calls go our way.
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Please praise him for supporting the no-change-on-icing rule, then ask him to push the GMs to do something about the ridiculous delay of game penalties for flipping the puck over the glass in the defensive Zone. That’s brutally bad, very often. Thanks, Rich!
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Can the NHL move a struggling team (like the Islanders) to Seattle quickly while there is no NBA team there? Seattle is the largest non-sunbelt market that doesn’t have a hockey team.
Can NBC broadcast ALL Stanley Cup finals games?
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In addition to the conspiracy that is the NHL, can you ask him if he is a member of the Tri-Lateral commission or the Illuminati?
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Ask him if he think there is an East Coast bias towards teams in the East with respect to media coverage, marketing, voting for awards and expansion? If so, what suggestions does he have to increase exposure of teams and players in the West? He has always touted how geographically viable the sport is as he is responsible for expansion in Florida and Tennessee however the sport gains more exposure on the East Coast.
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Not meant as a get rid of Bettman comment, but is there a succession plan in place? You look at the NFL and they have done very well with the switch from Paul to Roger and you have to think that the seamless transition was a big help. Baseball on the other hand has been stuck with Selig (and Selig with them) because they can’t find anyone else. We look at the Union and nobody wants that chaos. Gary has to know that even if he plans to be commish till he’s in the grave at some point that will happen, it would be nice it everything didn’t go to pot when it did.
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I know that they’re holding the NHL Awards in Las Vegas and it will lead to this small question that I have for him. When will the draft hit Las Vegas?
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If Phoenix wins the cup, will Gary/the NHL get a ring?
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We have Verizon FIOS and the NHL Network is a subscription channel. The NFL Network is free. From a marketing point of view, why not make the NHL Network available to anyone who is interested? The NHL could learn from the NFL in this case.
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Rich,
1) Props for the Bettman interview opportunity.
2) Great job on the web and on camera.
3) Keep up the great work.
4) Thank you.
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Mr. Bettman,
- Do you believe that the environment created by the salary cap allows younger teams to thrive in today’s NHL?
- With the increased parity in the league, how does the role of a GM change when putting together a team? what type of team would you expect to excel in this environment?
Thanks Rich!
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I want to second suggesting the idea for defensively chipping the puck over the glass being icing and allowing no change. I also think that’s a more appropriate response to the situation than a power play.
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GB:
- It’s safe to say most American hockey fans aren’t satisfied with the TV situation. While I’m not the biggest fan of ESPN, it is the best resource for getting more exposure to the sport; casual fans tune into ESPN more than any other channel for sports news. Every other major sport in America has its own special programming on ESPN (NFL Primetime, Baseball Tonight, etc.) and it is a shame that NHL 2night is no longer part of that lineup as it used to be. Is there a plan to mend that relationship?
- If not, can we at least get more games aired on NHL Network? There is so much fluff on that channel and it has the opportunity to at least throw a few extra games a month out there for viewers.
- What is your reaction to a lot of unhappy Canadian hockey fans who actually believe the media propaganda about an “anti-Canadian” conspiracy to keep the Cup away from Canadian teams and help promote American markets?
- What are your thoughts about the existence of only six Canadian-based franchises?
THANKS RICH! Best hockey blog on the web.
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Why are the NHL playoffs scheduled at the same time as the NBA playoffs. Wouldn’t it make sense to start the season a month later so NHL playoffs aren’t competing with NBA?
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What kind of new tech and TV stuff will NHL do next season? Will we see an NHL app for IPad/IPhone like MLB?
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Since one should have serious doubts of a home team not selling out during the playoffs. Do you think it is time to review and change the blackout rules imposed during the playoffs?
At a time when the league should be promoting it’s product while competing against the NBA playoffs and MLB it should make sense to have it seen by as many viewers as possible.
Last year I remember home games for the Ducks were blacked out in San Diego durin their 1st round upset of the Sharks.
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1. Does he expect a drop off of european players coming to the nhl in the upcoming years as a result of the new “rules/sanctions” that some european leagues have put on players opting to leave their country for the nhl?
2. Will there ever be a time when the Stanley Cup Champion and the champs from other leagues in europe and russia play for a “world championship?”
3. With the popularity of NHL hockey in europe, has he thought about setting up a NHL Center Ice type of television package for people in europe, or maybe an On Demand way for europeans to watch more nhl hockey?
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One more question Rich,
Does he think that increasing the diversity of the fan base would ultimately help hockey franchises in the warmer climates(LA,Phoenix,Florida) be more successful? And would it help the league get a better tv deal(more money and more nationally televised games)?
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I doubt that Bettman will answer any tough questions with unfiltered responses. I’m expecting little light to be shed.
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Where I don’t mind the VS NHL coverage. I would like to see the NHL try and package more games throughout the week. Not just Monday and Tuesday; preferably not including Detroit, NY Rangers, NJ Devils, or any team from PA.
If the NHL wants to make itself more accessible to fans, and the want VS to be their network. Then do it right and start showing more than 3 games a week.
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When is he going to step down as commissiner?
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Considering you wanted us to longer bash people, I will leave my comments to myself about Bettman, Marie that’s what one of my questions would be.
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When will he step down so innovative leadership can take over and get the NHL back to one of the Big 4 sports as it was before he began?
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What does he think of the stark difference in officiating in the playoffs as opposed to the regular season? How are teams supposed to prepare for the playoffs when the same calls that were made in the regular season go unpunished in the playoffs? ie multiple interference calls against the kings on monday Brown and Smyth.
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Kings suffered 3 hits to the head in game 3. I thought the league was trying to crack down on direct blows to the head? Where are the suspensions?
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Statistics from the National Sporting Goods Assn show that the number of people who play hockey in the US has stagnated or dropped in recent years. What does Commissioner Bettman think of this trend and what implications does he believe it has for interest in pro hockey in the US?
Followup: what are Mr Bettman’s views on whether frequent fighting in the NHL embellished or tarnishes the sports image and participation levels?
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Is it up to the individual organization to choose what video clips and music to play during games or does the NHL League office negotiate licenses that are forced onto every team?
It is really annoying to hear the same music at every team’s arena. It gets in the way of creating a unique identity from team to team.
I want to know who I need to bug to change this. You or the Kings. haha.
In regards to the social network aspects of the team’s websites, do you force them all to utilize the same sign up/login mechanics used by the NHL home site?
Have you looked into using more user friendly alternatives such as Facebook connect which allows fans to seamlessly register and participate in social network features on a given website by migrating their Facebook profile to the partnered site?
It seems like there is a strong desire to create a social atmosphere across the team sites and NHL.com. However, the functionality being used is frustrating and out of touch with what is currently available.
It is worth considering when facebook connect is not used while every team site has a facebook profile/page set up that requires multiple registrations for fans to participate in both the facebook posts and official sites.
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Is there a way to make a maximum a player can make , and /or can the cap be changed to keep the players that have been drafted and still play for the taems that have drafted them if it shows that the team is doing everything to keep them and rely less on the free agent market to fill roster spots?
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