Gary Bettman close to 5 year extension to remain commissioner of NHL through end of 2027 season

[Oleksiak]

So at least five more years until there's a hope of honest officiating.

 

[Section 104]

Only 5? Should be 10 years at least. Or life like a judge.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

He's done fine. This is not surprising.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

This man is married to his job. 75 years old? I hope to have 0 responsibilities if I ever make it to that age.

 

[orby]

Done

Sold out league to corporate America, ads everywhere

Priced out the average joe from most games

So do you want the league to have fewer paying sponsors, or do you want tickets to be cheap? Frankly, you are not going to get both. I am not a Bettman acolyte by any means, but you can't really lay the blame for expensive tickets at his feet while simultaneously saying the league is taking too much corporate money.

 

[ToDavid]

This isn't entirely surprising but he needs to not be such a cheeky bastard about it. Just shut up.

I get that he leans into the "I'm the evil commissioner" thing, and it is fun at times, but people are raising questions about his future, in part, because of a very serious failing of a team and the league. While Beach is the present issue, and Bettman obviously wasn't directly involved, it's just another symptom of a culture of being a good soldier and sweeping things under the rug that isn't exactly new.

Should he be fired? I don't know. But the conversation is absolutely fair and he needs to read the room and drop his smug "you thought I was going anywhere! lmaoooooo get wrecked scrub" attitude for a bit. Hey Gary, why don't you reassure us that no one else is going to get raped for the next five years.

 

[Beau Knows]

So do you want the league to have fewer paying sponsors, or do you want tickets to be cheap? Frankly, you are not going to get both. I am not a Bettman acolyte by any means, but you can't really lay the blame for expensive tickets at his feet while simultaneously saying the league is taking too much corporate money.

I don't think those two things have much to do with each other. Sponsorships aren't going to make the tickets any less expensive, it's just an extra revenue stream, the tickets are priced based on what they think people will be willing to pay.

 

[x Tame Impala]

So do you want the league to have fewer paying sponsors, or do you want tickets to be cheap? Frankly, you are not going to get both. I am not a Bettman acolyte by any means, but you can't really lay the blame for expensive tickets at his feet while simultaneously saying the league is taking too much corporate money.

Just let him have his poorly thought out opinion. It’s easier than critical thinking

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Lol @ the plebs who forget Bettman takes orders from the 32 owners

Lol @ the pleebs that think Bettman is some sort of yes man for the 32 owners.

His job is to provide a direction and vision for the league and get 32 owners on board, which is a bit like herding cats and probably why he is paid so handsomely.

There's a whole book on Bettman and the politics and leveraging of power he uses to achieve those ends. It's a pretty interesting read.

 

[North Cole]

Done



Almost 60 million people added to US population and sports market in his tenure so far

Sold the Islanders to a fraud worth 60 grand. ESPN has a documentary on that joke.

Sold out league to corporate America, ads everywhere

Priced out the average joe from most games

10 year Arizona ownership debacle because of ego

Growing the game on the outdoor network

Downplaying conclusions and sexual assault

Only major sports to have a fully canceled season on top of multiple lockouts.

Fined a billion dollar organization 2 million dollars for the largest sex scandal in hockey history, half that being a charity tax write off.

I guess that’s good leadership lmao. (Sarcasm) Hope you work for Honda or something and get a kickback and their partnership with the NHL.

Lmao, TIL the commissioner sets ticket prices at each venue.

 

[Magicman]

Like who?

In no particular order
Chris Marinak, Dan Beckerman, Chris Zimmerman for starters

 

[T REX]

Awful.

Need new blood

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Bill Daly is 57. Whenever Bettman goes, Daly is Commish, right? They seem to operate pretty much in lockstep, so I don't know what alternative people might have been looking forward to. Nothing changes when Bettman steps down. Just a lawyer who is a few inches taller and has less hair will have exactly the same mandate and deliver exactly the same messages, albeit in a somewhat less-smarmy tone one hopes.

 

[orby]

I don't think those two things have much to do with each other. Sponsorships aren't going to make the tickets any less expensive, it's just an extra revenue stream, the tickets are priced based on what they think people will be willing to pay.

They're not directly correlated, but it's difficult for me to envision an NHL that simultaneously eschews corporate sponsorships and also has cheap tickets in this day and age, especially considering how much revenue the league and teams missed out on due to Covid. I don't put that on Bettman.

 

[CartographerNo611]

So do you want the league to have fewer paying sponsors, or do you want tickets to be cheap? Frankly, you are not going to get both. I am not a Bettman acolyte by any means, but you can't really lay the blame for expensive tickets at his feet while simultaneously saying the league is taking too much corporate money.

Selling out does not mean get rid of sponsorships… so point out where I say get rid of all sponsorships…


It just so happens that there is 80+ years where the NHL existed with a healthy level of sponsorship and reasonable ticket prices…

 

[CartographerNo611]

Lmao, TIL the commissioner sets ticket prices at each venue.

No, he has a direct hand in helping fund arenas, player salaries, recouping losses from canceled games… etc All that affects ticket pricing.

 

[Nona Di Giuseppe]

Blackhawks management, rapists and pedophiles around the hockey world rejoice… 5 more years of indifference and decade long coverups.

this is stupid as he clearly wasn’t aware

 

[6stringmofo]

Hate this - especially with how he has handled the past 6 months in the hockey world.

He's a commissioner not a truancy teacher.

Peoples actions are their own.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

There's no denying he's done a great job making money for his billionaire and millionaire owners.

Unfortunately I do not own an NHL franchise so as someone who is simply a fan of the game, Bettman's track record is much spottier.

 

[LuckyDucky]

yikes

he has done a good job growing the game, and he can't control the actions of others

No he hasn't. Especially when comparing the NHL to the other major NA sports.

 

[Beau Knows]

They're not directly correlated, but it's difficult for me to envision an NHL that simultaneously eschews corporate sponsorships and also has cheap tickets in this day and age, especially considering how much revenue the league and teams missed out on due to Covid. I don't put that on Bettman.

The NHL only has cheap tickets now in arenas where the demand is low, that's what the ticket prices are based on, not how much money the teams get to sell their arena naming rights or whatever for. The owners pocket that money, they aren't going to lower the ticket prices just because they now made an extra $100,000,000. Most building have a beer sponsor, and yet that beer costs $15.

 

[Jetsfan79]

Regardless of what fans think, fact is Bettman is highly thought of in the sports business industry. This is not surprising.

 

[who_me?]

The end of his extension will take him to 33 full seasons as NHL commissioner (subtract the full lockout season)

Don't blame him; he has to serve his masters and do their bidding. He brought them to 32 teams (i.e. unfinished capstone). This is his reward.

 

[Nona Di Giuseppe]

Done



Almost 60 million people added to US population and sports market in his tenure so far

Sold the Islanders to a fraud worth 60 grand. ESPN has a documentary on that joke.

Sold out league to corporate America, ads everywhere

Priced out the average joe from most games

10 year Arizona ownership debacle because of ego

Growing the game on the outdoor network

Downplaying conclusions and sexual assault

Only major sports to have a fully canceled season on top of multiple lockouts.

Fined a billion dollar organization 2 million dollars for the largest sex scandal in hockey history, half that being a charity tax write off.

I guess that’s good leadership lmao. (Sarcasm) Hope you work for Honda or something and get a kickback and their partnership with the NHL.

hahahahaha


I can’t believe you actually cited ads being “everywhere” and high ticket prices in the same breath.

you can’t have zero ads and low ticket prices. Yikes.

who gives a shit about ads anyway. (ad deals are good)

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

hahahahaha


I can’t believe you actually cited ads being “everywhere” and high ticket prices in the same breath.

you can’t have zero ads and low ticket prices. Yikes.

who gives a shit about ads anyway. (ad deals are good)

For fans, why exactly are ad deals good?

They don't lower ticket prices in any way shape or form.