Gary Bettman

Gary Bettman: NHL helmet ads are ‘likely’ staying long term

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly met with the media on Thursday to reflect on the one-year anniversary of the NHL suspending its 2019-20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The two executives celebrated the league’s accomplishments during that time and looked forward to the future.

“We completed a CBA extension, we negotiated a new US media rights agreement, and we signed 13 new corporate partners with the league,” a proud Bettman said. “We created new assets – the helmet decals, the virtual slot ads, the division sponsors — to help our clubs retain 100 million dollars in revenues.”

Bettman said that the temporary helmet ads, which were previously reported as only a one year experiment, are likely here to stay.

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By Ian Oland 1 month ago

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Alex Ovechkin’s lost goals and who is to blame

Here is a story that I’ve put off as long as I could. The short version is that Alex Ovechkin has been unfairly deprived of almost 100 goals. The long version is longer, and it has graphs in it.

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By Peter Hassett 3 months ago

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Report: NHL/NHLPA having talks about a 52 to 56 game regular season that starts on January 15

The NHL and NHLPA have been cranky with each other over the last week and there have been some concerning headlines such as Gary Bettman says NHL not trying to back out of CBA and NHLPA weighing options if NHL cancels season.

But on Friday, there were finally some “positive developments” — Elliotte Friedman’s words, not mine — on next season. According to Friedman, “it sounds like” the NHL’s Escrow Ask of the players is going away and many the details for next season have been settled.

Friedman made his comments to Sportsnet 590 The Fan on Friday morning.

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By Ian Oland 4 months ago

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Gary Bettman says NHL exploring temporary hubs and divisional realignment for next season

Gary Bettman appeared on a virtual panel discussion on Tuesday along with MLB commissioner Rob Manred and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. At the 2020 Paley International Council Summit chat, the NHL commissioner revealed several avenues the league was exploring to play next season.

While pulling off the 2020 playoffs in a bubble was hard, playing the 2020-21 regular season may be an even more difficult needle to thread as the league cannot afford and is unwilling to do a full bubble solution again. The league is currently aiming to start the season on January 1, 2021, but some owners, such as the Golden Knights’ Bill Foley, believe that the start date will be pushed back into February.

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By Ian Oland 5 months ago

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Report: Several owners have told Gary Bettman the NHL might be better off financially not playing next season

The NHL is likely going to play next season, but several owners are already grappling with the economic realities of possibly taking the ice with limited to no ticket sales. Currently, in the United States, the coronavirus pandemic is raging out of control as the country set a new daily record of positive cases (99.784) on October 30 with no end in sight.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski reported on Monday that several NHL owners suggested to Gary Bettman that the NHL might be better off financially not playing.

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By Ian Oland 5 months ago

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Transcript: Gary Bettman and Bill Daly talk details behind the NHL’s 24-team playoff, return-to-play plan

After revealing the details behind the NHL’s 24-team playoff, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly spoke to reporters Tuesday night and went even more into the weeds about the NHL’s return-to-play plan.

While yesterday’s announcement was exciting, Daly admitted there are a lot of unanswered questions and that the NHL has “a long road in front of us” to actually return.

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By Ian Oland 11 months ago

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Gary Bettman announces NHL’s 24-team playoff, return to play plan to complete 2019-20 season

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the league’s 24-team playoff and plans for the NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday.

The full video can be watched below.

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By Ian Oland 11 months ago

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Gary Bettman to make announcement on NHL’s Return to Play Plan for the 2019-20 season

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will be making a formal announcement on the NHL’s Return to Play Plan for the 2019-20 season at 4:30 PM, Tuesday.

Bettman’s statement will be aired live on NBCSN and NHL Network in the United States and Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. Fans can also watch on the NHL’s social platforms on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Bettman will announce the 24-team playoff format agreement the NHL/NHLPA has signed off on.

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By Ian Oland 11 months ago

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Gary Bettman admits completing regular season ‘may not be possible’

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico on Tuesday to discuss how the league was handling the coronavirus pandemic and what may come next for the suspended 2019-20 season. Bettman said the NHL is “looking at all options. Nothing’s been ruled in. Nothing’s been ruled out.” He hoped the league will know more about how to proceed “by the end of April.”

During the video conference call, Bettman admitted for the first time that completing the regular season “may not be possible.”

He continued, “But I do believe we can play into the summer — well into the summer. And even on NBC platforms, since the Olympics have been postponed, gives us a broader window to focus on when and how we can play.”

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Gary Bettman tried to stop Canucks fans’ booing by bringing out the Sedins. Walking off stage did the trick.

Every year, the same thing happens no matter what venue the NHL Draft is held at.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman walks out on stage to give a speech and officially begin the event. Fans boo him loudly.

But this year, Bettman came prepared with a plan to try and get the Vancouver Canucks crowd on his side. It worked… but not for the reason he planned.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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