Gary Bettman is certainly not the most valued character in Quebec, but in the National League, owners adore him because he always knew how to fund their bank account. Several of his initiatives have paid off, but the Coyotes file is one of his rare leaps in the dark.
• Also read: Tempe amphitheater project rejected: Even if they stick it out, the coyotes will die in the desert
• Also read: What would the NHL lose by leaving Arizona?
• Also read: “The carrot is ready” for the NHL in Arizona, believes former Coyotes Éric Bélanger
And yet Bettman keeps rising. The coyotes are the thorn in his side, the stain on his record, the pebble in his shoe, the sand in the gears. There’s probably a thousand and one ways to put it, but the coyotes continue to suck.
Fans of the Nordiques’ return see the NHL commissioner from that angle, and it’s entirely their right. He may say what he likes in his speeches as a politician, but it’s hard to sense that he’s sympathetic to the Quebec cause.
The relentlessness with which he has fought for the survival of the Coyotes over the years, despite their constant failure on the ice, at the gates and in the community, is puzzling.
However, there is little choice but to state that during his 30-year tenure as commissioner of the NHL, this file is likely the tree that hides the forest from the public eye.
Several big hits
Of course, many will notice that the Bettman era also comes with three labor disputes.
Admittedly, it wasn’t anything special, but from a purely business standpoint, Bettman pretty much came out on top. The introduction of a salary cap certainly didn’t go down well with players, but if it had been introduced in the mid-1990s rather than 2005, the Nordiques likely never would have left. The owners, who are Bettman’s true bosses, can only thank him for standing up to the players despite negative public opinion.
- Listen to the interview with Bruno Marchand, Mayor of Quebec, on the microphone mario dumont, Available on the podcast At QUB radio :
During the Bettman era, the NHL grew from 24 to 32 teams, and league revenues skyrocketed from $400 million to $5.2 billion. Initiatives that are close to his heart, such as the Winter Classic, have been successful and are great successes.
It is no coincidence that he has been in office for 30 years. If the NHL were cornered for any length of time, he would never be the longest-serving commissioner of the big four professional leagues in North America.
Hockey under the palm trees
Bettman is also the vision for hockey in the southern United States, in non-traditional markets. Today the situation in Tampa, Florida, Carolina, Nashville, Dallas, Anaheim or San Jose seems to be rather stable.
In some cases the success is even resounding, in others the debate remains open. However, it didn’t turn out to be the resounding failure that many expected.
Despite his track record, his legendary stubbornness in keeping the Coyotes on ventilators is incomprehensible.
2009 saw bankruptcy, then the NHL’s conservatory function, and a string of shady, cash-strapped owners.
- Don’t miss Jean-François Baril’s sports column at the mic mario dumont, every day on the waves of QUB radio :
There were constant arguments with Glendale and late payments, which ultimately led Glendale to show the Coyotes the door. And what about all the administrative hassle of meeting the salary floor by offering a bad product on the ice?
Whether we like Bettman or not, we have to acknowledge that he has taken the NHL to new heights over the past three decades. However, his persistence in finding a viable solution to Arizona hockey’s success at this point is more a matter of pride than sanity.
When he finally bothers to put the key in the door, his ego is broken.