The Canadian Federal Government's reversal on assisting
the country's six NHL franchises was examined by Joel Stein
in TIME's Canada edition under the header, "Checked Out:
Ottawa Tried to Save Canadian Pro Hockey, And Then The
People Spoke. So Is The Country Going To Need To Find A New
Sport?" When Federal Industry Minister John Manley made his
"desperate, and incredibly short-lived" aid offer, the
"country's reaction was telling." Contrasting the reaction
when the Jets left Winnipeg, "this time, Canadians might be
ready to let pro hockey go." Stein writes that Manley's
plan "was much more clumsy, politically, than the one the
NHL was pushing." NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman suggested
the government pay a percentage of the Sports Lottery where
Canadians bet weekly on NHL games. Stein writes that the
NHL "might now live up to its threat to sue the government
for some or all of the lottery money." Bettman told TIME
before the aid package was pulled, "I'm going to go nuts if
we lose another team from Canada." Stein writes, "Now it
looks as if Bettman may have to be institutionalized," as
despite his "best efforts to prevent it," Canada is "going
to continue losing teams" (TIME -- Canada, 1/31 issue).
