NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's new contract extension, which will take him through the '21-22 season, is "based entirely on merit," according to Ken Campbell of THE HOCKEY NEWS. Regardless of what fans think of Bettman, he "has made his bosses very, very happy," and, for the most part, "very very rich, either in the present or when they sell and cash out." He has "played a huge part in the NHL transforming itself from a ticket-driven business" with about $400M in yearly revenues to a $4B industry. Bettman "outlasted one of the most militant union leaders in the history of sports and, for the most part, has gotten what he was looking for in every round of collective bargaining" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 2/1). SPORTSNET.ca's Jeff Blair wrote having a strong union partner has "brought out the best in Bettman." After being "stared down in the last lockout, for the most part," Bettman realized that he is "no longer the smartest guy in the room." That led to overseeing a "formal partnership with the NHLPA that will lead to a legitimate World Cup of Hockey, and he and the players association can now see common cause in dealing with concussions and their legal ramifications." There was a time "when the thought of seven more years of Bettman would send Canadian hockey fans into the streets with pitchforks." Now, it is "nothing but a logical decision, even for those of us who have never carried water for him" (SPORTSNET.ca, 2/1). SI.com's Joshua Kloke wrote it is "easy to see why Bettman was given another extension." The league's "giant TV deals on both sides of the border, increased revenues and the constant lure of expanding the league to 32 teams mean that he’s in very good graces with his bosses, the league’s owners." But the owners are "only one piece of the puzzle." The conclusion of his tenure "may very well be defined by his role in the ongoing concussion issue." The lawsuit filed by former players has "started to bring to light some pretty damning truths about the league’s attitude, what it knew and how it did or didn’t try to protect players from long-term brain injuries" (SI.com, 2/1).
DISSENTING OPINION: ESPN's Adnan Virk said of Bettman has been "terrible for the game," in part because he has "diluted the talent so much with the expansion to all these cities in the Sun Belt." Owners "love him because the fact he makes them money." But there have been several "lockouts and strikes." Additionally, the fact Bettman "took the money" and put the league on what is now NBCSN has "really hurt the game." Virk: "That’s why you see a generation of hockey fans who have really kind of lost touch with the sport because of the way he’s overseeing it" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 2/1).
