Bettman Stays Positive, Says NHL Will Maintain Revenue Growth

Bettman Said That The NHL, Despite Estimated  Gains, Is Not Growing As Much As Anticipated

MARKET WATCH: In Toronto, Kevin McGran wrote NHL teams long have "used various deep discounts and desperate measures to meet certain attendance and revenue-growth targets," but Predators owners last week "raised eyebrows" by announcing they might purchase tickets to help the team meet attendance benchmarks. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly in an e-mail said that the league was "okay with what the Predators are up to." Daly: "This practice is not as widespread as is being reported. (It's) only allowed in certain circumstances and pursuant to defined rules" (TORONTO STAR, 1/24). Bettman said that the Predators did not buy up tickets last year to qualify for revenue sharing and that they had not bought up tickets this year either. He added that he wasn't concerned about the team. As for the practice of buying tickets to qualify for revenue-sharing money, Bettman said, "We're obviously not going to encourage or allow teams to play games with our rules particularly as it relates to revenue sharing because the other teams all have an interest in making sure it's done appropriately" (Mickle). Meanwhile, NHLPA Exec Dir Paul Kelly Friday indicated that he "wouldn't be surprised if a team is relocated in the next five years," but Bettman "disagreed" with that belief. Bettman: "I don't know what he's basing that on and I'd be surprised if he has a bigger body of information with respect to our franchise operations than I do" (SPORTING NEWS TODAY, 1/25). Kelly said, "Some of those teams in Arizona and Florida are having some difficulties but we hope that they get through this dip. If they don’t, I know this league has some strong business people and they’re looking at other options for ownership and potentially moving it to stronger markets" (NHL Network, 1/23).

TAKING A BREAK: Bettman during the press conference "wouldn't commit to NHL participation" in the Olympics beyond the 2010 Vancouver Games, and indicated that he has "'real issues' about the disruptions the Olympic break causes in the NHL season" (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/25). Bettman: "There are lots of issues -- competitive, logistical -- relative to taking a break during the season. I think the break is unnatural. It disrupts the flow of our season." Bettman said that the league will consider participating in the 2014 Sochi Games "after the Vancouver experience" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/26). Meanwhile, in Toronto, Damien Cox reported Bettman "showed little interest in the union's suggestion that the 2011 World Cup be played in February of that year, rather than September." Bettman: "I would be very skeptical" (TORONTO STAR, 1/25).

While NHL Will Consider New Player Safety Measures, It Will Not Consider Banning Fighting

GRADING GARY: SPORTING NEWS' Craig Custance wrote Bettman had a "typical rosy outlook" during the press conference, and "took on a few hot topics" (SPORTING NEWS TODAY, 1/25). The NATIONAL POST's Bruce Arthur writes Bettman is "speak no evil, hear no evil, move nobody." He is "so reluctant to level with the world when it comes to the bad news, it's hard to believe him on the good news." When you "factor in the mishmash of misdirected marketing that is NHL all-star weekend, it gets harder still to trust the game is being pushed by the right people" (NATIONAL POST, 1/26). However, in Montreal, Jack Todd writes the NHL "that was on display here this weekend is a far happier, healthier place than it was in the fall of 2004 when Bettman locked out the NHLPA." The "dire predictions that Bettman was going to trash the league, that the fans would never come back, that a league like the NHL could never survive another labour stoppage, much less a lost season? Forgotten." Bettman "did it his way and it worked" (Montreal GAZETTE, 1/26).

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