NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the fact that Barclays Center "wasn't built for hockey" contributed to why the Islanders did not work out in Brooklyn. Bettman, appearing yesterday on WFAN-AM, added for fans in Long Island, getting to Barclays Center, "particularly during the week, isn't the easiest thing to do." Bettman said the Islanders' move to Barclays Center was made because Nassau Coliseum "was done, they really couldn't stay there anymore" (NEWSDAY, 4/11). On Long Island, Andrew Gross wrote the average Islanders fan "could best be described as angry" after missing the playoffs again. Islanders LW Andrew Ladd said of fans' unhappiness, "There's probably some added unrest because of the move to Brooklyn. When you've had a fan base in the same spot and with a great history of having won four Stanley Cups ... and having moved the team and having them go through that, things have gotten a little unsettled" (NEWSDAY, 4/8).
FRESH SET OF EYES: In Montreal, Stu Cowan writes Canadiens Owner Geoff Molson and the club "need to separate business and hockey and realize all their fans really want is a winning team." The Canadiens need a Dir of Hockey Operations, and it is thought there would be "no shortage of qualified people interested" in working for the "most storied franchise in the NHL." A new person in that role "could analyze the team's hockey-operations department, medical staff and everyone else involved in helping the team ... with a fresh set of eyes and no sense of loyalty or friendship to the people already in place" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 4/11).
GIVING THEIR SUPPORT: The Bruins announced two fundraisers to "support those affected" by the recent fatal bus accident involving the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Humboldt Broncos. A team release said the Bruins and the Bruins Foundation "have pledged to donate a minimum of $50,000 to the Humboldt community through these efforts." The second fundraiser is a 50/50 raffle, with a "guaranteed prize of at least $25,000" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/10).
