Bettman (r) conceded there is a "fair amount of frustration" within the Stars under Lites (l)getty images
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he has "made it a practice to tend to not to interfere in the local dynamics that take place within a team's organization" in regard to Stars CEO Jim Lites' comments about two players. Bettman, appearing on NBC's coverage of the Bruins-Blackhawks Winter Classic, said Lites is "passionate and knowledgeable and, obviously, frustrated." But Bettman called the two players, C Tyler Seguin and LW Jamie Benn, "great players," saying they have represented the NHL "extraordinarily well." Bettman said Stars coach Jim Montgomery, GM Jim Nill and Lites, along with team Owner Tom Gaglardi and the players, are "all people who want to win." Bettman: "They want to win for Dallas, and they want to win the Cup" ("Bruins-Blackhawks," NBC, 1/1). Bettman said, "There is a fair amount of frustration there, both on the management side and on the players’ side. It reflects, more than anything else, a common passion for winning. Whether it’s Tyler or Jamie -- and they’ve given so much to the growth of the game in Texas -- or whether it’s not the three Jims or Tom, everybody wants better. And I think that common sense of purpose will ultimately be good for the franchise" (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/1). The NHLPA on Sunday issued a statement on Lites' comments, calling them "reckless and insulting." Lites originally said Seguin and Benn have been "f---ing horses---; I don't know how else to put it." He said that the feeling also was "shared" by Gaglardi (ESPN.com, 12/30).
TAKING THE HEAT: Both Seguin and Benn said that they "had not heard from Lites this season." Seguin said, "A little bit of a surprise there, because I didn't know how he felt" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/31). THE ATHLETIC's Sean Shapiro noted soon after Lites' comments, Benn "started receiving hundreds of text messages from current and former teammates." Benn said, “The phone was blowing up like it was my birthday.” Both Benn and Seguin were "disappointed with the comments, but they did not fire back at Lites with the same vigor." Benn said, "I don’t play for him. I play for every player in this room, the coaching staff. I come to the rink and, like I said, I am proud to be a Dallas Star and I am proud to go out every night and battle with these guys in games. I really put my teammates first" (THEATHLETIC.com, 12/29). Nill said that he "did not think the episode would work against the Stars in future potential player acquisitions." He said that he "agreed with the hockey aspect of Lites' critique but thought the tone was overly harsh" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/31).
SPEAKING HIS MIND: Lites on Thursday said that he receives a text message from Gaglardi "five times per game" that reads "WTF." Lites: “He’s pissed. And you know what it’s about.” He added, “They are fucking horse-shit, I don’t know how else to put it. The team was ok. But Seguin and Benn were terrible.” THE ATHLETIC's Shapiro noted frustration has "arisen throughout the organization about Benn and Seguin’s play this season." The two are "currently ranked 57th and 67th in league scoring, while the Stars are currently clawing for their life in the Western Conference playoff race." Lites said, “We are a stars-driven league, and our stars aren’t getting it done. It’s embarrassing." He added, "These guys are not good enough. They’re not good enough for me, they’re not good enough for the owner, and they’re certainly not good enough for the general manager." Lites: “We’ve had meeting after meeting after meeting. The accountability on the ice is not there. These guys were signed to big contracts because they were the third- and sixth-leading scorers in the National Hockey League over the past five years. They get their money, we expect them to not be outplayed every game we play in. And if they were as good as they’ve been in the past we wouldn’t be having this conversation" (THEATHLETIC.com, 12/28).
