RALEIGH – Gary Bettman rained all over his own Stanley Cup Finals parade by essentially promising a 2004 work stoppage during his press briefing three days ago, and he and his cadre of small-market hawks who won’t ante up to play with the big boys intend to sprinkle all over the next two seasons as well by beating the lockout drums.
Imagine the outcry if an NHLPA representative announced the likelihood of a strike two years down the road – and during the NHL’s (alleged) showcase, no less.
Under his authority as commissioner, Bettman should fine himself for comments detrimental to the league.
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So Carolina, with a modest $33 million payroll and a minimum of 11 home playoff dates this spring, is losing money, and Bettman cites this as an example of why the NHL must change the way it does business.
Sounds more like an example of a market – no slur intended on the fine folks here – that probably has no business being in the major leagues.
Answer me this: Why must Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa remain in the NHL when it was not essential for Winnipeg and Quebec to do so? And if the league left Oakland and Cleveland, why must it remain in Tampa and Buffalo?
Payrolls can be capped the minute ticket prices are capped, the minute prices for cable subscriptions are capped, the moment prices for parking and concessions are capped.
And why is it that when commissioners in all sports assure us owner after owner is losing money, they never provide names?
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Unless there’s dramatic shift in the next few weeks, Curtis Joseph will be out of Toronto – his choice. We’re told that the goaltender is so fed up with what is laughingly known as the Toronto organ-I-zation and Pat Quinn that he has no interest in even negotiating with the Maple Leafs before July 1.
And while the assumption is that the Islanders have targeted Amonte as the winger to skate with Alexei Yashin, we’ve been told that it’s actually Billy Guerin whom Mike Milbury is targeting.
The Flyers and Oilers are all but committed to doing a Todd Marchant for Jiri Dopita deal, a move that will strengthen Philadelphia, that’s for sure.
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Finally, can it be merely coincidence that the Red Wings and Hurricanes both improved rather dramatically in the wake of trading Keith Primeau?
