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The NHL’s Board of Governors have been meeting in the hockey mecca of Pebble Beach, CA this week. Yesterday, they approved the sale of the Nashville Predators from Craig Leipold to the Freeman investment group. This isn’t the last step in the process… the deal still needs to be approved by the Nashville Metro Sports Authority, and then by the City Council… but from what we’ve read, it sounds like they will both approve it.
The other big news to come out of the meetings is that the league will return to its old schedule format for the 2008-2009 season. The current eight games played versus each team in a division will be reduced to six, and every team in the league will play one another at least once. Under this schedule, each team will see the other on their home ice every two years, rather than the current schedule which brings the other team to home ice every three years. This means that fans of each team will be exposed to more players throughout the league and there will be more original rivalries back in place. It also means that teams in the Eastern Conference will have to travel west more, which should help equalize the impact of travel on both conferences.
According to Gary Bettman, “This was an attempt to be responsive to the fans.” Thanks for finally listening, Gary.
Now the owners need to make another attempt to be responsive to the fans and FIRE GARY BETTMAN!!!
OH MY GAWD, The NHL approves the sale of the Nashville Predators to a group which might still not be approved by the city of Nashville. Well Bettman, have you not gotten the message that most people in Nashville don’t support the NHL?? Yes, good on Bettman and the NHL Board of Governors on returning to it’s old schedule format next season cause the Canadian franchises don’t play each other once this season. Oh one more thing: GET RID OF BETTMAN AND BRING IN A REAL COMMISSIONER
I’m bettin’ the Pred’s are gone after 3 years. The deal still means they have to put 14,000 butts in the seats on average and with a below average team this year… Right now they’re at a little over 12,900. They gotta get to 13,250 just to get their revenue check from Gay-ree. They agreed to keep the Preds in the Music City fer five years…unless they lose $20 mil in the first three years. (I know even George can do new math and figger this one out.) Now, Craig loses $70mil over 10 years…10 goes inta 70…uh, times 3. HELLO KANSAS CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Boots is givin’ up his share in the Sharks for this and still retaining rights to the arena in KC. This ain’t rocket science.)
Brian Burke is the guy I want to replace Bettman.
He knows hockey.
He knows how the game should be played.
And he knows how the fans want the game to be played.
And he respects the traditions of the game.
Not like Bettman. With his screwed up agenda.
With this dull, no touch hockey he’s given us.
With teams in cities they shouldn’t be.
With hockey now going into late June.
Bettman has been a scourge on the game.
Get rid of him, and bring in Brian Burke.
You can cry about The NASHVILLE PREDATORS all you want,
We know that you just don’t like that we spank your boys and many others
Burke would be a good obvious choice but when you examine who runs pro sports in general, it will be very highly unlikely.
Bettman will be around a very long time unless he ultimately really screws up bad enough that even his close colleagues say that ‘enough is enough’. Its a shame we can’t allow talented people to run matters who can balance business, growth and the quality of the game without compromising on integrity in the first place.
Nashville is not an NHL market; end of story.
Little Pucker, Because my Ottawa Senators lost to your Nashville Predators on Thursday night does it mean I was crying about the Predators? Absolutely not. Rick Grace & Jason, Brian Burke knows hockey better than that arse clown Bettman. Brian Burke would be an excellent choice for NHL commissioner because we can get back to playing hockey the way it was back in the 1980’s and early 90’s and for all the reasons that Rick Grace & Jason listed in their posts. Now only if the NHL Board Of Governors would fire that arse clown named Gary Bettman.
Sens fan.
Brian Burke is my choice.
We need somebody in there who isn’t going to turn the game into 4 on 4 with nets as big as soccer goals and no body contact allowed.
Just so a few more fans might show up in Nashville and Atlanta.
Because it doesn’t matter what you do, they won’t show up.
And all these changes do is upset the real hockey fans out there.
Rick Grace,
Brian Burke would be as I was saying earlier today an excellent choice for NHL commissioner. Hockey needs to remain five on five with the same kind of nets as we always had and real hockey fans want to see more open ice bodychecking which arsehole Bettman is trying to take out of hockey.
Nowhere in the Sun Belt and the Southern states should the NHL have franchises located with the exception of Tampa & Dallas. Instead of expansion, Nashville should be relocated to Las Vegas, Florida should relocate to Winnipeg and all the other southern franchises outside the Tampa & Dallas areas should be contracted.
Also, the NHL should go back to the jerseys they had before this season and the shootout should be eliminated and be replaced with 5 minutes of overtime or even 10 minutes of O.T. 5 on 5 during the regular season plus no more awarding an automatic point to any team who loses a game in overtime.
This must be a first.
A Sens and Leaf fan agree on something!
But for the good of the game, we both agree Bettman must go!
The shootouts are not so bad after the 5 minute overtime. Sure beats watching a tie like we once did. Just stop awarding the loser a point and the problem is fixed.
They should call that single point the shootout loser gets the “Bettman Point”. Because after all, is there a better loser to name it after?
hah, now *that* is funny. The “Bettman point”. I like it.
“Bettman Point’, what a wonderful concept! Lets hope when they don’t or do revert to/rename divisions and conferences in later years like in the old days they put Atlanta, Nashville, Carolina, Tampa, Dallas and Phoenix into the ‘Gary Bettman’ division. Trust some media pundits reading this blog take note (not).
Sens Fan said:
“Nowhere in the Sun Belt and the Southern states should the NHL have franchises located with the exception of Tampa & Dallas. Instead of expansion, Nashville should be relocated to Las Vegas”
do you realize your second point is directly opposed to your 1st point?
True Calvin only in terms of Nashville. My gut feel tells me little change will occur ever in NHL as its pretty complacent. Las Vegas move of some club I’m certain is on the radar in the next 5 years.
No NHL club should be in Las Vegas. I realize that our Mayor here in Las Vegas would sell his soul for a major professional franchise, but this city cannot support a NHL team. The fan base and interest isn’t here. The minor league team here doesn’t even sell out 50% of its games. Hockey doesn’t have the support here in Las Vegas. Give Canada a couple teams back like Winnipeg and Quebec. Get hockey back to where it came from instead of where Bettman wants it to go.
*snorts* Bettman point xD
Sens and Canucks fan.
I agree with you, Justin; at least the Jets had a fan base, as opposed to some of the forgotten American NHL teams. Also, I think Canadians are able to just appreciate the game more because it’s a large part of our culture. There’s no market in America, really, as much as Bettman would like to believe there is.
Unless there’s suddenly a genius posterboy/ goldenchild for every club, (Sidney Crosby) most people just won’t pay attention.
Nashville needs to go to Winnipeg. Winnipeg has a new arena, NHL size, and would sell out every game. Nashville couldn’t sell out Stanley Cup Finals game 7.
Mr. Schmidt, you said “Nashville couldn’t sell out Stanley Cup Finals game 7.” FYI, The Nashville Predators have never made it to the Stanley Cup Finals!!! Winnipeg will get an NHL team. However, I don’t think Nashville will move to Winnipeg.
As a Canadian living in America, I’ve learned that hockey will never be the success in the states as people like Bettman want it to be. First you have about five sports that rank ahead, in terms of popularity, than NHL hockey does. There is the NBA, MLB, NFL, college basketball, college foot ball and golf. Hockey doesn’t even rank close in popularity to any of these sports or any college sports.
Look at American cable, hockey is rarely covered. I live in Nevada, the only games i ever get to see are games which San Jose or LA plays. And I no longer even watch these games as they are great examples of teams playing the trap, in fact all American teams seem to be.
The truth is, in America there is simply little coverage and little popularity of NHL games. If someone wants to watch hockey in America they have to order a special channel just to get the games.
Then you have playoffs, I originally thought abc or one of the networks would cover these games, but nope.
If you live in Canada, you might be familiar with the live feed cbc provides online of the playoff games. In America this feed is blocked. There is not website in America which provides this service.
How is a sport going to become popular if there is no exposure? How is a sport going to become popular when there is no time left in the week to add another sport?
Short of Bettman convincing America to add another day to the week, hockey is not going to be a success in America.
America might add another day in the week. But I’m pretty sure that spot has already been reserved for American gladiator.