Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
Gary is a figurehead for people behind the scenes that pay him handsomely. He couldn't by himself change hockey culture even if he wanted to.
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This is patently false. There is an overwhelming majority of owners who own an NHL franchise because Gary facilitated their golden ticket. There is also a long line of Jim Balsilies amoungst others who wouldn’t or are still waiting for their chance.
He is the most power human in hockey and he has always been reactive rather than proactive because he thinks he is the smartest man in the room.
And you know what? He probably is the smartest.
However he can’t use his brain to adjudicate himself out of every problem, especially when his league looks like a group of insular, empathetically bankrupt, racist bigots.
He can and should do a lot more as this is on his watch.
It’s banal and tiresome watching him evaluate everything as either liability or a legal pissing match to sharpen his own ego.