Quote:
Originally Posted by Boreal
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.
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Bettman didn't just veto Balsillie out of personal spite, you know. Most of the team owners disapproved of Balsillie, because he kept trying to override territorial rights and move franchises without permission. The moment he tried to sell tickets in Hamilton, he became
persona non grata and remained so. Bettman simply enforced rules that the owners explicitly supported.
In general terms, the Board of Governors has to approve the sale or relocation of an NHL franchise, and while Bettman certainly has a voice there, he does not have a vote.
The team owners don't like doing business with anyone who might upset the applecart by suing to change the way the league works. This attitude goes right back to the beginning. The NHL was
founded by four team owners from the old National Hockey Association, who quit their old league and started a new one just to freeze out a litigious colleague.