Gary Bettman Needs to Resign

[calgarygeologist]

I know that a lot of folks here are much more opinionated and more vocal (ie. interested in speaking at length on this) but I'll start this thread with a quick and straightforward opinion:

Gary Bettman needs to resign.

As a hockey fan listening to his responses and comments on the Chicago situation it does very little in inspiring confidence that the NHL is going to move forward at an appropriate pace in changing the culture of hockey.

[FanIn80]

So who's the superhero who's going to come in and change the culture of hockey fast enough for you?

I dream of the day when people come up with ideas that move beyond reactions.

[sureLoss]

League is being pretty petty towards Rick Westhead too. Are avoiding letting him ask a question in the conference call even though he was the major reason it came to light.

edit: They are finally letting Westhead ask questions after LeBrun called them out on it.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

So who's the superhero who's going to come in and change the culture of hockey fast enough for you?

I dream of the day when people come up with ideas that move beyond reactions.

I can't recommend a saviour. As such I guess my reaction and opinion are invalid.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

League is being pretty petty towards Rick Westhead too. Are avoiding letting him ask a question in the conference call even though he was the major reason it came to light.

edit: They are finally letting Westhead ask questions after LeBrun called them out on it.

Not that it means much. That was just a lawyer pretending to answer questions.

[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.

[iggyloob12]

When you need to convey empathy about very serious topics like sexual assault and systemic racism ... don't turn to Gary Bettman.

[Red Slinger]

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.

Yeah, this can't be overstated. The modern-day sports league Commissioner is ultimately just a mouth-piece for the team owners in the league. Changing the Commissioner might change how the message is delivered but the message will remain the same: make as much money as possible. As long as the Commissioner is maximizing profits and not personally embarrassing the league there will be no impetus to change.

[The Fisher Account]

Lousy take.

Gary Bettman has done more for hockey than probably any non-player in the last 50 years.

Trying to pin the entire culture of the sport on one person is lazy and dishonest.

[Yamer]

Oof. That's...a choice, I guess.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1455237176082436098

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

Lousy take.

Gary Bettman has done more for hockey than probably any non-player in the last 50 years.

Trying to pin the entire culture of the sport on one person is lazy and dishonest.

Yeah, on the list of people to fall for the Chicago situation, Bettman is pretty low in the list, behind everyone in Chicago from that time, the NHLPA, and the teams like Fla that took no steps until prodded. I’m not sure when the NHL actually got anything they could act on. And even then, Bettman has a lot of stakeholders to answer to.

[Looch City]

Nah, I don't think it's a lousy take but I'll give him some time to see what his full response is.

Bettman's done a lot to bring in the $$$ but we're talking about a completely different issue here. An issue that's 100% more important than however many dollars he brought into this league.

Let's see if he has what it takes to shake it up.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

Lousy take.

Gary Bettman has done more for hockey than probably any non-player in the last 50 years.

Trying to pin the entire culture of the sport on one person is lazy and dishonest.

I'm a fan of Bettman's tenure as well, however....

He's been in position a very long time and this is an opportunity for the league to move forward into the 21st century in terms of culture. It's not necessarily about blame for me, but about change. I do not like the way he's handled this situation though.

I think it's time.

[calgarygeologist]

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.

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

Yeah, this can't be overstated. The modern-day sports league Commissioner is ultimately just a mouth-piece for the team owners in the league. Changing the Commissioner might change how the message is delivered but the message will remain the same: make as much money as possible. As long as the Commissioner is maximizing profits and not personally embarrassing the league there will be no impetus to change.

Saying that Bettman is just a figurehead is incorrect and is essentially absolving Bettman of the Leagues actions.

From Wikipedia:

According to the NHL Constitution, Article VI, section 6.1:
"6.1 Office of Commissioner, Election and Term of Office The League shall employ a Commissioner selected by the Board of Governors. The Commissioner shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the League and is charged with protecting the integrity of the game of professional hockey and preserving public confidence in the League.

In Section 6.3, the commissioner's duties are spelled out as having "responsibility for the general supervision and direction of all business and affairs of the league", co-ordinates matters between member clubs and serves as the principal public spokesman for the league. The commissioner also has authority over dispute resolution, league committees, interpretation of league rules, appointment of league staff, NHL financial matters, contracting authority, scheduling, officials and disciplinary powers.

Bettman has the power and authority to lead the NHL in any direction that he chooses. He can't necessarily do it all by himself but at the end of the day he is responsible for what happens in the League under his overarching direction. It is my view that Bettman has taken the League in a good business direction by increasing value and revenue and the overall level of play but he has no interest in dealing with issues that have been swept under the rug for a long time including mental health, abuse, player safety and a whole host of related player issues. Those are things that not as tangible and do not increase the bottom line for the NHL and as such Bettman has not led the League towards focusing on those.

[Beatle17]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Oof. That's...a choice, I guess.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1455237176082436098

It seems like a crass answer but technically it isn't wrong. No company is going to admit or state that their league or company has anything to do with individual issues. If the NHL even hinted at responsibility all it does it set them up for a lawsuit.

It is like fighting or deflecting concussion issues. When a player sues the league the defense is always going to be did the concussion issues happen only in the NHL or do they go back to Major U17 or junior hockey. That is why you will see payments without admitting guilt. The only reason why the NFL was screwed because the NFL admitted in an email to Mike Webster's family that they knew about the issues caused by their sport.

[GioforPM]

What was LeBrun asking - if the NHL was going to reach out to Kennedy for advice? Or to apologize? If the former, it’s a dumb response, if the latter, it’s just badly worded.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Oof. That's...a choice, I guess.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1455237176082436098

what was the context of this question? Is Lebrun asking if the NHL investigated what happened to Kennedy? if so, Bettman's response seems appropriate

guessing it was just mis-communication. Twitter is not the best way to appreciate the context of the situation

[Torture]

Gary was full of stupid quotes today.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1455227879118233609

https://twitter.com/user/status/1455222036989677569

[Macindoc]

To date, the league's response in terms of disciplining some of the culpable parties, particularly the Blackhawks' organization, has been laughable. I mean, they knowingly covered up monstrous acts and put other youths at risk just to avoid distractions in their quest for a Cup. Even after the Cup run, still nobody came forward to the authorities. Nobody! That's an institutional failure that must be addressed and must have consequences other than just losing a minority portion of one home gate.

Hopefully, with more time for consideration, more appropriate penalties will be imposed, but the NHL has disappointed before, and I'll believe it has changed when I see the evidence with my own eyes. It's time for Bettman to be a leader or else let someone else step in who's prepared to be one.

[Roof-Daddy]

There was nothing wrong with Bettman's answer to the Kennedy question IMO

He's right, Sheldon's awful experience did not happen when he was in the NHL, and then Bettman went on to say that they'd be more than willing to work with him if he has any ideas to help improve player safety at the NHL level in regards to the Blackhawk's incident.